The day my suitcase got upgraded to business class
My favourite route from Entebbe to London: via Istanbul with Turkish Airlines
My hands were full. With one hand I pulled my suitcase on wheels; in the other I was carrying – and trying to quickly drink – a hot cup of coffee before boarding my early morning flight to Istanbul.
A member of Turkish Airlines staff smiled at me and grabbed hold of my trolley to help me walk down to the plane. She introduced herself as Kesvar. “You’re the nicest person I’ve met all day,” I said, relieved to be past Heathrow’s hard-nosed, sarcastic security personnel.
“I believe in karma,” she said. “I always help pregnant ladies and old people.” (Which category did she think I fell into – I had to wonder!)
A special thank you to the lovely Kesvar, a member of the Turkish Airlines ground crew at Heathrow Airport
My new friend Kesvar and I chatted all the way down to the plane. We talked about Istanbul, my next stop. “You must go and eat fish and bread next to the Bosphorus,” she insisted. We talked about fabulous Turkish food. We agreed how easy it is to get into Istanbul city centre from the airport. It’s cheap too! Istanbul has made sure that a short stopover in the megapolis is as easy as possible. Talking to Kesvar was like being welcomed to Istanbul and I hadn’t even left London!
Marvel at Istanbul’s incredible architecture on a boat ride along the Bosphorus. The journey takes you through hundreds of years of history
By the time my little suitcase and I boarded the plane, I was one of the last. Everywhere I looked, the overhead lockers appeared full. There was no room in the locker above my seat so I wandered up and down the aisle looking for a little space. There was none in economy.
I managed to get the attention of one of the airhostesses who invited me to follow her into business class. We giggled as we shuffled the other bags around so we could wedge my lucky little suitcase into a corner of one of the business class lockers. It was quite a workout!
Finally in my seat, I settled down to watch the quirkiest airline safety video. I’ve watched these videos so times that I tend to switch off when they start. The Turkish Airlines video grabbed my attention though. Even though it was played in Turkish to start with (then later in English), I couldn’t help but be drawn in by the clever graphics. Meet internet sensation Zack King!
This is Zack King. The off-the-wall style of the Turkish Airways in-flight safety video was great viewing – I loved watching it (twice!)
It’s a brilliantly done piece with animation and subtitles throughout. My sister Sarah is deaf. I know how left out she feels when other airlines don’t provide subtitles on in-flight entertainment. The Turkish Airlines safety video even has an interpretive signer. Sarah would love it!
I always enjoy Turkish Airlines’ meals and they were as good as ever: a tasty salad, a pasta dish and chocolate dessert.
Suleymaniye Mosque. Diary of a Muzungu visits Istanbul on a stopover between London and Entebbe
Breathtaking! An interior view of Hagia Sophia / Aya Sofya is a highlight of an Istanbul city tour
Although I had planned three days in Istanbul, unfortunately commitments in Entebbe meant I could not delay as planned. Nonetheless, my short stopover at Ataturk Airport in Istanbul allowed me time to sample some delicious honey-flavoured baklava and a cold Efes beer and stock up on boxes of Turkish Delight for friends in Kampala. Two hours free Wi-Fi gave me plenty of time for me to catch up with everyone.
Drink a Turkish Efes beer in Istanbul! Or better still, take a few days and explore the city, en route between London and Entebbe
There is so much more to see in Istanbul! Read my blogs about this superb and accessible city.
Crossing continents – the Muzungu’s Istanbul city tour and A day in … Istanbul.
Breathtaking! An aerial view of Istanbul at night
Travel tips
- – Since my flight departed early, I slept overnight in a futuristic pod at Yotel in Terminal Four. Turkish Airlines depart from Terminal Two. It took five minutes to reach the lower ground floor and catch the Heathrow Express train which runs free of charge between the terminals and arrives every 15 minutes. The journey between terminals four and two takes five minutes. Once inside Terminal Two, there is a five-minute walk (with travelators) to the departures area.
- – I had checked in online. At departures, all I had to do was scan my passport at the booth, input the number of hold bags and the machine printed out my luggage tags and boarding pass. It could not have been easier. On this flight I had two 20 kg bags (thank you very much) + 8 kg allowance for cabin baggage. I always plastic wrap my bags (£12.50 each at Heathrow). Having a light canvas holdall means the weight allowance goes on the contents of the bag, not the bag itself. The bag drop next to check-in was quick. All I had to do was show my boarding pass.
