Erten Konak Hotel Istanbul

... visions of us like two bag people under a bridge for the night but all worked out well and we were moved up to another hotel just around the corner and a small upgrade you see getting **** on did bring some luck . This one was called the Hotel Continental, about 3 stars, but was like a mansion, awesome room.<br><br>We met up with Bob and Judy for a nice dinner and then headed off to bed.<br><br>Next day we got up and headed down for breaky and it was ******* down with ...

... hours. Mehmet lost consciousness, everyone shouted and yelled his name, and the tiny "doctor" gave him CPR. Some people on the bus laughed, some cried, and some were unaffected. Kelly and Brittany, being the only English-speaking people on the bus, were very confused. They tried to tell the 'doctor' that we should take Mehmet to the hospital. They did not take our suggestion. Finally a few hours later the bus pulled over on the side of the road and an ambulence came to get Mehmet ...

... must be huge as the skippers throw them around like huge speedboats. Again I am reminded of the Sydney waterfront, where similar sized docile ferries amble out on their way to Manly. Not here, this is a place of performance as they hustle for position at the wharfs, tying up for what seems like seconds as the passengers flow ...

... up until a few weeks ago we were the one being. Standing in the concourse of the station I wasn't quite sure of its location in comparison to the city centre so I was happy to just sit somewhere and await the next train. Unfortunately the police weren't so pleased with this scenario; every time I sat down they would be over to tell me to get up. I was tired from the nights traveling and starting to get a bit cranky with what I felt was unnecessary harassment. To prevent myself from ...

... and had breakfast at a local café and ordered a 'Turkish Breakfast'. It was very refreshing (a contrast to the breakfasts in Hong Kong) and consisted of cucumber, tomato, salami, fetta, and bread. I felt healthier after eating it. I then went for a bit of an uneducated wander and ended up in the Grand Bazaar. It is a massive place with over 4,000 shops selling a range of items from rugs to fake polos to jewellery. At one stage I was pulled aside by a guy selling jeans. He took me ...

3/7-6/7 Crossing the border into turkey was definitely the most troublesome we have had. Not because of the border guards, they were quite nice and understanding, but it was because we had no idea what we were doing. After first trying to just drive trough we got redirected to the visa area, where we had to buy a visa. We then had to register our car and after abut 5 stamps we were able to go through. We were greeted with a road in the middle of reconstruction, and ...

... For your pain," she explained, as if that were the most normal thing in the world. "I don't want an injection," I told her. "I wanted to get a doctor to check me out." "You'll have to come back tomorrow for that during daily work hours. Until then, we can give you a shot for your pain." "I'm not letting them give me an injection," I told Karen. She agreed. We didn't thank them, and we walked out of the clinic (were kicked out, really) grumbling ...

... that fills to the brim with people. The drivers are so skilled. They manage to drive, exchange money, sh&#305;ft, smoke a c&#305;garette, wh&#305;z through the hect&#305;c Istanbul streets, and take an occas&#305;onal phone call, the same t&#305;me.) a ferry (the water was extremely choppy but &#305; managed to not get sea s&#305;ck) and a metro/tram(also packed to the br&#305;m.) So that kind of gives you an idea of how b&#305;g th&#305;s city &#305;s. The b&#305;ggest ...

... plane. We're headed to the cart rental and then the money exchange. That's Julie's priority. First we get in line to pay our $20 for our Turkish Visa, then clear customs, which is like walking thru check in. Cart rentals are Julie's first priority. However, to get a cart, you need one Turkish lira. The money exchange is conveniently located in front of the cart rental. I exchanged $100 US for 119 Turkish lira. If only I could do that well with my investments at home! Then ...

... planned. The room not only had a flat screen TV and the most comfy beds in the world, but we were upgraded so we had our own private courtyard overlooking the ocean. The City itself was so beautiful, the people and their hospitality, the amazing cafes to the historical landmarks that seemed to be everywhere that we looked. Unfortunately I was still unwell from my Kebab ...