In transit

Our driver was ready and waiting at noon today. Check out was smooth. The Millennium Suites Hotel was very nice. They aim to please. The room was nice. The restaurant cafe was nice. The service was great. We commend them and we'd stay here again in a heartbeat. The location was absolutely perfect. A lively yet pretty quiet street, and close to absolutely everything you'd want to see in Istanbul. More than two dozen restaurants on and within the block.


Lisa's setup of the trip thus far was perfect. Having one person (Mehmet from Argeus Travel in Cappadocia) responsible for you once you land until you take off (next week) is worth its weight in gold. She built a customized itinerary, with the local agent's input, with drivers and guides scheduled and waiting for us at each turn.


An aside. Istanbul is not only old and historic, bur very modern, young and alive. Funny thing, one of the things vendors are selling on street corners everywhere - spyrograph. Anyway remember that, from 30-40 years ago. Well I don't know why it seems to be the thing to do and sell on the streets. Can't see kids wanting it when they have iPods, iPads, iPhones, and iOtherStuff.

The airport here... Add it to the list of better airports than Halifax. Of course, that ain't a very high standard to measure against. We were at the domestic terminal. At the door, all stuff into the X-ray machine and you walk through your everyday average scanner. Then you go and get your boarding pass & check your luggage. We'd checked in online the night before but Lisa wanted to check the bags this time. So we did. This is a risk in that it is not always with us and it can be lost. Decided to handle this risk event by "accepting" the risk. As my project managers know, there are other ways to manage the risk, anyone of them want to chime in? After checking our luggage, you again go through the X-ray and scanners to reach the gate area. Then you are ready to go.

An hour to kill, nothing to each yet today. If I can quote a former employee of mine, "well I guess i'll have a whupper".

The plane ride was 65 minutes in the air. We landed 1000 feet above sea level, approximately, possibly. Landing was a big choppy. From the airport we were taken in a VW van converted into a limo. Oh so comfortable. Our driver took us to our new destination an hour away. Uchisar, Cappadocia.

Holy crow is this place cool!!! We were welcomed by guest services with a 1-night upgrade to the "splendid suite" ... the one with a swimming pool that Martha Stewart and Nicolas Cage stays in when they visit here. Plus wine & fruit and snacks.





























Lisa, tell us your view if today...

"Quick easy flight from Istanbul to Kayseri, equally easy drive of about an hour to the hotel. The hotel is perched at the top of the hill town of Uchisar, with a killer view of 'pigeon valley'. It's an epic kind of place, landscape dominated in the background by Mount Argeus (which our travel agency is named after) - got a few likely blurry shots from the car. Still impressive."

"Tonight we'll go for a little walk, take a little swim in our pool and have dinner in the hotel around 8 pm. Pretty busy day tomorrow - lots of outdoorsy-ness! And sadly a demotion to the mere 'suite'. Oh well, maybe it will have a bathtub :-)"

Dinner was average and of course expensive. Too much on the art of presentation and not enough on FOOD. The wine superb, the company even better, and the view priceless.

Time for another dip.