- – Before you pass through security at Heathrow Airport, double check for small amounts of liquids hidden in hand luggage. I left a tube of toothpaste in my carry-on bag so security insisted on going through the whole bag with a fine toothcomb.
- – If you are in a rush, avoid standing in line behind people with kids and a pushchair. Every single part of the pushchair has to be scanned. The poor mother of the family in front of me was totally unprepared for this – she had turned up at the airport with bags full of liquids and creams for the baby. Each liquid had to be tested individually.
- – Don’t get on the plane last if you have a suitcase to stow in the cabin – learn by my mistakes!
My flights from London via Istanbul and onto Entebbe went without a hitch. Air travel isn’t always so smooth – you might get a giggle out of these two air travel stories:
Crossing continents – the Muzungu’s Istanbul city tour
Crossing continents – the Muzungu’s Istanbul city tour
The Muzungu loves to explore new places on her own but this time top of things to do in Istanbul was: a personal Istanbul tour guide!
Istanbul’s most popular city tour takes in Sultanahmet, a confusion of cobbled streets, imposing architecture, vibrant shops and lively cafes. Whether you are on foot, or public transport, it couldn’t be easier to find your way around. Sultanahmet is beautifully maintained and well signposted. Along the way, you can pause for snacks, delicious Turkish meals at pavement cafes – even a Turkish bath!
Our Istanbul tour first led us to the Turkish capital’s spiritual centre, Sultanahmets Park, particularly popular after mosque on Ramadan evenings when folk come together to celebrate what they do best: eat and drink, both central to Turkish culture.
View Diary of a Muzungu’s Istanbul tour in a larger map
With the grand edifice of Aya Sofia at one end and the Blue Mosque at the other, Sultanahmets Park’s pretty but formal garden is built over the remains of the great Palace of Byzantium. Symbolism and history are woven into the very fabric of everything you see and touch on an Istanbul tour.
Istanbul’s 3000 mosques and dozens of museums showcase Byzantine and Ottoman history and culture, writ large. Looking for Things to do in Istanbul? Then visit just one building in Istanbul: Aya Sofya.
Aya Sofya captures the essence of Istanbul and Turkey
Commonly acknowledged as one of the world’s greatest buildings, Aya Sofya captures the essence of Istanbul and Turkey. The beauty of its interior embraces a rich transcontinental history and the significant religious shifts of two millennia. Built in the sixth century, this remarkable building features a dazzling collection of mosaic portraits. You could visit Aya Sofya many times before you could get to grips with just a fraction of its history.
Aya Sofya was commissioned by Emperor Justinian and consecrated as a church in 537. It was converted to a MOSQUE by Mehmet the Conqueror in 1453, and declared a museum by Atatürk in 1934.
The most notable architectural aspect of Aya Sofya is the size of the central dome, which measures over 55 metres from ground level, and over 30 metres in diameter. (Quite big then!) It has been rebuilt and strengthened more than once in its history, following damage by earthquakes and fire.
I particularly loved the eight huge 19th-century ‘medallions,’ inscribed with the names of Allah, Muhammad, the four caliphs and the grandsons of Muhammad. Apparently these calligraphic panes are the largest ones in the Islamic world. They are simply beautiful.
Understand the history of Aya Sofya and you will understand Istanbul.
Known as Hagia Sophia in Greek, in English Aya Sofya is called Church of the Divine Wisdom.
Aya Sofya’s reinvention continues to this day. This church cum mosque cum museum even features in the latest Dan Brown novel “Inferno.”
Documentary filmmaker Göksel Gülensoy and his exploratory scuba team have located flooded basins lying hundreds of feet beneath Istanbul’s heavily touristed religious structure. In the process, they discovered numerous architectural wonders, including the 800 year old submerged graves of martyred children, as well as submerged tunnels connecting Hagia Sophia to Topkapı Palace.
Like an iceberg, “I believe what is beneath Hagia Sophia [Aya Sofya] is much more exciting than what is above the surface,” said the filmmaker.
Titillating Topkapi Palace
A presidential palace, the centre of government and key ministries, and army headquarters, according to Lonely Planet, “this Palace is the subject of more colourful stories than most of the world’s museums put together.”
