Woke up at 7am this morning and took these photos whilst still in bed!!!
It was only a couple of hundred meters walk to the bus station and I arrived there at 8am…….boarded a small mini bus for a ten minute drive to the main bust station where this beauty was waiting for me…
When I bought the ticket yesterday and made a seat selection I was not allowed to have a seat on the back row, found out that is where the attendant sleeps, so I picked the window seat right behind the driver!!
We left at 9.30am for a journey of 580 km.
It was a most uneventful journey the attendants brought sound soft drinks and tea and snacks regularly and the bus made three 20 minute stops. At one of the stops I had noticed on the other side of the road for miles it looked like salt flats so I went across for a look and sure enough it was!!!
I spent a lot of time reading up on Istanbul and trying to get my bearings and the Lonely Planet guide(a really great book!!!)told me there there are two bus stations a huge one on the European side of Istanbul and a smaller one on the Asian side and they suggest to get off at the Asian terminal and get on a ferry to the European side…so I made notes on all of that but the problem started when the bus pulled into their own terminal and not the one in the book. the attendant I think told me to take the free shuttle and pointed it out to me, which would take me to the ferry terminal. So I got off the bus and walked to where he told me and asked the driver if he was going to the ferry terminal, this is all done in pidgeon Turkish and hand gestures and he said yes so I got on.
So far so good except the most bizarre thing happened next…he drove out of the terminal onto the highway and took the next exit and did a loop and 5 minutes later he pulled in to the exact same stop where I got on and everybody got off!!!!! Including me I then waited for another bus and asked the driver the same thing and he indicated for me to get on the bus so I did and this one went to the ferry terminal…I cannot explain any of that.
So for the two free shuttles and the long bus ride it was 50 Lira!!!
So now I am on the pavement the bus has gone across the street is rows and rows of small kiosks and very many people and I am in this huge city and really not a clue what to do except I knew I had to get on one of those boats. There was another man who got off the same bus and he asked me where I was going…..now he didn’t actually say that…he rattled of something in Turkish and I always write down where I am going and the names so I showed him the place I wanted to go and he waved with his hand for me to follow him.
We cross the street he goes to one of the food kiosks buys a package of smokes and a ticket and keeps waving for me to follow him..he takes me to a turnstile and goes first the puts in my ticket and I follow him onto a boat and he said good!!!!!
He never asked me for money for the ticket so I asked him and he put up 3 fingers meaning 3 Lira so I gave him 5 shook his hand and thanked him. I would never have known how to do any of that…so a night shot from the ferry…
The ride was only 10 minutes and I left the boat and the terminal and decided that with 2 bags, a huge city and lots of people just to get a cab….I showed the driver the address and asked how much and he told me 20 Lira which was worth it for me…he had a little problem finding the hotel but he did and by 9.30pm..12 hours later I was checked into my room!!!
A nice room and I like the fridge the location seemed a bit seedy as I went out to buy some drinks but in the morning light I will get my bearings and explore…the cost of the hotel just under 40 dollars…so the last stop is another good room and I have been lucky with this….
I am a little tired so off to bed….
Yashi Kochi..
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