Japan scientists make see-through mice

Invisibility may still be the stuff of fictional works like Harry Potter, but researchers in Japan have developed a way to make mice almost totally transparent.
Using a method that almost completely removes colour from tissue -- and kills the mouse in the process -- researchers say they can now examine individual organs or even whole bodies without slicing into them, offering a "bigger picture" view of the problems they are working on.
The techniques will give scientists a "new understanding of the 3D structure of organs and how certain genes are expressed in various tissues," said Kazuki Tainaka, the lead author of a research paper published in the US-based Cell magazine.
"We were very surprised that the entire body of infant and adult mice could be made nearly transparent," he said in a statement issued by Japanese research institute RIKEN and its collaborators
The work, which also involved the University of Tokyo and the Japan Science and Technology Agency, focuses on a compound called haem, the constituent that gives blood its red colour and is found in most tissues of the body.
The process involves pumping a saline solution through the mouse's heart, pushing the blood out of its circulatory system and killing the creature.

 This picture released from Japanese research institute Riken on November 6, 2014 shows a decolorized mouse body and some organs glowing with fluorescence protein at the Riken laboratory.

This picture released by Japanese research institute Riken on November 6, 2014 shows a decolorized mouse body at the Riken laboratory.


A reagent is then introduced, which works to divorce the haem from the haemoglobin that remains in the animal's organs.
The dead mouse is skinned and soaked in the reagent for up to two weeks to complete the process.
A sheet of laser light, which can be set to penetrate to a specific level, builds up a complete image of the body, much as a 3D printer creates physical objects in layers.
"Microscopes have so far allowed us to look at things in minute detail, but that has also deprived us of the context of what we are looking at," Tainaka told AFP.
The new method, which cannot be applied to living things, "will give us details while enabling us to grasp the bigger picture," he said.
Hiroki Ueda, who led the research team, said in the statement that the method "could be used to study how embryos develop or how cancer and autoimmune diseases develop at the cellular level.
It was hoped the method would lead "to a deeper understanding of such diseases and perhaps to new therapeutic strategies".
"It could lead to the achievement of one of our great dreams: organism-level systems biology based on whole-body imaging at single-cell resolution."




Valparai: Waterfalls, wilderness and solace


Notes from an 80-km journey from the roaring Athirappilly waterfalls in Kerala to the forest-fringed tea plantations of Valparai in Tamil Nadu






 Ramya Sriram - Athirappilly Falls stages a rainbow


We kept our eyes peeled for leeches on the ground as we made our way to the waterfall. The stone steps, flanked by ferns, glistened with rain. We were visiting Athirappilly waterfalls in Kerala, which provided a grand beginning to our 80-km journey to Valparai in Tamil Nadu. We had chosen to take the famously scenic route through the thick Vazhachal forest in the Western Ghats.
The path to the waterfall was lined at frequent intervals with notice boards that reminded us that the forest and its resources were precious and vulnerable. Baby monkeys used the boards to perform gymnastics, while older ones looked unblinkingly at passers-by, possibly in hope of being fed.



 The Athirappilly Falls in full flow
The 80-foot waterfall is formed by the Chalakudy River, which seemed surprisingly tame, but cascaded over the edge of the mountain furiously into a turqoise pool below. The pool was surrounded by what looked like impenetrable deep green forest. To my delight, a lovely rainbow played towards the bottom of the waterfall, with the foam blurring its colours slightly.
A small signboard pointed the way to the bottom of the waterfall - Way to Full View. The steps were ignored in some places, where visitors preferred to take the steeper and muddy “short-cut”. We reached the bottom of the waterfall, and the little girl in front of me squealed, “Wow!” I echoed her. We were looking up at enormous columns of water that crashed on the rocks below dramatically, birthing a spray of cool water over us. I remembered a TV ad I’d once seen that likened streams and waterfalls to the veins of mother earth, with blood surging through them. I understood the analogy then!



 Curtains of water at Athirappilly Falls
I noticed that the way was completely clean and free of plastic, despite the numerous tourists there. A group of men sang a lilting Malalayam folk song as they descended the path, their voices mingling with the trill of cicadas.
Our next stop was at the Vazhachal waterfall, which ran over a gentler slope as compared to Athirappilly but was twice as loud. From a distance, it sounded like TV static noise, getting louder as we moved closer; then it was deafening. The Vazhachal forest is home to all the four species of hornbills (I didn’t spot any though). The route through the forest was quiet and deserted, except for the gurgling of the Chalakudy River, which travelled with us alongside. The forest was freshly washed by rain and everything from the ground to the treetops seemed to scream with life.