Unfortunately Topkapi Palace was shut the Sunday I was in Istanbul, but if you want to visit a harem and get the lowdown on the antics of eunuchs, sultans and their concubines, make sure your Istanbul tour guide includes this on your Istanbul city tour. The Gate of Salutation, the Circumcision Room, the Courtyard of Favourites, the Handkerchief Room and the Courtyard of Black Eunuchs are just some of the titillating places to explore!
The Spice Bazaar, also known as the Egyptian Market, is now open on Sundays
Smaller than the Grand Bazaar, the vividly coloured pyramids of spices and multicoloured displays of gem-like Turkish delight captivate your senses. (My mouth is watering just remembering it all!)
At Gőzde, shop No. 23 in the Spice Bazaar, I loaded myself up with spices and Turkish Delight. Forget the factory-produced glucose substitutes, real Turkish delight is an art form. Apparently, vacuum-packed fresh Turkish delight can last for three months; vacuum-packed baklava can last a week. (To be honest, it was all gobbled up well before then!)
Don’t mind the crowds; it’s all part of the Spice Bazaar experience, an essential on any Istanbul tour.
We passed female couples, shopping: “The girls shop, and the mother in law pays for it,” said my Istanbul tour guide. Hasan informed me there are incredible 15,000 shops along Mahmutpaşa Yokuşa, the area of streets between the two markets.
A boat trip on the Bosphorus Strait is the best way to appreciate the scale of the Turkish megapolis
Istanbul stretches east and west – as far as the eye can see? No, further. I can’t get my head round the scale of this city.
Our Bosphorus boat cruise took us across continents, transcending cultures and passing through centuries of history. Each riverside building tells a story: of conquering armies, intrepid merchants and traveling traders. Either side of the river are ornate Ottoman palaces, Egyptian stone fortresses and timber mansions.
We passed art nouveau style villas and hunting lodges, buildings constructed by the foreign ambassadors of the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. My guide points to the Palace where, in 1938, Atatürk died. He tells me about the Military ‘academy’ used as a hospital by the English during World War I and by Florence Nightingale during the Crimea War of 1856. Just as you imagine the density of buildings may lessen, another well populated hill comes into view.
Palaces have been converted into luxury hotels, universities and private apartments. These are now the most sought after addresses in the city, owned by media tycoons, bankers and industrialists.
The article The Bosphorus through the Eyes of European Travelers elaborates further.
Two million commuters now cross back and forth across the waters of the Bosphorus every day. (97% of Istanbul’s residents commute from the Asian side).
The Marmaray undersea tunnel linking ‘Europe’ and ‘Asia’ – as Istanbul’s two opposite riverbanks are known – is complete. “In theory it brings closer the day when it will be possible to travel from London to Beijing via Istanbul by train.” Wow wee, imagine that! Marmaray is not yet fully operational however.
As the sun set over the Bosphorus, our cruise boat made its way back to the quayside below the Süleymaniye Mosque, now bathed in warm evening light. This old city major landmark, in the spiritual heart of the Bazaar district, stands majestically on one of Istanbul’s seven hills.
“What are you doing in Istanbul?” asked Hercule Poirot
And the final stop of my walking tour? A nice cold Efes beer at the Orient Express café, situated on the platform where the famous train makes its final stop, and a chance to chat about everyday Turkish life with my erudite Istanbul tour guide Hasan.
I fully expected to bump into Hercule Poirot.
“At the small table, sitting very upright, was one of the ugliest old ladies he had ever seen. It was an ugliness of distinction – it fascinated rather than repelled.” ― Agatha Christie, Murder on the Orient Express.
Istanbul Tour Tips
- Having a professional Istanbul tour guide made for a fascinating excursion. Rather than have my head buried in a book – and miss half of what I was there to see – Hasan gave me a comprehensive insight into the history that has built and shaped Istanbul. He anticipated my gazillion questions while I gawped in admiration at the sights.
- My Istanbul city tour was organised in advance through Hello Tourism who put together a bespoke itinerary based on the things I wanted to see and do in Istanbul. The agency pre-booked Aya Sofya and ferry tickets so we didn’t have to wait in line with all the other tourists.
