I traveled from Israel to Istanbul, Turkey by plane.

When I left Israel, the staff asked me various questions (interrogations?).
- Where did you go in Israel? Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Tel Aviv.
- Do you have any friends or family in Israel? No.
- What was the purpose of your visit to Israel? The main purpose was sightseeing in Jerusalem.
- How long will you be staying? 10 days.
- Why did you go to Malaysia? Trekking in the rainforest.
- Do you have any friends or family in Malaysia? No.
- Why did you get a Pakistani visa? In the original travel plan, I was going to go from Pakistan to India, but I changed the route to Kazakhstan.
- How long did you stay in Kazakhstan? About 10 days.
- Do you have any friends or family in Kazakhstan? No.
- What was the purpose of your visit to Kazakhstan? Sightseeing.
- Which country did you visit before Israel? Kazakhstan.
- Why did you come to Israel from Kazakhstan? The flight from Kazakhstan was cheaper than the flight from China.
- Where are you going next? Istanbul.
- How long will you be staying in Istanbul? 10 days.
- Where are you going after Istanbul? I'm going to travel around Turkey for about a month.
- Where are you going after Turkey? I'm going to Greece.
- Where are you going after Greece? I'm going north.
- Do you have that much money? I said I received a severance package after being laid off (I said that).

I thought the questioning was over, but then the staff member changed, and I was asked the same questions again and again.
I think they were probably checking the consistency of my answers.
People who are inconsistent might be sent to a separate room.

I was wondering if the staff member had asked all those questions, and then I was finally released.

The security was very strict when entering the boarding area after check-in, and it took a long time because they opened my luggage and used a machine to check every corner of the bag. I'm glad I arrived at the airport early.

I flew with Pegasus Air, and it was very cheap, 61.99 USD (including surcharges).
However, it lands at a minor airport, so it takes a little longer to get to the city center.
I haven't used the major airport before, so I didn't know the difference, but I had to wait for about an hour after booking the shuttle bus, so maybe there are fewer passengers.
I originally bought a shuttle bus ticket for around 19:45, and was told it would be 20:15, but I actually had to wait until 21:00. When I asked, they just said "We'll call you, please wait." I immediately realized that Turkey is a country that is not punctual. I'm in a country like that.
The taxi fare to Taksim Square, the center of the new city, was 10 euros (about 1,400 yen).
The fare to Galata Bridge, which is only 3 km away, was 15 euros (about 2,100 yen). The prices are a bit strange, but I asked the driver to take me to the north side of Galata Bridge, which is closer to the hotel.

I arrived at the hotel, but it's a small hotel that is commensurate with the price.



I traveled from Israel to Istanbul, Turkey by plane.

When I left Israel, the staff asked me various questions (interrogations?).
- Where did you go in Israel? Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Tel Aviv.
- Do you have any friends or family in Israel? No.
- What was the purpose of your visit to Israel? The main purpose was sightseeing in Jerusalem.
- How long will you be staying? 10 days.
- Why did you go to Malaysia? Trekking in the rainforest.
- Do you have any friends or family in Malaysia? No.
- Why did you get a Pakistani visa? In the original travel plan, I was going to go from Pakistan to India, but I changed the route to Kazakhstan.
- How long did you stay in Kazakhstan? About 10 days.
- Do you have any friends or family in Kazakhstan? No.
- What was the purpose of your visit to Kazakhstan? Sightseeing.
- Which country did you visit before Israel? Kazakhstan.
- Why did you come to Israel from Kazakhstan? The flight from Kazakhstan was cheaper than the flight from China.
- Where are you going next? Istanbul.
- How long will you be staying in Istanbul? 10 days.
- Where are you going after Istanbul? I'm going to travel around Turkey for about a month.
- Where are you going after Turkey? I'm going to Greece.
- Where are you going after Greece? I'm going north.
- Do you have that much money? I said I received a severance package after being laid off (I said that).

I thought the questioning was over, but then the staff member changed, and I was asked the same questions again and again.
I think they were probably checking the consistency of my answers.
People who are inconsistent might be sent to a separate room.

I was wondering if the staff member had asked all those questions, and then I was finally released.

