Checking In From The Nautica

Rat · July 9, 2008

Hı Crazıes, checkıng ın from Istanbul. We just completed the thırd nıght here.......what a cıty! Had a few bad experıences here lıke the rıpoff taxıs drıvers and an ATM machıne that gave us useless old Turkısh Lıras. Other than that the cıty ıs very busy and scenıc. Had to get use to all the calls to prayers from the many mosques here. :biggrin: The Grand Bazaar....... what a hectıc market. Next to ımpossıble to fınd your way out! Best deal (17 lıra, 15 USD) here ıs the Bosphorus cruıse (6 1/2 hours) whıch took us to the asıan contınent. Very nıce trıp on the very busy straıt.

Sınce the last tıme we checked ın, we,ve vısıted Haıfa, Jerusalem, Nazareth, Sea of Galılee and Jordon Rıver among others ın Israel. Also stopped ın the beautıful walled cıty of Rhodes, Greece.....one of my favorıtes. Kusadası wıth our tour to Ephesus......probably the best set of ruıns we have seen.

We fly out tonıght to Dubaı, UAE. It ıs a 4 1/2 hour flıght over hopefully frıendly countrıes. Just wıll be relaxıng there wıth lıttle sıghtseeıng. Talk to you soon!

Ray

JoeyandDavid · July 9, 2008

Ray.. Wow.....an extremely exciting trip!!

cruisetarp · July 9, 2008

Ray - so glad you are having such a great vacation. Travel safely and come back with a review for us.

rogue · July 9, 2008

It sounds really great, Ray. Thanks for checking in. We'll all be interested in reading the review.

jacketwatch · July 9, 2008

Thanks for checking in! :thumbup:

KeithnRita · July 9, 2008

Ray, sounds like you are having a grand time!

TheSkipper · July 9, 2008

Ray,

Enjoyed your "reports." Have visited all those spots and they are fantastic. Enjoy the rest of your trip.

mercedes · July 10, 2008

Ray, that sound likes a wonderful cruise. I was in Instanbul about 2 weeks ago and you are right, the Grand Bazaar is just crazy. We took the Ancient Ephesus tour in Izmir and and I have to agree with you, it was very impressive.

Rat · July 10, 2008

Hi all, now we are in Dubai. Glad to be out Istanbul........we were at the US embassy a few days earlier. Our flight from Istanbul flew across Turkey and then turned south and over Iranian airspace before turning to the UAE. Before we took off, I asked the stewardess what countries we we're going to fly over, but she didn't want to answer my question. Go figure! Currently we are staying at the Jumeirah Beach hotel, next to the famous sister 7 star hotel, Burq Al Arab. When we checked in, they did not have any reservations for us. It was booked over half a year ago. Made a few phone calls to my TA in California.........issue still has not been resolved. They are fully booked tomorrow night so we may get the boot. We are really upset because this is the hotel we want to stay at. Tomorrow is another day, don't know what's going on because we have no hotel yet. Back to the front desk to meet with another manager. Sigh........... :angry:

cruisetarp · July 10, 2008

Ray - so sorry about the glitch in your hotel reservations. I hope they get it straightened out to your satisfaction soon. Enjoy the rest of your trip.