Day 2
Location: hotel pretending to be Istanbul
Status: waiting for the airline to pick us up
Author: davina
Lesson for today: when you find out how to get somewhere make sure you
find out how to get back.

Today was the first day of our mamouth trip and we aren't even there
yet. After deciding we didn't want to get up at 5am to catch the 6.30
flight we thought to stay and relax on our first day. And that is what
we have done.

While our fellow travellers left early we woke up at 9.30, went to
breakfast went back to the room and went back to sleep again. Nice!

Eventually we decided to get up and actually do something. After
finally working out how the shower worked we set off to see a small
port town of Tulza. The receptionist told us to catch a bus by asking
the driver if they go to the right place. Finally we got on this tiny
bus where the aim of the game was to stop for as short a time as
posible and drive while on the phone and taking money and give change.
We were not charged money and couldn't work out why some passengers
paid while others didn't. It also seemed that the bus could stop
anywhere it wanted to either pick up passengers or drop them off. We
were just following the signs and hoping for the best.

The driver worked out that he shouldn't have told us to get on the bus
so pulled over at a junction and waited for a bus that would take is
there.

Eventually we got to Tulza and it was a nice little town with a large
number of stray cats. Not skinny cats mind you as all the bins were
open and we watched one cat go into a bin 3 times and each time came
out with a fish in it's mounth.

We had a look around ate something nice but have no idea what it was
called and can now understand how you get fat travelling. Then thought
about how to get back.

As we caught the wrong bus we had no real idea of where to go or what
number. We thought of hiring a taxi but could not find any signs of
one. We eventually hoped on a bus and gave the driver the hotels
card. He of course drove off and allowed his conductor and another
passenger to work out if we were on the right bus or not... We werent.

They told us to get a bus going to a
Place we didn't know how to spell and dropped us off. So we stood by
the side of the road, not sure if we were actually at a bus stop and
hoped for the best.

Then an old lady started talking to us. We said we were English and
looked sorry. 2 other ladies turned up and she started talking to
them. Suddenly one asked in English where were we going?

We handed the card over they talked it over a bit then told us the
number we needed, flaged down the bus and told the driver where we
were going, the driver then told us where to get off.

God bless the kindness of strangers.

Now we are back at the airport, having been picked up in a bus with a
fridge and coffee maker, spent a small forture on not very nice
airport food and the flight is delayed.

Never fear we will get there ... Eventually

Sent from my iPod