Survivor: Istanbul Finalists

Group members continued to peel away.  Six became four when two left to catch their afternoon plane back to the States after breakfast on our last full day in Istanbul.  Lots of hugs and hand-holding as we delayed the inevitable final goodbye.  Suddenly, the trip felt farther and farther away.

An exceptionally damp day curtailed our outdoor activities on our last day.  We ventured out to do some exploring and last-minute shopping at the well-touristed Grand Bazaar and at the smaller and more interesting Arasta Bazaar, near the Blue Mosque.  Our casual wanderings allowed us to see a great many spots of the Grand Bazaar – either that or we saw the same things repeatedly but from different angles.  Due to the incessant downpour, we stayed on the covered streets out of the rain.  Since it was Friday, loudspeakers were set up to broadcast the services from one of the mosques for the benefit of the merchants.  One narrow aisle, aligned – I assume – with Mecca, was packed with shopkeepers sitting atop their rain-soaked prayer rugs to hear the service.

That evening we had a final dinner with the last two members of our group.  Much to my regret, a brewing ailment that I thought I was keeping at bay became more pronounced.  After arriving at the restaurant – a cozy little place with a fireplace, perfect for the damp and chilly evening – I had to excuse myself and go back to the room for a lie down.  It was hard to leave – to so abruptly have to say goodbye – but my getting ill would not have made for a pleasant dinner for anyone.  As much as I regretted going, the consolation was that my Beloved Travel Companion (BTC) was able to stay and have a great closing meal and conversation before we packed for our morning departure.  Thus, four became three became two.  The honor of “Last Couple Standing” in Istanbul was not to be ours.

The next morning, we caught a cab from the hotel past the parking lot of freighters known as the Sea of Marmara to Istanbul Ataturk Airport.  Off-hand, I cannot think of having gone through a more thorough airport security process.  Bags were x-rayed and we went through a metal detector at the entrance to the International Terminal.  Once in the appropriate location to check in, staff worked the line reviewing documents and itinerary and asking security questions, marking the passport of each interviewed passenger with a sticker.  At the head of the line, staff confirmed that each passport had the appropriate sticker applied and then examined the passport of each traveler – in our case even sending them to another individual for a quick review – before sending us to the check-in desk.  Documentation was reviewed again at the check-in desk before we dropped off our bags and got our boarding passes.

Passport control was the standard routine.  Another round of security awaited us at our gate.  Our carry-ons were x-rayed and we again went through a metal detector.  We were ‘randomly selected’ for another round of screening where our passports were reviewed again and photographed by a good-humored official.  “It’s like winning the lottery,” he said explaining why we were selected.  He smiled in a non-committal manner when I asked if this good luck would also translate to a seat upgrade on our flight.  This extra detour added no more than a couple of minutes to our journey to our boarding gate.

The stub was torn from our boarding passes as we progressed to the penultimate step: a pat-down and physical examination of the contents of our carry-on bags.  A couple of minutes later, we were at the gate awaiting the notice that our plane was ready for boarding.  When we boarded, we passed the final layer of security: a few officers standing in the gangway observing the stream of passengers.  Despite the many layers, I felt it went rather efficiently.  That said, I was glad we were at the airport the suggested two hours prior to departure.

After settling into my seat with a moment to relax, I realized I was ready to head back home.  Instead of wanting to leave because I was having a bad time, I felt it was time to leave because we had an exceptional time.  The longer we stayed, the less vivid and perhaps less positive this entire experience could become.  We should leave while it the memories were still strong and good and while we still wanted to stay.  Best to leave while we are still hungry.

• Istanbul
• Turkey