We left Praha early this morning and the weather was perfect. We flew Turkish Airlines and what a contrast from the Norwegian Airlines that we flew in when we arrived in Europe (see my blog dated February 15, 2018). Our flight with Norwegian took us over ten hours from LA to London but they did not provide us food or even water! Turkish Airlines flight from Prague to Istanbul was a little over two hours but we were fed properly! The flight attendants kept asking us if we wanted more coffee or water. Thankfully, we are flying Turkish again when we go to Bucharest next Monday. Unfortunately, we’re flying Norwegian again going back to LA.
The hotel shuttle was waiting for us as soon as we got out of the customs. The driver spoke good English and during the not so brief ride to our hotel, he kept pointing out historical spots to us and explaining what they were.
As soon as we entered the old part of the city the streets became narrower and the inclines increased. I was not sure if the streets were one- or two-way streets but there was no way two vehicles can occupy the same space. As it happened, our driver at one time had to back out and park into the similarly narrow sidewalks to allow another car to pass. The Turkish drivers are very tolerant and patient to each other and rarely did I hear them blow their horns nor did they argue about who was there first.
We were dropped “near” our hotel as vehicles cannot go through the pavement leading to our hotel. A waiter near our hotel volunteered to help us with our luggage as Trini had difficulty with the incline.
After checking in we rested a little bit. The Blue Mosque with its five minarets is located a couple of hundred meters from our hotel and we could hear the blaring broadcast of their prayers every few hours.
We were hungry around 6:00 pm and finding a place to eat is not a problem. The restaurants are all over the place and they vie for your business. Short of pulling you in, the restaurant employees would talk you into looking into their menus. We found one with a propane heater beside our table as it was already getting cold as the evening progressed. Trini and I people-watched as we sipped our drinks and nibbled at the flatbreads and olives.
I ordered lamb kebab slathered with yogurt and Trini tried a dish with chicken and rice. After dinner, we were served a strong milky alcoholic beverage. The price? A lot cheaper than Prague for sure!
While I was finishing my drink Trini went across the street check out the colorful handwoven rugs and pillow cases. And the rest is history…
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