We almost didn't make it to Istanbul. The Roommate and I headed there for Easter holiday, but, as if often the case, the gods of Cairo traffic were against our free movement. Like good little planners, we had ordered a cab to arrive at 3.30 for our 6 p.m. flight. This should have allowed us plenty of time. But the cab driver did not arrive until 4. "It's not my fault," he said, "there's traffic!" to which we replied "Welcome to Cairo, buddy, there's always traffic" and were generally pissy. The situation was not improved when he insisted that, were we to take "the freeway" (I'd never heard of this particular institution in Cairo before) we would get to the airport much faster. We agreed - the fastest way please.
Maybe he confused the meanings of "fastest" and "slowest"? We took a bizarrely round-about route which took us to New Cairo, to which AUC is moving next year, and then through what felt like a million miles of desert and car-packed streets.
At 5.15, we were still in the cab with the airport nowhere in sight. Finally, at 5.25, the cab pulled into the airport and The Roommate and I ran to the check-in.
The line was about as long as the room was large. But I have have been educated in the art of being pushy during these six months in Egypt. Wait in line when I'm capable of shoving in front of everyone else? Not I!
I maneuvered through the waiting passengers, lept over a few suitcases and weaseled my way up to the counter. "Can I get on the Istanbul flight at 6?" I asked the attendant (who, I might add, seemed completely non-plussed that I'd cut about two hundred people and calmly served me before the Saudi woman who had begun to hand her passport over). "The flight closed at 5.15" he replied, after poking at his computer for a few seconds.
I objected that the flight couldn't be closed, there was still half an hour before take off and the traffic was just terrible. After a moment's consideration, the man agreed, and we were issued tickets. Then we ran to the gate just as they were calling passengers onto the bus (Cairo airport often buses folks to their planes) and were thus boarding ten minutes after arriving at the airport. That's gotta be some kind of record.
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I 
We took a Bosphorous tour and learned that the city never ends in either direction along the sea. Its beauty also never seems to end.
BM 
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Maybe he confused the meanings of "fastest" and "slowest"? We took a bizarrely round-about route which took us to New Cairo, to which AUC is moving next year, and then through what felt like a million miles of desert and car-packed streets.
At 5.15, we were still in the cab with the airport nowhere in sight. Finally, at 5.25, the cab pulled into the airport and The Roommate and I ran to the check-in.
The line was about as long as the room was large. But I have have been educated in the art of being pushy during these six months in Egypt. Wait in line when I'm capable of shoving in front of everyone else? Not I!
I maneuvered through the waiting passengers, lept over a few suitcases and weaseled my way up to the counter. "Can I get on the Istanbul flight at 6?" I asked the attendant (who, I might add, seemed completely non-plussed that I'd cut about two hundred people and calmly served me before the Saudi woman who had begun to hand her passport over). "The flight closed at 5.15" he replied, after poking at his computer for a few seconds.
I objected that the flight couldn't be closed, there was still half an hour before take off and the traffic was just terrible. After a moment's consideration, the man agreed, and we were issued tickets. Then we ran to the gate just as they were calling passengers onto the bus (Cairo airport often buses folks to their planes) and were thus boarding ten minutes after arriving at the airport. That's gotta be some kind of record.
After all that, we made it! And I am very glad we did - Istanbul is lovely, and not just in comparision to what I had just left. Take a look for yourself:
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There are many seas around (Marmara, Bosphorous, Black), bridges, beautiful architecture and towers to climb.
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The main shopping avenue, Istiklal Cadessi, offered a plethora of lovely stores and interesting folks to oggle, in addition to a lack of traffic and various public trasportation opportunities.
We took a Bosphorous tour and learned that the city never ends in either direction along the sea. Its beauty also never seems to end.
Famous landmarks within walking distance of our hotel: Blue Mosque and Hagia Sofia, Basillica Cistern, Grand Bazaar and Spice Market.
BM 
My camera doesn't like taking pictures in the dark (and it is both dark and damp in the cistern) but this produced highly entertaining images when I fiddled with it:
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We took a day trip to the Princes' Islands on the largest of which we climbed to what was supposed to be a monastary. We found no monastary, but did find a lovely, tree-full park and many a cute island kitty cat. 
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P This is the ferry terminal and the local transportation - no cars allowed:
P Sunset on the ferry back to the city:
And, as if I needed further proof that this I was not in Cairo: The cafe at the gorgeous Istanbul Modern Art Museum:
Starbucks here had soy milk (unlike Starbucks in both Cairo and Beirut, the meanies), as did local chain Gloria Jean's Coffee. I swam in soy chai lattes and ate veggie platters at every meal.
F Some Istanbul food art from my final afternoon:
I like small, strange details in cities. Like the mannequin head suffocating in hats:
Old-fashioned underwear display on the modern shopping street. Don't worry, they take credit cards:
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