Day 46 - Istanbul

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We wake up later than normal but still in time to catch up with others who are leaving at 0900. Catch them before they leave on their personal tour of Romania (including Transylvania). Quite a few still here today. We catch up with the birthday girl and wish her well. Lots of familiar faces having breakfast this morning. We sit outside in a courtyard surrounded by trees. Very pleasant.

Eventually get out after more farewells, then to the bags. We have decided to take one bag that we will use from now on, and the other has dirty washing, stuff we don't need, etc. Hopefully we get under the 23 kg limits. Clothes shuffled, remembering we need jeans, etc. for the cold Melbourne welcome and packed. Weights come in under 23 kg - just. Finally out just before our 1200 deadline.

Bills settled and bags with the concierge. The hotel has organised a shuttle to the airport for 1320 so we go for a final wander around town. Did I say it was hot, well today is even hotter then yesterday. I am melting so after about 30 minutes, we get back to the cafe we had lunch yesterday for a very cold beer. Yum, then back to the hotel. More people to say goodbye to, then our concierge beckons to us. At the same time, Adrien, our tour guide from the ship comes down with her bags. She bids us farewell.

The concierge explains that as we are the only ones booked for this shuttle, we have the hotel limo, as long as we are happy to have a learner go with the driver to learn the ropes. No complaints here. Quick trip to the airport, then we meet another kiwi from the ship, bloody hell.... Our flight and hers are on the board but no gate allotted yet. I do a kiosk check in, all good and done easily. She is travelling to Vienna, then Dubai, Sydney and Auckland and wants to be ticketed all the way through. The kiosk doesn't give that option so she waits. So do we, but then I notice that we can just bag drop so we do that.

In to the security line. About 4 lines and guess what, we pick the shortest and as it turns out worst line. Some dudes have their bags checked, checked and checked again. Finally they get marched away - oh dear. Finally get through and my backpack is stopped. Do I have a computer in there, no, it is an iPad. Out that comes and back through. This time all good. Then passports. Check all the stamps and eventually another one for the pages.

Into the terminal proper at last. Get some food and a drink. Can relax now. Get on the plane and then told that due to issues at Istanbul airport we have to wait and wait and wait. Nearly half an hour. Finally off and we end up landing only 15 minutes late - not too bad. Planes everywhere on the ground, lots lined up for takeoff and lots in queues for Tarmac spaces. Eventually off at an air bridge and then find passport control. Huge queue so we opt for passport control 2.

Big mistake, bigger queues so we just wait it out now. Finally get to the front and eventually cleared, obviously visas worked fine. Get our bags and wonder if our transport will still be around. Out to the throng of faces, names on paper everywhere - oh dear this could be fun. Walk to the left on instinct and there is our name stuck with a few others on the wall of the people. Look for the person and get told she is over there. She comes and is happy that we are out. Tells us to come around and wait. She calls the driver down and we go out with another family. They get a van and go and we wait a little longer.

This is organised chaos to the nth degree. Taxis, vans, cars, police, whistles, horns - thought I might be in Asia, not Turkey. Eventually a big Mercedes bus arrives and we are told that is ours. Ok, in we pile, bags chucked in and away we go, and boy, do we go. No mucking around with this dude. Eventually out of the airport and onto the freeway. Around the waterfront where every spare inch of ground is occupied by people with portable bbq's. Bodies and cars everywhere. Hate to be the one who got there early and wants to leave early, most cars are triple parked.

Get to a sign that says the Sultahna area, or something like that. Into the old part of town, and like a billy goat up the hill of cobblestoned roads. Up and up and around we go. We flatten out and start going down again. No way I can work out where we are or have been. After a few minutes of tiny streets, lots of turns we get to our hotel. There is a worker at the door to greet us. We are welcomed at the desk and given the run down of the place. All good. Our room is on the 2nd floor with a view our over the empty block of land opposite and a dodgy car park. But we then find the roof top terrace and the views are much nicer! And a breeze to boot.

Wander the streets for something to eat. We are in a busy neighbourhood near Gulhane Park. Lots of Turkish goods, food of all kinds and the biggest shop of Turkish delights and baklava you have ever seen. Find a place and get ushered in to seats on the ground. My knees have trouble slipping under the table but eventually I get positioned ok so we stay there. Beers ordered and arrive in metal cups like Ali Baba used to drink out off in his TV show. Picture menu again, good idea. The owner (who is a real showman - over the top) comes up to our tables, there is a couple of women next to us, and explains the specialities of the house. Main one is a clay pot of lamb and veggies cooked in a sealed pot which is delivered to the table with coals around it which are on fire. They order this and we order a second flaming dish of mixed meats and veggies. Flaming clay pot arrives and so does the showman. Clanging of spoons, knives and eventually the lid breaks away from the pot. Food delivered and show over. Our dish is also very nice, but not quite as showy, only has a bowl of flame in the middle of the platter with meat and other bits around it. Nice meal, paid and off we go.

Water on the way back and then to bed. Hmm. Room is hot, air con blasting away, or so we thought. No cold air. Hmm, check dials, on cold and fan up high. Oh oh. Turns out the air con is buggered, memories of a phone call to reception while we were booking in. Nothing said to us. Too late now to do anything. We try to sleep, but it is bloody hard in 30+ c temps overnight. Not too much sleep coming tonight methinks........

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