Trip to Istanbul

Well I am back from my business trip to Istanbul - next visit later this month and then two more over July and August - I know it's a hard life I can hear you say!
This time I decided to travel via Amsterdam as the normal trip route via London Heathrow was a cheapest flight of £625 - you can have a holiday for 2 in Turkey for less! So Amsterdam it was and a flight cost of £303 but it brought it's problems as you will read later in this posting.
I arrived in the hotel Armada where I always stay at about 2.00am having been delayed and then stopped by Turkish customs for over 1 hour due to me taking into Turkey a carton of electronic samples without invoices - after alot of discussions I was left to go and leave the carton to be picked up by my Turkish friends the next day, I guessed they would have to pay some duty or a bribe to release the goods. Good job the customs didn't check my case as I had over 2,000 cigs in the case!
The next day saw me walking around an exhibition for sub-contract companies - not really worth the visit but the girls were nice behind some of the stands. I then headed for my local the Cozy Pub where I have been going for the last few years - the guys know me and my drinking habits so as soon as I enter my drink is poured and the friendship begins again. I discussed with them the Liverpool match and if there was any trouble - no trouble reported and they took well over £10,000 from 7.00pm to 4.00am the day of the match - this was only beer sales as spirits and food go straight into a "slush fund" for the owner. So the bar staff were happy apparently so were the Liverpool supporters - after the first half.
I was up at 4.00am UK time for a meeting that went on until about 11.00am UK time - then it was off to the airport for my journey home and to buy more cigs. Flight was supposed to be 1.15pm UK time but it was delayed by 1/2 hour then as we approached Amsterdam we had to circle the airport due to a thunder and lightning storm hitting the airport. We were the last flight to arrive before the airport was shut down due to the weather - landing was very .... very rough with women screaming as we were jostled around our seats, one woman had a heart attack and they called for a doctor on the flight. Then when we landed we had to sit in the plane for over 2 and a 1/2 hours due to the fork lightning around the airport - if it hit a plane it could kill anyone outside the plane who were working close to the plane. So no one was allowed near the plane not even an ambulance for the woman who had taken ill. We waited and waited and after 2 and a 1/2 hours eventually we were allowed off the plane. As there had been no flights in or out of the airport while the storm was over the airport all flights were delayed - it then involved another wait on a plane for 1 and a 1/2 hours while we were allowed to taxi to the runway. Overall when I arrived in Newcastle I was over 2 hours late. Then when I arrived into the baggage hall two flight were in from Teneriffe so customs all over the place - I walked quietly through them with my 3,500 cigs in my case ..... must remember to go via London next time and sod the extra cost!


My Local in Istanbul - The Cozy Pub