Day begins at 4 AM as Dimitris is to pick us up at five. He’s on time and efficient and traffic not heavy. At the airport in about fifteen minutes. The flight is a code share - our tickets are Turkish Airlines but the plane is Aegean and check in almost instant. The flight itself very full, probably because the one the day before was cancelled. The reason given for the cancellation was weather but one suspects that Istanbul may be also somewhat overwhelmed by earthquake related problems, though Turkey is a big country and the earthquake eight hundred kilometres away.
Istanbul airport is amongst the largest in the world, depending on how you do your measuring and possibly who you ask. Our original booking for yesterday had us flying out of it. Would have meant a week’s delay to get the same, so fairly grateful to get the connection we did -Ten hour later flight to TRNC out of Sabiha Gökçen airport on the other side of Istanbul. Actually on the Asian side, so literally on another continent. Unfortunately leaving Istanbul Airport means entering Turkey and therefore visas required. Pretty quick procedure - will that be cash or credit card. Two minutes and €100 euros later we have visas - well they’re good for three months and we might end up using them in April.
There is a bus that connects the two airports. Pretty cheap, too. 0ne hundred ten lira each ($7.84 CAD, £4.82). The website pretty clear that you must buy your ticket before getting on the bus, which proves to be correct - but neglects to say that there are a couple of booths next to the bus stops where you can. Right, that done and bus in twenty-five minutes. Just time for a quick stop at the loo, as the bus is meant to take about two hours and there is snow on the ground. No WC near the buses so back inside the airport. Except that going into an airport means a security check somewhat similar to a pre-flight one. Does make some sense. A terrorist could do considerable damage with no intention of flying. Fortunately, no queue and back to the bus.
Actual ride only an hour and no black ice. In fact no ice at all, just a giant puddle of a parking area where the snow has now melted. Longish wait. Made somewhat longer by an hour and three quarter flight delay. Fair number of flights have been cancelled but looks like mainly ones to Middle East destinations and quite probable that weather was not the primary reason. Our second hour and a half flight and our second smoked turkey and cheese sandwich. But no complaints. Been a very long time since we’ve been offered food on an economy flight that wasn’t trans Atlantic.
Arrive roughly 11:30 PM. Cyprus is an hour behind Turkey despite being well to the east of Istanbul. Best explained by the fact that all of Turkey is one time zone, no doubt very convenient for administrators in Ankara. And certainly no stranger than all of China operating on Beijing time.
And now the good luck begins. We’re met by Steuart, who had originally expected to pick us up mid-afternoon yesterday and has kindly withstood the changes and delays. Probably about an hour’s drive but involves outwitting construction areas. He has the house keys and has made up the bed, turned on the heaters, and brought food for breakfast, including avocados and mandarin and blood oranges from his trees and marmalade and juice he has made from his oranges. Very happy end to the day.
(Photo taken about a dozen eaten oranges after arrival. Metallic dish behind holds acovados)
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