Hello from…Istanbul! I bought a last-minute ticket on Friday evening, flew out on Saturday evening, and arrived on Sunday evening. And after almost exactly 24 hours in transit, I am beat. After we landed, I followed the instructions that came up from a “Istanbul airport to city” google search–last-minute flights=no guidebook–and took the metro and tram to Sultanahmet in the old city. That meant an hour sitting surrounded by piles of luggage on crowded trains and struggling through turnstiles with a gigantic backpack, rolling carry-on, and heavy laptop case. Oy. Old Turkish women in headscarves were giving me is-she-crazy looks out of the corner of their eyes as I sweated and struggled.
I’m so tired, I’m barely coherent.
I had a seven-hour layover in Doha, and although I was too tired to go out into the city, the airport is close to town and has a great view over the rooftops. It was surprising to find how much I miss the sights and sounds of the Middle East–it always makes me smile to see men in their white robes, chatting on high-end cell phones. And I’d forgotten how the extreme heat creates a haze that obscures the horizon, giving the impression that you’re in a very hot, very sandy bubble. It was lovely to be back, if only for a while.
And now I’m in Istanbul–love at first sight. Although extreme exhaustion complicated the process of walking over the (very lovely) cobblestones and over-zealous Turkish restaurant owners turned the road into a gauntlet of “hi lady, are you hungry?,” I just can’t get enough. Earlier, I heard the evening call to prayer from the Blue Mosque as I strolled along streets lined with colorful glass lamps. And now, I’m in my top bunk, listening to the sound of a sudden rainstorm on the awnings below; it’s quieted the sounds of the Eid celebrations.
Now, to sleep before I begin the search for a reasonably-priced private room at a hostel with decent internet–because of the time difference, I’ll be working 3:30-midnight, which won’t go over well in a dorm. I’ll leave you with some pictures of my last days in Cape Town, which were wonderful and filled with good people.
http://picasaweb.google.com/eekauppi/CiaoCapeTown?feat=directlink
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| Ciao, Cape Town |