Istanbul

Well, we finally made it to Istabul, after 10 hours on a Lufthansa flight (no tv on back of chairs only above - watched the muppet movie and sherlock Holmes - Joy!) and then 3 hours in Frankfurt airport (very organised and efficient for big transfer airport - impressed with Germans) and then another 3 hours to Istanbul! ist Funny Story - while we were waiting to board a bus to take us out to the plane at Franfurt (yes thats right - the airport is so big buses take you to the planes!) a guy came up to Dave and said Kia Ora bro - got talking to Dave where are you from?.... Taihape! both of them answered at the same time! he knew Daves family, played with some of his ex rugby coaches, knew the diff. families etc. Talk about a small world! so anyway this guy kicks a poor Asian girl out from her seat on the plane next to us, plonks himself down with a beer and that was it for the next 3 hours! couldnt believe guys could talk so much! app. he wasfrom London, working on the Olympic Games village (not yet finished but the stadiums are) and decided to join the bros at Gallipoli! he was hilarious! Anyway arrive at Istanbul airport, people everywhere holding up signs and talking and yelling! evenutally found ours, get sorted into a mini shuttle, lots of jabbering between the guide and driver and then on our way! cars buses bikes everywhere! not lanes just go for it! drivers slamming on brakes, then speds up to 80 kms and then brakes fullforce as taxi and motorbikesetc all change lanes, no Dave thought we went past the Blue Mosque four times! an hour and a half later (only 30 min drive from airport supposedly!) and lots of yelling out the window to passers by about where this hotel is we get there! it is placed up this little alley way not easy to get into! its ok itself as a hotel. the reception guy comes out, and is all over you, lots of smiles and greasing of hands! in 3 minutes of arrival he has sold us two tour tickets! he was that good! the second funny story was that the first one was a Dinner Cruise on the Bosporous with all the trimmings but ..... its 70 euros each but he knows someone working on it and we could go for 55 Euros!!! i really wanted to go cause it was on my to do list, so yay - money changed hands and he was going to jack up the shuttle for 20 mins time! My god! we had been awake 24 hours and now faced 4 more hours till midnight their time on this trip. but it was the only chance and we had to take it. So 20 mins later we are ready, not sure what to expect after our last shuttle ride lost the place! this time it was a young boy racer type kid in a old car equipped with mobile phone holder and thumping stereo who was to take us to the pier to the boat! lots of jabbering again and the receptionist is out with the phamplet and showing this kid the address! Im thinking - oh my god! anyway we get in, he doesnt speak English, drives like a maniac with stereo going and him chatting away on his cellphone, straight to the place in 10 mins yay! another young kid (about 18) in a waiters outfit is waiting by the road, says come with me, Dave gives the driver a tip, waiter snatches it out of his hand, jabbers in turkish, and stalks off with us following. we go on the boat (big, huge double decker with 100 people on board) goes past the guys taking the tickets, nothing said, and places us at a table! then another waiter comes up, more terse words, money exchanges hands between the two guys and we are ready to go!!! i just laughed and laughed about it all night. We think the waiters were doing a dirty on the owners and getting us in there without paying the owners, they pocket the money between them all and we get a show with free booze and dinner and amazing first sights of Istanbul! it was hilarioous! talk about being sucked in as gulible tourists first up! by the way the food was great, lots of wine and then the show starts while we are moving along the Bosphorus (like a large river going through the city)therewas a belly dancer in the show who was fantastic - got guys up trying to do it. The sights along the way were amazing - castles and fortresses and palaces all it up, including 3 bridges doing their own light show. Then the equivalent of a Turkish disco afterwards. got back to dock at midnight (after 30 hours up no sleep) - and was just buzzing with all the excitement! slept like a log when the head hit the pillow tho! here are some photos of Istanbul - more to come about day two soon!