Istanbul, Turkey
Meeting the tour members at the
lobby of the hotel was like a family reunion.
I had traveled with most of them in 8 - 9 different countries from
Mongolia to Morocco. The only new tour member was the husband of a lady
who too had been on at least six of my tours in Central Asia,
Syria and the Balkans. they all knew that we would start our tour with a
nice meeting to go over the itinerary and be totally prepared for the
adventure that we were going to have for the next 24 days.
After the meeting even those who
did not know each other had no doubt that it was a great group and that
we will have a wonderful tour. With big smiles and great anticipation
off we went for our dinner. For a group of thirteen who had been to
Istanbul so many times before and especially for those who had already
been in Istanbul for over a week, finding a unique restaurant was a
challenge, but that is what I like, I like to surprise my tour members
and assure them that each time they travel with me, we will have another
"wow" experience. Actually in Istanbul is a great city to find new
little secret locations for every one to pleasantly surprised and
satisfied.
Tonight, we chose to go down under of Istanbul and experience a Byzantine atmosphere. Walking down the stairs into the 1500 year old cistern gave every one goose bumps. Only in Istanbul you can travel in time so rapidly. The Byzantine green glaze on the ceramic plates and cups, a huge fire in the fireplace and the music resonating the Byzantine tunes set the ambiance for an excellent dinner.
Since we have a very early departure tomorrow, we were all packed. All we had to do is sleep well and be ready for our flight to Skopje tomorrow!