The security was very strict when entering the boarding area after check-in, and it took a long time because they opened my luggage and used a machine to check every corner of the bag. I'm glad I arrived at the airport early.

I flew with Pegasus Air, and it was very cheap, 61.99 USD (including surcharges).
However, it lands at a minor airport, so it takes a little longer to get to the city center.
I haven't used the major airport before, so I didn't know the difference, but I had to wait for about an hour after booking the shuttle bus, so maybe there are fewer passengers.
I originally bought a shuttle bus ticket for around 19:45, and was told it would be 20:15, but I actually had to wait until 21:00. When I asked, they just said "We'll call you, please wait." I immediately realized that Turkey is a country that is not punctual. I'm in a country like that.
The taxi fare to Taksim Square, the center of the new city, was 10 euros (about 1,400 yen).
The fare to Galata Bridge, which is only 3 km away, was 15 euros (about 2,100 yen). The prices are a bit strange, but I asked the driver to take me to the north side of Galata Bridge, which is closer to the hotel.

I arrived at the hotel, but it's a small hotel that is commensurate with the price.




I traveled from Israel to Istanbul, Turkey by plane.

When I left Israel, the staff asked me various questions (interrogations?).
- Where did you go in Israel? Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Tel Aviv.
- Do you have any friends or family in Israel? No.
- What was the purpose of your visit to Israel? The main purpose was sightseeing in Jerusalem.
- How long will you be staying? 10 days.
- Why did you go to Malaysia? Trekking in the rainforest.
- Do you have any friends or family in Malaysia? No.
- Why did you get a Pakistani visa? In the original travel plan, I was going to go from Pakistan to India, but I changed the route to Kazakhstan.
- How long did you stay in Kazakhstan? About 10 days.
- Do you have any friends or family in Kazakhstan? No.
- What was the purpose of your visit to Kazakhstan? Sightseeing.
- Which country did you visit before Israel? Kazakhstan.
- Why did you come to Israel from Kazakhstan? The flight from Kazakhstan was cheaper than the flight from China.
- Where are you going next? Istanbul.
- How long will you be staying in Istanbul? 10 days.
- Where are you going after Istanbul? I'm going to travel around Turkey for about a month.
- Where are you going after Turkey? I'm going to Greece.
- Where are you going after Greece? I'm going north.
- Do you have that much money? I said I received a severance package after being laid off (I said that).

I thought the questioning was over, but then the staff member changed, and I was asked the same questions again and again.
I think they were probably checking the consistency of my answers.
People who are inconsistent might be sent to a separate room.

I was wondering if the staff member had asked all those questions, and then I was finally released.

The security was very strict when entering the boarding area after check-in, and it took a long time because they opened my luggage and used a machine to check every corner of the bag. I'm glad I arrived at the airport early.

I flew with Pegasus Air, and it was very cheap, 61.99 USD (including surcharges).
However, it lands at a minor airport, so it takes a little longer to get to the city center.
I haven't used the major airport before, so I didn't know the difference, but I had to wait for about an hour after booking the shuttle bus, so maybe there are fewer passengers.
I originally bought a shuttle bus ticket for around 19:45, and was told it would be 20:15, but I actually had to wait until 21:00. When I asked, they just said "We'll call you, please wait." I immediately realized that Turkey is a country that is not punctual. I'm in a country like that.
The taxi fare to Taksim Square, the center of the new city, was 10 euros (about 1,400 yen).
The fare to Galata Bridge, which is only 3 km away, was 15 euros (about 2,100 yen). The prices are a bit strange, but I asked the driver to take me to the north side of Galata Bridge, which is closer to the hotel.

I arrived at the hotel, but it's a small hotel that is commensurate with the price.



I traveled from Israel to Istanbul, Turkey by plane.