 Vazhachal Falls - less spectacular than Athirappilly but louder
As we approached Malakkapara, a mist descended on us, an almost-opaque white screen that I’ve seen so often in the Ghats. It cleared within minutes, like a curtain raiser for the next scene – a completely different landscape of tea gardens caressing the clouds. I always look at tea plantations with a mixture of delight (how pretty they look!) and sadness (if unpruned, the tea "shrub" grows into a magnificent tree) and guilt (I'm a tea-lover). On the way, we encountered the Upper Sholayar Dam, the second deepest in Asia, which provides water and electricity to neighbouring areas.
Our destination, Sinna Dorai’s bungalow, situated in Upper Paralai tea estate of Parry Agro, took some time to locate. Two charming women welcomed us with a drink that was sweet and fresh – iced tea. I noticed wooden benches outside the cottages where I could already picture my mother meditating early in the morning. It was so quiet that any conversation seemed disturbing and out of place.



 A peacock scans the valley in a Valparai tea plantation
The rooms were done up in teak, cane and jute, maintaining a tone of natural warmth. Food was hot and steaming – dal, roti, rice, sambar and rasam, all home-cooked – and served by smiling staff. The coconut soufflé was a perfect end to the meal, and was followed by an hour of me battling existential questions – what was I doing living in a crowded, polluted city? I vowed, like every time I visit the Western Ghats, that I would move out and settle down in the hills.
In the evening, Murugan, our local guide, took us for a short walk around the Parry Agro estate on the road, which he said was “shared by elephants and bison”. Visitors are usually not allowed to roam around on their own “for their own safety as well as for safety of the animals.” I suspected the animals possibly needed more protection from humans than vice versa. As we walk, we hear bird calls – a magpie robin, Murugan tells us, the crooning of a spotted dove, and a loud, clear call of a peacock, which was so close that I jumped. It stood silhouetted against the twilight sky, before it spread its brown wings and swooped over the valley and disappeared into a tree. “Did you know peacocks could fly that far?” my mum asked in a hushed whisper. Murugan, amused by our wonder, said, “Wait till you hear the Malabar Whistling Thrush hold katcheris in the mornings.”



 A walk through Upper Paralai Estate

The Upper Paralai Estate is about 225 hectares in area and is exclusively dedicated to growing organic tea: “No chemicals, only neem cake and vermi-compost.” Silver oak trees, which help bind the soil, are planted in between the tea. “It is a light tree and falls easily,” Murugan said, upon which we backed away from the tree a little. “But it acts as good manure.” The tea is sold in five flavours - strawberry, peach, black currant, lemon mint and green apple. The 700 workers there are all provided with accommodation within the estate. Most of them send their children to the local school and college. Some of the other estates in Valparai belong to Tata, PKT, Jayashree Industries, NEPC and Woodbriar. Murugan stopped to pluck a fern leaf. He stamped it on his hand and sheepishly told us that it leaves a silver-white “tattoo” on the skin.

The bungalow boasts of a quaint library, well stocked with books, two Murphy radio sets and an ancient typewriter. An enormous log register from 1952 sits on the table, which has the names of the tea estate workers, the amount of work done per day and the corresponding pay. A cosy sitting room, complete with fireplace, includes a record player. The decor and serveware is exquisite – if you like a piece, you could request them to source it for you. Murugan tells us that the bungalow got its name from the local salutation for ‘Assistant Manager’. Back in the room, I read a letter from the current Sinnai Dorai himself, who made it quite clear that we behave ourselves, respect the environment, and not try any funny business with the animals.



