Now I had no pre-arranged transfer to the airport and it was not available now, cause a friendly passenger a few days ago stopped me before I booked the ship airport shuttle. Her advice being a resident of Spain was to have me take the Metro as its very close to the port and is perfect for me with only hand luggage and will take me to terminal one for very cheap. I thanked her very much for being so considerate and passed on the much more expensive shuttle, and I had plenty of time, even if I got lost for a bit?
Of course what I learned on Saturday night the hard way, was that our ship did not dock into the city port, and the Metro station was a very long walk, and especially with a back pack and roller bag...so it's gonna be a very expensive cab? Can I maybe find someone that is also taking a cab and would let me share, and that's how I met an older couple from Warsaw, and he spoke great english so we got to learn lots about our countries. I was eager to learn more about Warsaw as it is the birthplace of my paternal grandparents, so a very informative journey to the airport and more reasonable.
When I left the port there was 4 cruise ships, so taxi service and Barcelona tourism was going to get a nice economic lift with about 15K of tourists ... a good day for me to scram!
According to our assertive Italian cabbie the airport terminals were far apart and the rate chart he produced declared it would be another 15 Euros...good thing I declined, after all I had been avoiding expensive cabs for almost 2 weeks. Btw, the airport shuttle bus took me to terminal 2 in under 10 minutes and for Zero Euros...great being a suspicious tourist?
The local no frills Pegasus Airlines was popular at BCL and I had paid a small amount extra for seat selection and a snack...a very wise decision indeed as I had nobody in my second row and the veggie wrap was great, with over 3 hours to work on my blog and read a book!
The Istanbul S Gokcen airport was interesting and immediately I knew this country was a bit different from Europe. I was listening carefully to their local Turkish conversations while in a long immigration que and it was spoken very fast and unlike Italian and French where you might connect the odd word or even expression...this was hopeless!
Apparently my hotel in the historical area of Istanbul is reasonable from the main airport and from this one, it is quite the journey...so here we go again! Found a shared shuttle bus that goes towards that area and then the plan is to get off somewhere and grab a cab...Yikes! Thankfully again a local who understands english comes to my rescue and they are two gentleman that are going back home and they can guide me and even join them in a cab which can drop me off at my hotel...wow that is an answer to prayer! The journey through Istanbul is incredible for the first time and I did not realize how huge and modern and spread out and poor this city of over 18 million is!
During the long ride I see various industry, modern retail, many small residential homes on hills to apartment size dwellings and high rise apartments and total slums. In the desirable area of downtown, even Donald Trump has a huge tower. There are also many big name hotels and very new and modern apartments that I was told range in price from 1 to 10 million dollars for an average one bedroom unit and I see many cranes building more high rise dwellings...strangely only 10 minutes drive on the same highway there is hundreds of crumbling old shacks built into the hills that should be condemned but are apparently homes to many locals. Never have I seen such a contrast from opulence to poverty living so close in proximity in the same area!
The bus shuttle to the main plaza, where most of the airport passengers get off at, including me and my two Istanbul friends, was almost 90 minutes drive on a Sunday night. If it was any other night we would still be on the bus for another hour...the traffic in this huge town is apparently insane, and with gas priced double what we pay per litre in Abbotsford...I cant imagine if you had to commute every day?
I bid my special friends who own a local garment factory, farewell, with many thanks and now I am walking down this long narrow winding street pulling my bags at night with many people hanging out and bars and shops still open late, and hoping for the Golden Horn Hotel to appear somehow in this small and busy neighbourhood. After showing a couple more people the hotel address, I finally see the little sign and the small but well appointed hotel. I am to meet my Turkey adventure tour guide and the other 11 people that I will be touring and living with with over the next 15 days. It's such a great moment when the hotel clerk who barely speaks english, informs you that you don't have a reservation and the tour group is not staying at this hotel!
Of course I can't phone anyone at the tour group on a Sunday and my phone is locked anyhow...so this is just too cool. Finally after I sort through all my paperwork we discover that there are 2 hotels in this area of Istanbul called the Golden Horn, and apparently I have been given the wrong one. Things are getting a bit tense however I am booked and expected at the other hotel, so I get them to come and collect my weary body and I finally arrive...my group has already left for dinner and I am starved and grab my first dinner in Turkey and then crash.
I remember waking up with my alarm and wondering where in the world am I...quickly I get ready and meet Salavar who is our young guide, and the rest of the group, and then we have a very big and strange breakfast in the hotel, and begin day one which starts with the famous sultan palace and a museum in Istanbul in our very busy schedule.
Where I am and what, and the how, are slowly settling in now...we have a great tour group and I am the youngest and one of 4 singles, and our group is from Canada, America, and New Zealand...strangely there is a nice couple also from Vancouver and the other Canadian couple live in Calgary, and formerly from Vancouver... sucha small world indeed!
Stand by for more on my day one in amazing Istanbul...
PS- Happy 81st Birthday Dad from Istanbul...wish I could share your special day with you? Love you and see you soon Dad!
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