My First Trip to Turkey - How It Came About - Where I'm Going
 

Not only is this my first trip to Turkey, but it’s also my first Trip Report. I’ve never felt compelled to report on any of my travels, but this trip is different. Because a couple of searches for hotels where I am staying and places I am visiting have had little or no response, it’s the first time that I feel like I can offer something to my fellow FlyerTalkers. (Also, I apologize if I include too much information, but I like to read the reports that offer a little more than the logistics of the trip.)

Why I Am Going

When the opportunity to apply for a grant through my university for a CIEE (Council for International Educational Exchange) seminar, I looked at the faculty development seminars that were offered. Instantly, I knew which one interested me the most… South India! The chance to explore Bangalore and Hyderabad was irresistible. I wrote my grant application, and the committee approved funding. The next step was to apply through CIEE, and I received notification of my acceptance in early January.

In early February, I got a phone call from someone at CIEE. She apologized and told me that, with a week remaining for applications, it looked like there would not be enough participants for the South India program to go. I was disappointed, but I asked if there were any alternatives. She told me that there was only one other program in danger of not going, and suggested that I take a couple of days to decide which of the remaining programs interested me. So I did my research, and talked to the chair of the committee that awarded me the grant and director of international studies. They told me that I could switch to any of the remaining programs as long as the one I chose (a) did not interfere with my teaching schedule, and (b) involved travel to someplace I had never visited. The first restriction was easy. Most of the programs fit within the six-week period between my study abroad class to Eastern Europe that ended on May 24 and my Summer class that starts on July 7. The second was pretty easy, too, even though I have traveled to 30 countries.

My choice came down to Northwest China and Turkey. Both were appealing, for different reasons. My only visit to China involved a change of planes at HKG… not really a visit. Northwest China would have been especially fascinating, but somewhat rigorous, according to the description. In addition, travel to China would have required a journey (or at least I through so). Turkey, on the other hand, was a place that I had always wanted to visit: the crossroads of Europe and Asia, and the center of the former Ottoman Empire, a country that’s 99% Muslim with a strict separation between Mosque and State. What better way to be introduced than through an academic seminar?

So I chose Turkey.

Planning the Trip

After the formality of changing my application, I waited for confirmation that the trip would go. I got that in early March, and quickly after that, I was told to plan to arrive in Ankara by early afternoon on June 17 and depart Istanbul no earlier than late morning on June 28. I finally start planning the trip, something I enjoy tremendously. (I am sure that my fellow FlyerTalkers can all relate to that!)

The fares from Tampa to Ankara and returning from Istanbul were well over $2000. I decided to try a roundtrip to Istanbul, arriving a few days before the start of the program and leaving soon after. After playing around on AA.com and ExpertFlyer.com, I put a reservation on hold. I called AA and asked the agent if eVIP upgrades were available on the TATL segments of the itinerary. Unfortunately, they weren’t, but she helped me find an itinerary that would allow me to confirm upgrades on the AA-operated flights:

Wednesday, June 11, 2008
AA 1786 Depart TPA 12:00 p.m., Arrive JFK 2:50 p.m.
AA 104 Depart JFK 6:35 p.m., Arrive LHR 6:55 a.m.

Thursday, June 12, 2008
BA 676 Depart LHR 10:25 a.m., Arrive IST 4:25 p.m.

Saturday, June 28, 2008
BA 677 Depart IST 5:25 p.m., Arrive LHR 7:35 p.m.

Sunday, June 29, 2008
AA 99 Depart LHR 7:55 a.m., Arrive ORD 10:20 a.m.
AA 1258 Depart ORD 1:30 p.m., Arrive TPA 5:10 p.m.

I didn’t mind the overnight at LHR. I have stayed at the Sheraton Skyline a few times in the past when I had early flights leaving Heathrow, and I knew that finding a good deal on a Saturday night would not be a problem.

With the ticket purchased, the only thing left to do (besides wait for the trip to start) was decide how to spend 4 or 5 days in Turkey before the program began. I had read the Lonely Planet guide to Turkey a few times, and I knew that the program would concentrate on Ankara and Istanbul. Therefore, I wanted to visit the eastern part of the country, places like Kars and Van. There was just one problem: My partner looked at a map of Turkey and vetoed the idea. I did everything I could to convince him that Kars was safe, even though it was close to the Armenian border, as was Van, even though it was less than 100 miles from the borders of Iraq and Iran. He didn’t budge. So I decided to involve a third party: A Turkish colleague. Unfortunately, I was outnumbered. My colleague told me that I should stick to Ankara and parts west for my first trip to his home country.

Defeated, I tried to decide where to go for my pre-program R&R and exploration. I chose Antalya, partly because of its location on the Mediterranean and near quite a few historic sites, and partly because the Sheraton Voyager Hotel had some pretty low rates. I was able to purchase two tickets to get me from IST to AYT (Antalya) to ESB (Ankara):

Thursday, June 12
TK 0424 Depart IST 8:05 p.m. Arrive AYT 9:20 p.m.

Monday, June 16
TK 0911 Depart AYT 8:40 a.m. Arrive ESB 9:45 a.m.

So that brings me to today.

June 11, 2008 TPA-JFK
American Airlines 1786
MD-80
Seat 5F

On the way to the airport, my partner pointed out that this would be the longest time we have been apart since we met in 2002. I had already thought of that, as I am sure he had. He dropped me at TPA's "Blue Departure" area around 9:40 a.m. I waited in AA’s first class line, but an agent in the other line became free first. I told her where I was flying, and she was able to check my bag all the way to AYT. Sheesh, it already weighs 49 pounds, and I haven't even gotten to Turkey yet! I also got my boarding card for the BA flight. By 10:00 a.m., I was through security and waiting for my flight.

Boarding started at 11:35 a.m., and went about as smoothly as a full TPA-JFK flight could go, I guess. At scheduled departure time, the FAs were having to check bags that could not fit in the overhead bins. Our flight didn’t push back until 12:05 p.m., but after a quick taxi we took off at 12:13 p.m. The meal service was typical AA domestic F lunch/snack: drinks and mixed nuts, followed by a choice of turkey and cheese croissant or grilled chicken salad, served with a “Wee Brie” and crackers and chocolate chip cookie. The service was brisk but attentive. The pilot made quite a few announcements, giving the flight plan, pointing out Myrtle Beach, SC off the right of the plane and updating the ETA. He kept telling us that we would land about 13-14 minutes early. In fact, we landed at 2:33 p.m. and after an exceptionally quick taxi for JFK, we were at the gate at 2:40 p.m.

After I deplaned, I made a beeline for the Admirals Club. At the desk, I was given a “Ving Card” that allowed me to enter the Flagship Lounge. This is the only FL I have visited besides the ones at ORD and LHR. This one seems less claustrophobic. Obviously, it’s the windows. The food selection is nice for mid-afternoon: tea sandwiches, chocolate chip cookies, scones, and there is a full beverage selection like at the other FLs I have visited.

I still about 22 hours before I arrive in AYT, if everything goes smoothly. The long layovers give me a chance to relax a little between each flight, but they make the trip drag.

Next stop, London.

Hello Heathrow!
 

June 11, 2008 JFK-LHR
American Airlines 104
B-777
Seat 10G

I left the FL at 5:55 p.m. and arrived at Gate 2 about 5 minutes before boarding started. Boarding was delayed because, according to the GA, there were quite a few pax who needed extra time boarding. The boarding process was uneventful, except that pax from another flight were deplaning on the same jetway that we boarded on. When I reached my seat, I saw someone seated in it and talking on her cellphone. When I showed her my boarding pass and told her that it was my seat, she showed me her boarding pass and asked “Where is my seat?” It was 10E, the middle. No problem. As boarding slowed to a trickle, the FAs came through with water, OJ, and champagne and a choice of newspapers.

A little before 6:30 p.m., the pilot announced that we were nearly ready to close the doors. He also said that our taxi time would be very long, approximately 56 minutes. That’s the JFK I know and love! At 6:33 p.m., two minutes before ETD, we pushed back. As we were taxiing, the FAs passed out menus, landing cards, and pink “Fast Track” envelopes. The pilot came on again and said that the taxi time might not be as long as he had thought and only seven planes were ahead of us. After a slight delay due to spacing—apparently all seven of those planes were also headed across the Atlantic—we took off at 7:06 p.m.

Business Class Menu

Champagne
Pommery Brut Champagne

White Wines
Marimar Torres “Don Miguel Vineyard” Sonoma County Chardonnay
St. Supery Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc

Red Wines
Chateau Cantemerle
Chapoutier Coteaux du Tricastin Rouge, Rhone

Sherry
Emilio Lustau Sherry

Dessert Wine
Graham’s 20 Years Old Tawny Port

Beverages

Dining Service

To Start
Warm Mixed Nuts

Appetizer
Mojito Shrimp served with Pineapple and spiced Coconut

Salad
Fresh seasonal Greens and an assortment of fresh Vegetables offered with Classic Caesar Dressing or Castello Monte Vibiano Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar

Bread Basket
Assorted Gourmet Breads

Main Course

Beef Fillet
Seared Fillet of Beef featured with a Mango Chili Demi-Glace, Blue Cheese Potatoes and glazed Carrots

Seared Chicken
Savory Chicken Breast with a Balsamic White Chocolate Sauce, accompanied by Pumpkin Cranberry Rissole

Pork Tenderloin
Dijon and Rosemary crusted Pork Tenderloin served with a Sweet Potato Puree and blanched Asparagus Spears

Cheese Ravioli
Semolina Pasta filled with four Cheeses, accented by a Mushroom Tomato Cream Sauce, served with sautéed Shallots and sliced Mushrooms

Dessert

Caciotta and Cheddar Cheese accompanied by seasonal Grapes and dried Apricots
or
Breyers Dulce de Leche Ice Cream ropped with a Turtle Brownie and Raspberry Sauce

To Finish
Ghirardelli Chocolates

Continental Breakfast

Fresh Seasonal Fruit
Yogurt
Cereal
Breakfast Breads

Before the dinner service, I did a little work. I chose the beef, and the main course was just the right size--not too much food. I opted for the ice cream for dessert. I always marvel at the combinations that AA comes up with when it comes to ice cream: dulce de leche, brownie chunks, and raspberry sauce? I think it would work better if the raspberry sauce weren't frozen, but I guess you can't prepare the servings in advance in such a way that would allow the ice cream to stay frozen and the sauce to stay liquid.

After dinner, I put my seat in the closest to 180-degree recline I could and relaxed. I glanced at my watched and saw that it was about 2:40 a.m. London time. I'm not sure how long I relaxed before I went to sleep, at least 30 minutes. All I know is that I was awakened at 5:45 a.m. by an announcement that the FAs would be through the aisle to pick up the Bose headsets and landing would be in 35 minutes. I missed breakfast. No big deal, because I felt like I just ate dinner. I had a cup of tea and prepared for landing.

