Sept 24: 1-4 Istanbul

Sunday 1 Sept 

The plane was only 25% full so there was plenty of room to spread out. 

Took ages to get through passport control - got in the wrong queues twice before finding the right one. Found Mike's bag at luggage reclaim but no sign of mine. Eventually had to report it - seems that it might not have left Manchester yet!

Given an emergency kit from Turkish Airlines.

Funny name 🤣

Taxi to the hotel where they took a copy of the info and promised to chase it up.

 

So our first evening was spent looking round shops for a change of clothes for me 🙄 as we listened to the call to prayer from the nearby mosque.

Monday 2 Sept 

No sign of the luggage. Hotel desk said they were waiting for a reply from Manchester.

Not looking particularly happy in my emergency t shirt 🙄 Very hard to find anything to buy when you are in the middle of the tourist area.

Walked down towards the Hagia Sofya mosque. Eventually found a long queue for tickets. Queued. Bought tickets. Then looked at the queue to actually get in and decided to come back later. 

Went for a meal before visiting the museum. Interesting slide show tour through the turbulent times over the years of the building - and some interesting relics. Since 537 it has been a church then mosque then museum. In 2020 it again became a mosque. 

Purple became a royal colour during the Byzantine era - it was a rare and labour intensive dye (made from the mucus of sea snails) and therefore showed wealth and authority. Royal children were 'born to the purple'.

 

Then back to the mosque where the huge queue had totally gone. 

Place of worship so heads and knees had to be covered. Mike's shorts just made the grade. 

Another small meal and a sit down before a visit to the Basilica Cistern - built in 532.

There are 336 marble and granite columns - many of them salvaged from ruined temples, hence all the different carvings. 

Medusa heads which would originally have been under water. 

Impressive place but expensive to get in (like most places here lol) - think we were paying for the modern art in the water and the mood lighting 🤣

Then a walk back through the Grand Bazaar.

After walking to the wrong hotel (there are five Double Tree Hilton's in Istanbul apparently 😁) we eventually got back. 

Still no sign of my bag so off for a bit more shopping. Then back to try to find out what we need to do about the luggage.. 🙄 

Another t shirt. Good things take time - as does luggage.. 🙄

If there is no word on the luggage we have been advised to go to the customer services desk at the airport on Wednesday morning - if it is manned in the early hours!

Tuesday 3 Sept 

Restless night. Need the air con on for the heat but it messes with my nasal passages which is why I always bring a Vick inhaler. So where is that? In my luggage. Never mind I'll take a paracetamol to clear my headache. Where are they? In my luggage 🙄 luckily Mike has a few. Ho hum..

Walked down towards the Blue Mosque and saw a chemist. Got some Nivea face cream, deodorant and sun cream - bet the pharmacist was wondering why I was teary. Nivea! Such a treat after the hotel body lotion (which tbf wasn't too bad!) First world problems.. 😁

Breakfast in a little cafe. Sutlac (rice pudding) and kunefe (bit like sweetened shredded wheat) - both really nice.

The Blue Mosque. 

Down to the Bosphorus and across to the other side.

Lovely embroidery machine in the bazaar.

Lunch at small fish bar on the quay.

Fish was very fresh - came straight from the fish stall next door.

Bit more sight seeing and then a slow amble back to our hotel. Too hot to look for a boat trip.

Arrived back at the hotel and had some (semi) good news - the luggage had been located in Manchester and would be on the next flight to Istanbul which would arrive at 11pm to then be forwarded to the hotel tomorrow. One problem: we leave at 7am for Tashkent. The luggage saga continues..