November 29: On the Road to Istanbul

We had a grueling travel day from Kusadasi to Istanbul with a 7 hour drive.  The journey got super interesting when we arrived in Istanbul— crazy traffic and more blue lights from police and ambulances than I’ve ever seen in my life.  Once we got close to the hotel, we were greeted by narrow streets like old town Antalya— a true test of my patience  and expert driving skills.

The morning was a repeat of yesterday— a workout at the state of the art gym and another delicious breakfast.  The picture below shows round 1 — tomato, onion and cheese omelet with sausage and potatoes.  I paired that with a selection of olives, cheeses and fruit.

Accommodations: D (Xanadu Hotel)

This dump reminded me of the Reis Maris in Marmaris.  The bathroom smelled, the pillows and sheets were super uncomfortable and looked dirty.  Another example of you get what you pay as it cost us only 175 lira/$15/night.  As you might expect, no coffee or water were provided.  We also were given no towels.