Story: Cyrus' Turkey Travel Notes

1) Take a ferry ride across the Bosphorus. Even if all you do is drink tea and watch the other ferry traffic.

2) Sit with someone you love under the Galata Bridge at sunset.

3) Ride the iconic red tram in Taksim. Then get off, walk around, and get lost.

4) The easiest way to get to from Istanbul to Ankara is by overnight train. It's less than $20 for a seven-hour sleeper.

5) Ankara is sort of like the Los Angeles of Turkey: all the interesting bits are really far apart from each other. That said, the Ataturk museum is worth a look.

6) Cappadocia will blow you away. Take a bus from Ankara to Nevşehir -- a good jumping-off point for such trips.

7) Remember that Sultanahmet, while it is the historical center of Istanbul, is also a tourist trap. Prices are inflated here.

8) Note that prices in Istanbul's grand bazaar are flexible. I bought a small foldable chess set for 15 YTL, down from the opening price of 50 YTL.

9) Turkish tea sets are pretty cheap and make great gifts for people back hopme. Just make sure that you pack them well.

10) The Aya Sofia, while a major tourist site, is mind-blowing in its splendor and ecumenism.