Communication matters a lot to me in an Airbnb. It can take a beautiful stay from a 5 star to a 3 star, or a a cozy stay from a 3 to a five. In this case, it didn’t feel like I was in a fancy and spotless hotel, but what it did feel like was home. Or at least, a friend’s home. I bothered Zehra with random questions about where it’s safe to walk at what times, why don’t the light switches work (they do, I was just pressing the wrong ones. I didn’t realize the cute little circular dials were light switches haha), I couldn’t figure out how to make the water hot for my shower (a switch in the white cabinet)… she was kind, helpful and responsive and never made me feel like a pain. She even called me a couple of times to make things easier to explain. My jet lag brain must have been frustrating, but she was very happy and nice. It felt like a very generous bestie let me crash at her perfectly located apartment for a little while. I wish I had stayed longer. Galata itself has so much to offer that I only scratched the surface.