İ made it to Turkey!

İ knew that flying on the cheaper airline was a bad idea. I thought it would be like Sun Country or something but it was not!

The number to call to confirm the reservation was disconnected so i showed up to the airport early just in case. İ discovered that the 9am flight was changed to 745am and i was a mere 5 minutes early. İ was the last one board (but İ got to sit in the first row). The plane was supposed to take 3 hours yet they did not bother to tell me that we had to go to Antilya first (a resort city on the Turkish Riviera on the Med. Sea way south of Istanbul). Then we back tracked to Istanbul, but NOT European Istanbul - Asian Istanbul! İ arrived three hours late but I was fortunate because one of the professors on the trip noticed that i was arriving at a different airport and kindly sent her cousin and a van to pick me up two hours away. İ dont know what i would do with out her. I was frantıcally finding a bus to take me to the other side of Istanbul when I saw a Turkish man with a wirery fro and a sign that said KATIE PASTORIUS, thank God!


Well, Turkey is interesting! There are 16 million people who are mostly Muslim, poor, and unemployed. There are schoolchildren selling tissues, flowers, and cinnastix in the middle of the freeway (where the cars are at a standstill because two million cars cannot drıve on the same road at rushhour - it is nuts!) . However, the food is GREAT! Tons of bread with spicy sauces, doners, and Kebabs - not like at home but roasted lamb, chicken, and beef served with cous-cous and tomatoes (for only 5 dollars!). I am stuffed from dinner and I think I need to walk ıt off. Around the hotel is the historic district - ıncluding the Hagia Sophia, Grand Bazzar, and the Blue Mosque.

No more planes for me (until i fly home)! Have a good day

Katie