- I’m not normally one to shirk the chance of trying out a new language, but on this occasion I limited myself to Türkçe bilmiyorum (I can’t speak Turkish).
- The Ministry of Culture and Tourism runs a number of tourist information booths across Istanbul.
- The Istanbulkart is a travel card for discounted public transport. It can be purchased for a refundable deposit of 10 Turkish lira. The Istanbulkart can be recharged using the machines at Metro and bus stations and by the ferry.
- The boat trip along the Bosphorus cost 12 Turkish lira. Definitely one of the Things to Do in Istanbul.
- Three days is an ideal amount of time to set aside to explore Istanbul (although I could very easily spend a lot longer there!)
- For more Istanbul tour ideas, read Diary of a Muzungu’s … A Day in Istanbul.
Have you been on a tour of Istanbul? What are your favourite things to do in Istanbul?
Turkish Delightful – the restaurant in the sky
How to fly from Uganda to London – fly via Istanbul with Turkish Airlines!
Flying with a national carrier gives you an insight into a new culture.
On my Turkish Airlines flight to London via Istanbul, staff passed down the aisles sharing a huge tray of fresh Turkish Delight. Later we were served small packets of Turkish-grown hazelnuts, figs, walnuts and cherry juice; the Turkish wine and Pilsner lager (Turkish of course!) went down well too. And dinner was still to come …
Suleymaniye Mosque. Diary of a Muzungu visits Istanbul
On our flight from Entebbe to Istanbul, everyone had their own individual entertainment systems and access to the latest films. The sound was good, the touchscreen worked easily and I had plenty of legroom. The seats were very comfy and the planes very clean. Turkish Airlines got me in the holiday mood that’s for sure!
The advantage of being a single traveller is sometimes you’re seated in the area next to the emergency doors, the idea being if you’re not responsible for anyone else, you’re easier to call on in an emergency. You have the option of refusing, but I didn’t mind at all; here I had plenty of extra legroom (and the Muzungu saved herself the unwanted embarrassment of my previous flight!)
I love aeroplane food
I can’t help but get excited when I see the little assembly of food containers on a tray. I guess it takes me back to happy family holidays as a child.
Diary of a Muzungu visits Istanbul with Turkish Airlines
The arrival of dinner was announced with a colourful printed menu listing the starters, choice of main course, desserts and drinks. Vegetarian options are always available (confirm this when you book). None of the food products contain pork.
We were trusted with metal cutlery! (And the food tasted better for it).
There seemed to be a wait between the menus and the food arriving. I realised later it was because bread rolls were being freshly cooked – even at 30,000 feet! The food was excellent, incredibly fresh and very tasty, Turkish Mediterranean flavours like spicy tomato, fresh (not tinned) olives and eggplant; chicken or minced meat were the other options
The Muzungu was met at Istanbul by Hello Tourism
Oh what a treat. Rather than lugging my heavy bags by myself, I was greeted by a very courteous driver at the airport. Within minutes I was whisked away in a very clean SUV, lined with obligatory Turkish carpet. We zoomed into Istanbul city centre. Arriving early Sunday morning meant there was no traffic.
I can see the sea!
“I’m almost in Europe!” I told myself. I never thought I would miss Europe but, despite lack of sleep, my growing excitement told me I had.
Diary of a Muzungu visits Istanbul with Turkish Airlines. Turkish Airlines provides flights to uganda from london. View of cruise ship on the Bosphorus, Istanbul
After dumping my bags at Olimpiyat Hotel, in the heart of the old city, it was time to explore.
3 – 4000 cruiseships pass through Istanbul every year. These ships are immense, the size of a small town.
TURKEY TRAVEL TIPS
- Keep a print-out of a currency ‘cheat sheet’ in your pocket: it avoids some of the newly-arrived traveler’s confusion between currencies (Ugandan shillings / Euros / Turkish lira). Cheatsheets are so handy, particularly when you first arrive in a new country
- Buy local: Turkish coffee is 5 Turkish lira, whereas imported cappuccino, for example, is 6.5 lira.
Coffee on the Bosphorus. Diary of a Muzungu visits Istanbul with Turkish Airlines.
- Women travellers: put a headscarf in your bag. You might want to think about covering up your shoulders too, especially if you are entering a mosque while sightseeing.
- Turkish Airways online check-in: I did struggle a bit with the online check-in system. Much of it is in Turkish. If you get stuck, contact your local booking office.
