Istanbul Not Constantinople

How is it already FRIDAY????  I feel like we just got back from our trip to Turkey a minute ago, and here it's been almost a week.  I was completely dead for a couple of days after our return, but after spending most of the last week napping with my feet elevated to combat the crazy swelling, I'm feeling much better and finally ready to recap our Turkish Delightful experience (groan, I know, it's okay).

Things got off to kind of a rocky start on Monday.  I had miscalculated when plotting out our agenda of waking up, dropping the dogs off at "camp", and driving to the airport, which led to us flying down the autobahn at about 150 kph, and making it to the check-in counter at exactly one hour before take off, right before they closed the flight.  We were already feeling pretty stressed, so when the lady checking us in started making noises about how I wasn't going to be able to board the aircraft because I was SO PREGNANT (you know, at 25 weeks, yeah, I'm about to go into labor at any moment) we came pretty close to losing our shit.  She kept asking for proof of how far along I was, which I didn't have because I was under the impression that I could fly without a doctor's note until 28 weeks.  She finally let us go to our gate, and I spent most of the walk and wait at security on the phone with a nurse at the hospital trying to explain why I needed a doctor's note even though I was technically authorized to fly without one.
We eventually were let through with our boarding passes, and as we're walking down the jetway ANOTHER Turkish Airlines employee came running up to me, asking me how far along I am.  Let me tell you, I was feeling pretty great about myself at that point.  But we were on the plane when it took off, and all the stress seemed to be behind us.  We had an amazing flight, and despite the pregnancy issues, I would love to fly Turkish Airlines again.  We landed and got checked in to the beautiful and perfectly located Doubletree in Istanbul's Old Town, then set off to find our way to the Whirling Dervishes show at the Hodja Pasha Cultural Center.
I'd printed directions from Google Maps, and Colby got us exactly where they led us... unfortunately it wasn't where we needed to be going.  We found ourselves in a labrynthine maze of streets surrounded by stray cats, delivery boys racing around with mysterious carts piled high with burlap bags and boxes, and absolutely nothing remotely touristy in sight.  We probably talked to five different Turks who spoke extremely limited to no English about how to get where we were going, and they all stared at the map in puzzlement, then gave us directions that led us nowhere once more.  It was disappointing since I really was looking forward to the show and we'd prebooked tickets, but it was also kind of hilarious, especially in retrospect.  We ended up spending the evening sitting at a street cafe eating and people watching until we were ready to crash.
Fortunately, after that less than auspicious start, the rest of our trip was absolutely amazing and I fell completely in love with Turkey.  Istanbul was simultaneously exactly what I had hoped it would be, and so, so different from what I'd expected.  The people were friendly, the city was quite clean, the sites were beautiful, and as much as I'm not a religious person, hearing the call to prayer became my favorite part of the day.  There was something so perfectly mystical and magical about Istanbul, and I'm so excited to share my love for it with you over the next week.

Comments

[The Incubator]

Can't wait to see more -- and so glad you got to have this experience while still a "young couple"!!:) Did you see signs on Lionheart there?

[elle sees]

i want to visit there! my friend is 23 weeks with twin girls, so i keep telling her about your blog! she doesn't even have email (seriously) though.
kudos for the TMBG title reference!!
having synesthesia, i'm awful with directions. awful.

[erin - heart in ireland]

that looks like an amazing trip! istanbul is one of my top places i need to visit!

but boo for the airline giving you so many problems - did you have any issues on the way home?

[Jessica]

Wow that looks amazing. Jealous of all of your European travels! Ugh that stuff is so close over there.

[Kate P]

Already the beginning of the story sounds cool! Eagerly awaiting more. :)

[Molly]

At the risk of sounding like a weird bloggy stalker, I've been avoiding your blog in my reader all week so that I could sit down and read about your trip and not have to rush! IT'S FINALLY TIME!!!

Your trip through the airport sounds like something out of a romantic comedy - actually getting lost in Turkey could probably be included in the movie too- I'm so glad they let you fly in the end!