A Dip Between Two Continents

Fishing small pogey-size fish in the Bosphorus. The fish migrate between the Black Sea and Marmara depending on season and can be found in kebab vendors all along the waterfront

History: Istanbul, a city enriched by history, was chosen as the site for the New Rome by Constantine in 324 AD the founding date of the Byzantine Empire. It was enriched by Constantine and conquered by Faith Sultan Mahomet in 1453. Today it is a bustling, glowing and modernizing city that opens its arms to Western visitors.

The Grand Beylerbeyi Palace at the Waterfront overlooking the Bosphorus Strait and the Asian side.

Overlooking an ice cream maker twirling a huge dough of ice cream during my run downhill towards Sirceki

My new friends I swam together in the Bosphorus

(I left my bag of belongings with their mother as I dived in the refreshing brackish waters)

As the waterway that divides Europe and Asia, the Bosphorus is the link between the Sea of Marmara and the Black Sea and is thus churned heavily and entirely clean.

Interestingly, Istanbul is the only city in the world located on two continents: Asia and Europe

In DC, I am always amazed whenever I get an opportunity to run in Maryland, Virginia and DC all on the same day (National Harbor to Alexandria via Woodrow Wilson Bridge is one such run).

But I've never considered ever running in two continents on the same day. I've never dreamt of swimming in between two continents, either.

Both of these goals were achieved today.

It was no different than swimming in any other body of water except in this case, I felt amazingly small and my problems particularly unimportant.

As a pedestrian, there is only one way to get across the Bosphorus (The Bosphorus Bridge is closed to pedestrians, runners, and cyclists).

This ferry took me over to the Asian side of Istanbul

I swam with this kid and all his friends at the shores of the Bosphorus

There are lots of remnants of old Navy equipment: torpedoes and even a carcass of an old submarine.

And that is exactly why I decided to take a dip in the Bosphorus Strait and the Sea of Marmara. The Bosphorus Strait, which separates the Sea of Marmar with the Black Sea, surprisingly was not very salty.

Contrary to public belief, you can swim in the Bosphorus. There are several locations north of the Galata Kpr (bridge) where someone can jump in and swim next to the shoreline. There are plenty of rock landing areas where an adventurous swimmer can swim ashore.

The Sea of Marmara (along Kennedy Boulevard) is a little more tricky since someone would have wear shoes to ensure he doesn't cut himself on the large jagged rocks.

And the water felt extremely cool and refreshingly uplifting.

After the dip, I continued my run from Sultanahmet to the Beylerbeyi Palace. I didn't take the beaten path where tourists and businessmen traversed. I took the lesser known path and wanted to see Istanbul in its purest, raw state.

I ran hard along narrow arteries, up and down pock-marked cobblestone roads, winding along historic buildings, castles and the majestic Hagia Sophia

In fact, I didn't see a single runner for the entire day, except in the evening running along Kennedy Boulevard adjacent to the Sea of Marmara.

During the day, I could hear many a tourists and locals commenting on how insane I was to go for a run in this unbearable hot and sticky temps. I commented casually, that it was no hotter than DC in July and feeling the wind against face actually cooled me down some.

But it was challenging dodging people, cars and fishermen along the bumpy, narrow cobblestone streets. Ladies wearing headscarves, men selling their wares in the bazaars -- it was all very interesting; it was all very uniquely Istanbul -- the most unusual city that I've ever visited.

The managers and staff at the Historic Hotel, like all the Turks I met, were very friendly and hospitable.