The flight landed at 6:23 a.m. and we reached the gate at 6:31 a.m., about 25 minutes early. I had transferred from T3 to T5 in May, so I knew the drill. I reached the boarding area for the bus to T5 about a minute before it left. When I got to T5, the BA agent at the desk reissued my AA BP, and I went up the escalator to security. The security lines were only about 7 - 10 people deep. Unfortunately, I forgot that I was still wearing my watch, and the machine beeped. I got the full pat down. I guess it was a morning massage.

At 7:05 a.m., I arrived at the BA Galleries Lounge. Thirty-four minutes from deplaning to relaxing in T5. That's a far cry from some of the horror stories we heard in April.

After I checked in at the lounge, I asked if I could get an exit row seat on my flight to IST. The agent typed awhile, looked up at me, and said "No, sorry." It was very similar to the character on Little Britain who says "The computer says no."

This is my second visit to this lounge. Even though it has been crowded both times, it is still pleasant. There's a good variety of breakfast foods: fresh fruit, sectioned oranges and grapefruit, mini croissants and raisin twists, bacon rolls, toast, hot and cold cereals, as well as some packaged foods. There are computers as well as T-Mobile WiFi (the latter for a fee, as it is all over Europe for those of us who subscribe to the service in the US). There's also a large selection of newspapers.

I still have over an hour before the gate for my flight to IST opens, and I am on my third cup of tea. I'm looking forward to my first impressions of Turkey, even if it they are just at the airport in IST for a few hours. I am not looking forward to 4 hours in a non-exit-row Y seat, though! I'm sure I will manage.

Lounging in Istanbul
 

June 12, 2008 LHR-IST
British Airways 676
B-767
Seat 21A

Boarding was pretty much a free-for-all. There was just one announcement, and the only pre-boarding was for those who needed assistance. Not even Club Europe pax boarded first.

I settled into seat 21A, a window seat over the wing. I like to take pictures from the air when I travel to new places, and sitting over the wing nixed that. So would the clouds around London and along most of our flight path. The pilot announced that we would push back a little late, because there were thunderstorms in the area.

The taxi out to the runway was drawn out--we seemed to inch our way along--but we took off at 11:08 a.m. I was prepared for worse. Within 30 minutes, the FAs were in the aisle serving a hot lunch. The main dish was fish casserole (chunks of salmon and whitefish in a cream sauce with a crunchy topping). I know it sounds weird, but it was better than the typical US domestic F offering. The casserole was accompanied by a small Caesar salad, two rolls, and a pre-packaged rice pudding dessert. Before clearing away trays, the FAs offered coffee or tea. After the trays were cleared away, the "entertainment" started: Our movie was The Gameplan, starring The Rock. I could not see the screen from my seat, so I listened to some music on my iPhone and watched a couple of episodes of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. I think my entertainment was better. I also slept a little.

The clouds broke somewhere over Romania or Bulgaria. For awhile, all I could see was the broad expanse of the Black Sea. The pilot announced that we had started our initial descent, and suddenly I could see ships on the water. A little later, I saw land. As we flew along the coast, I could see the Black Sea entering the Bosphorous. A few minutes later, we banked to the right and flew back across Istanbul. That was when I was really able to get an idea how big Istanbul is. And it looks beautiful from the air on a cloudless day like today. I could even see the Bosphorous Bridge. If only that wing had not been in the way!

You Mean I Need a Visa?

Even with our late start, we landed at 4:19 p.m. and arrived at the gate at 4:27 p.m. After deplaning and a ten-minute walk, I saw signs for passport control. I also saw signs for visas. I had read in at least three separate places that visitors from the US must purchase a visa on arrival for $20. Cash. No credit cards. So I came prepared. The AA agent in TPA even reminded me, and I told her I was ready.

I entered the visa line, and marveled at the different costs and durations for different countries. Slovaks pay $15 (or 10 Euros), but only get 30 days, while my $20 would get me 90 days. Canadian visitors have to pay $60 for a visa. Why? What did Canada do to deserve that? The two lines were long, but it took me less than 10 minutes to get my visa.

The next line was for passport control. As I entered the line for "Other Nationalities," I saw people leaving the line to get visas. During the 15 minutes I was in this line, I saw dozens of people leave the line to get in the visa line. Some of them had reached the front of the passport control line without realizing they needed visas! I just don't understand how anyone can travel to a country without doing at least a little homework about visa requirements.

Note to Self: There Was No Need to Check the Bag to AYT

Through passport control, I go to the baggage claim area. I am not sure if I will claim my bag here or not. Logic tells me that I will, because I have to go through customs. But after I get it, what then? Will there be a bag drop after I clear customs? Will I have to take the bag to the domestic terminal?

It began to look like a moot point. After waiting 30 minutes, my bag was not on the carousel, and it seemed that no more bags were coming out. I decided to ask someone in the lost baggage office. A friendly lady took me to someone else and asked her a question in Turkish. Then she turned to me and said "You will get it here," and pointed at the carousel. Sure enough, my bag was there!

After I cleared customs, I looked for a place to drop my bag, but the only sign that seemed to apply to me was the one directing me to the domestic terminal. Before walking over, I decided to get some cash from an HSBC ATM. However, a man stopped me and told me that the machine had eaten his card. That's one of my big travel fears. Actually, I have such an irrational fear that I carry three different ATM cards when I travel: my credit union, Citibank, and HSBC. I figured cash could wait until I got to the domestic terminal.

I followed the signs, and went up a couple of "travelators." I like this word and idea. They're like the offspring of a moving sidewalk and an escalator. Finally, I reached the domestic terminal, and I was not sure where to go. So I stood there and got my bearings, then walked around a little. I finally saw a sign for Business Class and Star Alliance Gold. I flashed my UA 1P card and walked to a counter. The friendly agent took my TK confirmation, my UA card, and my passport. He asked if I wanted an aisle or window seat. I chose aisle for this flight. Then he handed me a BP and put a new tag on my bag.

It took me awhile to figure out where the TK lounge was located, which was stupid on my part, considering that there was a big sign pointing toward security screening that said "THY Domestic Lounge." After 24 hours of a steady diet or airports and airplanes, I think I can be excused for a lapse like that.

I got some cash and went through security, then walked upstairs to the lounge. After the FL at JFK and BA Lounge at LHR, this one is spartan, but better than having to wait in the terminal. The food offerings certainly beat domestic airline lounges in the US: fresh salad vegetables, ziti pasta with sauce, chunks of hot dogs in some type of sauce, a variety of rolls and cookies, and non-alcoholic beverages. I tried the soup, though I am not sure what type it is. It is some type of vegetable puree with a meat stock. It has a nice flavor, so I might get another bowl before I leave.

I still have about an hour before my flight to AYT begins boarding. In the meantime, I am trying to wait before I develop my first impression of Turkey. It's not fair to use an airport as a measure of a city. This one is busy and somewhat stuffy. Then again, it's a much more civilized airport than MIA or certain parts of JFK and LGA. Besides, my true first impression was from the air, and it did not disappoint me. My impression of the people who work in the airport is definitely positive. I have been welcomed to Turkey by most of them, and when they could not answer my question, they tried to help or went out of their way to find someone who could help me. I consider that a good first impression.

I look forward to more of your report. Although it's too late to help you now, you could have avoided the 15-minute immigration line by going to the second to the last lane, which is for business-class passengers.

I'll be interested if you notice the impact of Russian tourism in Antalya. It's been a long while since we've been to Antalya. At the time we were there, the dominant tourist group was German. We are the host family for a couple of Turkish grad students at UCSD. They tell us that Antalya now has so many Russian tourists, there are even billboards in Russian.

After I left the lounge, I called my partner on my T-Mobile Pay As You Go Phone. I bought it at the end of February, and got a Virgin Mobile SIM card when we visited London in March. The connection was not so good, and the call cost 95p/minute ($1.90 or thereabouts). I am going to Turkcell tomorrow to get a SIM card.

June 12, 2008 IST-AYT
Turkish Airlines 424
A-321
Seat 5C

Boarding was supposed to start at 7:35 p.m., so I got to the gate about 10 minutes before then. At 7:35, the flight status screen said that the flight was delayed by 10 minutes. At 7:50 p.m., boarding began without an announcement. I joined the crowd, got on board, and settled in my seat. I had no idea how crowded the flight might be. The gate area did not look too full, and there had been almost hourly flights to AYT since I arrived in IST. I hoped that 5B would stay empty.

Unfortunately, it did not. Well, for an hour-long flight, I can put up with it, right? Around 8:10 p.m., boarding ended, and the flight was probably about 75 - 80% full. We pushed back at 8:28 p.m. and didn't take off until 8:46 p.m. During that entire period, the baby with the pax in seat 7A screamed. This was not a cry. It was a scream. For some reason, when I fly long itineraries like this one, a screaming baby joins me on the last segment. After takeoff, the baby settled down a little, but the shrieks still came along from time to time.

Within 10 minutes of takeoff, the FAs were serving dinner. Yes, dinner on a flight that's in the air 45 - 50 minutes. And we had a choice: salad or sandwich. The salad was a small plate of lettuce with tomato, cooked chicken, and dressing. The sandwich was a fairly large roll cut lengthwise filled with cheese, tomato, and lettuce. Both were served with a piece of cake that tasted like pound cake with cherries baked into the top and a cup of spring water, plus beverage of choice.

Turkish Airlines Is A No iPhone Zone!

After I finished my sandwich and cake, one of the FAs comes up to me and says "Is that an iPhone?" I told her it was, and she said "You have to turn it off," and I told her that it was in Airplane Mode. She said it didn't matter, and that I would need to turn it off. I didn't want to press the issue, so I did. Then she noticed the pax in 5D also had an iPhone and told him to turn his off. In broken English he told her that it did not send or receive signals and she said "Our planes are not ready for the iPhone." Whaaaaaaat? Then he mumbled something under his breath in Turkish and turned it off. When she walked away, we looked at each other and rolled our eyes.

The flight landed at 9:33 p.m. and the pilot turned off the seat belt sign about 5 minutes later. We had to deplane and board a bus. There were two men holding signs in Turkish and English that said TK international pax needed to take the second bus to collect their bags. I got on the first bus, because I had not flown TK internationally. Then one of the guys starts looking at people on our bus and tells them they need to get on the other bus. When he looks at me, I say "I flew British Airways." He didn't understand, and two people standing around me translate for me. One of them looks at me and says "You're on the right bus," but the guy with the sign looks disappointed. Hey, he picked me out as an international traveler, so he should be proud of himself.

