Travel Highlights

Turkey

Everyone who has seen a hot air balloon in Turkey says, "This is a must-see sight." Turkey, an Islamic nation spanning Eurasia, is also known as the "Cradle of Civilization." Kemal Ataturk established the Republic of Turkey on October 29, 1923. Historically, Turkey served as the center of the Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman Empires. Constantinople and Istanbul served as capitals of Rome and Byzantium, respectively. With a 2,500-year history and the heritage of thirteen different civilizations, Turkey, surrounded by the sea on three sides and boasting a complex inland landscape, boasts a wealth of tourism resources. Turkey has many important cultural heritage sites. With so much to offer, how could one miss out?

For all these reasons, it's impossible to miss such a wonderful country. Furthermore, June 2022 is an excellent time to visit Turkey, as their currency has significantly depreciated. In 2021, the US dollar was worth 7 lira, but when we visited, it was 17 lira—a truly outrageous exchange rate.Turkey

Everyone who has seen a hot air balloon in Turkey says, "This is a must-see sight." Turkey, an Islamic nation spanning Eurasia, is also known as the "Cradle of Civilization." Kemal Ataturk established the Republic of Turkey on October 29, 1923. Historically, Turkey served as the center of the Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman Empires. Constantinople and Istanbul served as capitals of Rome and Byzantium, respectively. With a 2,500-year history and the heritage of thirteen different civilizations, Turkey, surrounded by the sea on three sides and boasting a complex inland landscape, boasts a wealth of tourism resources. Turkey has many important cultural heritage sites. With so much to offer, how could one miss out?

For all these reasons, it's impossible to miss such a wonderful country. Furthermore, June 2022 is an excellent time to visit Turkey, as their currency has significantly depreciated. In 2021, the US dollar was worth 7 lira, but when we visited, it was 17 lira—a truly outrageous exchange rate.

Istanbul, Turkey, was the next stop on our Greek journey. This time, we had a terrifying flight connection. However, thanks to God's protection and care, we made it through safely. We had an 8:30 a.m. flight from Santorini to Athens, so we arrived at the airport at 6:00 a.m. However, upon reaching the counter, they were overcrowded and told us the computer was down, so we had to manually check in. After a lengthy wait, we were finally allowed to board.

Once we boarded, the nightmare began. The door wouldn't close. The captain announced that there were some issues with the plane and it couldn't pass through security. Do you know how long the repairs took? An hour and a half. Our next flight was from Athens to Istanbul at 10:30 a.m. The plane finally took off, but we only had 45 minutes left. The mental torment was just beginning. The captain raced hard and arrived in Athens in about 30 minutes. Unfortunately, we had already known not to check in our luggage, saving time on baggage claiming. However, time was of the essence. All carry-on luggage required checking in before boarding. Since there were three of us traveling together, my sister-in-law went to claim the carry-on luggage, while Weili and I went to the luggage storage to claim our three large pieces of luggage. Time was very tight, with only a few minutes left. Thankfully, there was no line at the baggage claim area, so we quickly collected our luggage and headed straight to the Turkish Airlines counter on the second floor. When we arrived, the counter was already closing, but the staff were still packing up. We asked another staff member, who told us to go to the counter, but the staff didn't want to help. Finally, someone else told us to help. But the tension wasn't over yet. My sister-in-law hadn't shown up yet. The lady at the counter asked us if we were going to go as a couple or wait for someone else, with our hand luggage, and not board the plane. Of course, we both wanted to go, and there was no way we could leave my sister-in-law behind. Just at that critical moment, my sister-in-law showed up, and I was so relieved. But the best part was yet to come. We headed straight for the gate, which should have been closed, but when we arrived, we saw a long line. I was relieved again because the flight was delayed. If it hadn't been delayed, who knows if the plane would have waited for us? There's a song about this (He is never late), isn't it?Istanbul, Turkey, was the next stop on our Greek journey. This time, we had a terrifying flight connection. However, thanks to God's protection and care, we made it through safely. We had an 8:30 a.m. flight from Santorini to Athens, so we arrived at the airport at 6:00 a.m. However, upon reaching the counter, they were overcrowded and told us the computer was down, so we had to manually check in. After a lengthy wait, we were finally allowed to board.

