I’ve now been to Egypt twice in the last 6 months and not written a word about it, so I think it is time to start unpacking my adventures in my beloved country. Egypt holds a special place in my heart, and each time I go, I find myself wanting more, already looking forward to…
Category: Middle East
Sad Thoughts with Istanbul Today
I woke up this morning aghast to hear that Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport was devastated by a terrorist attack, with scores killed and hundreds injured. My heart is heavy for the city and country I fell in love with, which has been rocked by terrorist attacks and violence far too many times this year. I am filled…
Sniffing Through Istanbul’s Spice Bazaar
Istanbul’s Spice Bazaar is a foodie’s dream come true. The covered market is lined with vendors selling spices, teas, dried fruits, and Turkish desserts. Mounds of jewel colored spices and teas line the walls of the market, and dried clusters of herbs and loofahs are strung up from the ceilings. The different aromas create an…
Attack of the Pigeons: Taksim Square
This is my fake smile of fear because I hate pigeons. While in Taksim Square, a sweet old man thrust a plastic cup of bird seed into my hand. I resisted…because I hate being mobbed by a gazillion pigeons, nightmare scenario, but he was relentless. I said no at least four times, but eventually…
Baklava For Days at Mado Pastry
Let me start out by saying that I don’t really like baklava. Growing up in a Middle Eastern family, there was no shortage of baklava, kunefah, basboosah, etc, but as more of a savory than sweet kind of girl, none really held much appeal for me. My tooth has gotten slightly sweeter with age, however, even…
Free in Istanbul: Sultan Ahmet Mosque
The past few sites I’ve highlighted in my slowly trickling out recap of my trip to Istanbul have been museums (Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, Basilica Cisterns) which cost between 25-30TL (less than $10) to enter, are well worth the price. However, what’s even better than cheap? That would be free. The Sultan Ahmet Mosque, also know…
Worth the Ticket Price: Topkapi Palace, Istanbul
As a die hard budget traveller I am super skeptical of tours, tourist trap sites, and basically anywhere that charges an entry fee that I haven’t heavily vetted/weighed the value of the ticket price. I’ve mentioned before, if you’re travelling all the way to Istanbul, it’s worth it to set aside maybe $30-40 of your…
Istanbul’s Underworld: The Basilica Cistern
No, I don’t mean that during my four days in Istanbul I delved into the Turkish mafia (which I know nothing about, but I’m sure there is one). By underworld I mean literally under the city. Whilst you’re in the Golden Horn visiting the Hagia Sophia and the Sultan Ahmet, take some time to check out…
Is it a Mosque? A Church? A Museum? Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia
I wouldn’t necessarily describe my travel style as super sight-seeing oriented. I like to see stuff, but I usually don’t arrive armed with my fanny pack and maps, with a minute by minute itinerary and a list of 15 sites I want to cram into the day before lunch. As a budget traveller, I’m also…
Discovering Istanbul: Beyoğlu, Istiklal, and My Love of a Hotel with Free Breakfast
As you readers know, this was my first time to Istanbul, but my parents have been many times. As such, they did a lot of driving the itinerary, so I didn’t have to put a ton of research or effort into figuring out the main places to go and things to see. It made for a super…
Trip Recap: Istanbul and Cairo
I’ve got so much to say about my trip to Istanbul and Cairo, that I thought it would be best to start with a broad recap and then delve into some of the more detailed stuff I’ve been busting at the seams to share with you all. Literally dozens of blog post ideas on the…
The 9 to 5 Wanderer 