October 2, Sunday -Istanbul

 October 2, 2022

We arrived at the airport in Istanbul a half hour early at 5:30 AM. An hour and a half before touchdown we were served an excellent breakfast of assorted fruits, yogurt, hard cheese, and cottage cheese in modest servings. This was followed by a choice of either a feta omelette or crepes. I had the omelette and Alice had the crepes. Both were ample portions. 

Breakfast before the omelette 

We watched the live front camera video of the approach and landing. This afforded an excellent view of the runway lights as we came in. It also provided a disconcerting view of the runway’s center line as we veered a little right before getting back on track. None was this was uncontrolled. 

Inside this beautiful new terminal we walked what seemed like forever to passport control. The actual distance was just over a mile. Passport clearance was efficient and quick. We did not have to show our Turkish visas because they were linked to our passports. The physical copies were just for backup. Vaccination were not inspected either. 

We walked to baggage claim and arrived just as our bags came by. No waiting here. Now for an ATM machine to get some lira for incidentals. I had read several sources that said the airport was the best place to do this. I am not so sure about that because their was a 10% charge for the exchange. It was convenient. 

On our way to exit 9

We exited the area through the Nothing To Declare door. On the other side we looked for door 9. Our documents explained that the Trafalgar rep would meet us there. Indeed there were several reps holding signs. We ran the gauntlet but saw no Trafalgar. I had Alice wait while I went back to the start of the reps line. Ah, there was the man with the red Trafalgar sign. After I introduced myself we went back to Alice. We took the suitcases out to the vehicle pick up area. After five minutes the driver arrived and we boarded for the ride to the hotel. That took 35 minutes in no traffic at 6:15 on a Sunday morning. 

At the hotel we checked in and were told that our room would be available at 2:00. This was not a total surprise. After all it was just 7 o’clock. We were welcome to sit in the lobby with our luggage and they would let us know if they had a room earlier. It is now 11:40 and we are still sitting here. They have checked our luggage. 

The waiting has been made pleasant by another traveler joining Trafalgar who arrived shortly after we did. She came and asked if we were with the Trafalgar tour. When we answered yes, she joined us. How fortunate they is. She is delightful. She lives in Singapore and travels a lot. She does land tours on her own since her traveling companion has stopped touring for health reasons. She dislikes cruising because she feels cramped onboard. She is 76 and was disappointed to learn that both Alice and I are older than her. We will have fun with her. 

The sun is shining now after an hour of horrific rain, thunder, and lightning. It has been entertaining watching the comings and goings in the lobby. We will meet our tour director this afternoon and the rest of the group at the 6:30 reception. Two ladies from Cape Town have just joined us. The lobby party goes on. 

At 12:30 we decided with our new friend from Singapore to try the hotel restaurant for lunch. Alice and Sam had Mediterranean salads and I had a toasted goat cheese salad. We all added Turkish tea not knowing what to expect. Sam added lentil soup. The salads were larger than expected and very good. The tea was mild and tasted a bit sweet. Sam said the soup was OK. We finished a little after 2:00 and went to the front desk for our promised room. 

It was a madhouse at the desk. We were not the only ones waiting for rooms. The clerk told us he was working on it and asked us to have a seat for just a few minutes. We joined Sam and 2 ladies from South Africa who were in the same boat. We had been standing for some time when I noticed our rep from the airport bringing in 2 more guests. He came over and said he would help as soon as the new guests were finished. That took some time but he finally came over and asked for our passports. More time passed before we were called to the desk. We got a room. 

We passed the others on our way to claim our luggage. They were happy for us but were getting angrier because they had no advocate. 

The bellman brought our bags and led us to our room. We took the elevator to the 3rd floor and then walked up a circular staircase to the 4th floor and our room. The room is spacious and nice. My only concern is having Alice walk up the stairs. 

We have organized our luggage and are trying to decide about napping until we have to get ready for our 6:30 meeting. 

More to follow. 

We did nap for an hour and a half. Then after freshening up we went down at 6:15 for the 6:30 meeting with the group and tour director. We were almost the last ones there. Hope this means we will all be on time for all scheduled activities. 

Our tour director is Saba. He is Turkish and lives in Istanbul. He has been with Trafalgar for 16 years and has led this tour over 100 times. He is very articulate and personable. His instructions are clear and deliberate. He leaves nothing to chance. 

After his introduction we enjoyed excellent finger food and desserts with wine and beer. It was an enjoyable time. It appears that our group of 41 will have a grand time together. 

We did not need to have any dinner. We were in bed by 9 o’clock looking forward to tomorrow.