Wed March 14 2018  —  e-mail Manfred

Wow I am in Asia, I am in Istanbul.

Flag turkey Blue Mosque, Sultan Ahmed, Istanbul, Turkey.

Thursday, September 17 2009

5 years, 1 month, 26 days

Istanbul, Turkey

About Travel Photography,
Colors of the World.

Manfred is creator of ThisFabTrek.com, travel photography, a travel blog and a photography blog (a journey from 2004 to 2013). 'I set out to see the colors of the world, always I try to capture the colors'.

Seeing, is understanding, so I report and photograph, but formost enjoy and live those different conceptions of life (all that TV [and the web] cannot give). I reject jealousy, animosity, bigotry. Be free!

Manfred in the desert of the Western Sahara

The mind, when pondering at night and always asked those questions. What am I doing in corporate wonderland of bank, university, office or church? Who is the other animal asleep deep inside, the thinker, punk, creative, or Indian, vagabond and healer, maybe artist, writer, photographer, traveler, globetrotter? Oh God, dare you to think. When I saw the lies, gambles and manipulations I follow the old dream and set out for the journey of life lived, the journey to see the colors of the world.

During years on the road I have taken the turns as they came along, and realized one thing: Only such a small part of the planet can be explored and such a vast land and sea mass will always remain unknown, to me; many swamps, jungles, deserts and oceans will never be traveled. But then I am father of twin boys, Daniel and David, my most important, and I show them some of the wonders and colors out there.

ThisFabTrek, Photography and Journey, the Stories from the Road and Life around the World, stopped in August 2013 after more than 9 years, Love and Peace.

Last vehicle.

G20, Chevy Gladiator.

Chevrolet Gladiator G20, The boys in Cordillera Blanca, Peru.
The boys and Chevy van, Peru.

The G20, the vehicle that came to me for the Americas adventures.

6 wheeled Land Rover.

Land Rover Defender 6x6
Link to Foley

The vehicle of the Africa adventures, a Foley 6-Wheeled Land Rover Defender.

Before, the MB307.

Manfred and MB307
Journey, Middle East.

The vehicle of the Middle-East and North-Cape Journeys. See all vehicles.

Daniel and David with nanny Aisha, the best we ever had, black African Woman carrying white twin babies, in Bamako, Mali.

current MB307 7,133km

Trekking 442km

Ferry 1,668km

Train 3,938km

Land Rover 73,588km

Other cars 77,164km

Travel Blog

contains Festival/Fiesta/Art photography.

"There is nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come." - Victor Hugo.

"What matters in life is not what happens to you but what you remember and how you remember it, to tell the tale." Living to Tell the Tale - Gabriel García Márquez.

"They never taught wandering in any school I attended. ... they never taught the art of writing a book, either. It's all so mysterious."
"Wandering is an art in itself. Wandering and writing don't mix"
"Writing demands commitment and if one thing your wanderer is allergic to is that very quality of commitment, for once one is committed he runs that very risk of failure ..." Wanderer - Sterling Hayden.

"Photography enables you to grasp a place first time round. ... Photography is a means of exploration, it's a vital part of travel, almost as essential as a car or a plane. " - Wim Wenders.

"The worst prejudice we acquire during our youth is the idea that life is serious. Children have the right instincts: they know that life is not serious, and treat it as a game..." , Egon Friedell.

"How far you gonna go. Before you lose your way back home" - Tryin' To Throw Your Arms Around The World, Achtung Baby, U2.

"If you want to be a hero well just follow me." - Working Class Hero, John Lennon.

"When I think of all the things I have done, I know that it's only just begun." - I love you, Lou Reed.

"One does not escape the Sahara - the Sahara let's you go or not" - Touareg.

"Planet earth is blue and there`s nothing I can do" - This is Ground Control to Major Tom, David Bowie.

"Glory for the crazy people/in this stupid world" - Ahmed Fouad Negm.

www.thisfabtrek.com > journey > asia > turkey > 20090917-istanbul

Gelibolu/Galipoli and the Dardanelles.

Map, border Turkey to Istanbul.

Download GPS (KML) track/waypoints.

Straw umbrellas, restaurant terrace, Galipoli, Turkey, Dardanelles in back,
Restaurant over Dardanelles.

