First Few Hours in Istanbul: Police Barricade, the Frenzy, Turkish Mezze and Meeting a Couple from New Zealand
My arrival in Istanbul last May was not the smoothest arrival I have ever had. My departure was a drama as well but I am saving this for a later post. I arrived on the 1st of May which is a Friday and which is also a holiday. In most countries, the 1st of May is Labour Day, and this was the case as well in Turkey.
When I stepped into the taxi cab at the Istanbul Ataturk International Airport, I showed right away the driver the address of my hotel. Nine Istanbul is located near the famous Istiklal Avenue in Beyoglu. He gave me a sour face and told me, in broken English, that it is not reachable. He then added that he can only drop me near the Galata Bridge. This is my first time in Istanbul so I have no clue how far this Galata Bridge is to my hotel. I was wary. Because his English was very limited, he called the head office and I was passed on to a lady who spoke the language much better. She explained to me the situation at hand.
It appears that the government are taking precautionary measures. The police have cordoned the whole Istiklal Avenue and Taksim Square in Beyoglu. The government was worried that the opposition party and its followers will hold a rally which may result into a riot. Taksim Square is the historical square where all events of importance and political rallies are held. Istiklal on the other hand connects to Taksim and is a very busy pedestrian shopping street, so I can understand why they included this in the cordoned area periphery.
Luckily the driver was very nice and he did his best to deposit me at the nearest street to Istiklal, at the bottom of the Galata neighbourhood which is quite near to the Galata Bridge. In his very limited English, he then gave me directions which street to take. I managed to understood them and was in no time on my way to Istiklal via the cobbled stone streets of the hilly Galata neighbourhood.
During the hike up, I was quite impressed of Galata. It is a lively and creative area. I already planned on coming back to this area later in the evening. So upon reaching the end of the street, I saw a gathering of people and behind them I could see the police barricade. This is it. This is the blockade they were talking about.
So it was clear that no one was allowed to go in. This was sometime around 3PM and I started to worry about the lost of time. I called the hotel informing them of my location and that I could not pass through thr blockade. They said it’s the same for them. They wanted to fetch me but they were stuck as well. No one can do anything really. The police in Turkey are nothing like the Dutch police where you can talk, reason and negotiate with.
So I lingered a bit hoping to get more information. This was when things started to get a bit scary…
As you can see, many people have been waiting for some time already. Impatience and frustrations were building up and have started to run high. There were also some people in the crowd who just want to instigate the whole situation, making it worse than it already was. These instigators started teasing the police, shouting something in Turkish and thrusting the fence back and forth. Naturally the macho Turkish police didn’t just stood there to watch. They respond with authority, and even positioning the water cannon tanks towards the public. Of course, this sent everyone on a rampage. People started screaming and running amok!
The first time this happened I was really caught off guard. I stood there in the middle of the street with my luggage and the first thing in my mind was—RUN! NOW! Look for a corner to hide! I barely managed to safety. The problem with this kind of situation is that this can get very dangerous. One can easily be a victim of stampede. And I have a luggage with me so I am at a serious disadvantage.
I have to admit that it scared me a bit. I mean, I have just arrived to a strange city and this is what welcomed me? The rampage actually happened twice with a 10-15 minute interval in between. Darn those instigators! So I stayed lurking around from a corner street for like another 10 minutes. Then I went back out to check out what was going on. It was during this time that I met the NZ couple.
Peter, eyeing my luggage approached me and struck up a conversation with me casually. He asked if my hotel is nearby and I told him it’s supposed to be on one of the side streets along Istiklal. He said theirs is on Taksim Square. His wife, Dee then asked if I am from the Philippines. They have lived more than a decade in the Philippines as missionaries. While we were having this little chat, we heard again (this is the third time) a commotion followed by shouting and running. In an instant we were all dispersed. It happened so fast. Like a blur. As if by instinct, Dee and I managed to grab each other and our luggage, and we ran to a street corner. But we lost Peter. Where the heck is he? I could hear Dee repeatedly saying, ‘Where is Peter?!’ her eyes showing signs of worry. After a minute or two, we saw Peter walking to us, grinning wide and with his not-so-sporty baseball cap on. *SIGH* He seems to be enjoying this very eventful afternoon!
