A wet drive

Trip Start Nov 09, 2007
1
32
92
Trip End Feb 03, 2008


Loading Map
Map your own trip!
Map Options
Show trip route
Hide lines
shadow

Flag of Turkey  ,
Thursday, December 6, 2007

The main task for today was to get from Canakkale to Istanbul. I had been dreading this leg a bit because driving in Istanbul is a bit legendary for being hard. We decided to play it safe and ask our hotel to book accommodation in Istanbul ahead for us, worried that we might not be able to get something close to the airport. They were very obliging and arranged it all for us, and even helped me with paying that dreaded parking fine. If you are looking for a fantastic place to stay in Canakkale, I thoroughly recommend the Kervansaray. It's right in the centre, the staff are great the breakfast was good and the rooms are very nice. All-in-all a brilliant place to stay.
 
Unfortunately the weather was terrible today. We had pouring rain all the way from Canakkale to Istanbul. Driving rain and buffeting winds. Worse still, the roads were full of trucks and buses. The volume of traffic increased as we drew closer to Istanbul. The Kervansaray people had given us directions for our hotel in Istanbul so we were confident of an easy time.
 
Something went wrong with the directions or our reading of them or whatever, but we ended up at the airport and not where we were supposed to be. It was too hard to go back to the expressway to try and find the correct road, so instead we looked for a hotel near the airport. Our flight is first thing tomorrow so we wanted to be nearby to return the car and make our flight with ease.
 
By this time the driving was mad. Pounding rain, cars weaving in and out of traffic, trucks flashing their lights, taxis driving like maniacs. We spotted a hotel in the distance and made our way towards it. It said WOW in big letters on the side. We tried a couple of different roads but eventually found the correct way. I dropped Jess at reception to ask pleadingly for a room. All we were missing was the donkey. The initially told her there was no room at the inn, but when they tried to ring around the best they could find was a double room for about $1000 a night (or thereabouts). Jess reports that a suave young manager appeared on the scene and asked what the problem was. When he hear he held up his hand and said 'no, she is to stay here, for 80 euros' and told the receptionist to find us a room.
 
Whoopee! This place is great. Huge room with a bed the size of a tennis court and a widescreen TV. Luxury. I needed a little bit tonight.
Print this entry Istanbul hotels