Istanbul: Lost My Drumsticks (and Maybe My Mind)
okay, so istanbul. it’s…a lot. i’m liam, by the way, touring drummer. currently between gigs, mostly fueled by strong *tea and the sheer panic of trying to find a replacement pair of sticks. apparently, baggage handlers have zero respect for a man’s livelihood.
this whole trip started because my band, ‘static bloom’, got cancelled on a european festival run. just…poof. gone. so i figured, why not wander? i’ve been crashing on couches, playing impromptu sets in parks (don’t tell anyone), and generally trying not to think about the mountain of student loan debt back home.
i just checked and it’s…a bit drizzly right now, with a wind that feels like it’s trying to steal your soul. the weather report said twelve point nine nine degrees celsius, feels like eleven point seven three, but honestly, numbers don’t really capture the vibe. it’s the kind of damp that seeps into your bones. the air pressure is one thousand and fifteen, humidity fifty-three percent, and the ground level is nine hundred and eighty-five. i don’t know why i’m telling you this, it feels important. maybe it’s the lack of sleep.
istanbul itself is… overwhelming. in the best way, mostly. the spice market smells like a thousand different dreams, and the call to prayer echoing through the city is genuinely breathtaking. i spent yesterday getting hopelessly lost in the grand bazaar, bartering for a ridiculously ornate tea set i absolutely do not need.
someone told me that the best baklava is hidden away in a tiny shop near the süleymaniye mosque, but you have to know the owner’s cousin to get in. sounds legit.
my airbnb is in beyoğlu, which is… lively. my neighbors seem to be mostly students and artists, which is cool. if you get bored, bursa and izmir are just a quick ferry ride away. i’ve been meaning to check out the chora church, apparently the mosaics are insane. TripAdvisor has some good info on that.
food-wise, it’s a paradise. i’ve eaten so much döner kebab i’m pretty sure i’m turning into one. i heard that there’s a street food tour that’s supposed to be amazing, but i’m too broke to afford it right now. Yelp has some decent reviews of local eateries. i did stumble upon this amazing little place near taksim square that serves the most incredible lentil soup. seriously, life-changing.
people keep warning me about scams, especially around sultanahmet. i overheard someone at a cafe* saying that a guy tried to sell them a ‘genuine’ antique carpet that was clearly made yesterday. apparently, the key is to just say ‘no’ firmly and walk away. Here's a forum with some travel tips.
and the drumsticks? still missing. i’ve filed a lost baggage claim, but i’m not holding my breath. i might have to resort to banging on buckets. which, honestly, could be a new artistic direction. who knows? this trip is all about embracing the chaos. i'm thinking of checking out some local music shops, maybe this one has what i need.