Travel bloggers at Istanbul World Tourism Forum! W Hotel, Ciragan Palace brunch, cats & dogs of Turkey.
Sometimes, I feel like I’m in the Twilight Zone. For years, I wanted to visit Istanbul, but the opportunity never arose.
Then, I got an unbelievable email: I was one of about 20 international travel bloggers invited to the World Tourism Forum in Turkey! Needless to say, I replied yes and packed my bags.
I dreaded the 13 hour flight from LA… until Turkish Airlines generously put me in business class. On the plane, I ate like a queen and slept like a baby. Then a driver picked me up, and deposited me at the intergalactic entrance of the W Hotel Istanbul.
The trip kept on getting better, as the W Hotel — known for its modern, nightclub vibe — upgraded me to a fantastic suite. The stylish W Insider concierge even left me a welcome bottle of champagne and snacks on a turntable.
(I’m wearing a kimono-style coat by Alice’s Pig, a vintage-inspired brand from London. I also own this blue zig zag coat from their collection.)
The W Hotel was well-located in the city center of Besiktas, surrounded by hip art galleries and the designer boutiques of Nisantasi.
On my first walk, I was pleased to find healthy-looking cats everywhere, even lounging on motorcycles.
Why are there so many stray dogs and cats in the streets of Istanbul? I’ll get back to this at the end of this post, so read on…
Day one. I filled up on stringy Turkish cheese (dil peyniri) and circular bread with sesame seeds (simit) at the W Hotel breakfast.
The World Tourism Forum provided shuttle buses to the ICC (Istanbul Congress Center). For several days, tourism industry leaders would be meeting inside this gigantic venue.
The World Tourism Forum takes place four times a year, in different global cities. Business executives, politicians and influencers gather to present and discuss topics related to travel. (Let’s just say that I was the only one there with purple hair!)
In the main auditorium, I heard the President of Turkey and other leaders speak frankly about combating terrorism and maintaining trust in the tourism sector.
I was glad that the presenters recognized the importance of experimenting with new concepts (such as community-centered hotels) and technologies (virtual reality).
Such fun to meet up with both local and international travel bloggers at the Forum. Thumbs up to Blogger Casting, the digital marketing agency that made these arrangements. They took care of every detail, and even put together a “blogger night” cocktail party mixer for us.
There were more than 100 speakers, panels and exhibits throughout the two-day event. I went to presentations on intriguing topics, such as the enormous growth of Uber, and how movie locations can drive tourism spending.
(Outfit of the Day: I’m wearing a dark purple velvet dress by Alice’s Pig, and designer tights.)
One of the halls had hundreds of exhibition booths. I visited the representatives of Turkish Airlines, and told them how much I loved my flight with them. As they say on Seinfeld, “Once you’ve flown first class, you can’t go back to coach!”
I reminisced about the “candlelight” dinner prepared fresh by chefs, followed by a push-cart of desserts and all the wellness tea I could drink. There’s free WiFi, and the staff turns your seat into a full-sized bed. After Turkish Airlines’ luxury, it’ll be hard to fly economy again…
Some of the stalls had interactive displays. At this archery station, I did my best Hunger Games impression. (And I did hit the target!)
Time for the Blogger Panel, which had a spectacular turnout and lively participants.
We discussed the business of travel blogging, working with tourism boards and PR, and all the unseen details that go into this seemingly glamorous job.
Later, everyone let loose at the World Tourism Forum gala, held at Ciragan Palace Kempinski hotel.
The grandiose staircase looked like it was made for the Queen of the Damned!
The hotel was once a 19th century Ottoman palace, on the shores of the Bosphorus.
We had dinner with guests in ballgowns and tuxedos, and watched the World Tourism Forum awards ceremony.
Crystal chandeliers and gilded ceilings. Doesn’t this look like a scene from the Grand Budapest Hotel?
(All photos by Joey Wong, who accompanied me to these events.)
W-fingers for the World Tourism Forum! Thank you for bringing me to Istanbul; it was an honor to be chosen to take part in this global meeting.
On another day, we tried the epic Sunday brunch at Ciragan Palace Kempinski. I headed straight to the fresh juice bar — after all, the Turkish word for breakfast (kahvalti) means “before coffee.”
I did a little dance when I stepped into Laledan Restaurant. Imagine rows upon rows of international food — Turkish mezzes, fresh sushi, saffron curry — made from the highest quality ingredients.
(My black bat-wings dress is from Kill Star, who also makes a Gothic Egyptian fringed vest.)
At stations throughout the restaurant, the chefs will whip up eggs, pasta, risotto and other favorites exactly the way you like.
