Day 10: Kazanak to Istanbul

Tuesday 10th October

After another breakfast of cheese and meat we set off only to stop after ten munutes or so with water pump trouble again. Removed thermostat and went on our way. The road to Istanbul is little more than a series of patchwork bumps, potholes and appalling camber. Can't help thinking we have taken the wrong road.

The coach seems to be very quiet and subdued today, perhaps we're becoming a little travel weary or just sad to leave such a fine hotel. Leighton looks quite ill with hay fever and this must add to the stress of his role.

We arrived at the Turkish passport control at 12.30pm to experience our first border farce. Leighton had told us to place either a ten pound note, fifteen euros or twenty dollars in our passports to cover the cost of the visa. When we eventually paid after first showing them to an officer who bordered the bus we were charged a range of fees depending on nationality. The English and Aussies paid on the ratio 10, 15 and 20 whilst the Irish only paid ten euros and the Kiwis went through with no charge. Once this was completed another officer came on to the coach and collected all the documents again and went off to check them against the passenger list. This completed we drove to another checkpoint and a police officer with a sly smile on his face checked all the passports again. We then preceded to the next checkpoint and were turned back apparently to get a custom stamp. Stamped and official we entered Turkey at 2.45pm just two and a quarter hours later. Perhaps the EU are keeping them waiting to join the union to get their own back for all the poor travellers who have had to stand and wait as Marcus did today whilst an official sat and read his paper and watched TV. Just two hundred and twenty kilometres to go before we hit the gateway to Asia and the biggest traffic jam on either side. Been warned it may take a couple of hours to get across the city to our next hotel.

Had a late lunch in a picnic area with tables etc and as usual the lads played a combination of football and rugby. Fergal told off by lorry driver who was suddenly awoken by his stray shot. The ball bounced off his windscreen, much to the announce of the driver who was probably asleep. We have just got our first glimpse of the sea since leaving Calais, at a place with the strange spelling of Siiivri. Must be looking at the Sea of Marmari and the Bospherous. I think I fell asleep for the first time today whilst travelling. I don't know why I should feel so tired but every night since we left London has been a party. When I awoke it seemed as though we were driving along an avenue of fluffy clouds slowly floating down to Istanbul. Quite a nice sensation!

With just twenty kilometres to go we hit a traffic jam. As Leighton says 'you've got the sea to your right, high rise flats and villas to your left and the madness straight ahead'. 'Welcome to Istanbul'.

Arrived at our hostel at about 8.30pm and were deposited in a basement double room with toilets and shower a few yards away across the corridor and a single window above the bed, half open to all the street life outside. A group of us (12) set of to find food which is not hard. Restaurant ok but a little expensive and I got very cold sitting outside on a corner between two alleyways. A strong wind was a welcome whilst the sun shone but once dark fell it seemed to haunt the cobbled ways with and English type chill.

After the meal we went to meet up for a drink at the Star Bar. Eventually most people seemed to turn up much to the delight of the owner who spent most of the time dancing around in Red Indian fashion. Pints were flowing at a phenomenal rate and being delivered in fistfuls. I think the hubble buuble water thingy pipe had something to do with it but it may just be the intoxicating atmosphere of this city of three household names: Byzantine, Constantinople, Istanbul.