In the terminal, something unique happened. My bag was one of the first ones out. In maybe a dozen flights as a *A or OW elite (I only check bags when I fly internationally), I had never had a "Priority" luggage tag do what it was supposed to do. My bags are almost always in the last quarter of those unloaded. Not in AYT! That *A Priority tag worked, and the bags that came out before it also had the tag!

At 10:59 p.m., I was in a taksi (I know one Turkish word!) on my way to the hotel. I expect to see my driver at the St. Pete Grand Prix next year. Hey, I am not complaining. He got me to the Sheraton Voyager in about 20 minutes, but I think he took the scenic route. The fare came to a shade under 44YTL, and I gave him a 50 (a little more than $40).

I had some drama surrounding my hotel reservation the morning I left TPA. I looked at SPG.com, and saw that I had an extra 5000 Starpoints. That's never a problem, right? In this case, it was. I dug a little deeper, and saw that my 2-night reservation (starting tonight) was no longer there. I called the Platinum Concierge, and he figured out what had happened: The reservation was canceled, because I had booked a 2-night award stay for 5000 points (Cat 1 weekday+weekend). However, the hotel became a Cat 2 on March 1, and I should have been charged 7000 points. I booked the award stay (and paid stay immediately following) in early April. While I love my Starpoints, I had no idea about a change. I just saw that the 2-night stay was 5000 points. In the meantime, I had called regarding a couple of issues with the reservations, and never raised an eyebrow. It bothered me that my reservation was canceled with no notice, but I was impressed that the Platinum Concierge was able to reinstate the reservation. He apologized that he would have to take 7000 Starpoints from my account, but he said that he was submitting a request to have 2000 points refunded to me.

There was no problem at check-in. The guest in front of me was the woman in seat 5B! I got room 453 on the fourth floor (out of nine), not that high up, but (along with 455) the largest room on this floor. It has a seating and sleeping area with access to the balcony from each via sliding glass doors. I will have a better idea what the outside looks like tomorrow, but I know the Mediterranean is out there! Even though I chose the points as the amenity, there was a fruit plate and bottle of wine (that has a "With Compliments" tag on it) in the room, along with two complimentary bottles of water. Wireless internet is complimentary. The only nit to pick, so far, is this hotel policy:

We kindly remind you that, due to the Hotel policy, any food or beverage items taken from outside, are not allowed to be taken up to your room.

I'm interested to see what this policy covers. Is it OK to bring in bottled water? Are they just talking about alcoholic beverages and prepared foods? If so, I can understand that. However, if it also includes things like bottled water and a bag of chips, that's a little extreme.

On the other hand, if they put plates of these plums and cherries in my room every day that I am here, they can restrict outside food all they want!

It's been 32 hours since I left my house, so I guess I had better get some rest and start exploring Antalya tomorrow!

That's good to know. However, it would not have helped me this time, because I was in Y between LHR-IST.

It's funny you mention that, because I think the woman in 5B was Russian. But I am not sure.

A close friend of mine in Prague says that the Russians are taking over parts ofbthe Czech Republic. I had mentioned to her that I wanted to go to Karlovy Vary sometime, and she told me that I would be the only non-Russian there.

Oops! Saw you were in business part of the way and assumed all the way.

Thanks for the tip. In late August, I am flying from FRA to IST on LH in C so this might come in handy. ^

Flying Buccaneer, I am looking forward to the rest of your report.

My alarm went off at 8:43 this morning. I didn't want to sleep until noon, because that would have been a waste of the day, and it would have prolonged my jet lag. The first thing I did when I got out of bed was look out the window. The water was blue, the sky was blue with a little haze, and there was greenery all around, with white buildings in the distance and mountains behind them. I opened a sliding door to the balcony and made a cup of tea. After a few cups of tea and most of the remaining fruit, I showered and got ready to explore Antalya. It was a little after 11:00 a.m. by now. (I wake up very slowly.)

Before I left, I decided to call Guest Services to make sure I could keep this room for my entire stay, instead of having to change rooms at the end of the award stay and move to another for the paid stay. Guest Services transferred me to Reservations, and a very pleasant voice answered the phone. She told me that she saw that I had been upgraded to a junior suite for my current stay, and she would check with the front desk to see if it was possible for me to keep it. A few minutes later, she called back and said that I had a third reservation beginning today. That was actually the first reservation I made, but I canceled it when I decided to spend 4 total nights at the hotel. Fortunately, I had the cancellation number in my computer. She took it, called back a little later, and told me that everything was set, and that I could keep my room.

I went to the lobby, and realized I did not know where to catch the tram to Kaleici (Old Antalya). I asked the clerk at the front desk, and he told me to walk out the back door, turn left, and go out the gate, then walk about 70 meters. I also asked him about the no outside food and beverage policy, and if it applied to bottled water. His advice was to be discreet, and he gave me a wink.

I went down to the lower ground floor, walked outside, and turned left. I walked by the pool, which only had a few swimmers but was lined with sunbathers on chaise lounges. An outside bar, a tennis court, and lush plantings were ahead, but no gate. However, when I walked around again, I saw the gate to the outside world. I exited, and I saw the 30 meter cliff that the sign at the exit warned me about. The Sheraton Voyager is not on the beach. It's about 100 feet above the beach, which can be reached by an hourly shuttle from the hotel or a walk down a pathway. I don't think the walk down would be a problem, but the walk back would be a different matter. Anyway, I am not a beach person, even though I live in Florida, and I was much more interested in exploring Kaleici.

Antalya has one tram line. The west terminus (Muze) is across the street from the Antalya Museum, and that's closest stop to the Sheraton. There are two trams, each leaving its terminus on the hour and half hour and taking about 25 minutes to reach the other, then reversing direction. There's just one track for the most part. The only place where the track divides and comes back together is on either side of the Kale Kapisi (Tower Gate) stop, allowing the trams to pass each other.

When the tram arrived, it had to go around a circle to head east. There were two cars. I boarded the second, gave the man seated at the front a 1 YTL coin, got my receipt, and sat down. I stayed on the tram and exited at Selekler, which was the third stop. The reason I exited here and not Kale Kapisi was to visit the tourist information center. According to Lonely Planet, the office is "tucked behind the souvenir vendors of Yakuz Ozcan Park." Tucked behind is an accurate description. The first time I passed it, I thought it was one of the souvenir stands. I asked the woman if she spoke English. She did, and I asked her what I should do. She gave me some maps and a guidebook to the region. I don't think she ever really gave me a recommendation, but I didn't give her any idea what I wanted to do.

As I walked toward Kale Kapisi, I passed the Ataturk Statue. I am sure I will pass many more during my stay in Turkey. I knew little about Mustafa Kamal Ataturk before I started planning this trip. After reading about him and his impact on Turkey's birth as a nation and push to join the modern world, I look forward to learning more about him.

The next landmark I saw was Yivli Minare, more commonly known as the Grooved Minaret. As I walked around to take pictures of it from a better angle, I realized I was looking over the marina which was built by the Romans. Wow! Just then, the call to prayer began from a nearby mosque. That was the first time I had ever heard a call to prayer, but I was also hearing Kelly Clarkson's "Because of You" playing from a restaurant overlooking the water.

Lunch at Parlak Restaurant

Seeing the restaurant reminded me that I was starving. I realized that I was close to one of the restaurants that Lonely Planet had recommended, a place called Parlak. I crossed Ataturk Caddesi (Avenue) and walked up Kazim Ozlap Caddesi, and quickly saw a sign for Parlak. I entered a courtyard and saw dozens of tables in the shade around a big grill. I sat at a table and a waiter brought over a very extensive menu. There were two types of kebap (kebab) on the menu: Adana and Urfa. I wasn't sure what the difference was, so I looked at the Adana and Urfa entries in Lonely Planet. Adana is ground lamb grilled on a skewer, while Urfa is chunks of lambs and vegetables grilled on a skewer. The waiter came back to take my order. I ordered the Urfa Kebab. He asked me if I like hot food. I told him I did. He suggested the Adana Kebap, because he said it was more spicy. I also ordered a Coban Salad, some chips, and an Efes, the local pilsner. Like I said, I was starving. My last meal that was not on a plane or airport lounge was on Tuesday night.

While I waited, the waiter brought a bottle of water. I looked at the guides I received from the info center. I realized that the only map I had of Kaleici was the one in the Lonely Planet guide. It would have to do. My beer came, and then the salad. It was a colorful mix of chopped tomatoes, red and green peppers, cucumber, onion, hot peppers, and olive oil topped with flat leaf parsley and served with a lemon wedge. It was delicious, kind of like a less finely-chopped version of tabbouleh without the bulghur. Before I finished it, the waiter served the kebap plate (kebap on pita bread, a couple of grilled hot peppers, and rice pilaf) and chips. I devoured it. The check came to 23 YTL (a little less than $20).

After lunch, I decided to get a SIM card for my phone. I went to a Turkcell shop nearby, and asked if anyone spoke English. The employee of the four with the best command of English helped me. I told him what I needed, and he told me that the SIM card, with 20 units (5 minutes to the US) would be 25 YTL, and a 100 unit refill would be 17 YTL. I told him I would take it, and I took out my cell phone, took out the battery and SIM card, and let him set my phone up. After he did it and showed me that I had 120 units, I asked him about registering my phone. He didn't understand what I was asking. I had read that foreign cell phones needed to be registered in Turkey. I couldn't think of a way to ask that he might understand. He told me to wait, and a few seconds later, he came back with his someone from the neighboring shop. He introduced himself and I told him what my question was. He asked my salesman, and then asked me how long I would be in Turkey. I told him 15 more days, and the salesman told me that I would be fine. I hope he's right!

To the Marina!

I crossed Ataturk Caddesi again, and started walking down a street that led into a bazaar. All of the shop owners wanted to talk to me! Some of them were very persuasive about why I should look at their carpets, their souvenirs, or their Turkish viagra, but I wanted to get to the marina. After a few minutes, I found myself looking down a steep set of steps. These steps were uneven and required some concentration to negotiate, but I made it.

The marina was filled with pleasure boats, excursion boats, and what appeared to be rowboats with people napping or eating in them. I walked around to the south wall of the marina, when separated the marina from Antalya Bay. The breeze felt nice.

It's Getting Hot in Here!

After I took about 40 pictures, I walked upstairs and through another set of shop owners. I finally found Hadrian's Gate and realized something I should have realized sooner. I was hot. I was sweating profusely, even though the temperature was not that hot by Florida standards. Maybe it was the bright sun. Whatever it was, I realized I should drink some water, so I bought a 1.5L bottle. It was a little after 4 p.m., so I decided to go back to the hotel and relax. I caught the tram from Kale Kapisi and made it back to the hotel where I took a shower and a short nap.

