Turkey Trip 2011

• Day 1:
• Arrive in Istanbul on Friday at 9.30 in the morning, we change money in the airport (but its better to change in the city), then we took  E10 bus(3,5lira) to Kadikoy, seeing the asia side of turkey all the way up to Kadikoy. then continue with ferry to Eminonu(1,5lira), thats where I was busy taking pictures, then we left the lunch box there and we missed to go down, we sailed again to karakoy. Then we took taxi (10lira) to our hotel, still have to walk a little bit.   Arrive at hotel, they gave us good room with bathroom and 2 beds. I wait upstrais with faris while the cleaner clean the room, and my husband went to Jumah prayer (it finished at 2). I went to room, with faris get rest, pray then went out, met Amr then we walk to Hagia Sophia,  blue mosque and hippodrome and around there. Lunch in the small kebab place, order turkeish cofee but I dont like it, meatball sandwich and cheese spring roll. Then we continue walking to gulhane (but only small walk, it gets so cold and faris is sleeping) we went back to hotel, and sleep until the next day. 
• Day 2: (saturday)
• Wake up, breakfast and go out from hotel at 11am, rainy day till night. Tortured and cold day. We go to covered bazaar, mahmut pasa and beyazit mosque (in fronht of istanbul university). Freeezing cold!! The coming back was very difficult to buy token. Then we eat in Tarihi Sultanahmet Koftecisi, Try Turkish meatball in this historical restaurant Located at the Sultanahmed square since 1920. Address: Divanyolu Cad. No:12/ A Sultanahmet
• back to hotel, sleep. Im awake to edit foto, then went out to starbuck, didnt find turkish mug, only SUMATERA. Went to blue mosque but closed n my batere low. Back to hotel, charge, then  upstairs, scarry. Done, sleep.
• Day 3: (sunday)
• We woke up late, bfast 8am, packed up n dressing 11am. Go around sultanahmet, street cold fountain or around hagia sophia, look inside gulhane from other angle, eat in kebab place. 
• Then move to new hotel hippodrome, check in at 1 oclock, mbak agustine arrive, faris poop very big. And our husbands moving the luggage from star holiday. Then we pray in blue moswue, continue walking to mahmutpasa, buying my pardesu, but it was too small, the we have to change after a very far walk. Wait for cutting around new mosque and egyptian bazaar.  Then went back to hotel, but we didnt go down at sultanahmet, we continue until BAGCILAR!! so faar. Then turn back to sultanahmet, eat and sleep.
• Day 4: (monday) 
• After breakfast (we always go to breakfast at 8am, then back to room, prepare to go, sometimes nap time for faris and baba and reviewing the route for mama).
• The we walked from our new hotel, its a very nice environment, like european small street. We walked to topkapi palace from other door, a very beautiful park, then went from the museum, the to gulhane park, all the way out to eminonu. Drizzle and cold. Eminonu was big, so many port and bus station.. and very cold too. We find our bus, a little bit at the end, near turyol ticket booth. Then we go to miniaturk, faaaaarrrr away to the other side (golden horn). We were just 1.5hours there. Went back to hotel, before that eat lunch. Sleep, I woke up at 10 to go for nightshot at aya sophia and blue mosque while baby and baba sleep. 
• Reaching Miniaturk:can take a bus to Miniaturk from Eminonu. Bus numbers 47Ç and 47 E, passes just in front of Miniaturk. 
• Day 5: (Tuesday)
• bfast and go out at 1.30 to Emirgan Park (From Sultanahmet: Take the T1 Tram to Kabatas. From there, you can take the buses 22 ( Kabatas -Istinye Dereici), 22RE(Kabatas-Fatih Sultan Mehmet) or 25E ( Kabatas - Sariyer). Get off at the 'Emirgan' stop ( After 'Cinaralti' stop.)  Its soooo far it took around 1.5hours to reach emirgan, but the way there is so fun, allll the way was port!! very near to the road, big boats. Emirgan was big, but the tulip wasnt there yet.. sooo disappointed. The road is going up like hill. Then walked back along the beautiful seaside. Waiting in the bus stop, but then pray and buy snack from nearest mini market. Went back to hotel. See bazzar behind blue mosque. Sleep. 

• Day 6 (wednesday)
• Bophorus tour.

To Eminonu at 10, buy ticket 25lira each long tour. Along the way so many nice view. Stop in anadolu kavagi, climb up to the hill (sooo tired but fun and consider it sport). Nice cafe and view from up there. I went up alone to the ruined castle, to see the meeting point of bosphorus and black sea, but foggy. Then we go down at 2pm, eat, pray and go up to the boat, departed at 3. back to eminonu. But we didnt go back to eminonu, but to besiktas to go to yildiz park. Walked so far, no tulips too :((, cold and almost night, but we cant stay longer, its so cold, and faris puuup very big.. uff.. . Pray and back to hotel. Sleep.