 A pretty clock in the library at Sinna Durai's Bungalow in Valparai

A plethora of bright-eyed birds awaited us the next morning outside the cottage. It is always special to see dawn rise over the hills, gently prodding to life all things big and small. Shortly after, a siren sounded – the signal for the first batch of workers to begin their tasks for the day. Murugan appeared and ushered me down the slope into the tea gardens. Among the green, brown blobs moved heavily about. Gaur! We watched in silence as the gaur grazed on the grass among the tea (“No animal likes tea,” Murugan said. “Only we do.”)
We climbed up the steep slope to our cottage again, when he turned around suddenly and wildly gestured to me with a finger on his lips. He quietly parted the leaves of a bush and – OMG! I found myself staring straight at a leopard. Thankfully, it was a good distance away, but surely it was making eye contact with me? I was too nervous to move or reach for the camera. The staring match continued – I couldn’t tell who was more startled. Throughout, Murugan asked me to stay completely quiet and still. The leopard, bored of these seemingly inanimate creatures, turned around and bounded off into the trees. I was shivering with excitement – this was my first big cat sighting in the wild!
Over breakfast, the staff told us that wild animal sightings are extremely common in the area. Encounters are an everyday affair. “Elephants are fine as long as you get out of their path,” we are told. “If you confront it or poke a camera in its face, it may attack.” Though both tigers and leopards are found in the area, leopard attacks are more common. After a pause, Murugan added, “We are trespassing on their property, you know.”



cottage at Sinna Durai's Bungalow
Sinna Dorai’s bungalow, like most mountain getaways, offers tranquility and a chance to bond with nature. But more than that, it offers a way of living. I was impressed by the way its inhabitants and tea estate workers co-existed with the wilderness around them. It looked like a value system was firmly in place, respected and obeyed. For those who can adjust to being treated at par with their wild fellow-creatures and can appreciate and follow the code of conduct, this is the place. Just twenty-four hours in Valparai made me feel like I was moulting, shedding off a layer of the old and growing new skin. With its commitment to responsible travel, cool air and homely warmth, a visit to this bungalow can be described as nothing short of healing.
Ramya Sriram is a cartoonist, writer and founder ofThe Tap, her trove of visual and verbal stories. When not illustrating or translating ideas into comics, she’s hopping onto trains and running off to the mountains.








 Banks rose from the sides of the road, covered in roots and ferns, fungi and moss. Rock-faces seemed to melt into rivulets as water seeped through and over them. Boughs and lianas were smothered in moss, and epiphytes were everywhere. Creepers hung from branches like curtains and every bend in the road had a frothy, white, gushing waterfall. It looked like a set from the movies. The bigger characters in this drama –Nilgiri Langurs, Malabar Giant Squirrels and birds – seemed to respectfully give way to the small, the immobile, and the green. The setting breathed and pulsed with life – from the smallest snails chomping on leaves to the fairy lantern fungi that defied my camera to catch its color.




 And then there were the impatiens – little pink, fuchsia and white flowers that grow on wet rock. Whole beds, small clumps, and lone sentinels bending and twisting but holding their own under waterfalls. The sun had pushed its way through the thick blanket of grey and briefly spotlighted a moss here, a fern there. Tucking two cameras and one pair of binoculars under my new rain-jacket, I jumped out and took in a lungful of fresh, drizzly forest air.




 It was the paradise I’d imagined and longed to walk through. Vazhachal is a primary forest, albeit logged, and the trees were old growth. Electric transmission lines scarred the landscape at regular intervals, but around it foliage determinedly continued on. Fabulous as the scene was, there was a sinister undertone. A four-lane highway was to replace this 20-foot road. That meant that the ferns and the first few rows of trees would be cleared. It rankled, for with increased traffic and disturbance comes the scourge of the invasive species – the lantana, parthenium and eupatorium. And with that, this diversity of ferns and flora would be crowded out.




 Light was low and photography in that rain was a prayer. But for me, the quest for tack-sharp images respectfully retreated behind the grand drama of green that surrounded me. The dark of the rainforest in monsoon is what it is. Raindrops on every blade, every edge, every petal, every moss fruiting body, is life – as it unfolds. Hence, if blurry, grainy, and high-ISO images were to be a legacy of this trip, so be it.




 Soaking wet by now, finding a dry corner of my t-shirt to wipe my lens clean was nothing more than a dream. My knees were muddy from kneeling to take eye-level shots. I’d found a couple of leeches on my neck, one on my face and one on my lip. I’d no idea what else was inside my clothes. I was faced with a choice. Wetness and leeches can make one miserable. But I had one glorious day in such a forest, and a few hours to simply soak it all up. And so I took all my leech-bloody-wetness thoughts and locked it up in a small compartment in my head. Then I threw the key away. Access denied to negative emotions, I chased snails and sloshed across a stream to see insanely huge fungi. Clambering up mud walls and slip sliding on leaf litter, I was laughing inwardly at the sheer joy of being there.