When I left Israel, the staff asked me various questions (interrogations?).
- Where did you go in Israel? Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Tel Aviv.
- Do you have any friends or family in Israel? No.
- What was the purpose of your visit to Israel? The main purpose was sightseeing in Jerusalem.
- How long will you be staying? 10 days.
- Why did you go to Malaysia? Trekking in the rainforest.
- Do you have any friends or family in Malaysia? No.
- Why did you get a Pakistani visa? In the original travel plan, I was going to go from Pakistan to India, but I changed the route to Kazakhstan.
- How long did you stay in Kazakhstan? About 10 days.
- Do you have any friends or family in Kazakhstan? No.
- What was the purpose of your visit to Kazakhstan? Sightseeing.
- Which country did you visit before Israel? Kazakhstan.
- Why did you come to Israel from Kazakhstan? The flight from Kazakhstan was cheaper than the flight from China.
- Where are you going next? Istanbul.
- How long will you be staying in Istanbul? 10 days.
- Where are you going after Istanbul? I'm going to travel around Turkey for about a month.
- Where are you going after Turkey? I'm going to Greece.
- Where are you going after Greece? I'm going north.
- Do you have that much money? I said I received a severance package after being laid off (I said that).

I thought the questioning was over, but then the staff member changed, and I was asked the same questions again and again.
I think they were probably checking the consistency of my answers.
People who are inconsistent might be sent to a separate room.

I was wondering if the staff member had asked all those questions, and then I was finally released.

The security was very strict when entering the boarding area after check-in, and it took a long time because they opened my luggage and used a machine to check every corner of the bag. I'm glad I arrived at the airport early.

I flew with Pegasus Air, and it was very cheap, 61.99 USD (including surcharges).
However, it lands at a minor airport, so it takes a little longer to get to the city center.
I haven't used the major airport before, so I didn't know the difference, but I had to wait for about an hour after booking the shuttle bus, so maybe there are fewer passengers.
I originally bought a shuttle bus ticket for around 19:45, and was told it would be 20:15, but I actually had to wait until 21:00. When I asked, they just said "We'll call you, please wait." I immediately realized that Turkey is a country that is not punctual. I'm in a country like that.
The taxi fare to Taksim Square, the center of the new city, was 10 euros (about 1,400 yen).
The fare to Galata Bridge, which is only 3 km away, was 15 euros (about 2,100 yen). The prices are a bit strange, but I asked the driver to take me to the north side of Galata Bridge, which is closer to the hotel.

I arrived at the hotel, but it's a small hotel that is commensurate with the price.



I traveled from Israel to Istanbul, Turkey by plane.

When I left Israel, the staff asked me various questions (interrogations?).
- Where did you go in Israel? Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Tel Aviv.
- Do you have any friends or family in Israel? No.
- What was the purpose of your visit to Israel? The main purpose was sightseeing in Jerusalem.
- How long will you be staying? 10 days.
- Why did you go to Malaysia? Trekking in the rainforest.
- Do you have any friends or family in Malaysia? No.
- Why did you get a Pakistani visa? In the original travel plan, I was going to go from Pakistan to India, but I changed the route to Kazakhstan.
- How long did you stay in Kazakhstan? About 10 days.
- Do you have any friends or family in Kazakhstan? No.
- What was the purpose of your visit to Kazakhstan? Sightseeing.
- Which country did you visit before Israel? Kazakhstan.
- Why did you come to Israel from Kazakhstan? The flight from Kazakhstan was cheaper than the flight from China.
- Where are you going next? Istanbul.
- How long will you be staying in Istanbul? 10 days.
- Where are you going after Istanbul? I'm going to travel around Turkey for about a month.
- Where are you going after Turkey? I'm going to Greece.
- Where are you going after Greece? I'm going north.
- Do you have that much money? I said I received a severance package after being laid off (I said that).

I thought the questioning was over, but then the staff member changed, and I was asked the same questions again and again.
I think they were probably checking the consistency of my answers.
People who are inconsistent might be sent to a separate room.

I was wondering if the staff member had asked all those questions, and then I was finally released.

The security was very strict when entering the boarding area after check-in, and it took a long time because they opened my luggage and used a machine to check every corner of the bag. I'm glad I arrived at the airport early.