We then decided to retreat back further to a corner street several metres away. We knew we were stuck. We couldn’t do anything. Nobody can do anything. The whole area is closed. Even if we go to another side street somewhere, there will still be another barricade. We are at the mercy of the police. And those instigators are annoying! Argh. We heard conflicting stories as well. Some were saying that the barricade will be open in an hour whilst others said it will be later in the evening.
We knew we were not safe there. So we unanimously decided that we will go somewhere for a drink, relax and to pass the time. I told them that I saw a restaurant downhill near the tower just a block away. It would be a good place to have a drink and some bite.
This is the location:
At the Galata Tower area we managed to get a table at the Galata Guney Restaurant. We ordered each a glass of wine (Peter had a beer) and a plate of Turkish Mezze to share. I guess you can say that this was our very late lunch or almost early dinner. The mezzes were so good.
I really enjoyed my short time with Peter and Dee. We shared so many past travel stories and plans. We talked about their time in the Philippines, their experiences in Europe, what New Zealand is like (I am going there soon, perhaps next year) and before we knew it, time flew out the window!
We also befriended the friendly locals sitting beside us. They gave us inside information about the blockade and helped us as well in locating our hotels on the map. They have internet on their phones, we don’t.
So at around 18:30 we went back up to the police blockade area. Nothing really has changed. The police were still shielding the whole place and the water cannon tanks were still there. However, we heard rumours that they are opening the barricade in half an hour.
Indeed, half an hour later the fences were torn down. Hallelujah!
I tell you, I could not have been happier checking in to my hotel. What a very interesting and adventurous first few hours in Istanbul =)
Travel Period: May 2015
Destination: Beyoglu, Istanbul (Marmara), Turkey
Keep in touch and follow me on Facebook: Travel & Lifestyle Diaries by Dutched Pinay Travels
Happy Travels! Enjoy Life =)
The taxi driver as we were nearing Galata.
Turkey has many faces. The affluent and the destitute live side by side. Modern and old architecture. Liberal and conservative way of life.
When I stepped into the taxi cab at the Istanbul Ataturk International Airport, I showed right away the driver the address of my hotel. Nine Istanbul is located near the famous Istiklal Avenue in Beyoglu. He gave me a sour face and told me, in broken English, that it is not reachable. He then added that he can only drop me near the Galata Bridge. This is my first time in Istanbul so I have no clue how far this Galata Bridge is to my hotel. I was wary. Because his English was very limited, he called the head office and I was passed on to a lady who spoke the language much better. She explained to me the situation at hand.
It appears that the government are taking precautionary measures. The police have cordoned the whole Istiklal Avenue and Taksim Square in Beyoglu. The government was worried that the opposition party and its followers will hold a rally which may result into a riot. Taksim Square is the historical square where all events of importance and political rallies are held. Istiklal on the other hand connects to Taksim and is a very busy pedestrian shopping street, so I can understand why they included this in the cordoned area periphery.
Turkish police behind the blockade near the Beyoglu Tunnel on Istiklal Street.
This is just near the Galata Mevlevi Museum, just before you cross over to Istiklal.
Luckily the driver was very nice and he did his best to deposit me at the nearest street to Istiklal, at the bottom of the Galata neighbourhood which is quite near to the Galata Bridge. In his very limited English, he then gave me directions which street to take. I managed to understood them and was in no time on my way to Istiklal via the cobbled stone streets of the hilly Galata neighbourhood.
During the hike up, I was quite impressed of Galata. It is a lively and creative area. I already planned on coming back to this area later in the evening. So upon reaching the end of the street, I saw a gathering of people and behind them I could see the police barricade. This is it. This is the blockade they were talking about.
So it was clear that no one was allowed to go in. This was sometime around 3PM and I started to worry about the lost of time. I called the hotel informing them of my location and that I could not pass through thr blockade. They said it’s the same for them. They wanted to fetch me but they were stuck as well. No one can do anything really. The police in Turkey are nothing like the Dutch police where you can talk, reason and negotiate with.
So I lingered a bit hoping to get more information. This was when things started to get a bit scary…
The waiting game...
Local people waiting for the blockade to open were becoming impatient and careless.
