When I looked at myself in the bathroom mirror, there were a lot of corn bits stuck around my mouth.
How long had they been there, how long had I been like that? I didn't want to remember, so I just cleaned it up and left it at that.
That day started with me waking up in the early afternoon.
Grilled corn and the illusion of familiarity
Breakfast time was already over and it was approaching 1 p.m. I took a shower and made a plan: send a large amount of luggage to Japan, then go look at the camera I wanted.
I walked and came near Hagia Sophia. Corn was being sold everywhere, so I thought it would be fine for breakfast and bought one.
70 lira. Whether that's affordable or not, I no longer know.
When I first arrived I thought it was insanely expensive, but now I started to think maybe it's cheap. Getting used to things is a scary thing.
At the post office, sending luggage to Japan
I headed to the post office with a backpack full of stuff. I bit and ate all the corn; it was insanely delicious. At that time I didn't even know I had corn bits on my mouth.
The post office was nearby, and I completed the paperwork there. I sent clothes, leftover garments, small items and notebooks. The total was 3.5 kg, but the price was about 8,000 yen.
I thought 'that's really expensive.' But 8,000 yen seemed manageable, so I didn't make a big deal out of it.
The woman at the counter was kind and smiled at me, despite being in the very center of Istanbul. I thought that was really rare.
Not noticing the corn bits
I took the train to the Karaköy area and walked toward Fujifilm. There were many shops and fashion items lined up; it felt like Harajuku in Japan.
There was a fast food place, so I decided to order there. I ordered a burger, fries, and a drink and ate on the second floor. The meal after a long time was really delicious.
So, when I went to the bathroom and looked in the mirror, there were a lot of corn bits around my mouth. But I didn't want to remember when they had gotten there, so I just dealt with it. Thinking about it now as I write this diary is quite embarrassing. Of course, they're all people I'll never meet again, and in five minutes they probably won't even remember I existed. I know that, but it was embarrassing. The only good thing was that the woman at the post office had greeted me with a smile.
At Fujifilm, the camera I'm eyeing
I arrived at the Fuji shop and saw the camera I was after: the Fuji X-T30 III. The price was about the same as in Japan, or maybe just a little higher. With a tax return it would be cheaper than buying it in Japan.
I remembered last time in Thailand I was in a position to buy an X100VI but I was 15 minutes late and the store closed. This time I still have more travel, so I want to buy it just before leaving Istanbul. I decided to wait until then. I hope it doesn't sell out.
Having finished the preliminary check, I headed to the shore, took a boat from there, and returned to Sultanahmet.
I think Istanbul is wonderful in ways like this, and the scenery was really beautiful.
The rainy bazaar and Sultanahmet Mosque
After arriving I went to the bazaar and visited Sultanahmet Mosque, doing some sightseeing.
Colorful fruits lined up.
Suddenly it started to rain, so I walked holding an umbrella.
Rain clouds are approaching.
As always, there were cats everywhere. Cute.
A disappointing beef kebab
For dinner I went to a recommended restaurant and ordered beef kebab.
I thought 1,700 yen for this amount was ridiculously expensive, but it couldn't be helped. It was the heart of the city, so of course it's pricey.
As for the taste, it wasn't exceptionally delicious; I found myself thinking that regular Japanese yakiniku might be tastier.
On the way back I stopped by a supermarket, bought water and cola, and returned to the hostel.
