I spent over an hour working on the pics yesterday and I was in the home stretch and hit that phantom key and zzzzaaaaappppp, all the deletions were back and all the ones I had rotated were once again layin' on their sides. Phooey!!! So at least for now I'll just do 'em as I go.
I say part 1 because I'm gonna have to break this up into "chapters". It's not like any trip we've ever done and I believe it will be the easiest way to do it and the easiest way to follow it. Here then is the general outline of how I expect it to go. I should be able to make it work but I may have to add an item I left out from a previous part now and then but I'll try to hold it to a minimum. Here's the outline:
.The trip over
.The Ship
.The food
.The ports. Each port will be reported separately
.Coming home
************************************************** **************************************
Part 1-The trip over and Istanbul
The flight
If you have ever flown Business Class then you may want to skip over this part but it was a totally new experience for me. It makes first class seem like traveling in a cargo plane. Yes I've been there and done that on a military air transport. It is all the luxury it is possible to get on an airplane. Your seat lays out flat and become a bed. There are all sorts of electronic entertainment devices. You can play games, listen to music, watch movies (many many to chose from), etc.
They provide you with a travel kit which contains a pair of socks, a sleeping mask, a pen, tooth brush and tooth paste, ear plugs. packets of hand cleaner and I don't know what-all. All the blankets and pillows you want.......and food. Oh, the food.
I gave up trying to read or watch the movie or even sleep. The come around with food or drinks about every half hour to hour and it goes on for the entire 11 hour flight. We had every thing from swordfish to foi gras (I always just called it frog grass) And I'm not talking about airline food neither. The plane was a huge triple 7 something or other and there were several guys in chefs hats running around passing out menus and taking orders. It's like a restaurant. Only you give your order directly to the chef and he serves you with his own hand.
The champaign SP was very good and not a grocery store brand. All the drinks were excellent. The desserts were not prepackaged but prepared right there.
The steardesses were young elegant and beautiful. I think one of them like me. Miss Pam didn't like the way she kept coming by and stopping to chat. She hit me with those green eyes and....well, Miss Pam was not pleased. I acted annoyed for her benefit but I can't say that it bothered me all that much.
Istanbul
It is the most over crowded place I've ever been. Our guide on the 50 minute bus trip to the Intercontinental Hotel told us that the population has gone from about 2 million people to nearly 16 million in just a few years. There are lots of Syrians coming over and a lot of them are on the streets homeless and begging and picking pockets and committing thefts.
I know that there is a lot of history there but I gotta say I had a hard time getting the good out of that place. For one thing it stinks. It stinks out side and when you go into a building the stink seems to be concentrated. Our hotel room was nauseating.
The lobby was gorgeous and there were nice stores and lounge areas and restaurants and even a beautiful outside garden area with tables and chairs. Ornate ceiling designs and chandeliers. But when you get up into the room the party is definitely over. As I lay in bed I couldn't help wonder how many other people had slept on these sheets.
GROSS to the max!
We were with Robyn and Alex and his parents. For a most welcome change we had dinner in one of the most elegant restaurants I've ever seen. Tazo, on the Bosphorus River. We took a couple of cabs there and it was a thrilling ride to say the least. All the cars are very small and unrecognizable. And there are thousands of those tiny little motor scooters darting in and out of traffic. And they don't drive with their brakes and turn signals. They drive with their horns. Apparently they don't have any traffic regulation there either. There are traffic lights and the lanes are well marked but no one seems to notice.
The traffic is awful. Really really bad. And every time the car stopped homeless Syrians came up to every window of the car begging for money. The sidewalks are crowded with homeless Syrians Not fun.
The restaurant was gorgeous with a spectacular view of the Bosphorus and a lighted bridge over it. The lights changed colors and it was a spectacular sight. The food was awesome. I had roast duck and Miss Pam had the lamb. Lots of good appetizers and side dishes and, of course, wine. I'll get back to all that in the food section.
When we got back to the hotel I was beat, Jet lagged (they are 7 hours ahead of CST), way too full and just a little bit drunk. We were cautioned about going out side. There is a nice park behind the hotel but it was full of homeless Syrians. We just went to sleep. I felt like calling the desk and requesting a clothes pin for my nose. Lawdy Mercy!