It was dark by now – the sun had given up the fight with the clouds and called it a day. I looked at my camera. Surely the lens would be kaput the next day. Fogged up at a minimum. And we’d probably see the highly endangered lion-tailed macaques up close, and I’d have nothing to photograph them with. Well, I thought to myself, there is a way out. I would just have to soak up that experience so deep that I’d remember it forever. Leaning back on the by-now-oh-so-wet Scorpio seat, I smiled a broad, satisfied smile.

10 Creepy Abandoned Places

10 Creepy Abandoned Places






Ghostly abandoned villages and horrifying laboratories hidden in theme parks are just two of the places you won't want to visit on your own. Discover some of the eeriest places on earth with this countdown of the 10 Creepisst Places on Earth.

Something about abandoned, neglected places gets the old fear meter up into the red for most people. Extra fear points can be had for places that have been sitting deserted for an extremely long time, or used to be places of merriment where some terrible thing happened, or used to be horrible, horrible places where even more terrible things happened.
The places on this list are the kinds of places you see people obliviously waltzing into in horror movies, knowing full well that most or all of them will never make it out alive. But these are no movie sets, and if you were to find yourself in one of these places, you’d better hope that a terminal case of the willies isn’t the only thing that could potentially spell your doom.


10
Six Flags New Orleans
 


 The New Orleans amusement park Jazzland opened in 2000, and the lease was purchased by Six Flags in 2002. The park was upgraded a year later and renamed Six Flags New Orleans, with a Mardi Gras-themed area and a respectable collection of rides and coasters. In 2005, a storm struck the area—a big one. You may have heard about it.
Long story short, the wreck of this once merry place has sat deserted for many, many years since Katrina struck. It is now owned by the city with tentative plans to put a mall in its place—but if you’re willing to risk an arrest for trespassing, it can serve as a hell of a creepy urban exploration outing. Just ask the guys who took these pictures.

9
Danvers State Insane Asylum




Danvers State Hospital in Massachusetts is old enough to have been variously known as the State Lunatic Hospital, Danvers Lunatic Asylum, and other such lovely monikers. In its most crowded period during the 1920s and ’30s, there were controversies over its rumored use of shock therapy, drugs and frontal lobotomies—in fact, it may have been the birthplace of that procedure.
Since its closure in 1992 it has fallen into a state of severe creepiness. And yes, disrepair. It was the setting for the excellent 2001 horror film Session 9, and did a lot of the heavy lifting in generating a truly dreadful atmosphere. While there have been efforts to renovate the area, the spirits have not been kind to those efforts. In 2006, some structures were demolished and apartment buildings put in their place; in April 2007, all of those buildings and several construction trailers went up in flames. Any efforts at renovation since then have largely (and understandably) stalled.

8
The Domes




Most locals don’t know who built these giant, concrete, saucer-shaped domes out in the middle of the Arizona desert, or why. While the truth is pretty mundane, visitors to the site are known to come down with a case of the willies in about four seconds—the extreme neglect, oddness of the architecture and (they say) the “vibe” of the place as the sun goes down combine to give one a healthy sense of unease.
While these may look like ’50s era flying saucer replicas, they were in fact built in 1982 by an electronics company; their weird design was supposed to assist with insulation and be cheap to construct. The company failed in 1983, and contaminated groundwater was found at the site shortly thereafter, with cleanup not exactly a priority for the now bank-owned properties. New owners acquired the site in 2006, and there it still sits—spooky, deserted and forever raising the question “who paid money for these?”

7
Holy Land USA




Holy Land USA was once an 18 acre (7.2 hectares) theme park in Waterbury, Connecticut, that at its peak in the 1960s and ’70s saw upwards of 40,000 visitors per year. It was closed for renovation in 1984; its owner, John Greco, died in 1986, and nobody has been sure what to do with it since. The property has been watched over by a group of nuns in the intervening decades, while it deteriorates more and more, and just gets more and more disturbing.
As if the crumbling statues, dark and still structures and obvious vandalism don’t get your “let’s get the hell out of here” meter in the red, there’s also the fact that a teenager was murdered on these deserted grounds in 2010. While police reports have shown instances of trespassing dropping, that really just means there are fewer people around, making the place even more isolated and terrifying.

