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Turkey - Gate1 - October 2019
  • Mark Holmes
  • Janet Holmes
  • Mark Holmes
  • Janet Holmes

Turkey - Gate1 - October 2019

Taking advantage of a Travelzoo coupon to save $1100 off of a 13 day Treasures of Turkey tour, we’re heading across the pond once again. Have heard good things about Turkey, despite political upheaval from time to time. もっと詳しく
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  • 旅行の開始
    2019年10月15日
    Turkey - Gate1 - October 2019
    Tasty looking Turkish FoodHot air balloning in CappadociaWhere weve traveled with FindPenguins

    Turkey - October 2019 - Planning stages

    2019年5月5日, アメリカ ⋅ 🌧 70 °F

    Just back from China and still recovering, but those darn coupons that keep appearing everywhere just seem to never stop appearing during moments of weakness! Travelzoo popped up a coupon worth $1100 off a Treasures of Turkey trip and we couldn’t resist. When you can do a 13 day fully escorted trip for two for 5k, including airfare, hotels, many meals and all excursions, it’s hard to turn down (ok, insurance and spending money on miscellaneous items such as tips will probably push that closer to 6k by the time all is said and done.). Still an incredible bargain in my book as have been all the Gate1 trips
    we’ve taken. Now will cross my fingers that markets keep going up and not down so that I can avoid slamming my head against the wall! Will be first time flying Turkish Airways (non stop JFK-IST. Liking those non-stop flights - sick of crazy connections. Looking forward to that Turkish food and hot air ballooning in Cappadocia as well as a day’s excursion to Ephaseus. For a closer look at our itinerary - https://www.gate1travel.com/mediterranean/turke…. (Click the Itinerary tab)

    Booked our tickets today for the CLT-JFK flight (non-stop American). Going in a day early (10/15) and spend a night at a cheap hotel near JFK that offers shuttles. Don’t go out till around 7pm on Wed (10/16) but don’t trust the airlines to get me there the same day and I don’t need that stress.    もっと詳しく

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  • Turkey - Gate1 - October 2019

    Got our Visas

    2019年7月28日, アメリカ ⋅ ☁️ 84 °F

    Dropped $20 each to get our E-visas for Turkey and paid off our trip. Saved about $350 by making final payment with a check (saves 5%) Booked our hotel near JFK for the night before we fly out. Here’s a shot of Cappadocia (where we will be enjoying hot air ballooning!もっと詳しく

  • Turkey - Gate1 - October 2019

    Closing in on Departure!

    2019年10月11日, アメリカ ⋅ 🌙 57 °F

    Well, we ordered some foreign currency today so I guess that means we’re committed to heading off to a developing war zone. Should arrive in Turkey on Thursday the 17th. Hmmm..... Hope it stays far to the east of us and the Kurds don’t retaliate in some fashion on Istanbul or Ankara. Will be interesting to see the mood of the country. I imagine things will be a bit tense.

    I understand tens of thousands of Kurds are fleeing the area and I read somewhere today that it could reach 300,000 even. Now that’s a major problem, not to mention what will happen to all the locked up ISIS prisoners that were being guarded by the Kurds (the Kurds have been supporting the US in their fight against ISIS). Turkey thinks differently and considers them terroists and wants to destroy them (Erdogan believes so anyway - I gather the Turkish people are not thrilled with him). To learn a bit more about the situation, click the link

    https://www.apnews.com/8500277b239b4acab805e5e2….    もっと詳しく

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  • Turkey - Gate1 - October 2019

    Charlotte airport

    2019年10月15日, アメリカ ⋅ ⛅ 70 °F

    Arrived at the Parking Spot around 11:30. Nice sunny day. 70 out. Traffic is light. Listened to Rick Steve’s audio podcast about cheap eats in Istanbul. Cheap is good! Sounds like we’re going to be eating a lot of semit ! https://www.sbs.com.au/food/recipes/turkish-cir…

    Driver from the ParkSpot was super nice. Tipped him accordingly. Bunch of business types on the shuttle. They all stiffed him - no comment.

