Blogs from Sultanahmet, Istanbul, Marmara, Turkey, Middle East - page 18

I woke up at 4:30 to the sound of the morning prayers, which is quite soothing to me and was a wonderful way to wake up and start the day. Dad was still adjusting to the time change and was up shortly after as well. I was counting down the hours until I could eat the wonderful breakfast at the Apricot Hotel! Now that I had a chance to sample everything at the buffet I knew what I really wanted. I had received my birthday presents from my parents (I will be spending my birthday on the road with a tour, so Dad brought my presents with him)and I got a Netbook which I absolutely love (I thought I could do this trip without a computer but it proved to be very difficult) and a Bloggie. ... read more

We left Cape Town with butterflies in our tummies but soon settled down on our wonderful flight flying Turkish Airways. The plane seemed brand spanking new with all the fruit. The tv's in front of us were touch screen, you could plug in your laptop and cell phones. AS for the food - it was better than many restaurants I have been to. Yes I am talking about airline food - there was nothing airline about it and we were sitting in economy. So we could not fault the flight but heck what was to come when we landed I was not prepared for. We had to queue for our visa and then we had to queue for immigration - I saw over 108 arms for landing bays and I think all were full with planes ... read more

Shortly after midday yesterday I arrived safely in Istanbul, having slept through most of the flight. Fortuitously, an Australian who was on my flight was booked to stay at the same place as me (Bauhaus Guesthouse), so we helped each other find our way here. We checked in with an eccentric Turkish receptionist who's obsessed with the British TV series "The Only Way Is Essex", and who insisted on playing me several clips. After having checked in, the Australian and I went for a walk around the environs of the hostel. We're located in the Sultanahmet district, about halfway between the world-famous Blue Mosque and the straits separating this (European) side of the city from the Asian side, so there's a lot to see right on my doorstep. The city's really amazing, just as I'd imagined ... read more

Last truck drive to Istanbul, a final meal, and lots of sad farewells over the next few days as we all go our own ways. For me, it was back to Asia for a much appreciated stay with Julia and Julian in Kadikoy, a boat and a bus ride away from the touristy side of Istanbul. A double bed and room of my own was a complete luxury after Galipolli and Eceabat beach and it was good to catch up on sleep and laundry, and to briefly return to normal life! I watched the Royal Wedding on Friday accompanied by Pimms, afternoon tea, and strawberries in abundance. Although a bit touristed-out, I did manage to see Topkapi Palace, the Grand Baazar, the Spice Bazaar, the Basicalla Cisterns, and many mosques. (I did however manage to miss ... read more