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Published: July 19th 2015
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It occurred to me as I was packing for this trip that I like everything about travelling – except the standing in lines part. I get pleasure from filling the little three ounce bottles with shampoo and mouthwash. Folding clothes and fitting them into packing bags brings me great calm.
Please note: this enjoyment does not translate into folding laundry in real life; it only counts if the clothes are going into a suitcase.
The flight from San Diego to Houston to Amsterdam to Istanbul was long, but fairly uneventful. Schiphol Airport is being renovated, so it wasn’t very comfortable, but there was a Starbucks, so life was good. And I got to see an Air Serbia Airbus, which is not an everyday occurrence.
Landing at Ataturk Airport in Istanbul, I was surprised that we did not deplane via jet bridge. Even though there were gates with jet bridges available, and I was on a Turkish Airlines Airbus A330, we parked away from the gate and deplaned via air stairs and the bussed to the terminal.
Now comes my least favorite part of travel – the standing in lines bit.
I am arriving in a Muslim country
towards the end of Ramadan, which means that every observant Muslim refrains from having anything to eat, drink, or smoke between sun up and sun down. There are exceptions for children, the elderly or ill, pregnant or nursing women, and travelers, to name a few. Everyone else has probably been fasting for the past twelve hours, and may be going through nicotine withdrawal. And it’s summer, so folks are dealing with the heat as well. Now, I don’t know about you, but being hungry and thirsty and sweaty makes me very, very cranky, and I don’t think I’m unusual.
I had purchased my visa for Turkey online, and printed it before I left home. I had heard conflicting reports about being able to buy a visa on arrival, and decided not to take the chance. I glad I made that decision. It looks like you are able to get a visa on arrival – at least technically. There were very long lines at the visa kiosks, and a number of the kiosks were out of order. The ones that were working sometimes wouldn’t print out the visa receipt. No receipt, no getting past the Immigration officer, no matter how
much you argued. I know this from watching the family in front of me.
You are much better off to buy your visa online and skip the visa on arrival queue entirely, and go directly to the very long Passport Control queue where you will be herded into cattle chutes. The airport’s air conditioning can’t quite keep up with that many hot, sweaty people, but I finally make it to the front after watching one lady argue with the Immigration officer. In the end, he let her husband and children through, but sent her back to get a visa with a receipt.
The Immigration officer stamped me into the country with barely a glance at my visa. I try never to argue with Immigration officers, I certainly wasn’t prepared to argue with one in Turkish, during Ramadan.
I had arranged for a driver to pick me up from the airport, and we found each other as soon as I exited Customs. I’m not sure they even had any Customs officers on duty; I didn’t see any. I just walked through the door marked “Nothing to Declare,” and I was out.
My driver was a sweet young
traffic
This isn't the scene of an accident, it always looks like this. man who kept his calm throughout the drive. Traffic in Istanbul is absolutely dreadful, especially during the evening rush hour. How dreadful is the traffic, you ask? Well, my driver explained that it would be quicker to park and take the tram, if I was OK with that. I was, so we did.
Possibly useful information The Republic of Turkey’s electronic visa website can tell you everything you need about obtaining a visa for entry into Turkey.
There are several ATMs on your left after you clear Customs.
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Elizabeth Lohr
non-member comment
Greetings from California!
Hi Karen! I loved your description about arriving in Istanbul. Keep writing and I'll keep checking in! Take care, and I want to hear all about it when you get home! :)