• Day 7 (Thursday)
• Prince's island, buy food before u go to this island, at least enough for 1 full day. 
• In the morning, after breakfast and packing, we took our luggage to move to a new hotel in prince's island or Adalar, in Buyukada island (the biggest Island). We went to sultanahmet, took tram to KABATAS (1.5lira for 15min), the go out from the tram station, across the street, there are 2 big companies of ferry. 1 is IDO, expensive and fast (7lira) depart at 11 and 12.30 or every 1.5hours), the other I think turyol, a little smaller but convenient too, for half the price. And we catched it at the last second @12 noon.  All the way to adalar was so beautiful, day was bright (but still cold in the front deck). They journey took around 1.5 hours. The are many other island on the way, they are all beautiful and what most interesting is the seagulf bird!! many of the follow the ferry to catch some bread. Arrive in Buyukada,  we search for our hotel, its verrry near to the port. Get some rest, then we went out again @4pm, walked around the seafront, nice houses and restaurant, peacefully. Eat cheese pide (1.5lira), ice cream (1lira 1 scoop, super yummy), and meat pizza or laham... something, I forgot.(2.5lira) I bought silver with real stone earring for my mother and sisters, there was 1 amethyst earring, 50lira.. or 125riyal or around 400ribu.. its huge.. but I didnt buy, I regretted it. 
• Buyukada is so big, we can use feyton or horse carrier, but it was too expensive around 50lira (short tour) and 60 lira (long tour).

• Day 8 (Friday)
• after bfast in the room, around 7.30am,we went to buyukuda port, ferry to kartal, buy tiket for 3.5lira. Feryboat came at 7.40 and we departed at 7.45. The journey took around 25 minutes. then wait for bus E9 to sabiha (wait in front of the port bus stop) http://harita.iett.gov.tr/en/?hat=ex9  waiting for the bus was soo long around 1hour (but better than taking a cab, it could cost 35-50lira. The journey to sabiha gokcen took around 20-25min. Arrive in the airport, go to international departure. Bye bye beautiful country. :((
• WHAT I MISSED AND SHOULD BE DONE LATER, INSHAALLAH:
• taksim square (ride and take the picture of nostalgic tram, and also the furnicular or subway).
• Take night shoot at the brigde.
• Rumeli hisari
• tulips!!!
• galatta tower. 

I NEED TO ADD VIDEO!!! 1 full hour of TURKEY TRIP 2011 / PEER

Konferensi ke Ankara, Turkey

Enaknya bekerja di sekolah International ini salah satunya bisa pergi menghadiri konferensi ke negara manapun, asal sesuai dengan bidang mata pelajaran. Biaya dibayar sekolah, terbatas sih misalnya 1000$ saja pertahun, tapi karena saya kerja paruh waktu, untuk saya hanya 500$. Kalau lebih dari itu, ya harus nombok sendiri. Gapapa, yang penting bisa jalan-jalan juga. Baru 3 konferensi yang saya datangi, di Dhahran tahun 2012, Turkey tahun 2013 dan di Georgia, USA tahun 2014. Tahun 2015 tidak kemana-mana karena biayanya sudah dipakai untuk yang ke USA. Alhamdulillah. 

Suami lagi-lagi tidak bisa ikut, karena tidak punya hari libur. Terpaksa pergi sendiri. Tidak bisa ajak Faris juga karena tidak ada yang bisa menjaga ketika saya menghadiri konferensi. Sayapun pergi walau hanya 5hari (jadinya 8 hari karena ketinggalan pesawat.. baca sampai akhir ya^_^)

Untuk visa, saya hanya mengandalkan VOA yang baru saja diresmikan tahun 2012. Biaya visa 25%. Tiket saya beli sendiri lewat website Turkish Airlines, Yanbu-Istanbul PP, seharga 333$. Kota Yanbu (Saudi Arabia), walaupun kecil, tapi punya Airport International yang melayani penerbangan ke Europe dan Amerika, melalui hub Istanbul. 

Untuk keluar masuk negeri Saudi Arabia, kami harus membayar visa exit-re-entry seharga 53$/orang. Sudah keluar biaya 411$ tuh, sisa cuma 89$. Saya menyiapkan 500$ karena hanya beberapa hari, dan saya juga akan tinggal di rumah teman saya di Ankara, jadi tidak banyak membutuhkan biaya. 

Hari pertama, 22 January 2013

Saya sangat bersemangat hari ini. Pihak panitia konferensi terus-terusan update foto salju di fb, karena disana memang lagi musim dingin. Penerbangan saya pukul 8.30 pagi. On the way to airport, baru ingat kalau saya belum buat visa exit-entry! Rasanya sudah impposible aja, karena biasanya butuh waktu lama. Langsung kami ke rumah sakit. Loh kok? Soalnya kantor yang membuatnya harus yang mensponsori suami, yaitu rumah sakit tempat suami kerja. Waktu itu pukul 6.30 pagi. Ada waktu 2 jam sebelum pesawatku terbang. 20 menit untuk ke airport. Ternyata belum ada orang yang datang kerja. Pastilah, mulai kerja kan jam 8 pagi. Suami berusaha menelpon dia. Akhirnya jam 7 lebih dia datang, dan 7.30 visanya jadi. cuma punya waktu 1 jam! Tidak mungkin dibolehkan masuk, karena 60 menit minimal. Dalam waktu 15 menit kami sampai di bandara. Saya langsung lari untuk check in. ada 45 menit, dan karena ini bandara kecil akhirnya saya bisa berangkat! Alhamdulillah. Suami ikut lari membawa tas kecil saya, yang isinya penuh sama oleh-oleh untuk teman saya disana. Faris ditinggal dulu di rumah nena.