 6
Oradour


 Just down the road from the village of Oradour-sur-Glane, France, there lies the original village of Oradour-sur-Glane—or what’s left of it. On June 10th, 1944, the village had the extreme bad fortune of being confused with nearby Oradour-sur-Vayres by a Nazi Panzer unit, which erroneously believed that a Waffen SS officer was being held by the villagers there. The Nazis massacred 642 men, women and children with incendiary devices and machine gun fire before the mistake was cleared up, which was pretty much the entire population of the town and a few guys who happened to be passing through when the Germans came.
French President Charles DeGaulle ordered the town rebuilt, and it was—but he also ordered that the ruins of the old town should stay as a reminder, and they did. A plaque roughly translating to “so as not to forget” is the only modern addition to this town, which we honestly don’t think we ever want to come within a hundred miles of.

5
Beelitz Heilstatten Military Hospital



 This former sanatorium southwest of Berlin was built to deal with an explosion of tuberculosis in the late 1800s, and expanded twice throughout the next several decades. It was put to use as a military hospital during both World Wars (Adolf Hitler recuperated from a leg wound there, as a young soldier in 1915), and has doubtless seen its share of death, despair, and craziness. The hospital was under the control of the Soviet Union until that country ceased to exist in the early ’90s, and has stood empty since.
Half-hearted attempts at restoration have played tog-of-war with plans to demolish the site, as over the years its creepiness factor rises steadily with its level of decay. Urban explorers love this place as well, and it’s also been used for as a set for the film The Pianist, and a Rammstein music video, of course.

 4
Bhangarh, India


 While the abandoned town of Bhangarh in the state of Rajasthan, India, has become something of a tourist attraction, you’ll notice there are no photos of it at night. That is because setting foot in the place at night is strictly forbidden, and apparently the Indian government is pretty serious about it. Even though government rules state that the Archaeological Survey of India must have an office at every historical site—and this is one—there is no ASI office here. Tourists are let in during the daytime grudgingly, but the general attitude of the government seems to be, “this is a great place to stay the hell away from.”
Why? Legend goes that a heartbroken magician cursed the place in the 16th century after being rejected by the kingdom’s princess, and all who lived within it with death- without the possibility of rebirth, which is kind of part and parcel of the Hindu religion. So people living here are cursed not just with death, but with super-permanent-we’re-serious-game-over-for-you death.
A prominent sign outside the little town reads, “Entering the borders of Bhangarh after sunset is strictly prohibited,” and while they do not explicitly promise paranormal activity, we think following the rule is probably a good idea.

3
Suburbs Of Lehigh Acres, FL



 The Story of Lehigh Acres is sad and uniquely American. In the 1950s, Businessmen Gerald Gould and Lee Ratner (who got rich selling D-Con rat poison) divided up a huge stretch of land in southern Florida, owned by Ratner, into tiny half-acre parcels that they then sold to Northerners for low, low prices. At ten bucks down and ten a month, it seemed like a bargain; however, there was no infrastructure in place (schools, roads, running water) and very few houses were built. Many lots were resold when checks stopped coming in, and the place was still pretty barren by the ’80s.
When the real estate boom of the late ’90s began, however, hundreds of cheap, quick houses started flying up on those old lots that baby boomers had inherited from their gullible parents. Far, far too many houses to actually meet the demand to live there. And when the real estate bubble popped, the suburbs of Lehigh Acres became a veritable ghost town.
There are many blocks with only one or two occupied houses, many with none at all. Plants, flowers and alligators rule over this vast, empty suburban skeleton; one can easily imagine that they are in an alternate universe where the Cold War turned out a bit differently.

2
Discovery Hut



 Discovery Hut is located in Antarctica close to McMurdo Sound, which—as we have previously pointed out—is a really cool looking place that you really do not ever want to visit. It was built by the party of explorer Robert Falcon Scott during the Discovery Expedition of 1901 to 1904, which was the second time anyone had ever tried to explore the region, and the first time in sixty years. If the hut looks like it’s in pretty good shape for being that old, it may be because it is pretty much frozen solid.
Inside this incredibly drafty little hut that sits in one of the coldest regions on the planet, you’ll find functionally useless equipment, ninety-plus year old stores of seal carcasses, meat and blubber, snow, ice and despair. The hut has served no real purpose for decades upon decades, and probably would have been completely lost to decay and neglect long ago if it didn’t sit in the middle of a deep freeze.