- How to purchase your Turkish Airlines ticket: Flights to Uganda from London can be bought online. In Kampala, flights from Entebbe to Istanbul, and flights from Entebbe to London – or anywhere else in the world – can be bought at Turkish Airlines office in Nakasero.
- Bag wrap: I always use this when I have to change planes. Get your hold baggage wrapped in cellophane when you first check in your baggage; it cost me £9 GBP per item at Heathrow (don’t remember the price at Entebbe) and always gives me peace of mind when my bags are in transit.
- Do you have problems sleeping on a flight? Here are some travel tips on how to sleep on a plane.
Diary of a Muzungu visits Istanbul. Turkish Airlines provides flights to uganda from london
- Transfer without boarding pass: look out for this sign when you are transiting with Turkish Airlines through Istanbul. Go to the information desk and they’ll guide you.
- At Gate 205, Istanbul airport, there is an excellent little coffee shop. Turkish coffee is by far the cheapest option. Cappuccinos et cetera are very expensive although excellent. You can even have beer and a huge freshly baked simits (sesame seed covered bread ring) or snack. Surely this is how all airport lounges should be?
- Don’t get off in the wrong country!
Diary of a Muzungu nearly visits Kigali. Turkish Airlines provides flights to Uganda from London
I flew back to Uganda from Istanbul on an overnight flight. I’d been dozing when the pilot announced we were going to land. I grabbed my things from the overhead lockers.
The bags were heavy and the man next to me got out of his seat to help me. I struggled down the plane aisle, thanked the staff, exited the plane and – just as I was about to walk down the steps onto the tarmac – looked up to see a huge sign saying Welcome to Kigali International airport.
I stopped.
I turned around.
I walked ‘the walk of shame’ back to my seat with 100 people looking at me, suppressing smiles.
The sign at Istanbul airport had clearly mentioned two destinations – but I had been half asleep…
DISCLOSURE: This blog is based on my personal experience. I traveled to Istanbul courtesy of Turkish Airlines. The Istanbul city tour was provided courtesy of Hello Tourism tour agency. For more information about sponsorship and advertising on Diary of a Muzungu, read the Terms and Conditions.
Do you like aeroplane food? Have you visited Istanbul? Have you ever got off a plane in the wrong country?!
The Muzungu’s travel highlights of 2011 – Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Ethiopia, South Africa, Turkey!
Travel highlights – from across Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa, Ethiopia and Turkey
If 2011 was busy, 2012 looks set to be busier still! Here are a few of 2011’s highlights for Diary of a Muzungu, Uganda travel blog …
Nairobi to Lake Naivasha Relay – local Maasai watched bemused as 100 Hashers ran through Hell’s Gate National Park
Travel to Kenya
The annual Naivasha Relay (84 km from Nairobi to Lake Naivasha) is one of the highlights of Nairobi Hash House Harriers’ calendar.
40 Ugandan Hashers travelled from Kampala to Kenya for the week-end party (I mean run!) I ran my share of tghe relay- 3 km to be exact – ‘good enough’ as we say in UG.
The weekend started with a 12 hour bus journey: The real ‘boda boda’ experience – travelling sidesaddle into Kenya.
Travel across Rwanda
A full day’s travelling by bus across Uganda, through Kigali, and onto the fabulous Volcanoes National Park (Parc Nationale des Virungas) to stay at Le Bambou Gorilla Village in Kinigi.
The muzungu travelled with her personal physician
Rwanda’s reputation precedes it in many positive ways nowadays.
The smooth tarmac in Kigali made a pleasant change from Uganda’s potholes; the legal obligation to wear a helmet on a boda boda (motorbike taxi) in Kigali came as a bit of a shock after Kampala’s very relaxed attitude to road safety!
A flight to South Africa via Nairobi
TIP: next time you fly, look at the map before you select your seat – choose a window seat, check which side of the plane to sit and have your camera ready. Some of my most memorable travel moments of 2011 have been from on high (and I haven’t even joined the Mile High Club yet!)