After my nap, I was ready to get back to Kaleici. At 7:30 p.m., the sun was low in the sky and the temperature was a bit cooler. I took the tram all the way to Hadrian's Gate and picked up where I left off. I took pictures from just about every imaginable angle. I walked through the gate and saw the Italy-Romania Euro Cup game being projected on a wall. I wanted to get back to the Marina and see what kind of nighttime photos I could get. Apparently, when the Ottomans laid out these streets centuries ago, they didn't think about tourists who might want to walk directly from Hadrian's Gate to the Marina. So I just started walking, figuring that wherever I ended up would be interesting. Somehow, I found myself staring down the steep set of steps I had in the afternoon. They looked even more challenging in the dark, but I made it.

While there was not much light, and therefore, not much of an opportunity for great pictures, the view and the atmosphere were worth the walk. During the afternoon, there were people, clamor, and an oppressive sun. During the evening, there was an occasional person or couple strolling by, some music or laughter from the distance, and a rising moon.

Kebaps, Anyone?

I was hungry again, and I wanted to get out of Kaleici for dinner. Again, I wandered the streets, wading through shop owners who wanted me to stop in for a visit. I learned quickly that the best way to deal with the owners was not to make eye contact, which is difficult for me. Eventually, I found Hadrian's Gate and I went toward the Plaza Cinemas. I wanted to find another place recommended by Lonely Planet, called Can Can Pide. (I don't always rely on LP for my meal choices, even though today would suggest otherwise.) I couldn't find it, so I walked back toward the Gate, and there it was on a side street on the left. Pide is Turkish Pizza, and I thought it would make a nice dinner. I took a table on the sidewalk, and the menu was under the glass. No English menu, no problem. Also, no English-speaking waiter! Again, no problem. I came here wanting pide, but I wanted another kebap. At the risk of sounding boring, I decided to get the same thing I got for lunch: Adana Kebap plate, Coban Salad, and a Diet Coke. The waiter and I tried to make small talk in different languages. The food came, along with a bottle of water. Dinner was as delicious as lunch, but only 9 YTL! I left 11 YTL, and the waiter said "Tomorrow, come back!"

It was nearly 10:00 p.m., and I knew the tram would leave from Kale Kapisi at 13 minutes past the hour, so I walked in that direction. I stopped for an ice cream cone. Turkish ice cream is thicker than ice cream anywhere else. The server gets small servings of it out of an ice cold metal container, and scoops it into a cone. I think it would still be solid if I had waited an hour to eat it. But it's not an inedible solid, kind of elastic. And delicious.

I finished my ice cream at the tram stop. At 10:15, I wondered if the tram was delayed. Then I looked at the sign with departure times for each of the stops. The last train departed from here at 8:43 p.m. Doh! Time to start walking!

The Walk Back

Walking back to the hotel took 45 minutes, mainly because I stopped a few times to hear where music was coming from or take a picture. I saw a couple of laser beams coming from somewhere near the marina shooting to the west. I saw a red light on one of the mountains to the west. And as I walked past the Muze tram stop into the area behind the hotel, I heard a mixture of house, Middle Eastern, and vocal music from different places. I slipped my key card into the gate and entered the Sheraton grounds, ready for tomorrow.

Today was my second full day in Antalya, and even though I awoke a little before 9:00 a.m., I was unable to drag myself out of the room until a little after noon. I caught the tram into Kaleici. My plan was to have lunch, look around for a few minutes, and take the tram back to the Muze stop (the one closest to the Sheraton), where I would spend the afternoon at the Antalya Museum.

It almost worked without a hitch.

I exited the tram at Kale Kapisi and crossed the tracks and headed north onto Kazim Ozlap Caddesi. I forgot to mention yesterday that this is a pedestrian street that's full of small shops and kebap shops. Half a block up on the east side there's a covered alley that's a bazaar that seems to branch off in many different directions. I headed up the street, looking for a hole in the wall type restaurant. I walked aimlessly, and I found a place called Miss Simit Sarayi. The menu was similar to Can Can Pide from the night before. I was greeted by a man who offered me a table inside or under a canopy. I chose inside, and began the process of ordering. It wasn't that difficult: pizza, kebap, salat... all familiar items. I chose a pizza, my old standby Coban Salad, and a Coke Zero. The food was made to order, and delicious. The bill came to YTL 8.50 (about $7) plus tip.

I had about 15 minutes before the next tram back to Muze, so I walked along Ataturk Caddesi. I thought an ice cream cone would be a good idea. I stopped at one of the ice cream sellers on Ataturk Caddesi. The man serving the ice cream shook my hand and asked me where I was from. I told him and he said "Welcome to Turkey! You like"? I said I did, very much, and I got a vanilla topped with toasted pine nuts. He shook my hand again I was on my way back to the tram.

I still had more than 5 minutes, so I walked across the street and bought 5 postcards. I handed the elderly man out front a 1 YTL coin, and he put them in a bag. He said something I did not understand, so I shook my head. Then he said "Stamp?" I told him I did not have any, so he said "Come." So I followed him and he said "Shop has stamps." I realized I was being "invited" to a shop, so I told him I needed to catch my tram. He had the bag with the cards, so I followed him. We got to the shop, and it was filled with ceramics, magnets, postcards, and other items. The man behind the counter said hello, and the elderly man said something to him. The man behind the counter said "You need 5 stamps? Two lira each. Please take a look around my shop to see if you want anything else." I told him that I needed to catch my tram and gave him 10 YTL. He put the stamps in the bag and I left.

I missed the tram. Then I looked in the bag and saw that each stamp was 0.80 YTL. I paid 10 YTL for 4 YTL worth of stamps. I was angry that I let it happen, but more angry that it made me miss my tram. I didn't want to wait 30 minutes, so I walked. It took about 30 minutes to get to the Museum, and by the time I arrived, I didn't care about the stamp incident anymore.

I checked my backpack at the gate and walked into the museum. The air conditioning felt good, but the exhibits started off slow. At first it was mainly artifacts and pieces of artifacts from the Stone and Bronze Ages. It was interesting, but there was only so much I could process. However, a couple of rooms later, it progressed to statues of Greek gods from the first century A.D. Of course, most were missing arms or noses, and some were missing legs. But the detail was spectacular. Room after room. Many of these were excavated from nearby Perge, and some were returned to Turkey after they had been illegally exported. The most incredible exhibits were the sarcophaguses (sarcophagi?). Some were almost completely intact, some were missing quite a bit of their structure. I wandered upstairs where the the Christian icons and paintings were, and back down where Islamic artifacts, carpets, and more recent items were shown. Before walking into the park adjoining the museum, I relaxed with a tea and a bottle of water.

I made my way back to the hotel, but there was a problem. My key didn't work on the gate! Luckily, someone was behind me and he said "Your key isn't working?" Another American. Somehow, I selfishly thought I was the only one at the hotel! He let me in, and I stopped by the front desk to get re-keyed. It seems that when my first reservation ended, my keys expired. The good part about that was that there was another fruit plate with bottle of wine waiting for me. I called home, took a shower, and relaxed a bit.

At 7:30 p.m., I headed back to Kaleici. I heard a couple of Americans talking on the tram. Suddenly, we're all over the place in Antalya! One of them looked at me and said "What part of the States are you from?" I told him Florida and he said they were from California. They were to be in Turkey a month, and had been to Istanbul, Ankara, Cappadocia, and Konya... basically all the places I would see in the next two weeks. But they were going to spend the next few weeks traveling back to Istanbul via the coast. He told me that they had seen me at Hadrian's Gate the day before, but they thought I was Danish. Usually, it's German!

We arrived at Kale Kapisi, and I told them this was my stop. I walked down to the Marina, yet again, avoiding the shops along the way. I wanted to get some pictures at dusk, and they were worth the effort. There was all sorts of activity: cruise operators trying to get passersby to book a trip for tomorrow, tourists walking leisurely, kids laughing, and excursion boats unloading. I saw a man with a tray of roasted mussels with lemons. Then another, and another.

I walked up the stairs on the south side of the Marina and was taking pictures. To my left, I heard someone say "Let's take it here" in an American accent. Two women were doing a self photo, and I said "Would you like for me to do that for you?" One of them thanked me and said "That's OK, I getting good at this." The other looked at the screen at the image she had just taken and said "Well, not this time!" so I took a picture for them.

After I left the Marina, I walked back up to Kale Kapisi and decided to find another restaurant. I wandered into one close to where I had lunch. I wish I could speak Turkish, but the people are so helpful. And the food is so good that it's difficult to go wrong.

I walked back to the hotel. The walk is pleasant at night, and it's nice to see the people of Antalya sitting on park benches, going to dinner, or just out for a stroll. It's also nice to hear the music and laughter coming from nearby and far away. But maybe the best reason to walk was the chance on the way back to buy two pieces of baklava and successfully "smuggle" them to my hotel room!

Based on the Itineraries calendar, I'm literally a day behind you on the FRA-IST run (actually I'm following you for almost all the legs including FRA-JNB-FRA) also in LH C so I'm also happy to hear about the dedicated line for Bus class... also will need to look into the visa fee for each of my passports & go with whichever nationality works out cheapest! :p

This site should help with the visa fees.

In that case , I'll jump in real quick to give two other little tips: 1) don't go to the visa line closest to immigration. This line moves the slowest as those who didn't know they needed visas, are in a rush to get a cnx, etc. can usually find a helpful employee who will move them to the front of the lie. 2) If you are in a rush to make a cnx, find a helpful employee who will happily move you to the front of the visa line. ;)

And one more ...while the visa site shows you need to pay in your native currency, they will take liras and there is an ATM right at the line. The exchange rate offered at the visa desk isn't very good though.

And another ...you can get your visa i advance, but it's much more expensive and good for less time.

Perhaps not the only one but close to a minority in the city center core. Besides Karlovy Vary (I was never a fan) there are two other spa towns: Marianske Lazne (Marienbad) and Frantiskovy Lazne. I love the former, and my best friend owns an apartment there. The sad story is that the Russians from KV who want to get away from other Russians are now buying property in ML, driving the market beyond reach for locals. FL is the smallest of them all, and absolutely lovely for a day trip in the summer.

