ISTANBUL - TURKEY

Final destination on this trip was a 2 night stopover in Istanbul, chosen because it was one of a very few stopover options on the way home from central Asia. Getting out of Bishkek was a nightmare, on arrival at the airport the flight was delayed by 2 hours, this was quickly extended to 4 hours.

Then going through the final x-ray machine I forgot to pick up my tablet computer and moments later seen a security guard walking around with it. I was taken into a room where I had to type in the code to prove it was mine. I had to also give him a “tip” for which I just handed him the lowest value note in my wallet (10 US Dollars).

Time from leaving the hostel in Bishkek to checking in at the hostel in Istanbul…..around 15 hours!!!!!

On arrival I did manage to walk around and see the area around the blue mosque, after coming from Bishkek the volume of tourists and tourist oriented shops couldn’t have been anymore different. I ate a kebab and had a single beer on the hostels rooftop, I spoke to a few other travellers which was good after being in the empty hostel in Bishkek.

An hour after carefully applying factor 50 sunscreen it started raining which was typical. The plan was to get to Taksim square and see the different places walking back. Within an hour that was scrapped for the hop on hop off bus tour. I ended back where I started visiting the grand bazaar, stopping for food before rejoining the bus back to Taksim square.

At 15:00 the humidity had become unbearable, the temperature was the same as Bishkek but that was much drier. So it back to a nice air con room, sleep and pack for the flight.

At night it was a beer on the hostel roof again before heading out for a couple with an American in my dorm room. Nothing heavy as we both had flights home the following day.

Turkey had been a fair way down my list of “places of where I most wanted to visit” the main reason being the “hassle factor”. Walking down the street being constantly harassed by people wanting to get you into their restaurant or their brothers carpet shop etc….While this did exist it was not as bad as I previously thought so at the time of writing I would probably go back to Turkey to get better look.

Going home was highly stressful as I almost missed the flight due to the slowness of the checking in gates and passport control………..