The Joker
As of yet, I believe the biggest misconception I had of Turkey, well moreso of Istanbul, is the amount of nightlife. I honestly expected to find maybe 4 - 5 bars, a few clubs, and that's it. Shit was I wrong.
There are over 1500 bars and clubs in Istanbul, and after this weekend, I'll argue that Istanbul parties harder than any city I've ever seen.
Trainees in Istanbul resemble a family. And in every family there are traditions. One of those traditions is the Joker, a hole in the wall, dive bar near Taksim.
We walked into the lobby of what seemed to be an apartment building. A little confused, we climbed a set of stairs, passed a few teenagers sick from too much alcohol, and started up an elevator. As we near the fifth floor, I can hear Eurohouse pumpin'. On the fifth floor, in what looks like someone's apartment, lies the Joker. This bar is disgusting. It literally looks like the 3rd floor of a frat house, plus a full bar. No matter how grimy and fraternity-like it is, this place is amazing.
The music is typical Eurohouse. The only beer is Efes, and you can buy it in .3, .5, and .7 sizes. They also sell entire bottles of mystery liquor, which basically tastes like red bull with green food dye. Above all, the best part is that this bar's neighbor is the local mosque. You can indeed sip your beer while sitting a few meters away from a giant mosque. I love the contradictions in Istanbul.
We went to the Joker Friday and Saturday. I was pretty tired Friday so I come home early. The Indian trainee had a bit too much Raki, so everyone else's nigth was spent taking care of her. Saturday night was a different story. Two of the Turkish AIESECers came with us and they found it imperative to chug every beer they bought. I was in no mood to let some Turkish AIESECers show an American how to drink beer, so I very calmly kept up with them until they were sick and I was still ordering another. Yeah, it's sad, but I felt damn proud.
There are over 1500 bars and clubs in Istanbul, and after this weekend, I'll argue that Istanbul parties harder than any city I've ever seen.
Trainees in Istanbul resemble a family. And in every family there are traditions. One of those traditions is the Joker, a hole in the wall, dive bar near Taksim.
We walked into the lobby of what seemed to be an apartment building. A little confused, we climbed a set of stairs, passed a few teenagers sick from too much alcohol, and started up an elevator. As we near the fifth floor, I can hear Eurohouse pumpin'. On the fifth floor, in what looks like someone's apartment, lies the Joker. This bar is disgusting. It literally looks like the 3rd floor of a frat house, plus a full bar. No matter how grimy and fraternity-like it is, this place is amazing.
The music is typical Eurohouse. The only beer is Efes, and you can buy it in .3, .5, and .7 sizes. They also sell entire bottles of mystery liquor, which basically tastes like red bull with green food dye. Above all, the best part is that this bar's neighbor is the local mosque. You can indeed sip your beer while sitting a few meters away from a giant mosque. I love the contradictions in Istanbul.
We went to the Joker Friday and Saturday. I was pretty tired Friday so I come home early. The Indian trainee had a bit too much Raki, so everyone else's nigth was spent taking care of her. Saturday night was a different story. Two of the Turkish AIESECers came with us and they found it imperative to chug every beer they bought. I was in no mood to let some Turkish AIESECers show an American how to drink beer, so I very calmly kept up with them until they were sick and I was still ordering another. Yeah, it's sad, but I felt damn proud.
posted by amartin4 at 11:09 PM
1 Comments:
Freedooooom and beer, a beautiful combination.
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