landed in istanbul

i just landed at my hotel in istanbul. it is late and it was dark and rainy as i came in (hence this picture from 2007), but istanbul is so full of impressions, i had to share a quick list, if only to capture them for myself...

~ turkish airlines is now a member of star(ve) alliance (think SAS, united, lufthansa, singapore airlines, thai), but yet there is a round of applause on landing and people get up immediately to take their stuff out of the overhead bins while the plane is still taxiing the runway and no one says anything.

~ the food was brilliant, even in premium economy on turkish airlines. and i feel a little weird saying that, but it really was good.

~ istanbul is changing and modernizing. i could see that already in the airport, but you can also see it in the shops and cars and the billboards. it gave the sense of an unstoppable force.

~ the visa on entry thing is a money-making scam. but you get a pretty stamp in your passport.

~ it's amazing to be speeding along a big multi-lane highway and it suddenly goes under the arches of a third century roman aqueduct.

~ even in the dark, through pouring rain, all lit up, the ayasofya will take your breath away.

~ the driver apparently thought i looked like i would adore turkish techno, as he had it blaring the whole way from the airport and kept offering to take me to discos.

~ being here, even in the dark and without really seeing anything but my hotel, makes me feel that the world isn't all exactly the same and that seems like a really good thing.

more tomorrow...