Sunday 19 April

Tina buys gold errings at Dubai airport.

There are large numbers of European elderly in groups - heading for Gallipoli no doubt.

On the flight to Istanbul (Turkey) is the LOUDEST snoring I have ever heard. Watch goes back an hour; now 9 hours back from NZ time.

At Istanbul Airport luggage carousel Tina is chatted up by a 50 year old (he told us - his birthday is on ANZAC Day) Australian. "Are you travelling with your father?"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Tina thinks this is great. She feels young.

We are met at the airport and wait and wait for our van. Tina is not amused ("This has never happened in Asia").

We go to Hotel Fehmi Bey, room 113.

What to say about this hotel? On the plus side it has fantastic location - at the end of the Hippodrome, excellent desk service, free internet and is clean. On the other hand it is an odd little building, totally unsuited to be a hotel, tiny lift, no tea/coffee facilities in room.

We fell asleep and are woken around 11am by prayers coming over loudspeakers.

We go the Hippodrome and have lunch, the prayers continue and there are 3 giant screens relaying what is happening inside the Blue Mosque to the hundreds of people sitting in the Hippodrome, all sitting on paper prayer mats.

We then go to Yerebatan Sarnici (the Basilica Sistern) (look it up in Google) which is unreservedly recommended.

Stroll back to hotel window shopping: beautiful windows of food, carpets, jewellery. I fall asleep.

We are picked up for an evening meal on the Bosphorous. Meet a lovely Swedish couple, have a 3 course meal with masses of entertainment (a play, folk dancing, belly dancer, general dancing, and the ladies playing musical chairs) all as the boat glides past the beautiful night lights of Istanbul. Very expensive (70 Euros each!!!!) but Tina loved it.

We are back just before midnight - still no "normal" night's sleep. But we are back in pjs after 2 nights without them! We decide to have a quick read before going to sleep - it is a really quick read as there is a power failure!