We were taken to the cruise ship terminal by bus at 11:00 AM the following morning.
Here's a few pics:
...to be continued
I say part 1 because I'm gonna have to break this up into "chapters". It's not like any trip we've ever done and I believe it will be the easiest way to do it and the easiest way to follow it. Here then is the general outline of how I expect it to go. I should be able to make it work but I may have to add an item I left out from a previous part now and then but I'll try to hold it to a minimum. Here's the outline:
.The trip over
.The Ship
.The food
.The ports. Each port will be reported separately
.Coming home
************************************************** **************************************
Part 1-The trip over and Istanbul
The flight
If you have ever flown Business Class then you may want to skip over this part but it was a totally new experience for me. It makes first class seem like traveling in a cargo plane. Yes I've been there and done that on a military air transport. It is all the luxury it is possible to get on an airplane. Your seat lays out flat and become a bed. There are all sorts of electronic entertainment devices. You can play games, listen to music, watch movies (many many to chose from), etc.
They provide you with a travel kit which contains a pair of socks, a sleeping mask, a pen, tooth brush and tooth paste, ear plugs. packets of hand cleaner and I don't know what-all. All the blankets and pillows you want.......and food. Oh, the food.
I gave up trying to read or watch the movie or even sleep. The come around with food or drinks about every half hour to hour and it goes on for the entire 11 hour flight. We had every thing from swordfish to foi gras (I always just called it frog grass) And I'm not talking about airline food neither. The plane was a huge triple 7 something or other and there were several guys in chefs hats running around passing out menus and taking orders. It's like a restaurant. Only you give your order directly to the chef and he serves you with his own hand.
The champaign SP was very good and not a grocery store brand. All the drinks were excellent. The desserts were not prepackaged but prepared right there.
The steardesses were young elegant and beautiful. I think one of them like me. Miss Pam didn't like the way she kept coming by and stopping to chat. She hit me with those green eyes and....well, Miss Pam was not pleased. I acted annoyed for her benefit but I can't say that it bothered me all that much.
Istanbul
It is the most over crowded place I've ever been. Our guide on the 50 minute bus trip to the Intercontinental Hotel told us that the population has gone from about 2 million people to nearly 16 million in just a few years. There are lots of Syrians coming over and a lot of them are on the streets homeless and begging and picking pockets and committing thefts.
I know that there is a lot of history there but I gotta say I had a hard time getting the good out of that place. For one thing it stinks. It stinks out side and when you go into a building the stink seems to be concentrated. Our hotel room was nauseating.
The lobby was gorgeous and there were nice stores and lounge areas and restaurants and even a beautiful outside garden area with tables and chairs. Ornate ceiling designs and chandeliers. But when you get up into the room the party is definitely over. As I lay in bed I couldn't help wonder how many other people had slept on these sheets.
GROSS to the max!
We were with Robyn and Alex and his parents. For a most welcome change we had dinner in one of the most elegant restaurants I've ever seen. Tazo, on the Bosphorus River. We took a couple of cabs there and it was a thrilling ride to say the least. All the cars are very small and unrecognizable. And there are thousands of those tiny little motor scooters darting in and out of traffic. And they don't drive with their brakes and turn signals. They drive with their horns. Apparently they don't have any traffic regulation there either. There are traffic lights and the lanes are well marked but no one seems to notice.
The traffic is awful. Really really bad. And every time the car stopped homeless Syrians came up to every window of the car begging for money. The sidewalks are crowded with homeless Syrians Not fun.
The restaurant was gorgeous with a spectacular view of the Bosphorus and a lighted bridge over it. The lights changed colors and it was a spectacular sight. The food was awesome. I had roast duck and Miss Pam had the lamb. Lots of good appetizers and side dishes and, of course, wine. I'll get back to all that in the food section.
When we got back to the hotel I was beat, Jet lagged (they are 7 hours ahead of CST), way too full and just a little bit drunk. We were cautioned about going out side. There is a nice park behind the hotel but it was full of homeless Syrians. We just went to sleep. I felt like calling the desk and requesting a clothes pin for my nose. Lawdy Mercy!
We were taken to the cruise ship terminal by bus at 11:00 AM the following morning.
Here's a few pics:
...to be continued
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