🗁Added 91 photos to album Turkey, Dec 2019.
I managed to drag myself outside before noon, and caught the bus, metro and another bus to the cable car base station (Teleferik) which took about an hour. On the way I stocked up with simit and cig kofte, in case there was no food at the top of Uludag Mountain. The cable car was closed though. It didn't say why, but later I checked their twitter and it was because of strong winds. The winds were indeed strong. So probably for the best. As far as I know there's no other way to get up the mountain though if you don't have a car, or are part of a coach trip, or want to pay for a taxi. But anyway, the cable car was most of the point of this adventure.
I was in the vicinity of the Cars and Carriages museum though, so I wandered over there. It's set in a really nice grounds with some archaelogical ruins. The museum itself is small, and was free today (no idea why - there was a cash desk but nobody there and the security guard just waved me in). There's not much written information, but lots of old carriages to look at, and diagrams. Around the corner is a 500 year old hammmam which contains a museum for weights and scales. That was also free, and super cool! I recommend.
Next I walked to the City (Kent) Museum. That was also free, what a day, but had no information in English at all. It's pretty sizeable, and was quite busy. I walked around all three floors looking at the pictures and exhibits. It would definitely have been a good 'un if I could have ready anything.
I wandered back through town, took a quick look by Koza Han in case there were free lokma again - some ladies were packing up, but not the food truck this time. I stopped inside the Grand Mosque (Ulu Cami) which was very peaceful despite all the people, and beautiful in a serene way. I stoped by Balibey Han but the shop I want to visit in there was closed again. I took in some more views from Tophane, in daylight this time.
I walked to the Kulturpark, which is a big green space with fun things to do if you like doing fun things, like pedal boats or drift karts, or a ferris wheel. There are nice views of the mountains around the city. I sat by the lake to eat my cig kofte, before catching the metro and the bus back home.
The bus driver took me on a merry fucking ride, not stopping in the village. It was the same bus I always get so I have no idea why. He kept talking to me and obviously I couldn't understand anything. I just told him 'Misi'.. and he went up the mountain a bit and then back down. Then he seemed to be going the right way, but veered off again.. and eventually another bus came in the opposite direction, and he talked to the driver then switched me over. That one did stop in Misi. Pretty frustrating though. But I got free lemons from an old man outside the mosque on the way home, so that made up for it.
