Flew in overnight after leaving JFK from SLC at around 8:45 a.m. connecting in NY around 4:45. Flew through the night and got to try out my new skyrest pillow like the guy in the skym
all mag. I looked like a dork just like him I am sure but it sure made sleeping a lot easier than it normally is on the plane. I woke up a few times and the sleep was airplane sleep so wasn’t the greatest but all in all it was a good journey. We eventually landed in Istanbul through a thick layer of fog over the Aegean sea and our European journey truly began.
We got off the plane and traveled throug
h the airport and noticed a sign for Visas with several people veering in to get theirs. We stopped and thought about it, but it said 90 days and we weren’t sure so we moved on to Passport control. We found the line for non Turkish natives and proceeded to wait 40 minutes or so while the family from Pakistan in front of us slowly got through. When it was our turn, sure enough the agent told us we needed Visas and sent us back. 40 more minutes later and we were back through the line and on ou
r way to baggage. The guy from Ansen suites was waiting and we made our way to his vehicle on the way to the hotel.
We arrived at the hotel and waited, but the room wasn’t quite ready so we took a little walk. We ended up going the wrong direction but eventually found our way back to the area with all of the bars and cafes and had a bite to eat at a small sidewalk cafe. After lunch we made our way back toward the hotel and realized that we could have walked the other direction and had unlimited choices within 5 minutes…live and learn.
By then we were able to check in to our room which turned out to be quite spacious and nice.
No views, but all of the amenities we need. Will throw up some pics when we get a chance. We decided to check out the whirling dervishes and made a reservation and took a little siesta. After the nap we headed to the show which was very interesting housed in an ancient bathhouse converted to a cultural center. The whirling dervishes were quite fascinating and were coupled with turkish music which was very ethereal, the whole episode was quite interesting and it was a good first taste of the culture of this part of the world. After the show we walked along the Bosphorous and enjoyed the views of the Mosques on one side and the Galata Tower and the fishermen, ferries and all of the crazy things going on. We walked over the Galata bridge to see the great views of the city and it was very nice. Caught a cab at the end back to the hotel and made our way back up to the restaurant area. There are a myriad of restaurants and bars in the neighboorhood and choosing one was no easy task. There were a large number of people out especially for a Wednesday and it was a very lively and fund vibe. We found a good spot and enjoyed some meze including some spicy paprika peppers, crispy zucchini and a variety of other items. For main course I got the Turkish Ravioli, “Manti” I think which was good with a yogurt sauce and small handmade pastas more similar to gnocchi. Tammy got a chicken grilled dish with an oregano marinade that was very delicious. We stopped at a bar after for a drink and entertained ourselves watching passerbys take advantage of the $4 turkish leera tequila shots. It was quite the party scene and it was still early at about 11:30 p.m. After our drink we called it a day and headed back to the hotel where I am currently ready to lay my head down for a nigh of rest. Great first day, Istanbul is a lively and interesting city full of life.