Istanbul - Part 2

The next morning we had breakfast a little later than I would like, but someone does like their sleep! We were inside the Blue Mosque at the crack of noon!!! We walked around quite a bit, stopping for lunch and dinner. Many sidewalk hawkers have things for you to buy, and one of them is a toy that is a complete copy of Spirograph and the even more outrageous Super Spirograph. Those old enough (but not too old where the memory is no longer intact) should remember those kits. They were around at the same time as Lite Brite. The next morning I sneak out early to make some photos, where I encounter the kinky kitties mentioned earlier. After I return to the hotel and we have breakfast, we're off together and reach our first main sight to see at high noon (see a pattern yet?). It's one where we will spend the entire day at, Topkapi Palace. Part command center for a massive military empire, part Eastern pleasure dome, the lavishly decorated Topkapı Palace was the seat of Ottoman power for over 300 hundred years. By the time we left there it was close to 6pm and by the time we finished dinner and was back in the room it was 11pm. Another early start for me as I was tiptoeing out by 7am the next morning. After I came back to the room, breakfast was enjoyed and preparation for the day was finished we were on the streets by 11:30am. A visit to the massive underground cistern, several markets, the Bosphorus, the hotel where Agatha Christie stayed and worked on her stories, a trip up Galata Tower, and dinner of authentic Turkish cuisine gobbled up our last full day. The next morning was the same as the previous 2, with me getting an early start, coming back for breakfast, but this time packing and checking out, storing our luggage at the hotel. We had an early evening flight, so we visited some other places including Haghia Sophia. We spoke with a company in the neighborhood of our hotel that runs shuttle vans to Sabiha Airport, but their schedule would have us at the airport 4 hours before our flight. We figured we would just take a taxi back to Taksim Square and then the Havas bus to the airport. We came back to our hotel early enough for us to cool off a little and clean up, and as we did so a taxi was called and there. The driver said he would take us all the way to the airport, and serious price negotiations ensued. He had to pull over so we could settle the matter of him either taking us to Taksim Square or all the way to Sabiha. It was finally agreed he would take us all the way - what a nightmare! The traffic was THE WORST I can recall in recent memory. It was just stopped or crawling for 90% of the trip. In hindsight, the shuttle van, in this traffic mess, would've arrived at the airport at the right time for our flight, all things being equal. To make matters worse, the driver, once we were on a section of highway that was moving well, passed an exit that indicated it was the way to Sabiha. I asked him why he didn't take that exit, and from his broken English determined he was just going another (I assumed faster) way. In fact, he was avoiding paying a toll to maximize his profit. As the time ticked, Radhika became more nervous but I remained calm and optimistic. When we ended up off the highway and in a small town, stuck in traffic on side streets, that's when I began my serious doubts of making the airport on time. From time to time we would just say things like "We're running out of time." "This is not good." "We have 1 hour before the plane takes off." He may not have understood what was being said, but he surely understood the tone. We were making plans in our heads of getting a hotel room at the airport and/or finding a flight back to Amsterdam. Ultimately, a 1-hour trip to the airport was about 3 hours, and the guy ended up loosing his profit from the time and gas he expended, and he had to go back! The flight was slightly delayed so we could downshift and breathe deep. BUT, my strong warning to all those that visit Istanbul is be aware of the horrendous traffic and as always, no matter what country you visit, scrutinize the taxi drivers. Know your fares! As always, click on the link to the right on my blog site page (www.jd-thebigmove.blogspot.com) or go to the address below to view an slideshow of photos from Istanbul. http://www.photoshop.com/users/johndp/albums/04eb3ee46f4a468eacc00e9c79fb46e1?wf=slideshow