I flew with Pegasus Air, and it was very cheap, 61.99 USD (including surcharges).
However, it lands at a minor airport, so it takes a little longer to get to the city center.
I haven't used the major airport before, so I didn't know the difference, but I had to wait for about an hour after booking the shuttle bus, so maybe there are fewer passengers.
I originally bought a shuttle bus ticket for around 19:45, and was told it would be 20:15, but I actually had to wait until 21:00. When I asked, they just said "We'll call you, please wait." I immediately realized that Turkey is a country that is not punctual. I'm in a country like that.
The taxi fare to Taksim Square, the center of the new city, was 10 euros (about 1,400 yen).
The fare to Galata Bridge, which is only 3 km away, was 15 euros (about 2,100 yen). The prices are a bit strange, but I asked the driver to take me to the north side of Galata Bridge, which is closer to the hotel.

I arrived at the hotel, but it's a small hotel that is commensurate with the price.



I traveled from Israel to Istanbul, Turkey by plane.

When I left Israel, the staff asked me various questions (interrogations?).
- Where did you go in Israel? Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Tel Aviv.
- Do you have any friends or family in Israel? No.
- What was the purpose of your visit to Israel? The main purpose was sightseeing in Jerusalem.
- How long will you be staying? 10 days.
- Why did you go to Malaysia? Trekking in the rainforest.
- Do you have any friends or family in Malaysia? No.
- Why did you get a Pakistani visa? In the original travel plan, I was going to go from Pakistan to India, but I changed the route to Kazakhstan.
- How long did you stay in Kazakhstan? About 10 days.
- Do you have any friends or family in Kazakhstan? No.
- What was the purpose of your visit to Kazakhstan? Sightseeing.
- Which country did you visit before Israel? Kazakhstan.
- Why did you come to Israel from Kazakhstan? The flight from Kazakhstan was cheaper than the flight from China.
- Where are you going next? Istanbul.
- How long will you be staying in Istanbul? 10 days.
- Where are you going after Istanbul? I'm going to travel around Turkey for about a month.
- Where are you going after Turkey? I'm going to Greece.
- Where are you going after Greece? I'm going north.
- Do you have that much money? I said I received a severance package after being laid off (I said that).

I thought the questioning was over, but then the staff member changed, and I was asked the same questions again and again.
I think they were probably checking the consistency of my answers.
People who are inconsistent might be sent to a separate room.

I was wondering if the staff member had asked all those questions, and then I was finally released.

The security was very strict when entering the boarding area after check-in, and it took a long time because they opened my luggage and used a machine to check every corner of the bag. I'm glad I arrived at the airport early.

I flew with Pegasus Air, and it was very cheap, 61.99 USD (including surcharges).
However, it lands at a minor airport, so it takes a little longer to get to the city center.
I haven't used the major airport before, so I didn't know the difference, but I had to wait for about an hour after booking the shuttle bus, so maybe there are fewer passengers.
I originally bought a shuttle bus ticket for around 19:45, and was told it would be 20:15, but I actually had to wait until 21:00. When I asked, they just said "We'll call you, please wait." I immediately realized that Turkey is a country that is not punctual. I'm in a country like that.
The taxi fare to Taksim Square, the center of the new city, was 10 euros (about 1,400 yen).
The fare to Galata Bridge, which is only 3 km away, was 15 euros (about 2,100 yen). The prices are a bit strange, but I asked the driver to take me to the north side of Galata Bridge, which is closer to the hotel.

I arrived at the hotel, but it's a small hotel that is commensurate with the price.



I traveled from Israel to Istanbul, Turkey by plane.

When I left Israel, the staff asked me various questions (interrogations?).
- Where did you go in Israel? Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Tel Aviv.
- Do you have any friends or family in Israel? No.
- What was the purpose of your visit to Israel? The main purpose was sightseeing in Jerusalem.
- How long will you be staying? 10 days.
- Why did you go to Malaysia? Trekking in the rainforest.
- Do you have any friends or family in Malaysia? No.
- Why did you get a Pakistani visa? In the original travel plan, I was going to go from Pakistan to India, but I changed the route to Kazakhstan.
- How long did you stay in Kazakhstan? About 10 days.
- Do you have any friends or family in Kazakhstan? No.
- What was the purpose of your visit to Kazakhstan? Sightseeing.
- Which country did you visit before Israel? Kazakhstan.
- Why did you come to Israel from Kazakhstan? The flight from Kazakhstan was cheaper than the flight from China.
- Where are you going next? Istanbul.
- How long will you be staying in Istanbul? 10 days.
- Where are you going after Istanbul? I'm going to travel around Turkey for about a month.
- Where are you going after Turkey? I'm going to Greece.
- Where are you going after Greece? I'm going north.
- Do you have that much money? I said I received a severance package after being laid off (I said that).

