Istanbul has been on the top of my list of places to visit for
years. A city where continents merge and mingle in both location and culture,
and this has always drawn me to it. It has everything I love in a city…it has
religion, architecture, a dynamic history, amazing food, bright colors, and
amazing people. When I decided to take this job in Viscri, Romania I knew that
if I was this close to Istanbul I had to go see the city I had dreamed of, so
as soon as I got here I began researching flights, places to stay, and the
perfect itinerary. All of which didn’t exactly go to plan.
I had planned to head to Bucharest the day prior to my
flight to give myself plenty of time so I wouldn’t be rushed getting to the
airport, so customary to Transylvanian travelling traditions I hitched a ride
from a tourist group that had visited the Viscri that day. I climbed on the bus
and took a seat in the back trying to make myself non-intrusive on this group’s
reunion. (A class of MBA students who regularly get together and travel to the
diverse homelands of their former classmates) I had no idea what I was getting
myself into! The quiet bus soon turned into a party bus filled with uncaged
nine to fivers blasting their music, singing out of tune, and the ginger mixing
Campari and orange juice or Jack and Coke for everyone on board. I was discovered
and became the novelty, new member of the group….they ended up taking my phone
so they could use the “Americans” music to mix it up. So about thirty minutes
into this trip I had a drink in hand and I hear the Circle of Life come on over
the speakers…I was going to need another
drink to survive this five hour ride with them.
By the time we arrived in Bucharest I had been invited to a
party they were having with more people they knew. And by invite…I mean they insisted I go hangout with them before they would
tell me where I was in the sprawling metropolis of Bucharest…what was I to do
except to join them for a wine tasting? Once I was a few glasses of wine
in, had eaten an outrageous amount of the “finger” food that was provided, and
was comfortably chatting with a group of guys, a birthday cake was presented to
the guy who I had talked with the majority of the night. I was at a stranger’s birthday party! In Bucharest…How do these things
even happen to me? Finally, in the middle of the night I was able to tear
myself away, grab a cab, and began attempting to find my hostel.
I arrived at the hostel around 3 AM and ended up having a
beer with the manager on patio while he chain smoked and discussed literature
with me. Sometimes drunken conversation in the middle of the night are the
absolute best. I have no idea what the guy’s name was, but I do remember that
his hair was longer than mine and he had a total hippy vibe that perfectly fit
the environment.
The next morning I got up early despite the lack of sleep
and ample amounts of alcohol still in my system because I wanted to take the
morning to walk around the city of Bucharest before my flight that afternoon.
So I elected to do the walking tour mention by the hostel, and luckily I found
a German boy in the kitchen who had the same plan. We walked and talked
throughout the walking tour as I was struggling through a hangover and starving
due to a lack of breakfast. Before I know it, it is time to head to the airport
for my flight to Istanbul!! A long, sweaty bus ride later and I am at the
airport eagerly awaiting my flight.
We land in Istanbul, Turkey and I rush off the plane to get
on the bus that will take me to customs. I am so excited to be there I can
barely contain myself! As our bus is making its way around parked planes it
suddenly jolts to a violent stop and speedily reverses as a jet whizzes past
us, missing us by mere inches! I haven’t
even legal entered the country and I already had a brush with death…That’s
when I knew this would be a once in a lifetime trip!
