(^26) Istanbul
The entire day was spent trying to extend our Turkish visas but to no avail. No one
spoke English, and the staff seemed reluctant to lend assistance. The immigration office
primarily dealt with the extension of residence permits which wasn’t what we needed.
Ultimately, we gave up as it was far less troublesome to hop across the border.
The next day, we boarded a train to Bulgaria to cross the border and re-enter Turkey.
Still, to our surprise, the train ended up in Greece, despite being marked “Bulgarian
Border”. The Greek officials couldn’t stamp our passports, as we had no Greek visas.
Hahaha. Visions of us stuck in the small no-mans-land between the two countries
flashed before my eyes. Turkish officials thus couldn’t give us a new visa as officially we
never left. They were, fortunately, prepared to cancel our exit stamp. We made peace
with the idea of being illegally in Turkey for the remainder of our stay. A decision was
made to deal with the problem when leaving the country, a risky option but the single
one available at the time.
The following day, we explored the possibility of flying out. Still, the flight and the visa
fee entering neighbouring countries didn’t make this a viable option.
The remainder of our time was spent visiting the cities’ numerous attractions and
meandering the narrow pedestrian lanes and bustling markets. Istanbul is indeed a
place filled with colour, smells, exotic produce, and a vibe that will stay with you forever
once experienced.
Esther landed in Istanbul on 19 April, bicycle and all, and what a surprise to find,
besides the bike, she only had one bag. Of course, anyone knowing Esther would know
this is virtually impossible.
leana
(Leana)
#1