The first time I saw Istanbul.

The first time I saw Istanbul was after two weeks on a boat, cruising off Turkey's Mediterranean Coast. On my way into the country I didn't even leave Atatürk airport, so I did not see Istanbul. On the way home I arrived late and spent the night in a friend's hotel room. It was the next morning enroute to catch my flight back to Los Angeles that finally I got my first glimpse of city, from the back of a cab.

It was love at first sight. To speak nothing of the people, the city's aesthetics welcomed me. It reminded me of my favorite places, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Hanoi, Berlin, Honolulu, Saigon, Nairobi, the entire world is here.