I went through the list. Indeed, what did Canadians do to be charged $60 for a visa? Even more puzzling is the fact that Czech Republic is not on that list at all. I have both Canadian and Czech passport. As it looks now, it is either cough up $60 or do not go.:td:

You're looking at the wrong page. Czech citizens, like those of most (all?) EU countries, do not need a visa at all to visit Turkey.

http://www.allaboutturkey.com/passport.htm

It looks like we will both be in Istanbul at the same for a few days. I see that you are on that very early flight back to FRA, which I managed to avoid when I fly out of IST the following Saturday. I am taking an early evening flight, thus forcing an overnight in FRA, where I will be using one of the free stays I earned with last Winter's Le Meridien promotion. Then I head back to the left coast the following afternoon on UA.

Today was my last full day in Antalya, and I decided to take it easy. While there are fascinating archaeological sites and other natural features within 100 km of Antalya (including the Chimaera, something I have wanted to see for years), I decided that this was my dead period before work began. Many of the days in the CIEE program start before 8 a.m. and end late at night.

What better way to take it easy than go to a hamam? A little after noon, I caught the tram into the Old City and went to Sefa Hamam. It was recommended by AntalyaLiving.com, as well as Lonely Planet. It's not far from Hadrian's Gate, which is one of the tram stops, so it was very easy to get to.

When I got to the hamam, I was welcomed and shown the menu:

Turkish Bath ...........13 YTL
Peiling (Kese) ..........5 YTL
Soap Massage ..........6 YTL

TOTAL ...................23 YTL
Extra Oil Massage ...13 YTL

KOMPLE TOTAL .......35 YTL

I chose the "Komple" and was shown to a little cabin where I was instructed (by hand signals) to undress and wrap a towel around my waist. When I did, the same clerk locked the door, gave me the key, and told me to follow another man downstairs. This man took me into a room with a low entry (about 5 feet high) and then into another room with an even lower entry. I am a little over 6'4", so it was slow going. This room had a high dome above a marble platform, and it was hot (at least 100 deg F) and humid, but not quite a steam room. The man told me to lie down on the platform and left me for about 10 minutes. Lying there looking up at the light coming in from outside was relaxing.

After I had worked up a good sweat, the first man came in and led me into the room I had come through to get there. He instructed me to lie face down on a marble bench that was flush against the wall. It was barely long and wide enough for me. I felt him pour cold water on me, then warm water, then warmer water. And then he started to scrub me with a rough mitt; this was the "peiling" or peeling. Then he doused me with warm water and I heard him doing something with water. All of a sudden, I felt myself covered with warm suds, which he "massaged" all over me. I put massaged in quotes, because he alternatively rubbed, hit, and slapped me, working around the towel that was wrapped around my midsection. Then he poured warm water all over me, repeatedly, until he was satisfied that the soap was gone. He repeated the process on the front, and then instructed me to sit between the bench and a basin. He washed my hair and poured water on me over, and over, and over.

Next came the cool down period. He wrapped me in three towels and said "reception, wait," so I went upstairs. The other man (the one who had led me to the dome room) made me a glass of hot apple tea. The man who bathed me (it feels weird to write that, considering that no one has bathed me in over 40 years!) asked me in choppy English where I was from. I said "America... Florida." He said, "I love California!" Then he asked how I like Antalya, and I told him I like it very much. He said, "Too hot!" I almost said "So is Florida," but I realized he thought I was from California!

After I finished the tea, he led me to a massage room. I get a massage a month from an outstanding massage therapist. This massage, like the bath, was more rubbing, slapping, and hitting. A little over and hour after I walked in, I paid, said goodbye, and walked out. And even though my description might not make you want to go to a hamam, I did feel better when I left than I did when I went in. Besides, it's something you have to experience. I plan to go to another one, time permitting, in Ankara and/or Istanbul to compare the experiences.

At 2:00 p.m., my stomach was crying for lunch, but I took a wrong turn somewhere and was disoriented. I was on Ataturk Caddesi, but a part I had never seen. I saw a Starbucks! I collect Starbucks mugs, so I walked in and was shocked to see Antalya mugs. I bought one, walked a little farther south and then headed back up the street. I finally stopped for a vegetarian pide and salad. On the way back to the tram, I picked up some baklava for a snack.

When I got to the hotel, I decided it was time to check out the pool. The pool area is well-kept. They close the pool at 8:00 p.m., so the water had better be clean. There are actually three pools that are contiguous but not connected. I walked around the pools three times before I settled upon a chaise. At least half of the chaises had towels on them. I figured out later that these were towels that belonged to people who had left, maybe hours earlier. OK, maybe the pool area is not that well kept. But the area is peaceful, the grounds are beautifully landscaped with pines, palms, magnolias, jasmine, and other flowering trees. And the water temperature (30 deg C) was almost exactly the same as the air temp.

After a shower and a few emails, I went back to the Old Town for one final time. As I was walking down one of the pedestrian streets east of Kale Kapisi, a man stepped in front of me and invited me to sit at one of the tables his restaurant had set up outside. The table was full, so I said "But there's already somebody there!" He started laughing, and pointed to another table and said "Then sit here!" The temperature had cooled a few degrees, it was shaded, and he had a sense of humor. How could I say no? I'm glad I didn't. The portions were huge, and the food was delicious. They even brought out a huge puffy hot "loaf" of bread, something like a huge piece of pita or a huge baked sopapilla without sugar. It was more food than even I could eat, and it came to 16.50 YTL. After a final ice cream in Antalya, I boarded the tram and came back to the hotel.

I've grown comfortable in Antalya, so I guess it's a good thing I am leaving for Ankara tomorrow. Would I come back? Definitely! In fact, I would love to spend a week here, or even more, so that I could do a few day trips to places like Perge, Side, Termessos, Olympos, and the Chimaera. And I would not hesitate to stay at the Sheraton Voyager again. I never saw the no outside food/drink policy enforced. I remember reading on TripAdvisor about how mediocre and expensive the food at the hotel is. I can't understand why anyone would eat at this hotel, or any other big hotel, when they are staying in a place like Antalya. Apparently, some of those people never left the grounds. As nice as the property is, there's no excuse for not taking advantage of the hospitality and delicious food that's just a 30-minute walk, or 1 YTL/12 minute tram ride, or 6 YTL/5 minute taxi ride away.

Time for bed soon, and up early for my taxi ride to the airport.

Carol, I saw very little evidence of a Russian invasion in Antalya. However, that doesn't mean they aren't here. They just weren't where I went. I did see a few shops that had signs with Cyrillic script, and a bus that had something in Russian on it.

Probably the best evidence of the Russian presence here, however, is an article in today's New York Times that I found (thanks to hoyateach) in an Omni thread. It could be that most Russians are going to places like the Kremlin Palace Hotel and aren't that visible to the average tourist.

Antalya to Ankara
 

I woke up at 5:00 a.m. to finish packing and get ready for my flight. I checked out of the Sheraton Voyager at 6:45 a.m. and the front desk clerk said he would call for a taxi. There was a taxi outside of the hotel with the hotel's name on the door. I wasn't sure if that was the taxi or not, and the driver was asleep. After a couple of minutes, I tapped on the window, and the driver awoke. "Airport?" I asked, and he nodded yes. A little less than 25 minutes later, I was at the domestic terminal.

June 16, 2008 AYT-ESB
Turkish Airlines 911 (Operated by Anadolujet)
B-737
Seat 11C (Changed to 8D)

I looked at the monitors to find the check in counters for the 8:40 a.m. for Ankara, and headed in that direction. The flight was operated by Anadolujet, a no-frills subsidiary of TK. The base fare was only 29 YTL. The flight would not earn miles on UA, or TK for that matter. However, given the low fare, I didn't mind. The only thing that I was curious about was whether my UA 1P status would enable me to use the *G/Business check in line for an Anadolujet flight.

After the two general lines came to a standstill, I walked over to the *G line and handed over my UA card, my passport, and my printed confirmation. The I placed my bag on the scale: 27.4 kg. Uh oh! The baggage handler put a "Heavy" tag on my bag, while the agent shyly (almost apologetically) explained that I was 12 kg over the 15 kg allowance. Therefore, I would need to pay an excess baggage fee at the TK office, and she motioned to it. I asked if I should leave my bag with her, and she said I should.

The excess baggage fee was 3 YTL per kg over, or 36 YTL. Not too bad. The base fare, plus taxes and fees, plus the excess bag charge, still was just 90 YTL. I went back to the *G/business line. When the agent saw me, she motioned me to the front of the line and handed me my BP, bag claim tag, passport, and UA card.

The flight started boarding around 8:20 a.m. Boarding buses, that is. Pax in rows 15 and higher were told to go in the back door, everyone else, the front door. I walked down the aisle to 11C, and found both 11A and B occupied. That was not a problem for a 45-minute flight. However, the lack of legroom was.

According to TK's website, one version of the 737 has seats with 29-30" pitch. This was it. When I sat, the seat in front of me moved forward. I sat up straight, and my knees still dug into it. However, just before the door closed, I noticed that there were many sets of three seats unoccupied. I moved over to 8D and asked a FA if it was OK. It was.

By the way, this is my biggest gripe with airlines that don't allow pax to choose their own seats, either at ticketing or while boarding. Self-selecting pax will almost always scatter themselves throughout the cabin better than a check-in agent. The pax are interested in where they sit, and check-in agents have more important things to worry about.

The flight took off at 9:03 a.m., and shortly after the seat belt sign was turned off, the FAs were in the aisle with packages of cake and mineral water. Again, this was a brief flight on a no-frills airline! However, the lack of legroom and no magazine were reminders.

The flight landed at ESB at 9:42 a.m. and took less than 10 minutes to taxi to the gate. Bags appeared within 20 minutes of reaching the gate, and I was on my way.

A havas (airport) bus was waiting outside, and I handed over my heavy bag and boarded. An agent came through the aisle collecting 9 YTL from everyone. ESB is more than 30 km from Ankara, so the havas bus is the best bet for getting into the city. The bus made a couple of stops for individuals, and then stopped at the havas terminal. About half the pax departed, and I wasn't sure if I should or not. So I asked the driver, who did not speak English. Thankfully, another pax interpreted for me, and asked me where I was going. When I told him the Sheraton, he told the driver, who said the terminal was my closest point of exit. I thanked them both, got my bag, and boarded a taxi. The taxi and bus together were 24 YTL, compared to 60 for a taxi. I was in no hurry, because I was not sure if I would be able to check in so early.

I arrived at the Sheraton a little after 11:00 a.m. The hotel is easily-recognizable, with its circular tower design. It's a lot like the Sheraton Park Tower in London, just taller and not quite as big around. As the taxi approached, security checked the back and underside. Before I could go into the lobby, I had to put my bag and backpack through and x-ray machine.

Check-in was fast. My room was ready, and I had been upgraded to a Club room on the 21st floor. The agent explained that the Club Lounge on the 20th floor was open 24 hours a day with coffee and tea, happy hour started at 6:00 p.m., and continental breakfast at 7:00 a.m. Then someone from the lobby took my bag, showed me to the room, and practiced his English with me. His English was excellent anyway. Much better than my Turkish!