I thought the questioning was over, but then the staff member changed, and I was asked the same questions again and again.
I think they were probably checking the consistency of my answers.
People who are inconsistent might be sent to a separate room.

I was wondering if the staff member had asked all those questions, and then I was finally released.

The security was very strict when entering the boarding area after check-in, and it took a long time because they opened my luggage and used a machine to check every corner of the bag. I'm glad I arrived at the airport early.

I flew with Pegasus Air, and it was very cheap, 61.99 USD (including surcharges).
However, it lands at a minor airport, so it takes a little longer to get to the city center.
I haven't used the major airport before, so I didn't know the difference, but I had to wait for about an hour after booking the shuttle bus, so maybe there are fewer passengers.
I originally bought a shuttle bus ticket for around 19:45, and was told it would be 20:15, but I actually had to wait until 21:00. When I asked, they just said "We'll call you, please wait." I immediately realized that Turkey is a country that is not punctual. I'm in a country like that.
The taxi fare to Taksim Square, the center of the new city, was 10 euros (about 1,400 yen).
The fare to Galata Bridge, which is only 3 km away, was 15 euros (about 2,100 yen). The prices are a bit strange, but I asked the driver to take me to the north side of Galata Bridge, which is closer to the hotel.

I arrived at the hotel, but it's a small hotel that is commensurate with the price.

While going from the Galata Tower to Taksim Square, I saw the Sent Antuan Church and went inside.



It is a small but impressive church.

Today, I will walk around the old town, starting from the area around the Gakuta Bridge where the hotel is located.

While I was strolling around the old town, I discovered a mosque and went inside.

It is lunchtime, so I am going to have a little something to eat.
4 liras (approximately 180 yen).



And then we proceed south through the old city.



I discovered a small mosque as I got closer to the sea.
It seems to be called "Little Hagia Sophia."

It appears to be prayer time, and although there aren't many people, they are bowing (?) towards Mecca.
I quickly left so as not to disturb them.

Next, I walked a little to the Blue Mosque (SULTANAHMET CAMII - BLUE MOSQUE).

There were suspicious people speaking Japanese in the surrounding area, who said things like, "That's the Blue Mosque," and various other things, but I ignored them and went inside.



The inside is divided into two halves, with the front half being the Muslim area.
The back half is a tourist area.

There are specific time slots, and there seem to be times when it is not possible to visit as a tourist.



Since it is free and I can see this much, I am quite satisfied.

I walked to the northern part of the old town, and from there, I took a ferry.



I walked to the northern part of the old town, and from there, I took a ferry.



I walked to the northern part of the old town, and from there, I took a ferry.

Today, I am going to Topkapi Palace Museum, which is located in the old city.

First, I will purchase a museum pass.

According to my previous research,
a 3-day pass costs 85 lira,
and a 5-day pass costs 115 lira (which allows access to a few more places).
So, I purchased it at the ticket counter near Hagia Sophia.

When I tried to buy a 5-day pass, the staff member said, "Right now, it's discounted to 85 lira," so I bought it for that price. However, the card I received was for 72 hours (3 days). I was surprised, so I confirmed whether this card would allow access to all the places. She said that it would, and that this card is equivalent to a 5-day pass.

I was a little confused, but just to be sure, I checked again with the museum pass for Topkapi Palace Museum, and they confirmed that this 72-hour (3-day) card allows access to everything. Wow.



First, let's look at the hammam, which requires a separate fee.

It was written here that it is not covered by the Museum Pass, but the lady at the ticket counter said, "You can enter with the Museum Pass," so I went in anyway. Well. Even the paper I received when I bought the Museum Pass says something like, "Hammam requires a separate fee (optional)."

Perhaps the Museum Pass is in a transitional period of change.



Islamic architecture is surprisingly simple, but even so, this place is still quite lavish.



A mosque in Hammam.



