We're actually here!

Friday, May 2, 2014

WE MADE IT!!!  Hello!  I’m sorry it has taken me this long to get to our first “real” blog, but things have been pretty hectic lately!

First of all, our travel day…Got up Wednesday morning about the usual time – 5:30 a.m. or so.  Locked up the house and headed to the car around 8 a.m. for the drive to Phoenix.  Everything (hopefully!) done!  Drive to Phoenix was fine and uneventful, and we got to Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport for check-in around 10:30 a.m.  Flight taking off just before 1 p.m.  Used our new pre-Check TSA clearance at the airport, but unfortunately, there were very few people in line, so it’s not like we had tons of people to get through.  However, using the pre-Check TSA line, we did NOT have to take off our shoes OR the computers (we’re traveling with Gulliver, our netbook, and Maggie, our ipad).  Got to the gate and waited for our group – A!! – to be called.  Onto the plane for the 2 ½ hour ride to Houston.  We’ve never been in Houston Airport before that either of us can recall.  Pleasant flight; full, of course, but no problems at all.

Then, off the plane in Houston into Terminal C; headed then toward Terminal D and our Turkish Airlines flight.  Have to admit, that we really have nothing to complain about, as we used miles for both of us round-trip.  I believe that the entire airfare cost us something like $48!!  Can’t get much better than that!

As it turns out, the boarding passes we were given in Phoenix for Turkish Air did NOT work, and we did have to stand in line a few minutes to make that exchange.  One interesting thing we noted was that we had both been given bulk-head aisle tickets originally – but now, Robert’s seat had been changed, moving him much closer to the front – but in a CENTER seat!!  The explanation was that they had a lot of children, and you can wipe out somebody’s bulkhead seat for them…hmmm…At the front desk, we exchanged R’s center seat for the ONLY aisle seat left in the plane – the very LAST row.  I kept my bulk-head seat.  However, when we finally boarded (about an hour and a half late, due to the incoming aircraft arriving late) the configuration was interesting – most of the window seats were three across, but the last three rows of the plane were two seats across.  So, we traded my bulk-head (with children) seat for the seat next to Robert.  It was the last seat on the plane, therefore fair to partly bouncy – but it was RIGHT next door to the bathrooms, which is always an advantage for me!!

Pitch wasn’t bad, nor was the seat!  In fact, they had lovely little foot rests that came out from the seats in front, which were great.  They also provided us with earphones, slippers, as well as a little kit which included earplugs, socks, eye mask, lip balm, toothbrush and toothpaste!  And we’re in economy!!  Also, fabulous entertainment units!  Each seat had their own, with a pop out hand controller.  You could choose from games, TV and movies – and there were LOTS to choose from!

I opted for movies (surprise!) and saw mainly old favorites – Star Trek “Out of Darkness”, “The Marigold Hotel”, “This Means War” – as well as a new movie, “The Avengers”.  Enjoyed them all, and the 11 h 5 m flight seemed to pass very quickly!  The food was really great!  R had the three pasta selection, and I had their minced beef (hamburger) patty with potatoes and veggies.  We both had their starter salad capreses – tomatoes and mozzarella cheese, with a great brownie for dessert!  Wow!  A bit before we landed in Istanbul, they also served us a great hot breakfast, with scrambled eggs, fruit and cheese.  We were very well fed!

Landed and then began the absolutely SLOG off the plane…obviously, if you’re in the last row, you shouldn’t expect anything else!  However…here is where it gets interesting.  Four years ago, we flew Aegean Air from Athens to Istanbul, and had a truly terrible time getting through passport control, and I had made a mental note – NEVER AGAIN.  The second time we came here, we went into and out of Izmir to London, and that was a breeze.  However, as we were using up our United miles, I didn’t have a lot of choices as to entry/exit points.  So, Istanbul it was – and to say the situation has only gotten WORSE in the past four years – is TRUE!

We already had our visas for Turkey, which can now be obtained on-line.  However, into the “other nationalities” queue we went.  Should call it more of a scrum (as in Rugby), really.  Incredible!  Probably at least 1,000 people all milling toward trying to get into the one line for Passports.  The line started about 10 across, and then gradually, through the Disneyland-type maze, narrowed down to two or three across.  To say people were unhappy is to put it mildly.  At one point, as we were waiting, some man started literally SCREAMING at some woman about getting her hands off him.  And all of this done without any a/c to speak off; it was incredibly HOT.  We inched forward slowly, and I’d say it took us an hour and 10 minutes just to get from the back of the line to the front.  Then a few more minutes there before, voila! – we were allowed in.  We will NEVER --- I repeat – NEVER – go through Istanbul again.  From now on, it will be London/Izmir on EasyJet.

Then came the luggage saga.  It took us SO long to get through passport control, that by the time we got to luggage control, our plane had disappeared from the signage indicating where to pick up luggage.  We finally were told that Turkish Air luggage came out on carousels 5-10, so headed back in that direction.  We were at carousel 9. Robert checked some of the luggage going around the belt, and it was NOT our flight number!  About that time, we had both almost given up hope of ever seeing our suitcases again.  However, somehow, thank goodness, we did find the cases – still revolving on the belt – and grabbed them.  We were now all together, and needed to get to our hotel!

We had paid for a transfer (hotels will usually provide free pick-up if you stay for 4 nights or more) but now we had to find our name.  Walked out of the baggage area to see literally hundreds of names being held up.  R watched the luggage while I went to find our name.  Found it – Seraglio Hotel – and identified ourselves to the driver.  He was waiting for someone or other – and by this time, we were both absolutely sweaty and tired and didn’t feel much like waiting, that’s for sure!  However, we got on underway in 10 minutes or so, and into the Istanbul traffic.  

Shared our ride with a nice British couple who were there for a week of shopping (for her).  Took about half an hour, and we pulled up in front of the Seraglio Hotel in Sultanamet. 

Wow!  Lovely old Ottoman-style wooden building converted into a small hotel.  Got into the nice lobby and were greeted and taken to the restaurant for drinks of our choice.  We both choose O.J.  Then back for check-in.  We had reserved their Blue Mosque suite – a definite splurge, but I figured as we’d be only here two nights and right off the plane, it would be worth it – and it certainly is!

We have a really lovely and very large room with a big, beautiful private balcony with both swing and table and chairs.  But it truly is the view that makes it complete!  We look out on the Blue Mosque, a few blocks away, as well as the Bosphorus, glistening in the sun.Got arranged a bit and then headed into the shower – huge bathroom with Jacuzzi tub.  I will take advantage of the tub tomorrow – needed a shower first!  Ah, how wonderful to get off all the travel schmutz!!  Changed into clean clothes, and then downstairs and out looking for a place for dinner – time, approximately 8 p.m.

Walked down the street from the hotel and came across the Garden Café Restaurant.  Really lovely!  We had their back room, overlooking their own terrace, to ourselves.  Some nice glasses of red wine for R and white wine for me.  I had forgotten how good Turkish wine is!  For starters, we shared an eggplant dish – (the first of many, as I think eggplant is my favorite vegetable!).  For mains, I had their chicken and vegetable plate, served, interestingly enough, with potatoes and over brown rice!  It was excellent.  Robert had a lamb dish with a yogurt sauce and tomatoes.  No dessert, as we were now officially falling asleep and wanted to get back to the hotel.

So…no blog last night, in spite of my best efforts!  I was just WAY too tired!  Will get this out now, as I wanted to make sure that everyone knows we are safely arrived, and write about today later!

Much love to all,

m

xxx