- Mount Kilimanjaro through the clouds;
- Traversing the seemingly endless azure blue of Lake Malawi;
- Skirting around the edges of Tanzania’s Ngorongoro Crater;
- Seeing volcanoes emerge over the horizon as we approached Nairobi;
- The shot of Kilimanjaro – en route to Johannesburg – is a favourite. Sigh …
Daybreak at 30,000 feet – Mt. Kilimanjaro in the distance
Johannesburg, South Africa
U2′s ‘Beautiful Day’ will forever remind me of a great ten days in Johannesburg, with a great friend and her beautiful daughter, and something deeper – retracing my political and musical roots:
South Africa – Under a blood red sky with U2
Thank you Holly! For the trip, for the friendship and for being a part of my journey as a Voluntary Service Overseas volunteer.
Ethiopia
Hashing – the ‘drinking club with a running problem’ – led me on a very merry dance (hic!) around Ethiopia for two truly memorable weeks. I can’t stop reliving and writing about Ethiopia, here’s one of my posts:
Africa Hash, Ethiopia – Feeling IRIE in Addis Ababa
Traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony overlooking Tissisat Falls
A stopover in Istanbul, Turkey
On a trip back home to the UK, I stopped over in Istanbul for a day. Istanbul looks like my kind of place.
A day in … Istanbul got me thinking about how much I’d like to be travelling and writing about travel full-time.
Travel across Uganda
This year, I was excited to take part in the Uganda Wildlife Authority’s new tourism experience: Walking with Mongooses, a really fun and informative day out in Queen Elizabeth National Park. You may have watched the BBC’s ‘Banded Brothers’ TV series, all about these fascinating fellas.
Muzungu with Mongooses at Mweya, Queen Elizabeth National Park
This year has been a year for:
WRITING – articles for The Eye Magazine Rwanda, Uganda’s Business Today magazine and writing and producing Uganda Matters, the annual newsletter for the Uganda Conservation Foundation.
Diary of a Muzungu has been featuring on Lonely Planet since 2009 (PHEW! no wonder I’m knackered!)
Diary of a Muzungu was a Lonely Planet Featured Blogger from 2009 to 2012
CONNECTING – with published authors, Lonely Planet bloggers and the global travel blogosphere. Thanks in particular to Todd Wassel at Todd’s Wanderings, for the beautiful and fantabulous Around the World with 40 Lonely Planet bloggers ebook; Mazarine Treyz of Wildwoman Fundraising for her boundless creativity and energy; Wandering Trader Marcello Arrambide who dropped by Kampala and shared some awesome tips on travel blogging. Writing and blogging can be an introspective way to spend your spare time – but you guys keep me motivated. Thank you so much!
CHANGING CAREERS – I’ve always said that in Uganda, “business is social and social is business” and I like it that way…
After two and a half years as a VSO volunteer for the Uganda Conservation Foundation, it was time to move on and employ a local man to take over my role. I’m so proud to have been part of UCF (work trips to the Bush – safari yeah!)
A big achievement. Launch of the Pan African Conservation Education training manual, Ggaba PTC, Kampala with the Uganda Conservation Foundation team and Voluntary Service Overseas,
Despite the global recession, UCF’s donors continue to support our work with the Uganda Conservation Foundation. The Uganda Wildlife Authority is so pleased with UCF’s work in Queen Elizabeth National Park that UCF is now working with them to tackle poaching and human wildlife conflict in Murchison Falls National Park. (Damn, that’s one trip I missed out on!) As you can see, I still talk about UCF in the present tense and I’ll continue to do as much as I can to promote this fantastic charity.
Life as a VSO volunteer in Uganda has certainly had its ups and downs. It’s been a truly incredible three years so far. I love life in Uganda – but it does sometimes get the better of me:
Shotgun wedding – a surreal and intense day
Here’s a bit more about life as a volunteer in Uganda –
Still counting myself lucky! 2 years on …
So why am I still in Uganda? Here’s one reason – one of my favourite blogs from last year:
Early morning sights and sounds
Happy New Year everyone!
A day in … Istanbul
Looking for Things to do in Istanbul?
Istanbul looks like my kind of place.
Obviously, you can’t see that much of a new city in one day but my day in Istanbul gave me a feel for the city and helped me plan a longer trip there some time later:
Crossing continents – the Muzungu’s Istanbul city tour – my brief stopover certainly whet my appetite to see more of Istanbul!
Entrance to the Blue Mosque, Istanbul, Turkey
I arrived in Istanbul at nine o’clock in the morning.