Once we boarded, the nightmare began. The door wouldn't close. The captain announced that there were some issues with the plane and it couldn't pass through security. Do you know how long the repairs took? An hour and a half. Our next flight was from Athens to Istanbul at 10:30 a.m. The plane finally took off, but we only had 45 minutes left. The mental torment was just beginning. The captain raced hard and arrived in Athens in about 30 minutes. Unfortunately, we had already known not to check in our luggage, saving time on baggage claiming. However, time was of the essence. All carry-on luggage required checking in before boarding. Since there were three of us traveling together, my sister-in-law went to claim the carry-on luggage, while Weili and I went to the luggage storage to claim our three large pieces of luggage. Time was very tight, with only a few minutes left. Thankfully, there was no line at the baggage claim area, so we quickly collected our luggage and headed straight to the Turkish Airlines counter on the second floor. When we arrived, the counter was already closing, but the staff were still packing up. We asked another staff member, who told us to go to the counter, but the staff didn't want to help. Finally, someone else told us to help. But the tension wasn't over yet. My sister-in-law hadn't shown up yet. The lady at the counter asked us if we were going to go as a couple or wait for someone else, with our hand luggage, and not board the plane. Of course, we both wanted to go, and there was no way we could leave my sister-in-law behind. Just at that critical moment, my sister-in-law showed up, and I was so relieved. But the best part was yet to come. We headed straight for the gate, which should have been closed, but when we arrived, we saw a long line. I was relieved again because the flight was delayed. If it hadn't been delayed, who knows if the plane would have waited for us? There's a song about this (He is never late), isn't it?

Istanbul International Airport

The new international airport is located north of Istanbul, about a 40-minute drive away. It's still under construction, and I heard it's planned to be the largest in Europe. Our brief experience with it was that the walk from landing to customs took about 15 minutes, which was quite impressive. After careful consideration, we decided to rent and return the car at the airport, as this was the smoothest option. Istanbul's traffic is chaotic and congested, so it's best not to drive. Our itinerary planned to travel around Turkey in a clockwise direction, passing through the international airport before returning to Istanbul. We returned the car and then took a taxi to Istanbul.

After arriving in Istanbul on Turkish Airlines after a thrilling flight, we immediately headed to pick up the car. This was quite a hassle, as getting from the counter to the pick-up area was quite challenging. We followed the instructions, pushing our luggage, to take the elevator down to the third floor and then to the rental company in the R area. The basement was so large that it took a while to find the correct pick-up location. Today's trip was the most tiring. We woke up at 5:00 AM to catch our flight, and by the time we got the car at the Turkish airport, it was already 2:30 PM. Next, we drove all the way to Safranbolu. The drive from Ataturk Airport to Safranbolu is a long one, covering 425 kilometers and taking over four hours. It was a real hassle, but thankfully, Weili was able to help with the two-hour drive, which alleviated the fatigue.

The total driving distance in Türkiye is approximately 3,000 kilometers (1,400 miles).

We stopped at a rest stop on the highway to rest and eat. The facilities here are very complete, comparable to those in the US, but much larger. Each stop is similar to Taiwan, offering not only gas stations but also restrooms, restaurants, drinks, souvenirs, and everything else. Another unique feature is the prayer room. Several times, I needed to use the restroom and ended up in the prayer room, scaring the Turkish staff into quickly taking me to the restroom. This time, we ordered two dishes, a plate of rice, and a bowl of soup, which cost about 200 lira (a little over a dozen US dollars). It was very similar to a buffet, and the food was excellent and suited our tastes perfectly.