And then I leave the hammam.



Because the hammam is a separate charge, perhaps that's why it's so crowded after you leave the hammam.



A magnificent horse suddenly appeared.



The view is good.



And, because there was a line formed in a place where photography was prohibited, I waited in line to see it, and after seeing what was left, I left the palace.

It was lunchtime, so I tried to find something to eat, but there were many expensive restaurants around the Hagia Sophia. So, I bought bread at a park and had a snack, and then I entered the Hagia Sophia Museum (Ayasofya, Hagia Sophia Museum).



This seems to be a place where a mosque was built using an old church.
Even though it is a mosque, there are still Christian paintings remaining.


In the photo, it may not be clear, but it is quite wide.


Leaving the mosque area, I also went to the cemetery area of Hagia Sophia.
It seems that former sultans (like kings) are buried there.

Next, I went to an old church called Hagia Irene, which is near the entrance of Topkapi Palace, but it wasn't that impressive, and I thought it wouldn't be worth going unless it was included in the museum pass.

If you pay separately, it's 20 liras (about 900 yen), but I felt that the price was too high for just that.

Next, I went to the Istanbul Archaeological Museum.
This museum is also included in the museum pass.

Although I was a bit rushed, the content was substantial and I enjoyed it.

Today, I decided to visit the Fethiye Museum, which was not on my list before, but is included in the museum pass.

It is located a bit far from the metro and tram stations, so I will go there on foot.



It is a small, old church.
It might be okay not to visit if it is not included in the museum pass.

Next, I am going to the Chora Museum.



It seems that some rooms are under renovation and cannot be viewed, but I was still able to see some well-preserved murals.

After visiting the Chora Museum, I headed south and, when I reached the main street, a magnificent Mihrimah Sultan Mosque was right in front of me, so I went inside.

It is small, but mosques in Istanbul are all magnificent.



After finishing, I took a bus back near the Grand Bazaar.

There was no route map at the bus stop, so I wasn't sure which bus to take. However, I went out to the main street and, based on the direction, it seemed like that direction was the way to go. Also, the name of the destination on the bus seemed somewhat related, so I rode it to the end, and I was able to get quite close.

After seeing the Mihrimah Sultan Mosque, I passed through the Grand Bazaar.

Surprisingly, the vendors were not aggressive. There were rumors that people would be forced to buy carpets, but...
Since I didn't have anything specific I wanted to buy, I didn't buy anything.

Next, I am going to the Islamic Science and Technology Museum.

This place is also included in the museum pass.It seemed like there were a lot of exhibits related to astronomy.

It seems that in the past, Islamic civilization was more advanced in science and technology, and it took a century for the Christian world to catch up.

Next, we will go to the Basilica Cistern.
This place is commonly called the "Istanbul Underground Palace."

It requires 20 liras (approximately 900 yen), and it is not included in the museum pass.



It is surprisingly spacious.


There is a person taking commemorative photos.


There is water below.


Miniature.


The fish are swimming.


At the very back, there are two statues of Medusa.


And then, we return on the path and go back to the ground.

While passing by, I stopped by the Nuruosmaniye Mosque, which is located next to the Grand Bazaar.



I have visited mosques in this place and elsewhere several times to observe Islamic prayers, and a characteristic feature is that the direction of prayer is "forward." They are praying towards Mecca. It seems that thoughts are being concentrated in Mecca.

In Buddhism, prayer is directed towards oneself (the dantian?). Therefore, Buddhism is not very concerned with geographical direction. There are certain auspicious directions and meditation-friendly directions based on compass directions, but they are not that important. It is not a property of concentrating thoughts in one place. In Buddhism, it is also said "to seek help from the Buddha," so perhaps there is a similar aspect.

Still, why does Islam concentrate thoughts in Mecca? What happens when thoughts are concentrated? Is there something that desires that energy?

I wondered if there was some divine, millennia-long plan, but I don't feel any evil atmosphere in the mosques in Istanbul. At least, Turkish Islam seems to be peaceful. Whether this peaceful atmosphere is inherent to Islam or to the Turkish people, I cannot determine that here.