As you can see, many people have been waiting for some time already. Impatience and frustrations were building up and have started to run high. There were also some people in the crowd who just want to instigate the whole situation, making it worse than it already was. These instigators started teasing the police, shouting something in Turkish and thrusting the fence back and forth. Naturally the macho Turkish police didn’t just stood there to watch. They respond with authority, and even positioning the water cannon tanks towards the public. Of course, this sent everyone on a rampage. People started screaming and running amok!
The first time this happened I was really caught off guard. I stood there in the middle of the street with my luggage and the first thing in my mind was—RUN! NOW! Look for a corner to hide! I barely managed to safety. The problem with this kind of situation is that this can get very dangerous. One can easily be a victim of stampede. And I have a luggage with me so I am at a serious disadvantage.
I have to admit that it scared me a bit. I mean, I have just arrived to a strange city and this is what welcomed me? The rampage actually happened twice with a 10-15 minute interval in between. Darn those instigators! So I stayed lurking around from a corner street for like another 10 minutes. Then I went back out to check out what was going on. It was during this time that I met the NZ couple.
Peter, eyeing my luggage approached me and struck up a conversation with me casually. He asked if my hotel is nearby and I told him it’s supposed to be on one of the side streets along Istiklal. He said theirs is on Taksim Square. His wife, Dee then asked if I am from the Philippines. They have lived more than a decade in the Philippines as missionaries. While we were having this little chat, we heard again (this is the third time) a commotion followed by shouting and running. In an instant we were all dispersed. It happened so fast. Like a blur. As if by instinct, Dee and I managed to grab each other and our luggage, and we ran to a street corner. But we lost Peter. Where the heck is he? I could hear Dee repeatedly saying, ‘Where is Peter?!’ her eyes showing signs of worry. After a minute or two, we saw Peter walking to us, grinning wide and with his not-so-sporty baseball cap on. *SIGH* He seems to be enjoying this very eventful afternoon!
We then decided to retreat back further to a corner street several metres away. We knew we were stuck. We couldn’t do anything. Nobody can do anything. The whole area is closed. Even if we go to another side street somewhere, there will still be another barricade. We are at the mercy of the police. And those instigators are annoying! Argh. We heard conflicting stories as well. Some were saying that the barricade will be open in an hour whilst others said it will be later in the evening.
We knew we were not safe there. So we unanimously decided that we will go somewhere for a drink, relax and to pass the time. I told them that I saw a restaurant downhill near the tower just a block away. It would be a good place to have a drink and some bite.
This is the location:
You can see my walking route from where the taxi cab driver left me off and my climb to Istiklal (Tunel) near the Galata Mevlevi Museum (where the whirling dervishes dance ritual is held). This is where I got stuck with the police barricade. In the middle of the route you can see the Galata Tower.
Having drinks at the Galata Tower on Galata Guney Restaurant.
At the Galata Tower area we managed to get a table at the Galata Guney Restaurant. We ordered each a glass of wine (Peter had a beer) and a plate of Turkish Mezze to share. I guess you can say that this was our very late lunch or almost early dinner. The mezzes were so good.
I really enjoyed my short time with Peter and Dee. We shared so many past travel stories and plans. We talked about their time in the Philippines, their experiences in Europe, what New Zealand is like (I am going there soon, perhaps next year) and before we knew it, time flew out the window!
We also befriended the friendly locals sitting beside us. They gave us inside information about the blockade and helped us as well in locating our hotels on the map. They have internet on their phones, we don’t.
This is scrumptious! We wiped off this plate really clean. Great for a group starter, for lunch or as a snack as well.
Moi and Dee. As you can see I look very tired here.
Dee and Peter, they are travelling around Turkey for this holiday.
We are buying time here at the Galata Guney Restaurant.
So at around 18:30 we went back up to the police blockade area. Nothing really has changed. The police were still shielding the whole place and the water cannon tanks were still there. However, we heard rumours that they are opening the barricade in half an hour.
Indeed, half an hour later the fences were torn down. Hallelujah!
I tell you, I could not have been happier checking in to my hotel. What a very interesting and adventurous first few hours in Istanbul =)
People were still waiting when we came back.
Can you see the water cannon tanks?
Finally! Free here at last. This is Istiklal Street.
Travel Period: May 2015
Destination: Beyoglu, Istanbul (Marmara), Turkey
Keep in touch and follow me on Facebook: Travel & Lifestyle Diaries by Dutched Pinay Travels
Happy Travels! Enjoy Life =)
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