Seven years and 25 countries ago a bad day near the end of a trip may have ruined everything but with this much milage under our belts we have learned how to fix problems with positive vibes and remembering its our trip and it’s all about what we want.
As soon as we got back to Istanbul it seems we ran into every crook possible. First the car rental agent tried telling us 1 tire was flat. It was barely low on air. After trying to charge me I assured him the insurance would cover it and walked out. We hopped in a taxi to take us 45 minutes across the city in rush hour to our hotel and within minutes red flags went up. He was trying to tell us the toll road would save time but cost $10 more. Having just drove around half the country I knew no toll cost that much. We were tired and I knew Alyssa was ready to get to the hotel so I skipped telling him off and decided to stay in the cab and just get there. Next the hotel manager tried to over charge us. Then as he was about to run the debit card for 3 nights we found out the advertised gym and spa were closed. That was the only reason we choose the hotel so I made him cancel the transaction. Realizing Alyssa was not ready to start looking for a new hotel I agreed we would stay just the one night. The next morning it was raining and after we checked out, we asked the manager to get us a taxi. He realized we were going to another hotel and told us a cab would come along and just to wait out front. 20 cabs passed and none were empty. By this point I lost the filter on my mouth and went into the lobby and as loud as I could starting questioning what kind of a hotel manager sends a woman and her bags to a curb in the rain and doesn’t call her a taxi. Well within seconds we had a taxi.
We booked the last 2 nights of our trip at a Wyndham hotel and from the minute we checked in things turned around. As diamond members they gave us a free suite upgrade, sent us a fruit platter and went out of their way to help us arrange everything from laundry to massages including a specific dinner cruise. No way we were ending this trip on a low note after it being so perfect up until that one evening.
We dropped of our laundry, walked around the mall, ate lunch, blew off stress in the gym then recieved massages followed by a hamam, a Turkish foam bath/scrub. Ahhhh!!
To end the night we took a dinner cruise on the Bosperous River. The dinner was pretty good and the 3 hour cruise stopped at several landmarks along the river on both the Asian and European sides but the highlight was the entertainment. They had a traditional whirling dervish dancer and Turkish belly dancers along with a fun crowd that danced until we docked. It was a great time with some world class people watching .
For our last day we had a list of things to do before leaving Turkey. The first order of business was to get our PCR test for the flight home and then pick up our laundry. From here we took a taxi across Istanbul to meet with the owner of a doner shop we met last month. We arrived during his lunch rush and he had a table set aside waiting for us. He took me to the kitchen to show me how the doner is prepared and introduce his master chef. As I returned to the table he started bringing dish after dish. Everything was delicious but his hospitality and excitement to show his trade was such a treat. The next stop was a return to the Blue Mosque. We got inside this time but most of the Mosque was off limits due to renovations. Still worth a quick look. From there we explored the Grand Bizzare gathering a few souvenirs and then experienced the ice cream trick show. This was our second time playing along and this guy was really good at his tricks. Lots of fun. We spent the rest of the night talking over a hookah with the hotel staff. Perfect ending. Tomorrow our trip home begins.