I spent most of the afternoon relaxing and exploring the immediate area. The area is close to a number of embassies, and is very different from Antalya. From what I can gather, it is much different from the rest of Ankara. Were I not spending 5 more nights in Ankara, in a hotel in a different part of the city, I would explore farther. However, that will come, as I was reminded when I called the local coordinator of the program, and she said "We have a packed itinerary."

The reason I chose the Sheraton was simple. The cash and points rate of $45 + 2800 *points was tough to beat for a property that's part of The Luxury Collection. The best rate (including VAT) was $243. I didn't need the stay for requalification, so paying $49 (including VAT) and 2800 points made each point worth about 7 cents. Not a bad return. (I know, there are better deals, but I liked this one.)

The club lounge is divided into smoking and non-smoking sections. Coffee, tea, cookies, and fruit are available all day. (The tiny pears are delicious!) I went to happy hour a little after it started, and there were just three other guests there. I got a bottle of Efes Pilsner (no charge) and stood next to an open window. One of the club employees brought me a dish of three types of roasted nuts: hazelnuts, almonds, and pistachios. Then a dish of Doritos. (Yeah, Doritos. I'm sure of it!) Then a dish of sliced carrots and cucumbers dressed with lemon juice, watermelon balls and kiwi chunks, and cubes of white cheese.

If there's one thing I could change about this hotel, it would be the neighborhood. I know that's a stupid comment, but it's a little too chic or trendy for my taste. Then again, I am in what is considered the top hotel in Ankara, so what did I expect?

Anyway, feeling the cool breeze while sipping a beer and looking out over the vast city more than makes up for any issues I might have about the neighborhood.

I visited Ankara 6 times, starting in 1990 and last about 11 months ago. The area that you are staying in has changed a lot over the years, and IMO it is quite pleasant. Take my word for it, back in 1990 it was dusty and dowdy. Ankara proper as a whole has improved dramatically, while the suburbs have been deteriorating (due to the influx of lower and lower middle class people from rural villages).

Enjoy Ankara. While not one of the great capitals of the world, its negatives are offset by the wonderful residents, and the reasonable prices.

One final note, while in Turkey make sure you get a haircut. It ranks with the Hamam for memorable "grooming" experiences.

The area is definitely pleasant. And I think my first impression might have been a little unfair. It was based upon exploring just the immediate area: the mall, the upscale shops, and the residential area. However, I went for a more extensive walk last night and found a bustling street scene with people walking, talking, eating, and browsing. I bought a chicken doner from a shop, an ear of corn from a street vendor, and a piece of baklava.

Things are definitely looking up in Ankara, and I am looking forward to seeing more of it during the next 5 days. And I am sure that once I check into the Dedeman Hotel, I will truly appreciate the Sheraton!

After waking up and getting dressed, I went to the Club Lounge at the Sheraton. I realized that this was my first "Turkish breakfast" since I arrived in Turkey. I had simit (bread that looks like a seed-studded bagel), tangy white cheese, cucumbers, tomatoes, and black and green olives. I followed that with yogurt and fruit salad. I look forward to more breakfasts like this in Turkey, though I doubt any of them will be accompanied with the view I had this morning.

I delayed my departure until noon, and took a short taxi ride to the Dedeman Hotel. No one will mistake the Dedeman as being the same class as the Sheraton, but it more than meets my needs. The rooms have A/C, free wireless and wired internet, TV, and bath. The rooms are clean, and I was able to get a room on the non-smoking floor. I had read the reviews on TripAdvisor, and I was a little apprehensive. However, I should know by now that TripAdvisor seems to attract a larger proportion of dissatisfied customers than satisfied ones.

The Dedeman is in an area of Ankara known as Bakanlıklar, which is about 1.5 km north of Kavaklıdere, where the Sheraton is. Bakanlıklar doesn't have the upscale shops and restaurants that Kavaklıdere does, but it is by no means a downtrodden area. There are more shops and cafes in the immediate area. Both areas are within easy walking distance of Tunali Hilmi Caddesi and Ataturk Bulvari.

While I won't bore anyone who is reading this with the details of the program--I have put in enough details about other things to bore you ;)--I will keep you updated about the sites we see, some of our activities, as well as the travel/hotel info. I will say that only 15 out of 19 participants were present this evening, due to travel disruptions. In addition, a few of those who were here this evening faced delays en route. One arrived a day late due to weather at IAD, and another spent 21 hours on a plane because of a mechanical issue at JFK that required about 12 hours to fix. Pax were told that they could not deplane, otherwise, the flight would cancel! I wonder what type of compensation pax will get for that! :p

It's been five days since my last report, and I figured it was time to update what I have done in Turkey.

The first two days of the program involved lectures on Turkey, including discussions of the Turkish Republic, Turkish national identity, Turkish political parties, human development, issues relating to religious and secular minorities in Turkey, and the European Union. All of the lectures were given my lecturers at Middle East Technical University (METU), except for one by the head of Amnesty International Turkey and another by a member of the AK Party (the largest party in the Turkish parliament).

On Friday, we had a chance to escape the classroom and visit the Olgunlasma Institute. This institute has an enormous collection of traditional handcrafts from the past 200 years or so, and it also trains women how to produce them today. Then we went to Tuzlucayır, a lower income region of Ankara. We visited a community center that provides education, training, and support for women who are in failing or abusive marriages. We also visited a cooperative that sells items made by the women at the center. Finally, we went to a restaurant that showed us how to prepare Turkish foods like grape leaves, kofte, cracked wheat salad, baklava, and a few other things that I had more fun eating than making!

Saturday started with a visit to Atatürk's Mausoleum. If you know nothing about the formation of the Turkish Republic, you owe it to yourself to do some research on Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. His contributions to modern-day Turkey are substantial, and his mausoleum reflects how revered he is, even today. There is also a museum as well as exhibits of some of the battles he commanded, including the battle of Gallipoli. Then we traveled to Ulus and saw the Bayram Mosque and the ruins of the Temple of Augustus. We spent the afternoon touring the Ankara Citadel and the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations.

Today, we left Ankara for Ürgüp, stopping in Hacıbektaş. We explored Capadoccia briefly today and will do more tomorrow. We just returned from a Whirling Dervish performance about 10 km outside of Ürgüp. It was incredible.

As you can tell, our days have been full, so there has not been much time to write. I will try to update the report again on Wednesday, after we arrive in Istanbul.

Can you elaborate? My son just got an airport at the IST airport while waiting for his flight. While a few things were a bit different (washed his hair leaning forward instead of backward), it was nothing to write home about whereas it sounds like your experience was.

Haircut in Ankara
 

From a trip report I posted in 2003:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=182140

After a while we took a drive and ended up at my friend’s barber, as he needed a haircut before heading to Athens on business. I’ve been in Turkish barber shops before, as an observer, but this time I decided to imbibe.

I sat down in the chair and was prepped. However nothing would proceed before all participants (me, the barber, and his apprentice) had a mandatory glass of strong Turkish çay. The locals also needed to inhale (and unfortunately, exhale) a few unfiltered Turkish smokes. Having consumed the tea and the cancer stick, the barber spent a couple of disturbingly long minutes contemplating my head.

During this time I learned the other barber doing my friend’s hair, who is the shop owner, also moonlights as the local “Muhtar”, which is an elected politician akin to an Alderman. His Ward consists of 6,800 constituents scattered over 2,200 apartments in 280 buildings. Responsibilities include registering citizens as they move in or out of the Ward, certifications of good standing, and dealing with local “pot hole” issues. His phone rings off the hook, and people stop in to ask a question or two.

Once the barber recognized his job was to do little more then give me a haircut, he slowly cut with scissors and an electric trimmer the lower half of my hair. Over the next twenty or so minutes he cut slowly, sometimes clipping four or five individual hairs before re-contemplating. He then stopped and repeated the tea and cigarette absolutions, before returning to deliberation on what to do next. After a pause he started combing and brushing my hair, which gave me the impression he was done cutting, ignoring the thick mass on top of my head that had not been clipped. Instead he decided to light my ears on fire.

The barber took a massive Q-Tip and dipped it into some sort of rocket fuel, then lit it, creating some sort of incendiary device. The sucker was burning a bright blue and he ran it close to my ears, singeing any hairs it came in contact with. What was the point of this, apparently to singe any hairs it came in contact with!

After he cleaned up the burned flesh, he then grabbed a straight razor and shaved the back of my neck, so that it was baby behind smooth. Finally he wrapped a towel around my neck and pushed me into the sink, whether for decapitation or a shampoo. I’m happy to report my head is still intact (although my wife would attest to the fact it’s contents are quite loose).

After a partial drying, another tea and smoke, the barber went to work with the scissors on the bush on top of my noggin. The cutting and contemplating his sculpture took another long time, but finally he was satisfied and began blow drying it. Next he extracted an electric massage device and gave me a full back, shoulders and arm massage. Not great by massage standards, but heck, I’m in a barber shop.

After the therapy, the barber threw some mousse on my hair, brushed it again and stopped. Another tea and cigarette break took place and he stated in Turkish, “Sihhatler olsun!” which roughly translates as “May it last for a while or may it be healthy” (which apparently is a carry-over from ancient times when the barber was a blood-letting physician).

My friend settled up with the Alderman/Barber for the total damages which came to a total 14,000,000 TL excluding tips of another 2,500,000TL (exactly $12 grand total for the two of us, and my buddy also got a facial shave with a circa 19th century straight razor).

Thanks Craig. I'm going to email my son what he missed out on. The Q-tip thing would have had him out of there pretty quickly ...haircut finished or not. :)

very informative and interesting read ... looking forward to next installments! ^

Monday, June 23: Ürgüp to Konya
 

Like many of the tourist hotels in Ürgüp, the Dinler Hotel (where we stayed) is about a 15-20 minute hike outside of the town. As a result, the town itself is pretty devoid of tourists. However, the Göreme Open Air Museum, our first stop of the day on Monday, was loaded with tourists. The cave homes, the cave churches, and everything else made this one of the most outstanding places I have ever visited. We spent nearly three hours there, and I could have spent another three very easily.

But we didn't have three more hours. We had a full day ahead of us. Before heading to Avanos for a pottery demonstration, we stopped to see some more of the fairy chimneys that Cappadocia is famous for. I was beginning to get hungry, so I picked some apricots off one of the trees at the stop. Being 6'5" made it easy for me to pick some that had been missed, and they tasted like sugar! We ran back to our bus and traveled a few miles to Avanos. One of the potters made a vase while we watched, and then one of our group members tried to reproduce his effort. She wasn't quite successful, but I got a few pictures that I plan to use as blackmail material if I can get them to her students in Arizona!

