Category: Uncategorized
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A Photo That Tells the Story: Hanging on to Istanbul
This became one of my featured photos because it captures the side of travel I love most—the unscripted moments you could never plan. As Istanbul’s famous red tram made its way through the city, this little boy simply climbed onto the back and held on as if it were the most normal thing in the…
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Welcome to Istanbul: Please Surrender Your Belongings
We arrived in Istanbul for our honeymoon excited, exhausted, and ready for romance. Istanbul had other plans. After getting off the plane, we headed to baggage claim. My suitcase came out. Sarah’s did not. At first, we were optimistic. “It’ll be on the next round.” Then the carousel went around again. And again. For more…
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Sunny Side Up at the Hamam
Naturally, we could not visit Istanbul without trying an authentic Turkish bath. We had never been to a hamam before, which meant we were completely unqualified—but extremely curious. And curiosity has a habit of getting us into situations we are nowhere near prepared for. We booked our “bath” at Çemberlitaş Hamamı, a beautiful historic Turkish…
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Turkey: Kebabs, Spice & Everything Nice
Food became one of the easiest and most enjoyable ways for us to experience Istanbul’s culture. The meals were generous, flavorful, comforting, and never felt overly complicated. There was a familiarity to many of the dishes, but also enough difference to make every meal feel like part of the experience. Kebabs quickly became one of…
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Our Journey: From Apple Tea to Turkish Baths
Istanbul was one of the destinations we chose for our honeymoon, but for Sarah, it was also a return to a city she already knew and loved. She had previously visited for work and came home talking about Istanbul with the kind of enthusiasm that made it obvious the city had stayed with her. She…
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Just Pay Him Before We Go to Prison
On the day of our Phuket adventure, Sarah and I spent several hours relaxing at Kata Beach before catching an evening flight back to Bangkok. Because the ride from the beach to Phuket International Airport would take about an hour, we had researched the transportation cost ahead of time and knew approximately what the taxi…