Day 8 – Last day in Istanbul

We thought it was going to rain as we went for breakfast. The norm with cheese and bread… and lots of cats roaming around.

Tired to call and book a car for Dubai but there were none. Went to Saint Sophia to try and find Baris. He took us for coffee and then spice market and then we went over to Pera Palas Hotel. This was the place where Agatha Cristie wrote “Murder on the Orient Express.” The legendary Ataturk founder of the Turkish Republic and its first President, often stayed here, and left his slippers and silk pajamas in Room 101.

From there Baris took us to his uncles carpet shop and Ellen spent some time waking around the room with her shoes off trying to decide which one she wanted. Then to the Grand Bazaar to spend some money. Was surprised at the price of stuff didn’t think much of it was that cheap. Ellen and I spent about 30 minutes in one shop being very well waited on. The gentleman brought us a number of glasses of yummy apple tay and talked at length about the belly dancing costumes we were trying on. The pictures look great! We spent most of the afternoon in the Bazaar collecting many items. We also spent time trying to find the shops we had seen the fist time we went there as it’s like a maze. I had seen a bag I loved and hadn’t found it in the 50 other bag shops we looked in. We happened to spot it just as we were leaving and the Bazaar was starting to clear out and close. Lucky!

When back to the hotel to drop off our purchases and then went to dinner in Taksim with Baris and a friend of his. They took us up to a lovely little terrace to have some drinks. It was fabulous, high up looking over Istanbul it was one of the best views. It was a perfect night and the atmosphere of drinking a cool beer on the roof of the world is spectacular!


We were meant to have a private car pick us up at 10:30pm to go to the airport. Ended up being a bus and we went around and collected 10 other people from the area. On the way to the airport he drove about 150km so told him to slow down. When we go to the airport he was like, what is your job, driving instructor! Heehee
Ellen snatched 50 lira out of his hands as they had lied to us about the drive, so funny he was not happy at all. Thought at one point that we were going to be arrested but he gave up arguing in the end. Sux to him!
Again at an airport, took as long to get out of the country as to get into it. My legs were so tied I could hardly stand. The fat guy was on our flight again.