After lunch, it was time for a nap. Unfortunately, there was no time for a nap. The underground town was waiting for us in Derinkuyu. Cappadocia has quite a few of these, but this is supposed to be the best. There are eight levels underground. The purpose of these towns, many of which were connected to each other, was to provide a hiding place from invaders. A few of our group stayed above ground because of warnings about the tight spaces. As the tallest member of the group, I can proudly say that I never bumped my head, but my back scraped against the cave ceiling quite a few times. I felt a great sense of accomplishment when we reached the eighth level, followed by a great sense of dread. Most caves, including this one, don't have elevators. If we had really descended 85 meters, as our guide told us, we would have to ascend 85 meters to get back to the entrance. We did, and it was not easy. However, the cave has outstanding ventilation due to the air shafts.

And Monday was not even close to being over yet! Konya was Monday's final destination, and we still had another stop or two before we got there. After a stop to refuel the bus and buy some roasted hazelnuts in Aksaray (a town that Lonely Planet didn't have much nice to say about), we headed to the Sultanhani Caravanserai. The Selçuks built these caravanserais so that those traveling on the trade route would have a place to spend the night. Because they could only travel 10 - 15 km per day, a lot of these had to be built. This one was supposedly the largest and grandest of all. It didn't have all of the comforts of home, but it did have a mosque, hamam, kitchen, and places for travelers to bed down for the night.

Konya was only two hours away. It would have been 90 minutes had our bus driver not lost his way. We checked into the Selçuk Otel, ate dinner, and collapsed after the long and fascinating day.

Tuesday, June 24: Konya to Istanbul
 

Lonely Planet says that Konya is the heart of the "Bible Belt" of Turkey. Shouldn't that be the Koran Belt? I certainly could not dispute that claim. By my count, there were seven mosques within 150 meters of our hotel. In addition, finding a beer was not easy, but some of the more thirsty members of our group managed to do so.

After breakfast, we took a whirlwind tour of some of the sites within walking distance of our hotel, including the Alaeddin Mosque at the top of Alaeddin Hill , the Ince Minareli Medrese (and its incredibly ornate dome), and the Karatay Medrese (which was closed). I had never been inside a mosque before my visit to the Alaedidn Mosque, and there were a few features that our guide says were unique, specifically, the "forest of columns" inside. There were a few dozen columns inside the mosque, many of which had different designs. According to our guide, this suggests that the columns had been "recycled." As we approached the mosque from our hotel (the west), it did not look terribly impressive. However, looking at it from the north, I was able to appreciate its grand scale.

We had about 45 minutes of free time before having to check out of the hotel and head to the Mevlana Museum, so I explored Alaeddin Hill a little longer. Then we boarded the bus for the short ride to the museum. After touring the museum, I wished that I had taken some time to read about the Mevlana and the Sufi sect. The most impressive part of the museum, in my opinion, was the room with all of the Korans, from the simple to the ornate, including a couple that were 1,000 years old.

We broke for lunch, and I had Bamya Çorbası as an appetizer. I had looked for it on menus, but this was the first time I had the okra soup. Having grown up in Alabama, I was raised on okra. However, I knew that okra served in the Middle East was not the big pods I am accustomed to, but smaller ones about the size of the last joint of the pinky. These pods were maybe half that size, and they were in a tomato/beef (I think) broth. Delicious.

Originally, our afternoon was supposed to be free time in Konya. However, we had done just about everything we could do (or wanted to do) in Konya. Therefore, Kathryn (our leader) arranged an optional trip to Çatalhöyük. This is the site of the earliest evidence of civilization that has been discovered, dating back about 9,000 years. Estimates suggest that more than 5,000 people lived here, and it has been under a slow excavation process for nearly 50 years. The stone houses here had doors in the ceilings. For obvious reasons, we could not get very close to them, but there was a model that we could explore.

We arrived back in Konya at 5:00 p.m., and our flight to Istanbul was not scheduled to leave until 10:30 p.m., so we had a few hours of free time anyway. A group of us set off for the bazaar, but I didn't find much of anything that interested me. I became separated from the group and disoriented. I decided to head for a busy street (and a WC!). I was very relieved when I found both, and soon spotted the hotel we had stayed in. I also saw a sign for a hamam. I looked at my watch, and it was 5:50 p.m. I was still a little sweaty and gritty from the visit to Çatalhöyük, so I thought to myself "What better way to waste another couple of hours than by getting a bath?" So I headed inside.

The hamam was empty, and the attendant showed me a menu. The complete package was 25 YTL, a bargain, even though it did not include an oil massage. Considering how average the oil massage I got in Antalya was, that didn't deter me. So I went into my little room to change, and one of the attendants stopped me. I didn't realize I was supposed to remove my shoes, so I apologized and did so. Overall, the experience was better than the one in Antalya. The attendant who bathed me gave an outstanding soap massage and actually massaged me instead of slapping me. He seemed a little annoyed at first because I was slow to respond to his instructions due to the language barrier. However, within minutes I realized that this guy knew what he was doing. When he finished, he took me back into the hamam and gave me the coldest shower I had ever had. I made some faces and noises that made him laugh. As he sent me back to the cooling off area, he said "Good?" and I nodded. Then he pointed to his wrist and said "Time no problem." Another attendant wrapped me in towels and brought me a glass of çay, and then another as I sat and watched TV with them. I had no idea what the person on TV was saying, but it was a relaxing way to spend the rest of my time in Konya. I think they would have let me stay until closing time if I had wanted to.

At 7:30, I got dressed, paid, tipped the attendant 3 YTL, and walked back to the bus. When other group members asked me what I had done and I told them, their responses were "Why didn't I think of doing that?" Well, it was an accident that I did, and a very good one.

June 24, 2008 KYA-IST
Turkish Airlines 251
B-737
Seat 22D

We arrived at the airport before check-in started, so we sat down. Around 9:00 p.m., the check-in desks opened and we got in line. Even though my bags weighed 27 kg, I wasn't charged an excess baggage fee. I wasn't sure if it was because of my *A Gold status or an act of generosity. Even more puzzling was the fact that my bag had not gained any weight in the past week, even though I had been buying souvenirs. Had my bag's weight been inflated at AYT?

After the gate opened, we all went through security and waited. Boarding started a bit late, and we didn't take off until 10:44 p.m. As usual, the seat belt sign was off three minutes later and FAs were in the aisles soon after that. Our dinner choices for the short flight after 10 p.m. were sandwich and salad. I had the sandwich: Village cheese, lettuce, and tomato on a soft roll, a glass of sour cherry juice, and a packaged chocolate mousse that was actually very good. The flight was packed, but everyone was served and all of the rubbish was cleared before we began to descend. We were on the ground a little before 11:30 p.m. Thankfully, our bags came out quickly, we didn't have to wait long for the bus, and we were on our way to the city.

Just one problem. Traffic. Istanbul has lots of it, but we thought it odd that it would be so backed up after midnight! Thankfully, the problem was due to an accident, and we were moving quickly again. We were headed to the Marble Hotel, near Taksim Square. As we reached the square, the bus driver had to take a detour, because the street in front of our hotel was blocked. So we had to go through the square, down a hill, along the Bosphorous, up a hill, and finally to our hotel. Checking in was about as good as you could have expected it for a group of 20+ exhausted people, and when I got to Room 305, I didn't care that my room didn't have a view. I just wanted to email my partner to tell him that we made it. Unfortunately, the internet was not working on the third floor. I was too tired to walk downstairs, so I sent my first text message from Turkey:

"Arrived Istanbul. Love you."

I was happy it went through, and even more happy less than a minute later when the cell phone buzzed with a response:

"Not Constantinople?"

Istanbul
 

Wednesday, June 25

Even though we were late getting settled into the Hotel Marble on Tuesday evening, we had an early morning on Wednesday. We met our guide for the day, Koray, in the lobby at 9:00 a.m. and walked to the bus that was waiting in Taksim Square. Koray explained that he lived on the Asian side of the city, and that everyday approximately 1.6 million commuters travel from that side of the Bosphorous to the European side for the jobs, creating the traffic nightmare. The commute from his apartment could be as little as 20 minutes or as much as tow hours.

Koray had a tremendous challenge: Introduce the group to Istanbul in 7 hours. Anyone who has ever been to Istanbul knows that there are too many things to be introduced to in a seven-hour tour, but Koray did a masterful job of keeping the group moving, hitting the high points, and skipping over the things he knew that we would be able to see in more detail later on our own.

In seven hours, we were able to see the Hippodrome, the Cistern, Aya Sophia, the Blue Mosque, and Topkapı Palace. We also had time to stop for lunch at Tarihi Sultanahmet köftecisi and sample their world-famous köfte, stop for Çay outside of the Blue Mosque, and have some time after the tour to wander around Topkapı Palace.

I was especially impressed by the mosaics in Aya Sophia, and I can only imagine what they looked like before it was converted to a mosque in the 15th century. In addition, a few of us noticed the sag in the marble floors at the upper gallery. I guess that happens after over 1000 years!

The Blue Mosque was also impressive, not only because of its size, but also the beauty inside and attention to detail. Unfortunately, I committed a cultural faux pas after I exited. I sat on the steps to put my shoes back on. I didn't notice the signs that said not to sit on the steps until after I was walking away from the mosque. No one corrected me, and Koray told me that it was not a problem because there was no intent to offend on my part, but I still felt badly about it.

I think Topkapı Palace is worth a day by itself. Even without seeing the Harem (which we did not), one could spend the better part of a day exploring. I plan to spend more time there the next time I am in Istanbul.

At 4:30 p.m., part of the group walked toward the Grand Bazaar. I joined the rest of the group, not because I was tired, but because my camera's battery pack was dead. I guess 400+ photos in a day will do that.

Are You Ready for Some Futbol?

Before we left, Kathryn warned us about the Turkey-Germany EuroCup match that evening. Taksim Square is a gathering point, and she said that the celebration could get rowdy if Turkey won. Therefore, it might be a good idea to plan to be in our rooms before the end of the match.

When we got back to the hotel, I explored the area around Taksim Square. The square was already crowded with people wearing red jerseys, waving Turkish flags, and selling gear for the game. Istikkal Caddesi, a pedestrian street leading into the square was wall-to-wall people, almost all heading toward the square. It was a great sight. I stopped an bought a red "Türkiye" cap and put it on, in case anyone might think I was German! At least 5 different people came up to me before I went back to my hotel and asked me where I was from and encouraged me to watch the match on the square. It was tempting, but I had had a long day, and all I wanted to do was eat and go back to my room before it got too late.

