Constantinopolis! Times of Turkey Istanbul edition Bags packed, sitting in the hotel reception, breathing in the air of this lovely city, for the last couple of hours more. Time to go back :( After the fantastic bus trip to Antalya, we reached the airport to catch our flight to Istanbul. We had such a great time all these days, got to do and see much much more than we had ever thought. Was feeling on top of the world. And then the jinx set in :( The flight got delayed, so arrived late, and that too, to heavy rains! So our baggage took longer to come on the belt. When it came, all the bags were WET! Got out to be received by a grumpy taxi driver (cant blame him, he had been waiting outside for 2 hours!). Wed booked an apartment going by the description on booking . Have been doing it so long, we know exactly what to look for, and how. Our priorities are clean bathrooms and a comfortable bed (good ambience is a bonus we have always got), location, and price, in that order. The place looked fantastic, the rate tempting. There were no reviews, but we thought that was because it was new (in Antalya we were more than pleasantly surprised). When we reached the apartment, tired, drained and so looking forward to just chill before going out to rock the place, we were in for the biggest shock! Cannot express what we felt on entering the apartment. It was big, but so smelly. The linen and bathroom were clean, but somehow things just didnt add up. We told the guy we would move out the next day, and negotited the amount. No way were we going to pay the full amount. The guy, per se was a good fellow, and we can be a mean handful, so came to an understanding. Then immediately I spoke to my husband and told him to look for available places around the area, and send us the links. And we left to hunt for a place. It was 8.30 pm. We must have walked in and out of at least 20 hotels. Finally, after two hours of trudging up and down the roads, we found one of the places that Khan saab had sent us. It was a perfect! Room on the ground floor, clean, comfortable, and just 7 minutes walk from the mosques and other attractions. God had better plans for us :) Am sharing all this to let you all know that things can go wrong. We may make mistakes/wrong decisions. What is important is to remain strong and focused. In fact, the message I got from one of the apps, God wants you to know ...., was so apt. God doesnt give you problems you cant handle. He just tests your faith and mettle, and always has a hidden gift for you, at the end. Once we were booked, we relaxed. And then realised how hungry we were. Wed thoroughly enjoyed the food here, but at that time, our battered bodies needed comfort food. Had been to an Indian joint, Dubbs restaurant, before. So went there, and had the best combination one could have - dal tarka, jeera aloo and jeera rice. As this was the second time we were all visiting Istanbul, sightseeing/shopping was not on our agenda. We just wanted to chill, go around and cud chew our holiday. So am sharing with you all some awsome moments and memories, and the feel of the place, and not just pictures like a tourist. Happy viewing :) Sid , there will be a few more posts even after I reach home, but would like to thank you here, for letting me take all my friends to Turkey ;) Appreciate it, truly! Hope you all are packed, the flight is in a few hours :D
Posted on: Fri, 19 Sep 2014 14:25:32 +0000
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