Istanbul’s Atatürk airport is modern, clean and well-organised. The tiny tourist information office is at the far end of the hall, worth a visit for a free map and advice on where to spend your day. Opposite is the Left Luggage counter where, for between 10-15 Turkish lira (US$5–8 per item), you can stow all your hand luggage. I hadn’t had much sleep so I hung out at Starbucks and hooked up to their free wireless and checked with my Lonely Planet blogger and Twitter friends on ‘must-do’s in Istanbul. This gave me time to acclimatise: Uganda, Turkey, UK. With three currencies to get your head around in less than 24 hours, you need to give yourself a bit of time to adjust. I liked the local menu: breakfast was strong coffee and fig and goat’s cheese roll.
Armed with my new map, I headed straight for the Metro, quick and easy to find, just a short walk from within the main airport building. Public transport in Istanbul is cheap, clean and easy-to-use. Each ticket costs 1.75 Turkish Lira (US$1) and you’ll need two tickets to get into town. There aren’t that many signposts in English but I managed to work things out quite easily (many people don’t speak any English at all but don’t let that deter you).
Courtyard of the famous Blue Mosque. Things to do in Istanbul
Top of my sightseeing list of Things to do in Istanbul was the famous Blue Mosque, approximately 45 minutes by train from the airport. It’s an immense and beautiful structure. Unfortunately I arrived at prayer time so couldn’t enter. Instead, I walked down to the sea along the waterfront, where I watched a dolphin swim in one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes!
Men sat fishing while others played cards, islands in the mist on the horizon in one direction and skyscrapers in the other. I walked back up the hill through some pretty cobbled streets. It was a hot day.
For lunch, just wandering the streets, I grabbed a gigantic bread pretzel coated in sesame seeds and filled with cream cheese. Delicious.
“I’m sure it was this way back to the gate …” Grand Bazaar, Istanbul. things to do in Istanbul
Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar has been on my wish list since forever.
I imagined noise and chaos, of hundreds of traders throwing themselves at me, barging past me with carpets…
My imaginations proved to be seriously outdated: although the architecture is old, it’s less a market, more an enormous shopping mall. I guess I’ve become used to the hectic street markets of Uganda, with their earth floors and ramshackle shops. In stark contrast, the Grand Bazaar’s streets are tiled, the whole place is well lit and each stall is in fact a separate shop front.
Turn left at the scarves, right past the carpets, right again at the antique jewelry… Grand Bazaar, Istanbul. things to do in Istanbul
According to the free guide, “the Grand Bazaar is the oldest and biggest closed Bazaar in the world. It was founded in 1461. Like an enormous labyrinth, it is a spectacular and unique part of the city with 60 streets and over 3600 stores on an area of 30,000 m². It includes five mosques, seven fountains, one stream, one public fountain, 18 gates and 40 public houses.”
It’s possible to walk from the Blue Mosque to the Grand Bazaar; in fact there are interesting streets and buildings all around you. The train from the Bazaar back to the airport takes about 40 minutes.
One thing I’d highly recommend, but didn’t go prepared for, was a Turkish bath and massage, the perfect antidote to a day’s travelling and a night flight. There’s a very reasonably priced Turkish bath between Çemberlitaş train station and the road down to the Nuruosmaniye Gate into the grand Bazaar. Warning: both male and female friends say that massages can be ‘very intimate’!
Cafe culture, Istanbul street, Turkey. things to do in Istanbul
My day in Istanbul cost me less than 50 Turkish lira (US$30), not including the following souvenirs:
- Turkish Delight! This comes in many flavours and always looks beautiful
- Nutty halva and baklava dripping with honey are other favourites
- Turkish slippers for a seven-year-old friend
- Handmade lavender soap
- Baggy Turkish ‘harem’ trousers
- Lapis lazuli beads
- An ‘evil eye’ pendant to ward off evil spirits
- Coffee
On my next trip – I’ll definitely be going back and for longer – I’d love to buy the gold leaf miniature paintings and glass hanging lamps from the Grand Bazaar. Istanbul is a vast city and there’s a ton to do: shopping, sightseeing (mosques, synagogues, churches, museums), dining out, or even hitting the beach.
Istanbul felt very accessible and very safe. I had no hassle at all, just the occasional seller asking me if I wanted to look in their shop, much the norm anywhere.