In Islam, it may actually happen that through prayer, one goes to heaven. If a great will to help many people is shining light on those who would otherwise be in the shadows, then this is a form of harmony in the world. If that is the reason for concentrating thoughts in Mecca, then it is understandable.

Or, perhaps life forms that have evolved beyond humans are skillfully manipulating humans to collect the energy of thoughts... That is probably an overactive imagination. It is something I cannot verify. At least, if the purpose is peaceful, and it does not harm humans, that makes more sense.

On my way back, I tried to get bus tickets to my next destination, Çanakkale, from a travel agency near Hagia Sophia.

I could have bought them online, but I tried once and the credit card payment didn't work. So, if the price wasn't much different, I thought it would be easier to go to a travel agency, and I wanted to confirm the departure location.

When I told them my destination, they started the reservation on a computer, which seemed to be for a major Turkish bus company called METRO. I watched carefully as they entered the information and selected the destination. I confirmed that it was the bus station on the European side (Otogar). The departure location seemed to be what I expected, but the selection options included not only Istanbul but also regional names. I wondered if I should choose one of those.

I entered some of my personal information, but mostly made it up. Is that okay?

I entered random numbers for the phone number and also entered a random passport number. I entered my name correctly, but the surname was made up. Is that okay?

The price that came up was 50 liras, which was a discounted price, but the travel agency staff said the original price was 60 liras. If that included the fees, it was fine, but the travel agency staff said, "This is a Turkish price." I felt a sense of distrust in their explanation. It's fine to charge a fee, but if there's a fee, they should just say so. They should have said, "It's this price if you buy it here," but why did they say something suspicious like "it's a Turkish price"?

While I was thinking about it, I stared at the computer screen and silently wished, "Transaction failed," and it actually failed (laughs). Oh my. It must have been a coincidence, but I was lucky. The staff seemed to be saying, "Hmm, I'm troubled. It's not working," and looking at each other, so I quickly left the place, feeling like, "It's not working well." I was lucky.

Later, I went back to the hotel and tried to buy the same ticket myself, and it was indeed 50 liras.

However, I was stopped by the validation check, which was a bit of a problem.

Specifically, a message appeared saying that the phone number I entered was invalid. I thought, "What is this," and then I put Firefox in developer mode and stopped at that message to see the cause. It turned out that there were checks to make sure the phone number doesn't start with 50, and so on. It seems that it's designed to be used with Turkish local phone numbers, and it doesn't consider the pattern of entering a country code. It seems that you have to enter the phone number without the country code. Although I have a Turkish SIM card and a phone number, it's a contract that doesn't allow me to make calls, so even if I enter the phone number, I won't be able to receive a call if someone calls that number. So, I wanted to enter my Japanese phone number, but the METRO input form doesn't seem to accept it. Was what the travel agency staff said true in a way? But it's not "only for Turks." It's just that you can't use a Turkish phone number, and even if you enter a Turkish phone number when paying with a credit card, it might not be rejected by the credit card company's check.

So, I entered the phone number without the country code, starting with 50, and as expected, a different error message appeared when checking with my credit card. And it was written in Turkish, so I couldn't understand it, but when I translated it, it was a message like, "The credit card information you entered is incorrect." I thought, "What is this."

I checked the information I entered, and it seems that the only thing that might be wrong is the phone number I entered without the country code, so I entered the Japanese country code +81 followed by the phone number, and I forced the process to proceed by forcibly bypassing the error check in developer mode. Specifically, I forced the check to pass by putting a value meaning "success" into a variable, and then forced the credit card payment. As a result, the transaction was successful.

So, I succeeded in buying it. Maybe it's not possible to buy it normally.

Or, it should have been possible to buy it normally, but maybe I just got unlucky. The staff at the travel agency might not have used the information I entered for the phone number and name.

This time, I was saved thanks to the way the check was being done, which was easy to hack. If this had been checked on the server side, I might not have been able to pay.

The website's design, which doesn't accept phone numbers with country codes, is poorly designed, but it turned out to be a good thing because of the poor way the website was built.

Today, I went to the ruins of Rumeli Hisari, a fortress located on the north side of the city.
It is located on the European side of the bridge on the north side of the two bridges that connect Asia and Europe.

