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WHERE TO LAY YOUR WEARY HEAD

The hostels are many. The biggies in Cankurtaran are: the Orient, the Sultan, and Istanbul Hostels. All are priced around $6 US for dorm-style quarters. On the other side of the Blue Mosque, on Divan Yolu (the tramway street) are the Can Pansiyon and the Arsenal Youth Hostel. A short walk from all is the Yucelt Hostel, located directly across the street from the Aya Sofya. The Yucelt is also the only YHA hostel in the city, has a small restaurant/bar, and runs 'Turkish nights' - complete with belly dancers and a variety of prize-winning games - twice weekly. If you are not a gregarious, young, and often drunk traveler-type, you may find the atmosphere of the Yucelt a bit too 'fraternity.' However, if you fit into these categories, this may be just the place for you, at the cost of $

CHEAP EATS

   Fortunately, it is usually pretty easy to find cheap and good food in Istanbul. There are tea gardens, bufes (selling bottled drinks, cigarettes, and candy, but also things like'tost' - a toasted cheese sandwich, and baked potatoes with toppings, and of course the ubiquetous kebap shops. The expense tends to be in drinking soda or beer, as both can be more than the food itself. But bottled water is generally cheap, and you do NOT want the tap water! As for tipping, if the bill includes table service, you do not need to leave any extra money. If not, a small amount (10%) will suffice. But there is no real rule in tipping here, and most people tend to do as they feel the situation requires. To list all of the low-cost restaurants in Istanbul would be a task for a team of ravished diners over a period of many weeks, but we can direct you to a few. If you stay in Canturkaran, you will no doubt notice that most of the hostels also serve food. They are all more expensive than so many other options, but tend to be good and convenient. Plus, many of them serve on the rooves too, making for a picturesque meal. Also in the neighborhood and independant of the hostels, are a few small restaurants for the hungry traveler with small pockets. In and around the major bazaars of the city (the Grand Bazaar, the Egyptian Bazaar), you can stumble upon charming tea garden-style restaurants with some of the tastiest offerings. Remember that you can ask for an item to be cooked freshly for you (if the waiter points you to ready-made options and you haven't an idea of how long they've been sitting out), and special-order dishes to satisfy your palate. If you don't like the look of one, just keep walking and you're bound to run into another more appealing. Whatever you do, do not forget the open-air markets! Many neighborhoods have one once or more every week, full of interesting cheeses, fruits, and more. This is probably the easiest and cheapest way to get your peaches, peynir (a crumbly and salty cheese), and olives. Before you can get to the markets though, you'll likely be met by the street vendors, selling steamy corn, a variety of nuts, tasty bread products (smeet!), ice cream, dishes of rice and beans, and nearly everything else you can imagine.

INTERNET CAFES

In the more touristic parts of the city (Sultanahmet, Taksim, etc.), you will see signs advertising internet connections. The prices vary widely, and the connections can be a bit dodgy, but all in all, you should be able to send out your e-mail just fine. Make sure to ask for the price first, and complain the moment the connection acts up for a lowered rate.

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