    Stopped in a Mexican place in the American concourse to grab a salad- most likely won’t get much on the flight to JFK. Meal was actually decent

    Precheck was a breeze. In the terminal 90 minutes prior to boarding.

    Noticed the seats at the gate had wireless charging symbols on the armrests. That’s kinda slick. There was even a bar at at Gate B10 - guess everyone can get hammered before they get on!

    Full plane (737-800) 12 folks on standby. Looks like they will have to try another time Taking off on time. 3-3 configuration. Janet and I did aisle-aisle.

    Takeoff at 2:17pm - 16 minutes behind scheduled departure - rather turbulent gaining altitude. Flight is scheduled to take 2 hrs
    Touchdown at 3:37. At the gate at 3:45 (I should have been a statistician!) Was scheduled for 4 pm. Quick, good flight. Comfortable seats    もっと詳しく

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  • Turkey - Gate1 - October 2019
    Waiting on our hotel shuttle
    Our room at the Super 8. Pleasantly surprised

    JFK

    2019年10月15日, アメリカ ⋅ ☀️ 61 °F

    After about a 3 mile walk through JFK , and a ride on the air train, we’ve arrived at the hotel shuttle pickup point. Decided to spend the night near JFK and then fly out tomorrow evening, direct to IST. Much more relaxing this way.

    Have already scoped out an Indian restaurant near the hotel    もっと詳しく

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  • Turkey - Gate1 - October 2019

    Tandoori - Curry and Indo Chinese

    2019年10月15日, アメリカ ⋅ 🌙 55 °F

    Sitting down for some tasty Indian food, just a block from our hotel (high end luxury - Super 8!). Restaurant is a little dive with about 6 tables. Janet is getting chicken biryani and I’m getting fish curry along with some garlic Naan and some Tandoori roti. Also some Indian tea.

    Back at the Super 8 (lobby looks questionable but room is fine) people working here are quite friendly. Watching the Dems debate one another- so many critical questions on the table.

    Tried to check in online with Turkish Airways - after cussing a few times, deleting the app,, reinstalling it and finally getting all of the information entered, it tells me it can’t issue a mobile boarding pass and I’ll have to get it at the kiosk or the baggage counter. Well, we’ll have plenty of time since we have to check out of the hotel by 1pm and then head for the airport and our flight doesn’t go till 7pm.    もっと詳しく

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  • Turkey - Gate1 - October 2019

    At JFK

    2019年10月16日, アメリカ ⋅ ☁️ 64 °F

    Got up around 8:30 - was nice to sleep in a bit (vs 6:30 on workdays!) Bed/room were comfortable. Wandered down to get coffee and I see a lady sitting in the lobby with 2 police officers. I’m thinking - ok what did someone steal from this lady? Not exactly what you want to see in the lobby! Well, it wasn’t much - just her car! Turns out she is from Belgium, arrived at JFK and rented a car. Drove it to the hotel and it was either a hybrid or something running very quietly. She had the keys with her, but she had to push a button to turn the car off , which apparently she didn’t realize. So the car was running when some woman wandered by on the sidewalk and noticed the interior light on, so looked in, saw the door was unlocked (because you can’t lock the car when it is running, or that is my guess) and got in and drove off! Super 8 had it all on tape so hopefully the cops will catch her. How’s that for your first day in America? I can’t imagine - what a nightmare that will be! (Personally, I feel all rental companies fail in a major way by not going over with you how all the controls work before letting you drive off).

    Managed to hang out at the motel till 1pm when we had to go to the airport. So we have about 5 hrs to go before takeoff. Ugh. But this gives me some time to catch up on this. Counter at Turkish Air doesn’t open for about 3 hrs and no kiosks in evidence, so I reckon we’ll be standing in line to get boarding passes (pain in the keester) since I see no kiosks at Turkish Air and my attempt to get them via the mobile app failed again.

