Istanbul: First Impressions

"Is it possible..." THUD "...potholes..." THUD "...tarmac... airport?" I type into my phone as my plane prepares to take off. 

Generally not, but sometimes. 

Cool.

I was warned that this airport would disappoint me. Perhaps even infuriate me. But Frankfurt's airport has confused me.

Our second security screening took over an hour to process about a hundred people. The only place to fill a water bottle on both floors I had access to was out of order. I couldn't take the risk of looking on the third or fourth floor because I would miss my flight if I had to go through security again. The yoga rooms I was excited to stretch in after 10 hours on a plane are on the third and fourth floor. I walked several laps of the first and second floor instead.

The first (and only?) time I remember being at this airport is when I was moving to the US. I remember telling my dad this was the best airport ever because I saw a Toblerone for the first time. Triangle chocolate distracted me from there being only one water fountain.

No matter, we take off soon enough and a short three hours later, I see a familiar kind of  sunshine that jolts me back to my childhood. Istanbul is bright. 

A taxi in to Istanbul from the airport takes 60 minutes, and the Havaina bus to Aksaray will get you there in 68 minutes with better views. The transit system is pretty easy to figure out, with the added bonus of prices being transparent.

As we gently putter across the Turkish countryside, I see familiar evergreen trees dotting the rolling hills, and layers of red and purple silt where it's dry enough. 20 minutes later, there are clusters of tall, silver buildings. Condos, rooftop lounges, office buildings, with an occasional dome peeking through. All under the very bright sun. I can't wait to explore.

Aksaray Station in Istanbul