Way back in December, my friend Matt and I were brainstorming places to visit during our February holiday. The schools in Austria have a week off in February to signal the end of the first semester and the beginning of the second semester. Did I mention that we had just had two weeks off in December for Christmas? Anyway, people had recommended visiting Turkey because the prices are reasonable and the flights are cheap there. Once we found out that we could book a roundtrip two-hour flight there for 95 euros, we were sold. Matt and I booked our trip from February 13 to February 23, which was a solid amount of holiday time to spend there. In order to put our parents’ minds at ease, we created an itinerary for the trip and registered with the US State Embassy that we would be in Turkey for those dates. Our plan was to start in Istanbul, go to Pamukkale, see Antayla, and finally fly back to Vienna out of Istanbul. Pamukkale is a UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) World Heritage site known for its hot, thermal springs and old ruins. This trip even required an extra visa since I would be leaving the European Union (EU), but it was simple enough to fill out one online and pay a small fee. I was excited to leave the EU and really experience some culture shock, since I have adjusted to life in Austria. This was also be the first time I would in a Muslim dominated country and looked forward to learning about the culture in person, rather than what the media portrays.
Before we even left for Turkey, there was a nice surprise. Matt’s aunt sent him a King Cake to celebrate Mardi Gras. If you do not already know, a King Cake includes a baby inside of it, and who ever finds the baby in their piece of cake, has good luck for the rest of the year. I was determined to find this baby to have a good omen for this trip and was fortunate to do so! (I might have had a couple pieces of cake to increase my chances, but hey, it worked!) On the morning of the 13th, we headed to Vienna by train and this would be my first time flying out of the airport. It is nice airport and has excellent Wi-Fi – which scores big points in my book. Our flight went well and we landed in Istanbul at 6pm. Turkey is one hour ahead of Austria, which now made me seven hours ahead of the US. The line for passport control was a bit long, but once my visa and passport were stamped, I was officially in Istanbul. With all our bags safely in hand, the task now was to get to our hostel. Istanbul has two airports. One is located on the European side of Istanbul, Atatürk International Airport, and another on the Asian side, Sabiha Gökcen International Airport. Our hostel was on the European side and we had landed on the Asian side. To our pleasant surprise, the shuttle service that we had reserved (but never received a confirmation for) was waiting for us at the entrance for arrivals. Relieved that we did not have to find the way to the hostel with public transport, I settled into my seat and buckled up for an interesting ride.
Before we even left for Turkey, there was a nice surprise. Matt’s aunt sent him a King Cake to celebrate Mardi Gras. If you do not already know, a King Cake includes a baby inside of it, and who ever finds the baby in their piece of cake, has good luck for the rest of the year. I was determined to find this baby to have a good omen for this trip and was fortunate to do so! (I might have had a couple pieces of cake to increase my chances, but hey, it worked!) On the morning of the 13th, we headed to Vienna by train and this would be my first time flying out of the airport. It is nice airport and has excellent Wi-Fi – which scores big points in my book. Our flight went well and we landed in Istanbul at 6pm. Turkey is one hour ahead of Austria, which now made me seven hours ahead of the US. The line for passport control was a bit long, but once my visa and passport were stamped, I was officially in Istanbul. With all our bags safely in hand, the task now was to get to our hostel. Istanbul has two airports. One is located on the European side of Istanbul, Atatürk International Airport, and another on the Asian side, Sabiha Gökcen International Airport. Our hostel was on the European side and we had landed on the Asian side. To our pleasant surprise, the shuttle service that we had reserved (but never received a confirmation for) was waiting for us at the entrance for arrivals. Relieved that we did not have to find the way to the hostel with public transport, I settled into my seat and buckled up for an interesting ride.