At first, I couldn't figure out how to get there, so I downloaded an app that shows Istanbul's bus routes and searched for a route that seemed appropriate.
The app seemed to have a function that displays the route on a map, but it wasn't working, so I couldn't display it. So, I had to guess the route based on the names of places and find my way.

I took bus number 22, which runs along the river, and successfully arrived in front of the ruins.
I was worried about how it would go. I left the hotel prepared to walk for two and a half hours, but I'm glad I was able to take the bus.

I immediately tried to enter the ruins, but even when I went to the location that looked like an entrance on Google Maps, I couldn't find the ticket booth.
In the end, I walked around the entire perimeter and discovered an entrance on the river side, and I entered.
Google Maps is convenient, but the most frustrating thing is not knowing which direction the entrance is.After traveling a short distance by bus, I had a meal. The hamburger-like dish cost 10 liras (approximately 450 yen).
A similar dish in the old city costs around 20 liras, so it's roughly half the price.The prices go down so much just by moving a little bit.
The prices in the old city district are probably too high.

After visiting Rumeli Hisari, I went to the Yildiz Palace Museum, which is a little south of there.
This is also a place where you can enter with a museum pass.

At first, I tried to enter from the park side, but I couldn't. In the end, I had to walk a long way to exit the park and then enter again from the south side. It was quite a detour. The route shown on Google Maps simply shows the closest route, so the entrance is often incorrect. This time, I had to walk quite a bit. Perhaps, this will be improved someday, but for now, it's a bit of a difficult situation.

Moreover, the interior was under renovation, so I couldn't see the garden, and I could only see about half of the exhibits. It was disappointing.

Furthermore, taking pictures inside was prohibited.

Next, I went to the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.

Unfortunately, photography is not allowed inside.
The Islamic geometric patterns are interesting.



Walk around the surroundings.

And then, I went to the Great Palace Mosaic Museum, which is nearby.

As soon as I entered through the entrance gate, a local person said something like "5 lira." There wasn't even a ticket booth.

I thought, "Hmm," and looked around. Then, someone waved his hand with a faint smile, a look of mockery, and an expression that seemed to say, "No, no, hehehe," implying it was a joke.

In India, there are many suspicious people who try to charge admission fees at places that are supposed to be free. It seems that there are also such people in Turkey, and even in Istanbul. In any case, I have a museum pass, so I won't be charged admission here.

Inside, there were many old and worn-out exhibits. If it wasn't included in the museum pass, I might not bother to see them.

Pass through the old city and cross the Galata Bridge to reach the Galata side.The Galata Bridge and the Galata Tower are visible.Around this bridge, something called "saba sandwich" is sold.
It costs 8 liras (approximately 360 yen).
It seems like it's half the price at other places, so I don't eat it here.The center of this bridge is designed to allow ships to pass through, and many ships pass through it.

Near the Galata Tower, there was a subway that is the second oldest in the world, so I decided to take a look.
It says that it was built 140 years ago.

It seems to be a very short subway, but perhaps this section is useful because of the difference in elevation.

The Galata Tower, near the hotel.

You can climb it, but the view is enjoyable even without climbing, so I ended up not going up.

I visited the Galata Mevlevi Lodge Museum, which is near the Galata Tower.

According to the explanation, the name "Lodge" originally meant a place of accommodation and rest for Muslims, and its meaning has changed over time.
The name "hospice" seems to have a similar origin, but I have forgotten the details.

Inside, there was a building where Islamic dances could be performed, but although it looked like marble, the texture seemed to be wood. It felt like wood that had been painted with color. The Islamic prayer room also felt like it was made of wood that had been painted.

Unfortunately, photography was not allowed inside.

On the way from the hotel to Taksim Square, there is a tramway that connects Tunel and Taksim. I decided to try it out because it was just about to leave Tunel.

It's not crowded in the morning, but it seems to get crowded during the day, and you might have to stand.

The view is... well, it's not much different from walking (laughs).

I went to the Military Museum, which is located further north from Taksim Square.

It was surprisingly large and had a lot of content, so I was satisfied.

It seems that there is a brass band performance from 3 PM on weekdays, but there is none on Sundays.