This is what Istanbul Ataturk International airport looks like at 05:30 in the morning.
I made it! I'm in Thessaloniki!
The flight from Johannesburg to Istanbul was long and uneventful. Just a couple of storms around the equator, but we skirted them. All that lightening did look spectacular. The plane wasn't full either. I was sitting second row, left. Every time people came to take their seats, in my mind I said NO. Something worked because I had both seats to myself for the entire flight. I must say that the food on Turkish Airlines really is good. Here's last nights menu. I had the fish.
This is for economy. Smoked salmon was rolled to the size of a very large cherry tomato.
I slept quite a bit, but the entire plane woke up at 3am when they dropped something in the galley. At 4am they served the cheese, fruit and omelette. You not going anywhere, so you eat it. We landed at 5am and went through customs. All very fast and slick. My dental implant kept setting the alarm off. I was eventually down to socks, pants and t-shirt. I was patted down and let through.
Greeted by that sea of people. And there were hundreds more still coming in. So I switch on my phone to look for wi-fi. Immediately get a message from Vodacom welcoming me to international roaming. I thought - not bloody likely! They'll take my entire salary next month. Switched the phone back to airplane mode.
Walked for what seemed like kilometers to gate 705 where I needed to board the flight to
Thessaloniki. It was a very quick, smooth flight. They served breakfast. Fat hobbit had to have
second breakfast! It was so tasty - salad vegetables, fruit and cheeses. Had a coffee and we landed.
I'm sure the whole passport entry setup is devised to stress you - 6 counters: 1 for citizens, 2 for EU and 3 for ROW.
But we all stand in the same queue! So they sit in their tower desks screaming EU, EU. Then the EU people have to push and shove their way to the counter. Nobody says excuse me or pardon. They just shove you out of the way. Once EU was done, this one guy shouted Rest of World! I was in front, so I was first. Same stupid questions and I was through. It was only 9:15am, but it felt as if I had been queuing for hours.
Went to the carousel and waited for my luggage. And waited. And waited. Eventually it was just me and somebody else's suitcase.
My suitcase went on its own world trip. I went off to Lost and Found to notify them. A very sweet lady took my details and said that they would get back to me via the hotel. By this stage I was really pissed off. I took a cab into town. It cost €22.00 as opposed to the €1.80 that the bus would have cost, but I didn't care. I was staying at the Orestias Kastorias. I let the front desk know what was going on in case there was a call for me regarding my suitcase and left. So I basically walked around until 12:30 and then went to book in. Had the most wonderful shower and a lie down. Got a call at about 4pm from Lost and Found. They have located my suitcase and it will be dropped off tomorrow morning. Happy Endings all round. Below are some photos of the promenade and sea front in Thessaloniki.
I'm going out now. In the same dirty clothes. If you smell me, then you are standing too close to me! It is so hot and humid. I think it also feels worse because I am grumpy and unsettled. As well as wearing the same clothes since midday yesterday. PS - didn't have dinner, just a take away and pistachio ice cream. The last time I had pistachio ice-cream was when I was in Turkey in 2013.
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