Coming to Turkey (wiki) on 30th of August, this is liberation day in Turkey, the day Mustafa Kemal (wiki) beat the Greek armies decisively in 1922, which is regarded to have paved the way towards independence a year later. We first go to Gelibolu (Gallipoli wiki), huge flags decorate every other building. Gallipoli (Beautiful City in Greek), this too is of great militarily relevance to Turkey, Kemal held control over the Dardanelles against Allied forces especially Churchill’s in WW1.

In Turkey I better get mysel up to speed with Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. He is responsible for just about everything here. In a few weeks I would understand. If one of these two victories had not been, there might not be a Turkey today. If there had not been Atatürk there would certainly not be a Turkey as we know it.

Boats in port of Galipoli, Turkey.
Boats in fishing port. Galipoli.
Restaurants, and Efes ads, Gelibolu, Turkey.
Efes ads.

back to top

Marmara coast north.

Turkey mamara coast, morning after sunrise.
After sunrise, early
The Marmara coast, Turkey, north of Sarkoy.
North of Sarkoy.
Cormorants, on fisher stands, Marmara coast.
Cormorants.
Turkey, Marmara coast.
Marmara Sea coast.
Black pebbles on beach, Marmara coast.
Black pebbles, impressive coast.
MB307 on beach, Marmara coast.
MB307.
MB307, and me, Turkey, Marmara coast line.
me.
Turkey, western Marmara coast.

Spend night in Şarköy, get up early, it is a beautiful morning. For a last time we drive quiet coastal roads Marmares Sea to the right up to Tekirdag. Soon it’ll get very busy.

back to top

Istanbul/İstanbul.

Traffic in Istanbul in front Of Yeni Camii.
Trafic and trafic signs.
Istanbul, Yeni Camii mosque and trafic signs.
Yemi Camii mosque.

Istanbul (wiki), enter some urbanised zone 60km before even getting near it, many hours stop and go traversing the huge area of attached polis, cities that never stop expanding, then criss crossing Istanbul’s centre because we don’t know where to go. Where get on that bridge? Asia might be calmer. I am tired after more than 10 hours.

“Sorry, no beer” says a friendly waiter in a cafe/restaurant overlooking the Bosphorus/Bosporus/Bogazi, with a view on Bosporus Bridge, “Oh ja, Ramadan?”, “no my friend” he says “we are just opposite the mosque”. “Oh - ja” again just my brain, I saw the beautiful old mosque (Hamid-i Evvel Camii from 1730 or so) one of 3000 mosques in Istanbul, some old to ancient. “But come, I show you” 3 cafes down the pier, Efes is the fluid so compelling at this hour. Turkey is not so strict, secular, a developed country.

Istanbul is huge, a vast expanse, hills and hills, peninsulas, Karaköy, Taksim, how to get on the ramp to one of the two bridges to Asia Üsküdar (wiki), Kadiköy who knows where to go. I am exhausted. “Test, test” calls through the speakers, they better get them working before the Maghrib prayer call.

Traffic on Fatih Sultan Mehmed Bridge.
Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge.
Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge over Bosporous. Turkish Flag on Aian side.
On to Asian side.
Minarets of Hamid i Evvel Mosque on Asian side of Bosporus.
View from cafe.

Later, we need to find a place to park the car, a safe residential area best. Drive again along the Bosporus this time on Asian side, sun sets over the Boğaz, which means throat, neck, clouds tower over Europe, seems a weather front is moving in.

Later we find what we need, park near a communal park, children play, the muezzin calls. The small BBQ restaurants fill with people, eating after a day of fastening, special Ramazan (as they say here) menus, lentil soup, köftö, rice and fries and salad and Ayran.

Later another prayer call, first one voice, beautifully melodic. Then many, mingling, different intonations, a non synchronous chorus sweeps over me.

Later, all of a sudden every second vehicle outside blows its horn ecstatically, some drivers scream out of their cars, some out of their windows from their homes. Some football match just finished, Galatasaray just won? Who knows? There’s more than just one football club in Istanbul. I am in a new city, a new county and continent, new laws, new unwritten rules, we have not done badly. But I know for sure now I am in Turkey and fall asleep. No flies, no mosquitoes here after all that pounding in Greece.

The night sees some rain drops. A whole lot of rain should follow.

Bosporos, Bosphorous Bridge and Fischer men at sunset.
Bosporos Bridge.
Istanbul Bosporus.
European side after sunset.
Istanbul downtown after storm.
Storm on next morning.

Impressions.

