Travels on Sandals

Heaps of friends have been asking about Turkey since we came back this week, almost all asked with a concerned look,"But how's the food?"

So I'm putting together bits and pieces of our experience of Istanbul and Ephesus, which really can be summed up in a word: splendid.

1. We stayed at Tashkonak Hotel, which is a wooden house that resembles a boxy version of the Trojan Horse. Staying boutique style means very personal and warm service from our host, Levent:''Your first time in Istanbul? Ah, first time is the best time, first kiss is the best kiss, right?'' Sometimes, a bit too personal:"You guys married? Oh, you should get married, marriage is good.''

2. Ah yes, Turkish men are typically charming and extremely good talkers. Five parts smoothness, four parts impish humour and a dose of delicious sarcasm, even. They can give Frenchmen and Italian men a run for their money. Turkish hospitality is not a myth, either.

Straight after closing a sale with us, our travel agent promptly invited us to have lunch nearby with her.

3. The Blue Mosque and the Basilica Cistern are fantastic. But more splendid than the two is the Aya Sofya, or Sancta Sophia. Built about 1500 years ago as a Roman church, and turned into a mosque in the 15 th century, it is the most jaw-dropping, awe-inspiring structure I've ever seen.

The grandeur of this place is beyond description. It has gigantic soaring domes with no apparent supports, a design that has baffled architects for centuries. The building materials are marble, gold tiles and alabaster. In every nook and crevice, there are ornate carvings, amazingly detailed mosaics and gleaming gold fixtures. Each corner is a work of art! It defies imagination that something so grand and yet so exquisitely detailed can be built with "backward" technology, AND survive wars and incessant earthquakes.

4. We took a day trip to Ephesus. Making our own way there on a domestic flight (forgive me for feeling proud:D), we were then driven to the 2000 year-old Roman ruins. They're not exactly that ruined, you know. You can see an entire marble-paved (no joke!) main street, with a bathhouse, hospital with a manual on "how remove stones from the body", apothecary, a 25,000-seater amphtheatre, a brothel and a bee-yoo-tiful grand library, largely intact. They found make up tools, among other household items, in a row of rich people's homes. Roman women used tweezers too! So we aren't that advanced after all.

5. To answer your pressing concern: The food, the food. It's rather yummy, really. Of course, Turkish stuff is nothing like what we are used to eating. But it ain't all kebaps and cheese. We had Turkish food throughout our entire trip, and each meal is different. The cooking is honest and straightforward. Meaning your chicken or fish is simply and beautifully barbecued and complemented with a mound of flavoured rice and salad. Fresh produce is unadulterated, unmolested. There are restaurants with fancy decor, there are street stalls whose stuff we bought through sign language. The food's equally good.

6. A treasure of Turkey are the myriad roadside stalls. Buying street food is a ritual and an adventure. On the famous Galata Bridge tht straddles Old and modern Istanbul, little boys man stands full of mussels. The modus operandi, we learnt, is to go up, open one of them fried mussels stuffed with rice, and the boy will squeeze a wedge of lemon in it. You eat on the spot, and pay when you're finally done. At 40 cents a pop, the mussels are delicious!

Then there are cucumber stalls, where the guy will peel of the skin for a customer, slice the top like an open flower, sprinkle some salt, and voila! A grab and run summer snack.

7. Istanbul can be a shopping paradise, but surprisingly, I came away with only two bargain pashminas. Heaven knows I did enough damage in Hong Kong.

The Istanbul markets are a real treat just to see and hear and smell. You see mother-of-pearl inlaid jewellery boxes, copper Aladdin lamps, silk cushion covers and yes, Andrea, gorgeous tea glasses lined in gold. Haggling is a joy, too. Buying something at 10 dollars is a different level of satisfaction from buying something priced at 20 but you managed to bargain down to 10.

10. How friendly is friendly? Random people will walk up to us on the street and say:''Hello, where are you from? Welcome to Istanbul! Have a good trip." and walk away. Kids will ask to take pictures with us. Yes, we do feel like aliens. VIP aliens.

9. There are so many places we have yet to cover in these five days - Troy, Pergamum, Capadocia. We made a promise. We will be back.