Arrived at the Sebnem hotel after more than 24 hours of travel. The now standard and expected screw up at JFK caused us to miss our original flight so we arrived about 12 hours later than expected in Istanbul. No worries – WE ARE HERE! Driving in from the airport you can already get a sense of the mix of very old and very modern. It’s when you turn into the Sultanamet district and pass through the old city wall that you enter the old city you expect. Narrow streets twist madly up and down as almost hidden alleys flash past. We hold our breath as the van transporting us to the hotel squeezes past cars coming from the other direction – there’s no way they will both fit but somehow they do.
The driver is young and amazed that we speak a few words of Turkish. Of course, he quickly surpasses my very, very limited vocab and I find myself repeating frequently “Amlamadum” – I don’t understand. But we all smile.
Once again I appreciate how fortunate I am to have Beth, the love of my life, share my passion for travel and the exotic. Despite the long journey, the fatigue, the heat, the hurry up and wait, and how strange and new everything appears she is upbeat and positive. The truth is I probably complain more about those things than she does. I can’t imagine taking this trip without her. Miraculously our bags appear at the baggage claim and she declares, “We will have good travel karma in Turkey”.
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