    Got checked in at 3:30. They weighed our carry-ons (you’re allowed 8kg). We hit the scales at 9 and 9.2. Fortunately they let it go without additional charges! Long queue to go through TSA

    Glad to have TSA precheck. Sped past a gazillion people. Didn’t even have to go through the scanner. They let us through a separate gate but when I passed through it , the RFID protector for my passport set off alarms and that took a few minutes to figure out. The guy was sure I had some metal on me but a more experienced agent stepped in and took the protector. We were in the precheck line but there were still people taking off shoes and belts for some strange reason. It was pretty much mass chaos which isn’t unusual

    Leaving about 8:30- roughly 1 1/2hrs behind schedule. Probably the rain

    So we’re sitting directly in front of 2 young girls who sound like they are going to discuss the mission of Jesus and the Bible for the next 10 hrs and at high volume and now now the other seatmate has chimed in. This will soon have me converting to Islam. And my seatmate on the aisle has BO. He was going to find another seat because he didn’t feel like being converted but was unsuccessful. So bring on the booze I’m gonna need it!

    Well I just thought we were leaving. Now 9 pm. Plane is moving though!    もっと詳しく

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  • Turkey - Gate1 - October 2019

    Hagia Sophia

    2019年10月18日, トルコ ⋅ ⛅ 72 °F

    3rd stop of the day. “It was used as a church for 916 years but, following the conquest of Istanbul by Fatih Sultan Mehmed, the Hagia Sophia was converted into mosque. Afterwards, it was used as a mosque for 482 years. Under the order of Atatürk and the decision of the Council of Ministers, Hagia Sophia was converted into a museum in 1935.”

    Built in AD 537 at the beginning of the Middle Ages, it was famous in particular for its massive dome. It was the world's largest building and an engineering marvel of its time. It is considered the epitome of Byzantine architecture[1] and is said to have "changed the history of architecture".    もっと詳しく

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  • Turkey - Gate1 - October 2019

    The Grand Bazaar

    2019年10月18日, トルコ ⋅ ⛅ 72 °F

    This place is mind boggling. 3500 shops. Help! By this time of day, Janet and I are wiped out and the footsies are woofing big time! You name it, it’s probably here. You definitely will not lack for Turkish Delights (candy). I think every store in Turkey sells this stuff!

    I will say so far everybody has been quite nice to us. No sense of Turkey’s ongoing war against Syria - no seeming irritation with the USA - so that’s nice to see. So far our tour guide hasn’t discussed that, but I would think it will come up.

    This group is a bit different than others we’ve been on. Not bad, but quite a few people of foreign origin who tend to stick together. Met a very nice girl (Amanda) from Atlanta. She ate dinner with us the first night and has been a pleasure to be around. This is her 5th Gate1 trip. Traveling on her own.

    Went out and had a small cafeteria meal eating typical Turkish food (great rice pudding at the end). Then wandered back to the hotel, had a couple of Turkish coffees and now am trying to finish this when my bod is saying no way! It’s hard to keep all of this up when you’re seeing so many things in one day.

    Tomorrow’s itinerary:

    DAY 4, Saturday - Anzac Cemetery, Travel to Canakkale
    This morning, enjoy a short briefing and a picture stop at the courtyard of the Blue Mosque, a 17th century Ottoman Mosque famous for its six minarets and magnificent interior made of blue tiles. Continue with a drive to the town of Gallipoli, site of the famous Ottoman victory against the Allies during World War I. Visit the Anzac Cemetery, a memorial to the casualties of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, whose fame grew back home as word of their heroic efforts spread. April 25, 2015 marked the 100th Anniversary of the beginning of the Gallipoli Campaign. Afterwards, cross the Dardanelles by ferry and continue to the Canakkale province, located in northwest Turkey, where you will arrive in the early evening
    Overnight: Canakkale
    Meals: Breakfast, Dinner    もっと詳しく

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  • Turkey - Gate1 - October 2019

    On the road to Gallipoli

    2019年10月19日, トルコ ⋅ ⛅ 61 °F

    Didn’t get too much sleep last night. Had a mosquito who was kin to Dracula get me 4x before I took revenge. Thought I had hives at first! Had to keep the windows open to cool down the room since they shut off the AC this time of year. It was a Friday night and I would’ve sworn that half of the youth of Turkey was camped outside our window. Finally had to close the windows.

