Turkey 2012: Chicago to Istanbul

Kennedy Street, Istanbul

My avid interest in geography, history, anthropology and cultures all melded in Istanbul this year. This spring, I made my first foray to what I learned in the history books as Asia Minor when I was growing up. It was so exciting to begin that exploration from the center of the confluence of so many of my interests in the famed and old, yet modern city of Istanbul.

The direct flight from Chicago O’Hare International Airport directly to Istanbul Ataturk International Airport aboard Turkish Airlines was smooth. I would say however that I did a double-take when I first walked into the plane to see how small the seats were comparative to America based airlines that I usually fly. The narrowness of the seats and confining space and shorter legroom for an 11-hour flight took a while to absorb.

Bold Green Door, Istanbul

As I arrived the Chicago airport about three hours ahead of time, I took time to saunter around the international departure lounge. When I finally headed for the Turkish Airlines counter, I first met a young smiling lady close to the counter whom I thought was among the check-in crew, but she was disappointed I was not heading her way to board her United Arab Emirate airline that had a counter next to the Turkish Airlines. She was so pleasant I promised I will fly her airline when I schedule a vacation trip to that region of the world.

The counter help at the Turkish airline were very polite and welcoming and it took me less than 5 minutes to check all in.

Dusk by Galata Bridge, Istanbul

Aboard the full flight, I was lucky to have a loquacious young Turkish man sitting next to me. He was from Istanbul but had been in the United States for some kind of company training for a few months in the East Coast. When that ended he went to California to see the other side of the US and was then heading home back to Istanbul via Chicago. He spoke good English, which made him a good traveling companion. He gave me crash orientation about Istanbul and the chick places to visit while I was in his city. These were mostly tourist attractions, great restaurants, bars, museums and other places he figured would best convey the Turkish pride to a foreign visitor. I urged him to pencil in the Midwest region of the US when next he returns to America so he could experience how non-coastal regions, especially the Midwestern portions of America live and play.

We enjoyed our conversation while awake amid sips of wine, tasty Turkish dinners and deserts that the flight attendants served and the various online movies and music that one cares to select.

We eventually touched down in Istanbul about 5.00pm Turkish time amidst just ended evening rain showers that made for a wet welcome. After claiming my baggage, I joined the line for a visa to enter the country. As an American, the visa fee was just 20 dollars, which you paid to the official on the other side of the counter who pasted the visa stamp on a page of your passport and briskly welcomed you to Turkey.

Watch the hour-long Video of Magical Istanbul made an narrated by Martigen Entertainment. I am not the narrator and was not involved in making the video but I visited most of the places featured in the video and will be writing about them in my future reports on my trip to this magical and enchanting city that spans different eras.