Mick needed a sleep-in this morning as he is getting sick, so we had a later breakfast. I then went for a walk to find a few restaurants I’ve read about, and also to locate a pier where we will be able to catch a two-hour Bosphorus River Cruise. We bought tickets from Mohammad yesterday at half the price they usually cost, and we can use them any time or day of our choosing.

I know we went on a cruise last night, and while the lights and skylines were stunning, it was hard to work out landmarks while at the same time watching dancers perform.

I also dropped off a bag of dirty clothing to an Express Laundry nearby – located down some very steep stairs – where a man took my bag of clothing, weighed it and said it would cost 450 lira (approx. $20AUD). He said it would be ready late Monday; so not that “express” – it would be ready in 2 days time. I just hope that we get it back as I did not get a receipt.

I had bought us tickets online to visit the Basilica Cistern today. Supposedly ‘skip the line’ tickets, which I did hope would work, because being a Saturday morning, the crowds and the lines were already huge.

We needed a coffee first and chose a very tempting shop that sold beautiful sweets, including Turkish Delight. We have discovered that Turkish Delight as we know it in Australia bears little resemblance to what is available here.

I was really hoping for something that might also double for an early lunch and we almost stopped at this restaurant where a woman was sitting making gozleme (a savoury stuffed turnover), but Mick was not so sure.

When we walked past the Basilica Cistern the lines were very long. There were 3 different lines, people lining to buy a ticket to go in, group tours and online ticket holders (like us).

We were pleasantly surprised when the line we were after was almost empty – with only 2 people in front of us. We were in and out of the Basilica before some people had even made it to buy a ticket.

Once we entered the chamber beneath the ground, the air temperature dropped significantly and the air was remarkably fresh, despite there being hundreds of tourists inside. There were walkways built throughout the 336 columns to ensure tourists kept moving in one direction – like in an IKEA store – until we reached the end and the exit back up to street level.

We had learnt on our tour with Mohammad yesterday, that Istanbul did not have a water supply. It is described as a “waterless” city, despite being located on the intersection of important waterways.

The construction of the first water system for the city is attributed to Hadrian (famous for also building a wall), between 117 and 138. Then after Constantine declared Istanbul (called Byzantion at that time) the Eastern Roman capital in the early 4th Century, a “comprehensive hydraulic engineering system” was needed in order to supply the city with water.

Information on the signs at the start of the walk through the cistern stated that Istanbul with its aqueducts, canals, cisterns for storing incoming water, fountains and monumental fountains is one of the rare cities where the water architecture and technology can be traced uninterruptedly from the Roman period to the present.

More examples of the artworks and coloured lighting.

We enjoyed some lunch in the park nearby and then returned to out hotel for a rest before heading off to catch the boat tour.

It ended up being very crowded on the boat and there was no safety talk at all prior to departure, but I did spot some life vests in case we needed them. Luckily, we didn’t.

It was a great way to see the city on both sides – Asian and European – and the commentary in English about the key landmarks was very useful.

I didn’t take too many photos as we travelled the Bosphorus but was surprised to see one man video the whole lot – 2 straight hours!! Some of his friends are in for a great treat when he gets back home.

The European side appeared to have more minarets, and therefore mosques, that we could see from the boat than the Asian side. And the Asian side had a lot more vegetation, mostly trees, which was startling different to the old city area.

While we were out on the river we got an understanding of just how busy this river is; mostly with tourist boats based on what we saw. And being a Saturday, there were several big boats that had been hired for weddings and quite a lot of riverfront hotels and restaurants set up for weddings as well. We both really enjoyed the boat ride.

During our stay here so far, we have spotted several people with their noses all taped up, like they have had surgery. When I Googled it, apparently Istanbul is the place to come for rhinoplasty (sometimes called a ‘nose job’). I am assuming some would be performed to help improve breathing problems, but many would be done to improve looks.

Mick was told by his Turkish-born barber in Brisbane just before we left, that Istanbul is also the capital of hair transplants. (I am unsure if he was offering some advice to Mick when he told him that). But so far, we haven’t spotted any men with their heads bandaged. But we still have a few days to go.

As we made our way home from the riverfront, we found a very quiet, out-of-the-way local cafe where we enjoyed a wine and a beer before having dinner in a Korean (yes, and not Turkish!!) restaurant we spotted across the road from us. Here we enjoyed a nice meal sitting beside a French man, who was happy to chat and allowed us to use the opportunity to practise our French.

When we got back to our hotel, we were given our bag of washing – all clean and folded.

Definitely Express Laundry!!