Just a normal day

Here in Istanbul.

Before leaving for my dental appointment on Thursday morning, I thought I’d have a stroll up to Taksim Square and back. And this is what I saw there. Yup, lots of tourists walking around and enjoying the warm Spring sunshine.

But wait a minute…. what’s that over there by the wall?

Hell yes! It’s a water cannon!

But the recent disturbances here in Istanbul don’t seem to have affected the tourist trade too much, although the smaller hotels in Beyoglu where I am, like the one I’m in, do seem to have vacant rooms and, like mine, appear to be dropping their prices a bit.

There is a more than even the usual police presence everywhere either standing around in small groups with machine guns over their shoulders or dashing about in cars with their hooters that sound like a loud burp as they weave their way through the crowds. But otherwise life goes on pretty much as usual for tourists and locals alike.