It all happened in a whirlwind in the last 16 hours. I sent my husband off on a solo mission to Ataturk Airport to see about 1. Confirming our Thursday flight was still valid 2. Cancelling the no-longer-necessary, very expensive flight to Toronto and 3. Getting our flight bumped up to today.
All three missions were successful, but because the ever-spotty wifi in Ataturk was on the fritz, I had no idea until he returned two hours later, by which time I was having a full blown panic attack.
We had four hours to get to the airport to catch our plane home.
So we decided to not risk the train ride since we had so much luggage, and hailed a taxi for our first time in Istanbul. We knew the taxi drivers there were notorious for taking the long route, but our driver decided that the best route to take was the highway that runs just outside the ancient city walls, so for the first time we got to see those ruins in all their glory in broad daylight. Well worth the extra cost for that sight seeing.
At the airport, we got our tickets and made it through customs pretty quickly. Ataturk is still on high alert so we had to go through additional security just to check our bags. Then once we got to the gate, another massive round of security including the full wipe down to detect any potential explosives. I had to show my passport at least ten times.
We couldn’t believe it when we were finally on the plane and on our way home. It was so sudden.
We got a full refund of the emergency $3900 we’d dropped on the additional tickets, too.
The only major loss from this entire trip, besides three days of our lives, has been my cell phone, which I apparently left in the hotel room in my haste to pack up. I’ve locked it remotely but I think the battery has run down as it can’t even get in contact via a wifi connection. I may initiate a remote erase if I can’t find it in any of my luggage when we get home.
All thats left is a train ride to Dunwoody Station in Atlanta, and then another hour drive back to Athens, our city.
The most beautiful thing I’ve heard has been the thick Atlanta accents of all the staff here at Hartsfield. I wanted to hug them, although with security still on high alert that action might get me shot.
Thus concludes my “Stuck in Istanbul” series. I think I’m going to win my office’s “how I spent my summer vacation” contest, hands down.
Great News Edit: I found my cell phone packed in with my noise cancelling headphones!