It seems that the internet here finds large video uploads a distasteful foreign concept. So I am unsure how successful keeping up the video posts will be but I will make a few more attempts before I abandon the youtube end of this little project.
Hello Duckies! I have arrived safe in Istanbul and I must thank you for all your well wishes as I credit all the luck you have wished me to very narrowly making my flight in London. The best possible combination of events took place where my flight arrived in Gatwick early and despite getting turned around several times I was able to make my bus on time, then the flight to Istanbul was delayed for a security check. Because I was late I got to fast track security as well so things were all well. I was completely unable to sleep up until I was on the flight to Istanbul. That flight I slept most of the way out of pure exhaustion.
Now it truly wouldn’t be me if I did not have a crazy tale to tell less than five minutes after getting off the plane. Seeing as how I got seated at the very back of the flight I saw no reason to rush when I got off the flight. I did not know what I was doing at customs and I had actually planned to look for an internet connection before I left just to recheck some details on where I was going and touch base with Suzan at the apartment I was renting. There was a literal wall of people in front of me at customs but I wasn’t in a hurry so I was running through my mental list of things to worry about when a Turkish gent with Airport staff identification approached me and offered me a wheelchair.
“oh No no.” I stuttered at him pointing in the direction of the long line up.
“Over there three hours, I take you 10 minutes” He stated indicating the chair again.
To my credit I did say no a couple more times before deciding that there was enough security and people from London who spoke English around that I wasn’t likely to get in too much trouble if this turned out to be a problem. I hopped in the chair stuffing a 20 in local currency into my sleeve to slip him after he got me through (as I assumed this was not a free offer) Surely enough my passport was stamped I didn’t even have to talk to anyone about my business in the country, my bags were pushed through without question or search. My bags were pulled for me and carried to the taxi and friendly handshake to pass off of the 20 completed things. I was standing in front of a cab 10 minutes later completely baffled as to how that had managed to work so damn well.
Okay now at this point I have no idea where I am going. Keeping in mind that the guide book said to be wary of cab drivers, I attempted to locate an older driver who would be willing to help me I had my directions written in Turkish for them and I hoped that would be enough to get me where I was going. Well standing looking like a lost puppy is likely not the best thing to do when trying to get a cab driver, but in this case I was approached by a middle age man, who did not bound up to me and try and stuff me into his car. He waved and seemed to be perfectly willing to accept a “no thank you” if I decided to go with another driver. Complete opposite of the fellow in the airport who practically pushed me into the wheel chair. I felt very at ease and showed him the directions.
He honestly told me he didn’t know exactly how to get there but would get me as close as possible. Well that was honest enough for me rather than having someone insist they know where I am going and then dump me on some random street insisting this was where I belonged, only to discover I was miles away from where I should have been seemed much worse a concept. I was willing to accept an “I’ll do my best and put you somewhere within walking distance” as an honest response.
The cab ride was worth the 50 it cost which include a sizable tip for the driver. We drove with amazing views of the Bosphorus strait and the dozens of ships. Two large eagles perched ghostly on barren trees in the sunset looking out over the water. Istanbul is a modern city that looks like it was built on top of a crumbling old city. Which is a pretty literal and accurate description of how the city actually is. We drove under and through pats of old ancient city walls, past business using crumbled ruins as the back setting to their business the old and the new seemed to coexist merely out of a necessity for space. Where the large and old had crumbled the new and small shops and businesses were built up as close as the crumbling would allow, and with most effective (though be it random) use of space possible. The pillars and domes of Mosques poked mysteriously out of the rolling masses of urban buildings, shrouded in the sunset and smog of early evening.
As the cab darted into the city, honking all the way for no apparent reason, I found myself glad that my cab seemed to have no dents or scratch marks, unlike many that I saw that looked as if playing bumper cars with other vehicles was a regular past time of may Istanbul cabbies. I soon understood why the driver didn’t know exactly where I was going. Many streets have no discernable posted name or number. I am sure there is a system but it’s not usually visible when walking or diving about.
When the taxi dropped me off he indicated the direction I should go in, and told me 200 Meters. After I did find the place I had to give him the credit that his directions were accurate with in CM's I have not idea how he knew where to point me as I spent the better part of the nest 2 hours hauling my bags up and down the 5 streets and past the 200 shops that were in the general direction he has pointed. I asked about 5 shop keepers for directions all of which pointed me in the same general direction but I was having no luck finding where I was going and it was getting dark.
An emergency call to Kelly who got in contact with Suzan online for me had her coming to pick me up at a Café not long there after. With much relief I sat down with my bags munching some honey drenched round pastry. I took my first real look around and actually startled myself. I was in the shadow of Galata tower a huge historic old stone tower Originally named the Tower of Christ, it was the highpoint in the city walls of the Genoese colony called Galata. Most of the walls are long gone, but the great tower remains. At the base of which was the cafe I was milling about at. Imagine walking up and down a street for over an hour and then looking up to see a huge castle like structure that looked like it fell out of Lord of the Rings and you would jump too. Not like you would expect to see that walking around the streets of Winnipeg.
An old man I had waked past about 2 dozen times came up to me while I was eating and felt the need to lecture me about it not being safe to be out at night, and demanded to know where I was going, then insisted I could not go to an apartment and wanted to direct me to a hotel. I would later find out from Suzan that he was the fellow in charge of the neighbourhood safety. Kind of like the head of a neighbourhood watch, not really law enforcement but someone who keeps an eye on things and regularly brings complaints to the authorities. The down side was as well as he seemed to be able to lecture me in perfect English, he didn’t seem to understand anything I was saying. I insisted that a friend would be meeting me shortly. Sure enough Suzan came and had the whole thing cleared up with only a “hello” to the man he instantly waved to her and left us with out a goodbye, he seemed to have dismissed as being daft and was glad my "keeper" had come to collect me.
Shortly there after I was enjoying tea and cookies, taking a hot shower, and settling into a much needed bed. I am here I am safe the food is very good and I really couldn’t have asked for it to go any better. Please continue to send me the luck you can spare as I seem to have had much use for it, and thank you all back home I miss you dearly.
-Ebony
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