Unfortunately, Turkey lost on a goal by Germany in the 90th minute. I watched most of the match, and when Turkey tied it at 2-2 late, the roar from Taksim Square drowned the sound of the TV in my room! At least I have a new team to support when the 2010 World Cup rolls around!

Thursday, June 26

Today we explored some of the neighborhoods around Istanbul that were undergoing urban renewal. It was interesting, but it was also hot. Also, I was approaching my limit of information. I guess it was important to spend at least an hour in each of the neighborhoods, considering that it took at least an hour to reach each of them. However, it seemed to me that our guide was most interested in talking about good real estate deals that had been made, and showing us some of the renovations that his friends were undertaking. I don't know. Maybe I was just antsy and wanting to do something else. We did have lunch at a wonderful place called Süleymaniye Kuru Fasülyeci in the shadow of the Süleymaniye Mosque. The beans and rice were so delicious, that even people who didn't think they liked beans and rice at them!

After our tour of the neighborhoods, we boarded a boat for a Bosphorous Cruise. The cruise did not go all the way to the Black Sea, just up to the second bridge and back, taking about 90 minutes. Next time I am in Istanbul, I will take the one to the Black Sea, but this one was great, considering our time restrictions. Again, I took lots of photos. The only thing I would have changed about the tour was the music: Nonstop Turkish hip-hop! And it was loud!

We returned at around 6:00 p.m., and a group of us decided to explore the Spice Market before it closed. More pictures, and as beautiful as they were, nothing can capture the sights, sounds, and aromas there. I also bought a few gifts, enjoying the pained expressions I would see when I was able to get something for a few lire less than the asking price but I am sure many lire more than the true value!

As night fell, I decided to stay in this part of the city and take some evening pictures. Walking in the breeze and seeing the families out together for the evening was a bonus. I had a corn on the cob from a street vendor, and a chicken doner from a shop as I walked. As I approached the Golden Horn, I noticed even more vendors and families. Some of these families were buying food from vendors and some had brought their own. A boat was docked near the south bank of the Galata Bridge, and it was selling fish sandwiches. About two dozen men were trying to catch fish.

I walked across the bridge and took some pictures of the Bosphorous Bridge as it changed colors. It was after 10:00 p.m., and I was exhausted. I found a taxi, and 10 minutes and 7 YTL later I was back in Taksim Square with another 400 photos ready to be downloaded.

The end is near
 

Friday, June 27

Our last day of work took us to the Asian side of Istanbul for a visit to Sabancı University. It took us about an hour to get there. The location is, as one of the staff members said, "out in the middle of nowhere," but it is a beautiful, modern campus. That's because the campus is less than ten years old.

The language of instruction is English, but almost all of the students are from Turkey. We met with faculty and staff members and learned a little bit more about Istanbul and the Turkish national identity.

We arrived back at our hotel at 5:15 p.m., and we were told to meet in the lobby at 8:00 p.m. so that we could walk to our farewell dinner. I took advantage of the break to walk down Istikkal Caddesi one more time, dodging the people cheerfully talking on their cellphones as they left work or went to meet friends.

After a shower and change of clothes, I was ready for dinner and one final chance for some social time with my new colleagues. We walked out of the hotel and turned left, walking down Sirasleviler Caddesi for about 10 minutes, then took another left. I am not sure what the name of the restaurant was, I think it was Doğ Balık. We took turns on the elevator, going up to the 7th floor. We were taken aback, group by group, by the view. The Golden Horn, The Blue Mosque, Aya Sophia, Topkapı Palace, all laid out before us in the distance. What better way to spend our final night in Istanbul? We gorged ourselves on assorted meze, then salad and pastry, then perfectly grilled sea bass with lemon, and finally tray after tray of fresh fruit.

By 11:00 p.m., I followed the lead of a few others and went back to the hotel and had the best night of sleep I had had since the program started.

Saturday, June 28 (Today)

I awoke not sure if I should start packing or eat breakfast. Breakfast seemed like a better choice. I arrived in time to see a few of my colleagues and say goodbye to them. At 9:30 a.m., I decided to take a taxi to visit the Spice Bazaar, one more time. On Thursday, I had requested a late checkout (2:00 p.m.) for today, and it had been granted. On the way out, I decided to confirm it. The front desk agent said, "No, check out is 12:00, it is not possible." I explained that I had already had it granted, and he replied, "We have a big group, I cannot extend your stay." I repeated that it had already been granted, and he said, "Who granted it?" I didn't have a name. He finally relented, partially, and allowed me a 1:00 p.m. checkout.

I found a taxi, and told the driver where I wanted to go. He headed down the street, then turned around. He said traffic was bed in that direction, so he headed back to Taksim Square. That seemed weird to me. Anyway, we got stuck in traffic, and I realized that I would be rushed at the bazaar, so I handed him 4 YTL and exited. I walked around the square for awhile and went back to my room to pack.

I am going to try to be nice about the Hotel Marble, but it's tough. The best things about it are the location and the breakfast room that overlooks the Bosphorous. The worst things are the 1960's decor and the service/facilities of varying quality. The internet works sometimes. The A/C kind of works sometimes. The rooms have A/C, but it's really like someone left the refrigerator door open. With temperatures in the high 80s and humidity to match, that doesn't make the rooms very comfortable.

I finally finished my packing, showered, dressed, and was out of my room at 1:00 p.m. on the dot. I stayed in the lobby to take care of a few things online, and then walked to the havas bus. By 2:00 p.m., I was at the airport. Unfortunately, I had to wait until 3:10 p.m. for BA to open its check in counter. However, I checked my two bags (one to TPA, the other that I will need for the evening to LHR), and made my way through passport control. I am now at the BA lounge, about to board my flight and leave this country that I have thoroughly enjoyed and hope to visit again soon.

Bye Bye Turkey
 

June 28, 2008 IST-LHR
British Airways 677
B-767
Seat 27B

As I left the BA Lounge, it hit me that I had been in Turkey for 16 days. Australia and New Zealand are the only other countries outside the US that I have ever spent as much time in continuously. When you spend that much time somewhere, anywhere, there will be things that you miss. But I am ready to go home. The first stop on the way home is London.

Our flight finished boarding and loading bags well before the scheduled departure time of 5:25 p.m. However, because of air traffic control at LHR, we would not be allowed to take off until 5:45 p.m., optimistically. Thank goodness the optimistic estimate was correct.

About 30 minutes after takeoff, the FAs started serving the meal: chicken stewed with vegetables, salad nicoise with tuna (canned, but packed in olive oil), a packaged roll, and chocolate silk pie. The video system was not working, but I didn't care. I had some work to do and my iPhone to keep me entertained. The flight arrived at the gate a couple of minutes ahead of schedule (7:35 p.m.), and less than 30 minutes later I was waiting for the Hoppa Bus to take me to the Sheraton Skyline Hotel. When T5 works as planned, it is a thing of beauty!

I arrived at the Sheraton Skyline a little after 8:30 p.m., and my reservation for a classic room with a double bed was upgraded to a king executive room. It was nice to walk into a hotel room that was really air conditioned!

I made my way up to the Club Lounge for a snack and some water, and to check email. The ability to use the free wireless in the lounge is much more attractive than the price the hotel charges in the room.

Off to bed, for my flight at 7:55 a.m. tomorrow.

Back to the U.S.A.
 

My alarm woke me at 4:15 a.m. I made a cup of tea, watched St. Elsewhere (!) on Channel 4, showered, dressed, and was out of the hotel about an hour later. The Hoppa bus for Terminal 3 arrived after a short wait, and I was at T3 very quickly.

June 29, 2008 LHR-ORD
American Airlines 99
B-777
Seat 12G

The AAgent who checked me in acted as though he would rather be anywhere at 5:35 a.m. than standing behind the counter. At least he was quick. I was through security--my MacBook stayed in the bag and my shoes stayed on my feet--within 10 minutes! I waited for W.H. Smith to open so I could buy a copy of Q (for those of you who don't know, that's the world's best music magazine) and a few bags of Allsorts for my partner. He spent four of his teenage years in the U.K., so I always grab some for him when I fly through LHR. That done, I walked to the FL.

If you've never been to the LHR FL, the descriptions in this post give you an idea of the decor. However, it's usually a quiet place to grab a light breakfast before an early morning flight from LHR, a better alternative to the AC, in my opinion. I stayed there until about 7:15 a.m., and when I arrived at the boarding lounge, the boarding process was already at Group 3.

The flight was pleasant enough. I would post the menu, but anyone who has been on one of these morning flights from LHR in the past two years has it memorized: Breakfast is a choice of omelet with chives, blueberry pancakes, or risotto with chicken. Cheese and fruit is served mid-flight. And a light snack of coconut shrimp or cold beef with caramelized onions is served before landing.

Even though I was in the next to last row of J, my order was one of the last taken. What happened to FEBO? I was able to get my first choice for breakfast (the risotto), but not the light snack. For some reason, the flight seemed short staffed in J. I only saw 2 FAs working the cabin the entire flight, and one of them kept telling me that she hated the morning flight from LHR because it was too early for her. She also told me that she hated summer flights to and from LHR. At least she seemed to like me enough to confide in me!

We arrived at ORD a few minutes early, and I was pleasantly surprised to find out that ORD no longer has the long-distance walk from the gate to immigration. Down two escalators (I took the stairs instead) and we were there!

I was unpleasantly surprised by what came after immigration. My bags came out 22 and 26 minutes after bags started rolling off the belt. Hey, I am always happy just to see my bags roll off the belt at all! The bad surprise came when it was time to drop them off. I am accustomed to the convenient system that AA has had at ORD: After you exit customs, you take a few steps give your bag(s) to someone who puts them on the belt. That was what I saw last month when I flew LHR-ORD and after all of my past AA international flights into ORD. But not today. I entered a line that stretched almost back to customs, exited, turned left, and inched along until I was able to give my bags to someone who put the bags on the belt. This took about 20 minutes from the time I gave my card to the customs agent. Who instituted this system and why? Is AA trying to make flying through ORD internationally as annoying as flying through MIA? If so, this is a good first step!

Now I am at the ORD AC, with one more segment before I get home. Turkey was fun, but I am ready to get back to Tampa!

I know this thread is a year old, but I'm on my way to Turkey and my FT research pulled this thread up. Great reading Flying Buccaneer. Obviously there's lots to see and do in Turkey; your thread is making me more anxious to get there! :)

It seems that Canadians are the only ones who are faced with a high visa fee. I suspect that this is retribution as I believe Canada was the first country to recognize the Armenian Genocide. Though the events happened a generation ago, it's still a touchy subject with Turkish officials.

An excellent read that kept me from start to finish.