Saya sampai di bandara Ataturk pukul 11 pagi. Tidak ada salju di Istanbul. Penerbangan berikutnya adalah sore hari sekitar pukul 6 sore. Saya keluar bandara, dan naik bus jurusan ke Taksim Square. 

Day 2, 23 January 2013

Sakitnya tuh disini kalau saya tidak buat catatan dan lupa apa yang terjadi di konferensi. Yang saya ingat hanya samar-samar, tidak detail. 

Day 3, 24 January 2013

Conference

Day 4, 25 January 2013

Pagi-pagi saya keluar untuk ke Hacceteppe University membawa tas dan semuanya, karena saya akan langsung ke bus station ke Istanbul. Pukul 3 sore saya check-out dari konferensi, tidak ikut acara penutupan dan dinner. Saya jalan-jalan dulu di Ankara, bahkan mandi di Turkish bath dulu. Saya tidak sadar kalau saat itu adalah hari libur dan bus udah banyak yang fully booked. Saya ditawari untuk dibooking kan kursi, tapi saya tidak mau merepotkan teman saya, dan nanti kalau tidak ketemu sama tempat check-in, atau terlambat, hanguslah tiketnya. Jadi saya mau go-show saja. Demi menghemat uang tiket pesawat dan hotel, saya pilih bus. Tidak harus bayar hotel, tinggal tidur di bus. Penerbangan saya pukul 3 atau 4 pagi, perjalanan 6 jam. 

Selesai Turkish bath yang sangat menyegarkan pukul 6 sore, saya masih punya waktu sekitar 9-10 jam. Ternyata perjalanan ke bus station lumayan jauh dan 1 jam perjalanan lewat MRT. Pukul 7 sore, bus station penuh, semua tiket sudah habis. Panik, panik. Dapat tiket pukul 8.30 malam. Mepet sekali! Tapi apa boleh buat. Bahkan saya sempat memohon kepada supir bus untuk membolehkan saya duduk dilantai sekalipun. Sedinya melihat bus menuju Istanbul pergi.  Kalau busnya on time, inshallah tidak ada masalah. Tapi, ternyata, busnya telat dan ada masalah dijalan. Kami semua harus ditransfer ke bus yang lain, dan menunggu 1 jam dijalan. Saya dan penumpang lain marah dan menandatangani surat komplain. Saya sudah dipastikan terlambat. Seorang penumpang bernama Osman berusaha membantu saya untuk memantau jadwal penerbangan. Penerbangan tepat waktu. Saya berusaha membatalkan penerbangan dan membuat open ticket. 

Kami sampai di Istanbul pukul 4.30 pagi. Pesawatku terbang sudah. Silly me, Istanbul is big. Ternyata turun di sisi Asia, yang lebih dekat ke bandara Gokcen. Tidak ada satu orangpun yang berbahasa Inggris dan berniat membantu saya. Kemana saya harus pergi? Pagi seperti ini? Tidak ada taksi ataupun bus. Semua penumpang sudah ada penjemputnya. Akhirnya saya minta tolong Osman, satu-satunya yang bisa berbahasa Inggris sedikit. Kakaknya akan datang menjemput. Masalahnya, uang tidak ada lagi, misal saya akan ke hotel. Paginya butuh ke bandara untuk mengurus tiket. Ternyata Osman adalah mahasiswa yang jurusannya adalah pariwisata dan sedang magang semester akhir di Bandara Ataturk dan akan membantu saya mencari tiket atau menukar tiket di bandara. 

Crazy but I was stuck, no choice. Jadi saya pergi bersama mereka. Ibu mereka sudah menyiapkan kamar untuk Osman, tapi jadi untuk saya dan Osman tidur di sofa di ruang tamu. Tidur setelah solat subuh dan bangun jam 8 pagi.

Day 5, 26 January 2013

Sarapan khas Turki di keluarga orang Turki adalah pengalaman yang unik. Mereka biasa makan pagi sekitar jam 11-12 siang, dan makan siang jam 4-5 sore. Seperti kebiasaan orang Mesir. Tapi karena saya mau berangkat ke bandara, mereka menyiapkan cukup pagi. Menunya ada borek, french fries, roti khas Turki, madu, olive, telur, dan banyak lagi. Favorit saya adalah Boreknya. Homemade. Renyah dan sangat lezat. Bentuknya seperti pizza, hanya saja isinya didalam, dan digoreng.

Bersambung ya.. tidur dulu..

PR VIDEO!!!