Worth the Hype? ..... Part 1

Hey Travel Lover,

Have you ever longed for an experience because of someone else's opinion? Have you ever thought, how fast can I have my opinion of this experience? Did your experience rival your initial imagination?

One of those tourist attractions I had heard so much about is “Umbrella Streets”. In all my web surfings, I had come across beautiful “Umbrella Streets” on the streets of social media that I couldn’t wait for my own “Umbrella Street” experience🤭😆. Here are some of the eye-popping images that caught my attention (Source Credit - Google)

In 2022, after zeroing in on Istanbul as a vacay destination, whilst looking at the available tourist activities, I saw that they had an Umbrella Street. Yaaaaayyyyyyy!!!! I twirled and turned, as I felt giddy with excitement. I couldn’t wait for my vacay to start so I tick off my new experience. When I arrived Istanbul, I fixed my “Umbrella Street” experience for the third day. I couldn’t believe the time to gaze at the Umbrellas in amazement and wonder was so close.

On my third day in Istanbul I headed first to the Chocolate Museum (read the story here). After a thrilling experience there, I hailed a cab and mentioned the Umbrella Street as my destination. It was quite a distance and the taxi man was a sly one. Due to Language barrier, he almost dropped me off a long distance from the street. I however refused to bulge till we got a bit closer.I alighted gleefully and started walking down towards the Umbrellas….Oh-My-Goodness. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

Pause! 😑 I saw Umbrellas quite alright but they were a far cry from what I saw online😭😭😭. I was quick to conclude that this one was definitely not worth the hype in my opinion. Since I was already there anyways, I decided to make the most of it. There were several restaurants “under the Umbrella” and it was a solo visit. I thought to myself, an early dinner will be nice😁😁. I made sure the waiter knew he would also double as a photographer and we had a deal.

I made my choice from the menu, placed the order and took photos while I waited. When my meal arrived, a stray cat climbed the table to join me😆. The life of a tourist!!! (Read post on stray cats here). That experience was a stark reminder that some destinations will be a hit, while others a miss. This one was surely a big fat MISS🤭🫣. Maybe with some renovation it will be a beauty again.

So Travel Lover, do you base your travel plans on someone else’s opinion? Do you eagerly dash down so you can compare notes (reality vs imagination)? Have you been disappointed by a recommendation that wasn’t worth the hype? Please share your experience(s) in the comments section.

Till Next Week.

Live, Love, Laugh

Ajalaress