EL SEGUNDO HERALD March 3, 2022 Page 15
Police Reports from page 5
Unknown suspect(s) made several unauthorized
charges to the victim’s bank account.
A lost property report was taken at 1503
hours from the 1800 block of East Sycamore
Avenue. Lost was a social security card, work
permit, and COVID-19 card.
Saturday, February 26th
A shoplifting report was taken at 1211
hours from the 700 block of South Pacific
Coast Highway. The suspect stole several
clothing items and left the store without
paying for them.
A found property report was taken at 1539
hours from Main Street and Oak Avenue. A
wallet was found and booked for safekeeping.
A shoplifting report was taken at 1716 hours
from the 500 block of North Pacific Coast
Highway. The suspect stole merchandise and
left the store without paying.
One male adult was arrested at 2254 hours
from Imperial Highway and Nash Street for
misdemeanor DUI, reckless driving, driving
with a suspended license and giving false
information to a peace officer.
One female adult was arrested at 2254 hours
from Imperial Highway and Nash Street for
two LASD misdemeanor warrants.
One female adult was arrested at 0455
hours from Imperial Highway and Selby
Street for misdemeanor DUI.
One female adult was arrested at 0455
hours from Imperial Highway and Selby
Street for drunk in public.
Sunday, February 27th
One male adult was arrested at 1132
hours from the 100 block of Main Street for
Travel from page 2
Istanbul is a thoroughly Islamized city, with
most citizens clad in headscarves, full-length
sleeves, pants, and loose robes that reach the
floor. But you almost never sense the barely
restrained hostility of the “Arab Street” ( it
would be the “Turkish Street” here anyway,
a distinction that westerners would do well to
observe). In fact, one of the biggest issues of
the last fifty years has been Turkey’s desire
to join the European Union—and its chances
were torpedoed not in an intolerant alley in
Istanbul, but in the governing halls of Germany.
Karaköy—Lemon seller on a pomegranate-yogurt break. Fatih—Holiday shoppers throng the Mısır Çarsısı.
Simply put, the “Thing” about Istanbul is
that it has been around forever and has seen
literally everything in the human experience.
Long before Constantinople boasted not one,
but two of the most successful empires in
history—the Roman-Byzantian Christians
followed by the Muslim Ottomans—its position
at the junction of the east-west Silk Road
and the north-south Eurasian-African travel
routes guaranteed that it would dominate the
trade and culture of the ancient world. When
London was still an Anglo-Saxon village
and later, when Manhattan was still valued
at $24 worth of beads, the polyglot city of
Constantinople already teemed with travelers
from the fabled four corners of the Earth.
So with all that history and the lively,
chaotic activity of its modern streets, the
only way we can conjure Istanbul is with
an equally chaotic and random collection of
observations:
The Hills:
When we pulled into Sirkeci Train Station,
our first thought was to walk the 3km to our
hotel. Little did we know, that the city was as
hilly as San Francisco and as complicated as
Hong Kong. You can reach anywhere on foot
with good shoes and a half-gallon of sweat, but
not with roller bags. The city boasts every kind
of road and sidewalk surface except pristine.
The Names:
The Golden Horn and the Bosporus—
separated at Seraglio Point across from the
Galata Tower—are two of the most fabled
waterways in history. The Topkapi Palace
housed the Sultans, their Harems, their troops
of Janissaries, and the enormous governing
retinues led by their Viziers. The Hagia Sophia,
the Blue Mosque, and the Süleymaniye
Mosque were three leading jewels in the life
of historical Islam. Legendary names like these
alternately terrified and inspired generations
of humanity.
The Straits:
At the junction of the Mediterranean and
the Black Sea, Istanbul is a seafaring city.
For all the prowess of the Ottoman armies, it
was the Ottoman Navy that ruled the waves
through much of history. For most of the
year, the only export routes for the Russian
Empire ran through the 3km-wide Bosporus.
With a perfect harbor in the Golden Horn
and the ships to defend it, the Ottomans
were guaranteed a seat at any gathering of
world powers.
The Food:
We expected the cuisine you find all over
Europe in Turkish cafés and restaurants—lamb,
kebabs, hummus, grape leaves, and so forth.
But in an ancient city with a trading history,
you find every type of food and every style
of preparation on the planet. Seafood takes
the prize in the restaurants, especially around
the Galata docks. Our favorite local specialty
is Meze, similar to Spanish Tapas, only with
a much more inventive, international touch.
Waiters trawl the restaurant with stacked
trays, and you point. Just save room for the
(smallish) main course.
The Crowds:
Turks don’t press in crowds. And it’s a
good thing, because anywhere you want to
go, it feels like all 15 million Istanbullus
want to join you.
The Bazaars:
The two oldest and most famous covered
markets in the world are the Kapali Çarsı
(Grand Bazaar) and the Mısır Çarsısı (Egyptian
or Spice Bazaar), both built in the 1660s. With
the pressure of tourism, both have given over
too much space to trinkets, but the original
tenants are still there—you just have to look
for them. We spent a couple of hours in a
booth at the Mısır Çarsısı, sipping tea and
getting an education in the wonders of Persian
saffron. It only cost us a minor fortune, and
we’ve never bought better.
The Metro:
One of our first tasks in any new city
is to figure out the Metro. Our first day in
Casablanca, for example, we rode the entire
network, even out to the beach, and met all
kinds of polite citizens determined to give up
their seat for Glinda. The Istanbul Metro is
far more complicated, but easy to use, and it
takes you everywhere, even out to the suburbs.
If you get lost, don’t worry—just cross the
tracks and go back the other way.
The Languages:
Outside the tackiest tourist traps of Fatih,
you won’t hear much English. In fact, you
won’t hear much of anything except Turkish
(remember, this is a proud country with an
imperial past)—especially in the docklands
and working areas where we like to wander.
We memorized the phrase, “Do you speak
English?”, but then realized the futility of
the question and switched to a more or less
universal sign language. It didn’t seem to
inhibit anyone.
A Final Thought:
Go to Istanbul, and go soon while things
are still friendly. We wish we’d followed the
same advice for Teheran, Beirut, Damascus,
or Baghdad—but what can you do? Today,
traveling to Istanbul is traveling into the very
heart of human civilization.
Next up: Dr. Livingstone, I Presume?
Ben & Glinda Shipley, published writers
and photographers, share their expertise and
experience of their many world travels. If
you have any questions or interest in a particular
subject, please email them at web@
heraldpublications.com. •
Fatih—Corn and chestnut roaster by the Sultan Ahmed Blue Mosque. Fatih—Women’s lunch spot near the Hagia Sophia.
public intoxication.
A vehicle was reported stolen at 1312 hours
from the 2500 block of East El Segundo
Boulevard. Taken was at 2004 GMC Sierra.
A burglary (vehicle) report was taken at
1448 hours from the 700 block of South
Pacific Coast Highway. Unknown suspect(s)
smashed the passenger window and stole a
backpack.
An online misdemeanor hit and run report
was taken at 2118 hours from the 600 block
of Vista Del Mar. •