Istanbul or Constantinople?

At 2-a.m., driving through Istanbul, I couldn't really see more than what the city lights had to offer. But my "Taksi" driver talked me through some of the landmarks anyway. His English was broken but he knew right where to go, as he often drives my host around the city as well as the CNN staff. He is married, has a son (15) and a daughter (10), loves football too much and visits the Mosque regularly. We arrived and I was exhausted, but glad I had finally made my destination. Frankly, I was just looking forward to a bed I could stretch out on and sleep. 

This morning I woke up in an old house in Buyukdere, near the Black Sea. The sounds of Istanbul were quietly calling me to get up. It was already 11a.m. I woke up to my friend making coffee and graciously accepted a cup. He and the cleaning maid commented about how cold I must be because I was bare foot walking through the kitchen. They offered me slippers to cover my toes and I denied. I told them, I'm perfectly comfortable, not cold at all. The morning was perfect, a slight breeze in the air, slithering in the old house, and the warm sun peeking it's way through.

From a Mosque just a few blocks away, I heard the Call to Prayer. Standing in the Garden behind the house, I closed my eyes for a moment and sent heaven my own. It was a moment of Sacred ritual, an appreciation for blessings, a moment of peaceful reflection, even surrender.

After the morning settled in, we showered, dressed and headed out for breakfast. We went to a small cafe near the CNN bureau space and enjoyed tea and potatoes and other such things. Unlike the City, the neighborhoods and villages make Istanbul what it is, the culture is thick and everyone is looking out for someone and trying to get where they're going. The Views are magnificent and while many apartments and houses sit on top of one another, there's always a community buzzing in its own rhythm. 

Ironically, the global chaos that seems to exist in every major city - are bad drivers. But here, they rarely pay attention to lanes, turn signals are used rarely, if ever and people move in and out of traffic like they were all heading to the hospital in labor. Even still, the city of Istanbul has it's own tune and right now, I look forward to navigating my way for a few weeks.