    Off to see the Hippodrome here in Istanbul and the Blue mosque before hitting the road . Quite foggy this morning. Lots of people lined up on the bridge fishing as we cross the Bosphorus. They’re out here 24 hours a day    もっと詳しく

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  • Turkey - Gate1 - October 2019
    Hippodrome areaBlue MosqueBlue MosqueCeiling before it is uncoveredBlue Mosque

    Hippodrome and the Blue Mosque

    2019年10月19日, トルコ ⋅ ⛅ 61 °F

    Our first two stops of the day. We were fortunate that we were able to actually enter the mosque. Unfortunately the ceilings are covered as they seek to renovate but was still nice to be allowed entrance ( with shoes off).

    A bit foggy this early in the A.M. so a bit difficult for pics outside. Left the mosque at 9:30 and are headed towards Gallipoli

    Very interesting conversation on the bus about employment, health care, education. Taping it with my phone

    No social safety net here. Unemployment as high as 15%. If you don’t have a job, tough. Better hope your friends and family take care of you. No unemployment benefits, no food stamps. Ouch. Does inspire one to find something and not be picky about it    もっと詳しく

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  • Turkey - Gate1 - October 2019
    Keeping it simple - noodle's, chicken stew (good), roll, yogurt soup, custardTruck stop restaurantWheat firlds frim the bus. Not too excitingJanet and the bus driver

    On the way to WWI battlefield

    2019年10月19日, トルコ ⋅ ⛅ 68 °F

    Leaving Istanbul, drove through heavy industrial areas, which gradually turned to many fields of wheat

    Stopped at truck stop for lunch. More history lessons on the bus. Think a lot of folks slept through them. You come this far, it’s hard to imagine skipping the important stuff. They wake up for the selfies though.

    https://www.awm.gov.au/learn/schools/resources/…

    Heading for the Anzac Memorial and then a ferry ride across the Dardanelles and then on to our hotel.

    Bus driver showed me the engine on the coach. Massive- recycles exhaust gasses to be green friendly. Bus costs around 300k. One of the nicest coaches I have been on.    もっと詳しく

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  • Turkey - Gate1 - October 2019

    Crossing at the Dardanelles to Canakkale

    2019年10月19日, トルコ ⋅ ⛅ 72 °F

    Left the scenes of WW1 to travel to Çanakkale and our hotel for the night. 40 minute bus ride and a 30 minute ferry ride brings us to our hotel. Interesting WW1 display at the ferry dock. We eat dinner and everyone crashes. First time I’ve had red wine served colder than a white. Huh?もっと詳しく

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  • Turkey - Gate1 - October 2019
    Our hotel bear Canakale

    On the way to Troy

    2019年10月20日, トルコ ⋅ ☀️ 55 °F

    On the way to Troy to check out the Trojan Horse

    “DAY 5, Sunday - Visit Troy, Pergamum, Travel to Izmir
    This morning, proceed to the classical city of Troy. Tour this 4000-year-old city and legendary center of the Trojan War, made immortal by Homer's epic poem The Iliad. Then, drive to Pergamum, a powerful kingdom during the ancient Hellenistic period, and visit Asklepion, the ancient Roman spa center. Enjoy lunch in a local village before continuing to Izmir, a city believed to be the birthplace of Homer
    Overnight: Izmir
    Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

    pictures of our hotel last night    もっと詳しく

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