My Day in Istanbul helped me plan a PROPER visit:
Crossing continents – the Muzungu’s Istanbul city tour
I flew with Turkish Airlines and just LOVED the food.
Have you visited Istanbul? What things to do would you recommend for a Day in Istanbul?
A short-tempered muzungu flies to Istanbul
The overhead screen flips down, up, down and then back up again. Finally it settles to reveal the route we’ll be flying from Entebbe, Uganda, to Istanbul, over two countries that have been in the news non-stop since my last flight overhead: South Sudan (and North of course) and Egypt. There are a number of routes to Uganda from London, but this route has become my favourite.
I’m flying Turkish Airlines for the first time and so far I’m loving it. 40kg baggage is very good for the cheapest flight I could find online, and despite the warning to take only one piece of hand baggage, I arrive with a rucksack, a laptop and a large framed mirror – but no questions asked.
The seating is spacious and comfy. It looks like I may – luxury of luxuries! – have a row of three seats to sleep on (it is 2 a.m. after all).
I’d hoped for some shut-eye at Entebbe and headed for the least congested area of the departure lounge. The metal bench seating was uncomfortable but I was ready to sleep anywhere. Another lady had the same idea: she threw herself violently onto the seating, almost catapulting me off and then proceeded to fidget with each of her bags in turn, throwing herself back hard againist the shared bench every couple of minutes. No chance of sleeping til take-off then.
Damn it. Fat ignorant man arrives to congest the aisle, chuck unwanted blankets and pillows at me, clipping the newspaper I’m reading (no sign of a sorry) and shout loudly to his friend across the aisle from him. Immediate dislike registered!
We settle down. Just after take-off, I make to go to the toilets. I stand up, look around, make the obvious ‘can I get past?’ signs and he eventually looks up and makes a really big deal out of letting me pass. He takes his belt off, but doesn’t get up; he just moves slightly to one side. Just as I try to push past (bum in face? or crotch in face?) the seat in front of him suddenly drops back and I almost sit on him. It’s that woman again! My rowmate mumbles something under his breath.
As I wait my turn for the toilet, I hear sneeze after sneeze coming from the little cabin. Yuck. No way I’m locking myself in there with all those germs.
Back in my seat, there’s turbulence as we fly over South Sudan. It’s not a lot more stable on the ground. News coming out of the country is not good; newspapers report that as much as 10% of the land has been sold, at ridiculously low prices, to foreign interests. In Uganda, everyone’s talking about the opportunities there, but of what benefit to the local people?
I settle – only to smell something nasty… hmm, yes I blame him. I insert the Turkish Airlines-supplied earplugs (where are the noseplugs?) My companion puts his headphones on and starts shouting to his friend above the music.
Thirsty, I yank my bottle of water out of the seat pocket in front of me. With it comes a gooey string of chewing gum thoughtfully rammed inside the pocket by a previous passenger. I try and untangle it. Great.
Sleep quickly draws me in. I wake with a start, as my travelling companion bellows at me and the hostess thrusts a plastic meal tray at me. Behold – metal cutlery! What a pleasant surprise to have the real thing, not plastic. I wolf the food down, eager to get back to sleep.
Then there’s that smell again …
Six hours after leaving Uganda, we touch down in Turkey, en route for the UK and a three week holiday with my nearest and dearest.
Istanbul airport is fabulous: clean, very modern, well signposted and incredibly efficient. As I rifle through my bag looking for my wallet, the clerk orders me to move out of the way and barks at me “Madam you are not ready!”
My passport quivers in anticipation of a new country stamp! I realise, to my chagrin, that I don’t even know whether Turkey is in the EU yet … (quiz me about East Africa and I may have an answer for you, but Europe? Frankly, I’m out of touch).
Selfishly, I’m delighted that Turkey hasn’t joined the EU yet – I get my stamp – it’s worth the £10 and the rudeness of the clerk. (Yes mate, that’s all you are, for all your jumped-up attitude).
If you enjoy my travel diaries, read Airport drama # 1- “The plane is closing!”
If you’re flying to or via Europe, make a stopover in Istanbul – I highly recommend it! Read two favourite blogs A day in … Istanbul and Crossing continents – the Muzungu’s Istanbul city tour.