I’m the type of diner who likes to take a bite of everything. I sampled everything from borek (Turkish baked filo pastry) to salmon caviar in a martini glass, to waffles.
Willy Wonka’s factory comes to life in the Chocolate Room: a royal dome piled with desserts of every variety!
The pastry chefs served up plates of sweets: Turkish delight, cake pops, macaroons, chocolates…
… and beautifully decorated mini-cakes, with flavors like mango and Earl Grey.
Now I’m sure you can understand why I literally leaped in the air! I’ve had a lot of impressive hotel brunches, but Ciragan Palace takes the cake.
It seems I’m not the only one eating up a storm in Istanbul… I saw quite a few plump cats, roaming the streets.
There are a lot of feral cats and dogs in the city, yet they generally look well-fed and friendly. What makes this such a cat paradise (or Cat-stantinople)?
Istanbul’s diverse residents have historically been kind to street animals. Among Muslims, the Prophet Muhammad is known as a feline-fancier — and a popular saying says “If you kill a cat, you need to build a mosque to be forgiven by God.”
Animal welfare groups help keep these furry friends healthy and manage populations. Many stray dogs have tagged ears, signifying they were part of a trap-neuter-release program.
Istanbul’s laws help protect free-roaming animals, and volunteers are doing a great job. Still, there are always dogs and cats in need. Perhaps on my next trip to Istanbul, I can help out at one of these rescue organizations.
I leave you with this view of a glowing mosque at night, taken from the top of Galata Tower.
There’s still so much to share from Constantinople! Next, I’ll show you how Walks of Turkey took us all around the historical Sultanahmet district, on a custom tour.
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Bela Lugosi’s Grave: Dracula cemetery in LA! Urban Body Jewelry review, Goth plugs & tunnels.
Bela Lugosi’s dead (or undead).
To honor the legendary Dracula actor, we went to his grave in Los Angeles… and rolled around on it. Literally, as you will see.
The cemetery was the ideal place to take photos of Trevor wearing Urban Body Jewelry, purveyors of alternative septums, plugs, tunnels and more. Read on for the vampiric tale…
Trevor and I were in Los Angeles late last month. We always get a thrill from visiting a special location, and styling ourselves in ways that reflect the mood. Perhaps you remember when he styled me in Issey Miyake and vintage couture, at the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers.
Outfit of the Day: I’m wearing Daria boots by P. Manjo (a Spanish footwear designer), and an apocalyptic cut out top by Michi, my current favorite.
Shop my look below:
Bela Lugosi is a horror movie icon, best known for playing Count Dracula in the original 1931 film. With his Hungarian accent and lurid expressions, he thrilled audiences with his portrayal of Bram Stoker’s vampire.
Although he appeared in other horror movies, Bela Lugosi spent the last years of his life in obscurity. My favorite Tim Burton movie, Ed Wood (you MUST see if if you haven’t!) chronicles his final appearances in B-movies, such as Plan 9 from Outer Space.
Bela Lugosi died at age 73 from a stake through the heart (hyperbole… it was a heart attack). He was buried wearing his Dracula costume, complete with cape!
Today, Bela is undead — at least in the sense that he has become a Hollywood legend. Fans like us still visit his grave at Holy Cross Cemetery in Los Angeles. (Address: 5835 W. Slauson Ave, Culver City, CA).
If you’re not familiar with the classic horror actor, I encourage you to check out the Bela Lugosi film collection (which includes Murders in the Rue Morgue, The Black Cat, The Invisible Ray and Black Friday). And of course, the movie that made him an icon: Dracula.
Look out, Trevor… When you lie with the undead, evil spirits are bound to appear…
We couldn’t have picked a better spot to photograph these Gothic accessories. They’re from Urban Body Jewelry, an online boutique with over a thousand styles of plugs, from 16 gauge to 2 inches. They also have septums, body rings and more.
Trevor had a hard time choosing from all the alternative designs: cobwebs, skulls, crosses oh my. Here’s a close-up of his silver spiderweb plugs. I love the fine detail of the webbing.
As you can see from the ominous shadow (no Photoshop here), the ghosts of the graveyard must have approved…
We were thrilled with Urban Body Jewelry’s large selection of alternative jewelry, especially for less common piercings (such as nipple rings and septums). The dark styles also complement Trevor’s tattoos.
Trevor says, “I am very pleased with the quality, and the concepts are very unique. I definitely would like to incorporate more of their pieces into my personal wardrobe.”
Trevor had a hard time choosing designs from their Plugs and Tunnels page. Everything is well priced (many items are under $10) but made with quality materials like stainless steel.