1
Anderlecht Veterinary School




 The last remaining un-renovated building out of the nineteen that used to make up a veterinary complex in Anderlecht, Brussels has stood deserted since the ’90s. We’re thinking it remains un-renovated because crews are just straight up terrified to even go near this place.
Its deserted, crumbling halls lead to rooms that are each full of more horrifying stuff than the last. Old, hand-blown bottles of questionable fluids, syringes and other old, rusty medical equipment, and that’s just the beginning! The main attractions are the animal heads and brains and assorted parts stuffed into jars throughout the building, which has come to appropriately be called the “Horror Labs.” Some parts are recognizable, some are not. Some are jammed together into larger jars. Some are sewn together, and we absolutely do not want to know why.
This is allegedly a fairly popular urban exploration destination, although anyone who wants to take a day trip to the Horror Labs is made of sterner stuff than we are. In fact, we think it’s time to get started on our list of the 10 Cutest Kittens Ever Photographed, so we can get some sleep tonight.

Istanbul - Where Asia and Europe meet


To get the best out of your visit to Turkey’s capital here’s our Istanbul city guide.



 
Travel guide to Istanbul

Istanbul straddles the
huge Bosporus and rises from the mile-wide waterway on all sides. To get
the best out of your visit to Turkey’s capital here’s our Istanbul city
guide.

The cliché for Istanbul is that it is where east meets
west, a clash and mix of modern European and ancient Asian. More
accurately Istanbul holds a fascinating, opulent and wondrous eastern
heritage but is firmly a developed, prosperous and cosmopolitan European
city.










 The Sultan Ahmed Mosque in Istanbul, also known as the Blue Mosque, was
built between 1609 and 1616 during the reign of Sultan Ahmed I.







 Under the main dome of the Sultan Ahmed Mosque in Istanbul.







 The interiors of Aye Sofia. Also known as the Hagia Sophia, it was first
built as an Eastern Orthodox Cathedral in AD 562. It served as a
Catholic Church Cathedral from 1204 to 1261 before it was reverted to an
Eastern Orthodox Cathedral. In 1493, it became an Imperial Mosque and
was declared a museum in 1931.







 Another view of the awe-inspiring interiors of Aya Sofia, which was
first established as the Greek Patriarchal cathedral of the ancient city
of Constantinople. It is considered the cornerstone of Byzantine
architecture.







 A view of the exterior of Aya Sofia.







 The Basilica Cistern lies underground about 500 feet away from Aya
Sofia. It was built in the 6th century during the reign of the Byzantine
Emperor Justinian. Constructed as a basilica, the structure became a
cistern under the Ottoman Empire and provided a water filtration for the
city of Constantinople.







 First view of the Blue Mosque.







 The facade of Istanbul's famous Blue Mosque.







 Eminönü, the heart of the walled city of Constantinople, seen from the Galata Bridge.







 The cone-topped Galata Tower dominates the skyline of old Istanbul.







 Stop at Çiçek Pasajı (Flower Passage) and refresh yourself with a pint of beer or Turkish tea.







 Istanbul is an epicurean's delight. Turkish Dolmas (vegetables stuffed
with meat) are usually served as a meze -- a short appetizing meal
combined with cheeses and salads.







 In most eateries Turkish women make fresh Gözleme, the Turkish version
of the Indian aloo paratha (fresh bread stuffed with potatoes and
herbs).







 Tea is an important part of Turkish culture. Turkish tea, called çay, is a favoured substitute for both alcohol and coffee.







 Turkish ice-cream is famous, not merely for its taste but for the
curious selling tactics adopted by the very conversational traders.







 At the Grand Bazaar, where Salman Khan was seen shooting for Ek Tha Tiger.







 Istiklal Caddeci or Istiklal Avenue is the busiest part of the town where local people go shopping.







 The interiors of the Blue Mosque are finished with Iznik tiles, with
impeccable ornate design influenced by the Tulip era. The tiles are
predominantly blue, and so the Blue Mosque is named.







 The silhouette of the Blue Mosque against the skyline of Istanbul.







 Small fishing villages in the Bosphorus.







 A street-side candy-seller.