Old walls and hangers for clothes, Istanbul
Old walls.
Steeply sloped street and truck in Istanbul, small businesses district.
Steep slopes.
Julies Meidl cup of Turkish Coffee. Istanbul Cafe, Taksim.
Julius Meidl.
Christina head in hand.
Christina.
Blue Deutz buses, Istanbul, Harem.
Deutz.
Glass of water, book in Seven Hills Restaurant.
Glass of water.
Seven Hills Restaurant, terrace, waiters and umbrella, Sultan Ahmed, Istanbul.
Seven Hills.

Historic sites, steps tp Yeni mosque. Pigeons.
Historic, Pigeons.
Hangers.
Hangers
Taksim, I need new convers.
Need new Convers.
Taxim Istikal Catholique Church gate. Istanbul.
Catholique.
Tram in Taksim, Istanbul.
Tram, Taxim.

back to top

Sultan Ahmed, Blue Mosque.

What can one say, read it up on wikipedia.

Pink bushes, garden, Sultan Ahmed mosque, Istanbul.
Pink Bushes, Sultan Ahmed.
Cleaner outside Blue mosque Istanbul
The Blue Mosque, Istanbul.

Turkish Flag, steps, Blue Mosque, Istanbul.
Turkish Flag, Ramadan.
Onlaught of tourists in Sultan Ahmed.
Tourists, a nuisance.

I wonder, I must have been very quick and subtle. How did I get the first 3 shots, when hundreds of hardcore tourists don't give a little space to breath? They step on my toes, push me, run me over, have bad breath and smell from their stressed armpits, I swear, more than I after a months on the road.

Interior, cupola, Sultan Ahmed mosque, Istanbul.
The magnificent.
Inside Blue Mosque, Istanbul.
News paper on carpet, plastic stool window, of Sultan Ahmed mosque.

As I cannot decide which one to leave out I am serving the whole lot. Which one do you like?

Lighting during Ramadan of Sultan Ahmed mosque.
Ramadan lighting.
Sultanahmet Camii.
Sultanahmet Camii.
Sunset over Blue Mosque Istanbul. Seagull.
Sunset and Seagull.
Blue dusk over Blue Mosque, Istanbul. Seagull.
Blue dusk over Blue Mosque.
Sultan Ahmed.
National Mosque of Turkey.
Sultan Ahmed mosque Istanbul.
Sultan Ahmed, the Blue Mosque.

back to top

Ayasofya/Hagia Sophia.

Again very special, one of the wonders of civilisation. Read it up on wikipedia.

Hagia Sophia, Istanbul, me on a cafe terrase.
Hagia Sophia, 1500 years old.
Ayasofya, Istanbul, clouds.
Ayasofya. Was largest cathedral for 1000 years.
Inside Ayasofya, Istanbul.
Enormous for its time.
Frescos of madonna in apse of Hagia Sophia, Istanbul.
Islamic letters and Madonna fresco.
Arabic/Islamic elements in Hagia Sophia, Istanbul.
Was a mosque, 1453-1935.

back to top

09 Sep 2009 - Marrakech, Morocco.

Ready for life. Twins Daniel and David entering kindergarden
Ready for life.
Twins Daniel and David
My boys.

Felling the urge to see my boys, they are to enter kindergarden... I take a week off. At the same time torrential rains flood parts of Istanbul, some dead, many homeless. The video on the net show cars, busses taken away buy the floods. I sit in Morocco. The van in Istanbul parked high on a slope, Christina in there is fine.

back to top

Casablanca - Istanbul. Turkish Airways.

Wing of Turkish Airlines plane white clouds against blue sky.
I feel like a star.

Casablanca to Istanbul, Turkish Airlines, I feel like a star, like Kevin Costner in the Ad. Catering is Austrian Do&Co, for those who know can appreciate. “Marrakech est mort”, Ramadan, dead, no visitors, a lot of rain, the violent sort; Casa M5, never seen the airport so empty, no landings, no takeoffs, dead, mort; Plenty of time, I work the back pages in the cafeteria. “Why don’t the sockets work”? “They never worked. Not even the first day”. So why didn’t they fix them? The airport is only a year old.

No delays, boarding, straight out onto the runway, takeoff, I sink my head into Andrew Mango’s (wiki) 500 odd pages Atatürk Biography. I feel like a star.

www.thisfabtrek.com > journey > asia > turkey > 20090917-istanbul

back to top