We Just Want To Post A Parcel

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We slept as long as we dared, leaving just enough time to pack and leave for half eleven. At about twenty five past eleven just as we were getting the last few things ready we got a phone call "reminding" us that checkout was in ten minutes. We were out in time however that phone call was the final contribution from a bad hostel which we made sure to write on their review. Once evicted from our room, we sat in the common room and had a mass postcard writing session. I managed to address all of mine no problem, but Rob needed to get onto the Internet to access his addresses.

We separated out the things we wanted to post and left the rest of our belongings at the hostel. The café a few doors down from us had given us a leaflet a few days ago so we nipped in there for a lentil soup and chocolate pudding.

Posting things home has been particularly problematic in every country we have tried. We had been told that if we wanted to post anything fragile that we would have to go to the main post office which is quite a distance from the center of Istanbul. We caught the metro way out of the center and when we got off, we got our first set of directions. The second set of directions took us to the post office where we found someone who spoke English. He told us repeatedly that we couldn't post the fragile things home even though we were sent there. We argued and pleaded with him and eventually he sent us around the corner to the customer service office. The guy there couldn't really care less and let us post everything we wanted. It did take a long time to get everything posted but we were just glad to be rid of it.

We got the tram back to Cemberlitas and jumped off one stop early to go to the Internet café. We looked up and booked accommodation for Plovdiv and spent some time looking at our next couple of countries etc. We spent a while there wasting time until we had to leave for the bus. Eventually we left, picked up our bags from the hostel and went for the shuttle. Just as we sat down to wait, Rob realised that he hadn't got the addresses he needed off the Internet so he ran back to the café to get them and then post the postcards.

The shuttlebus was scarier than any rollercoaster I have ever been on, the driver was a lunatic. He drove like we were desperately late for something even though we were half an hour early. When we arrived we were unceremoniously dumped infront of the metro office. From the office we were herded into a car and driven around to the other side of the station (which we could have easily walked). We left our bags in the office and went off to waste three hours in the station. We surveyed the eateries and because neither of us felt particularly like soup and kebab, we went to a sandwich shop. We then walked around and bought some bread for the journey. Rob also bought some chocolate spread and breadsticks which he has been wanting for ages.

The bus left at eleven and it looked like it was a spaceship. There were so many buttons and switches which of course we pressed. The journey was quite comfortable and I found a new way of using Rob as a pillow which is much superior to past attempts to sleep on a bus. The border was easy and was much shorter than last time, it took about two hours in total.

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Photos

Near the Post Office
Miles away from the rest of Istanbul

City Walls
These span all the way across the peninsula. (Picture taken from a speeding tram)

Enroute to Bus Station
Eating lovely Turkish delight

Comments

[Brian]

Pressies
Hi Stob Glad you managed to post your parcels, much lighter travelling now and guess what ? I get to see my birthday present Cheers Dad

[Brian]

Pressies
Hi Stob Glad you managed to post your parcels, much lighter travelling now and guess what ? I get to see my birthday present Cheers Dad