My first trip to Istanbul was sometime in the late nineties, or perhaps it was 2000. Before 9/11, in other words. My wife and I had no hesitation in walking around the city without a guide, and I felt comfortable showing the cabbies a wad of cash and trusting them not to overcharge for the ride. Turns out, many of them spoke German, so I was able to communicate reasonably well in a pinch. You just never know when you'll get a chance to practice your German language skills!