 The streets of Sultanahmet, in the old city of Istanbul.







 The Gate of Salutation at the Topkapi Palace, which was the official
residence of the Ottoman Sultans for 400 years. The palace is now a
UNESCO World Heritage Site.







 The Imperial Harem at the Topkapi Palace.







 A tram in Istanbul. Local commutes are inexpensive as you can either walk or avail of the tram services.











Top five things to do in Istanbul

Sultanahmet

If
you’ve got time, spend an entire day taking in the sights of the
ancient Sultanahmet district. It has the 1,500-year-old Ayasofya, the
500-year-old Blue Mosque and the Sultan’s old home, Topkapi Palace.
People of one persuasion or another have been living here for 3,000
years or more, and being this close to so much ancient civilisation and
history is surely only possible in a handful of other cities.

Beyoglu bars

Towards
the top of Istiklal Caddesi on the left, 500m before Taksim Square, in
Beyoglu, is a splendid fish market; all the better for it marks the
entrance to one of the city’s most lively bar streets. Head through the
market and you will emerge onto a narrow street crammed with busy bars,
all with outside tables. There is a relaxing European feel to the
drinking.

The Islands for a fish dinner

Take
a ferry from the Karokoy stop to the Prince’s Islands. Jump off at
Heybeliada. Although there is not much to see there is plenty to eat.
All the quayside restaurants offer excellent seafood fare. Not only do
you get to find yourself a tasty, fresh seafood dinner but the view to
Istanbul from the Islands and from the ferry begin to give you an idea
how enormous the city is.

Turkish baths

It
seems obvious but a good idea in Turkey is to have a Turkish bath. The
highest profile, stunning, and expensive, is the Cagaloglu Hamman in
Sultanamhet. You certainly forfeit style for substance though; the
massages here are usually short to keep up with the high demand, and the
price high. There are plenty of other hammans offering better value if
in slightly less resplendent surroundings.


A toe in Asia and a beautiful sunset

If
you do make it as far as the very end of Europe it seems a bit silly
not to dip a toe into Asia, even if only for an hour. Get the ferry from
Karokoy to Kadikov on the Asian side. The area around the ferry stop is
pretty lively with lots of food stalls selling cheap kebabs or fresh
seafood munchies. Time your return journey for sunset and you will be
witness to a memorable cruise across the Bosporus as the sun dips behind
the Ayasofya and the Blue Mosque.

Where to stay in Istanbul

If
it is budget accommodation you are after, there is only one choice
here; Sultanahmet. There is an abundance of cheap hostel accommodation,
but be warned that it is very much 'cram them in, take their money' in
some, but you cannot argue with the value. And you are on the doorstep
of literally some of the oldest sights in Christendom, and even some
sights that were around before Christendom was even a twinkle in the eye
of whichever almighty you happen to believe in. If you have more cash,
getting a hotel in the Taksim area puts you at the centre of modern
Istanbul with its major bars and shops.

Where to eat in Istanbul

Anywhere.
This is one of the joys of the place, although perhaps not if you are a
vegetarian. Vendor after vendor after vendor does a great kebab. Not
your horrible slime ball British kebabs but real ones, which actually
taste nice and do not bring instant grief to your arteries. Short of
that avoid the tourist deals in Sultanahmet and head back to the
Istiklal Caddesi. Peel off onto any side street and you will find decent
priced tasty restaurants.

How to get around Istanbul

The
Golden Horn area, which covers Sultanahmet, Beyoglu and Beskitas, can
all be done on foot. However, there is an excellent tram service that
can whisk you pretty much anywhere you need to get to or from in a hurry
or to save your legs. You can simply pay for each journey, which is
fairly cheap, or buy an Akbil, like a travel pass, from Eminönü,
Sirkeci, Aksaray, and Taksim tram stops. You pay an initial nominal
deposit for the card then money onto it and swipe it every journey.
Saves fumbling around for change and it can be used for most public
transport, including ferries. The ferries are a great way to get around
the city, especially hopping from the Europe to Asia, so the card is
very handy.

The best time to visit Istanbul

It
is one of those places, like London or Paris, which is simply always
going to be full of tourists. July is the hottest month and although it
does not get up to sweltering Greek temperatures it can be
uncomfortable. Middle to late September means you miss the hottest of
the weather and the real sting of summer holiday crowds.