istanbul is huge, chaotic, and fascinating. i happened to be there during ramadan, which made the atmosphere even more special. the city comes alive after sunset with night gatherings, food everywhere, a completely different energy. i was lucky enough to reconnect with a friend i'd met back in bulgaria, who lives in istanbul. she showed me around for a few days, which made the experience completely different from exploring solo. we visited the grand bazaar, hagia sophia, and the blue mosque. i also crossed between the european and asian sides of the city, which is a surreal thing to do in a single afternoon. that trip is where i really learned to haggle. the vendors in the bazaar don't mess around, and you either learn fast or overpay for everything. the people turned out to be incredibly hospitable. one time a taxi driver bought two bottles of water, one for himself and one for me, completely unprompted. small gesture, but it says a lot. skipped the turkish baths and i still regret it. never got into the desserts either. baklava wasn't for me. but the tea culture was a nice surprise. everyone drinks tea, all the time, everywhere. and the kebabs were as good as you'd imagine.