Sunday, August 3, 2014: Learning as I Go

The most accurate metro map

Sunday, August 3, 2014: Learning as I Go

Müge's husband Alp tweeted about the 18 metro maps that I found online, and he says the message was retweeted and seen by almost 5000 people!



I'm pleased to report that I am now sure that #16 is the most accurate of the metro maps I found.




With Tuana's advice, I was able to make my way from Küzgüncuk to Şişhane in just an hour today!
Here's how I did it: 

Step One: The city bus between 
Küzgüncük to Üskükdar

Step Two: The Üskükdar - Kabataş ferry

Step Three: The funicular from Kabataş to Taksim
(A funicular is essentially a cable car)

Step Four: The Metro between
Taksim and 
Şişhane

I know it sounds complicated, but I'm thinking that I might actually be getting the hang of this. It's not like you're seeing me in a Dolumuş yet (that's a shared taxi), but I've finally figured out that the metro map is essentially an amalgamation of multiple systems, some old and some new, that have been joined through a series of tunnels and passageways. The Funicular has been around a very long time but now you can get to the funicular station from the metro. These two systems show up as different colors on the metro map, and the rider must look at the key at the bottom to figure out what type of transportation each color is on the map. The blue line, for instance, between Eminönü to Kabataş is an above ground tramway. If you want to connect to it, you've got to come out of the station to find it.

Kabataş ferry as it passes Dolmabahçe Palace

I found this poster at the Taksim station today. Mystery solved! Vezneciler is simply a new station, opened four months ago. This explains
why it was not on many maps. 

At Şişhane, I bought some t-shirts and had a coffee at Starbucks (just 'cause I was a little homesick). I caught a gyspy singer and recorded just a

An old fellow selling granola bars
taking a rest from his job on
Istaklal St. in Şişhane 

bit. He was very talented and this video hardly captures it.

It is very common to see, among the poor, the very old and the very young working here. A 6 year old boy gets on and off the busses in Üskükdar to sell bottles of water to passengers. Since the bus drivers frequently drive with the doors open, he just slips out a the bus is pulling away. Another child, maybe 3 years old, was selling packs of tissues at the Kabataş ferry landing, seated on a piece of cloth with his mother. There was a fellow who looked like he was in his 80's selling granola bars in Şişhane. The day was very hot and he couldn't have stood to make much. It is also striking to me that I have not seen a single wheelchair here. With the roads in the condition that they are, and with all the stairs one must take, it would be impossible to get around. The elevators in the metro stations were frequently out of order (just like our BART, actually) but I wonder if there is any pressure to fix them.

I head back to Burgaz Island Monday. I'm looking forward to seeing my good friends Nükte and Vincent again.