In his hand, you can also see a black captive nipple ring and stainless steel nipple bars that he’s excited to wear.
When you’re resting your head on the grave of Bela Lugosi… you’d better be ready for Dracula’s bite! Trevor has these incredible liquid blood plugs in his ears (0 gauge), which look like vials of victim blood.
Here’s a closeup of his Stainless Steel Cross Tunnel Plugs as well. A classic Gothic style that matches all types of outfits.
(The tattoo is a nice touch, since Bela Lugosi often acted in movies with Frankenstein’s Boris Karloff).
Don’t worry if you lack piercings, like me. You can also pick up fake septums and rings that look like the real deal.
I think the photos speak for themselves… Urban Body Jewelry is a gem for those who love alternative accessories.
And they kindly gave me a coupon code to share with you! Just enter CARMINA10 at checkout for a 10% discount. Take a look at their selection here, and let me know what you end up getting.
Here’s to Bela Lugosi, a pioneer of horror. RIP (1882-1956).
Dracula’s grave is located in front of this grotto, in the southwest part of Holy Cross Cemetery. After you enter the main gate, turn left and follow the road up until you see this cave.
There are no tombstones or mausoleums in this resting ground — only flat grave markers. You’ll have to walk around a little and scan the names in order to find Bela.
The late afternoon light created interesting glow effects. (All photos shot on my Sony A7 mirrorless camera.)
Other celebrities lie beneath the earth at Holy Cross: Rita Hayworth, Bing Crosby, and Sharon Tate, who was murdered by Charlie Manson’s followers.
We found an altar with candles and the monogram IHS. This is apparently a “Christogram” (representing the first three letters in the Greek spelling of Jesus).
Somehow, we managed to make this look more like a Satanic ritual…
Trevor and I decided to make this a Dracula Day, in Bela Lugosi’s legacy. After the graveyard, we went to a Vampire Wines tasting lounge and an Endless Night ball (I will show you in an upcoming photo diary).
Side view of my new lavender-blue hair color. It’s the work of stylist Stephanie Hoy at Stratosphere Salon, Vancouver.
Holy Cross cemetery surpassed our expectations. What a pleasure to wander in this hauntingly beautiful grotto.
“The bats have left the bell tower / The victims have been bled / Red velvet lines the black box / Bela Lugosi’s dead” – Bauhaus
The sun began to set as we climbed back into our Goth-mobile.
Can you believe we have 666 on our license plate?
We tested out Silvercar, and it was by far the best car rental service I’ve experienced. This startup exclusively loans out silver Audi A4 sedans, wired with GPS, WiFi and more.
Renting a car is usually a hassle with long lineups, poor customer service and contracts that try to trick you into spending more money. I always feel like I need to be on guard, or else these companies will give me a lemon.
I had the complete opposite experience with Silvercar, which truly lives up to its motto: “Car rental the way it should be.” The company “hacked” the process to make it as streamlined and stress-free as possible.
When we got to LAX, Trevor and I didn’t have to wait for a dingy shuttle to take us to the lot. Instead, a Silvercar with a friendly driver was waiting to pick us up!
At Silvercar HQ (address: 9010 Bellanca Ave), there wasn’t any complicated paperwork to sign. In fact, we didn’t even need to go inside. We simply used the mobile app to unlock the car by scanning a QR code, and tapped the screen three times to seal the deal. Returning the rented car was just as easy.
All the cars are luxury Audis in pristine condition. We immediately connected the Bluetooth and played Marilyn Manson.
Silvercar is everything I love about startups. They take a frustrating service (in this case, airport car rentals) and subvert it, using apps and out of the box thinking.
In this spirit, we couldn’t resist taking this cheeky photo! When the 666 tattoo on your butt matches your license plate… how could you not?
Best of all, the rental rates are very reasonable. In fact, I’d have paid more if I got an Audi from one of the big-name companies. After this joyful test drive, there’s no doubt I will be riding with Silvercar again (especially if they give us the 666 car!).
Silvercar is currently available in major American cities including Austin, NYC, San Francisco and Miami. The startup is growing quickly and will open in new locations soon, so keep an eye out.
I hope you enjoyed our vampiric photoshoot. Don’t forget to check out Urban Body Jewelry to pick up dark accessories for yourself (code CARMINA10 at checkout for 10% off.)
Have you watched any of Bela Lugosi’s works? Perhaps this post may inspire you to have a classic horror movie marathon.
Shop for my look below – and don’t miss out on the current Shopbop sale, on til Mar 5. Just enter BIGEVENT16 at checkout for 15-25% off orders on most items.)
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