Flying out to have breakfast

For the past six years I have been assisting a group of aviators with their annual awards dinner. A group of men and women who are passionate about vintage aircraft. I design the menu, certificates etc. As a extravagant gesture of thanks they arranged a Saturday morning excursion to Mongena for me. We flew from Fly-Inn to Mongena, where we had breakfast. We flew over Cullinan on the way there. Wow. The mining area looks like the scorced earth, beyond it a clearing with the geometrically  constructed town and then it returns to wilderness, although the roads cuts an infinite scar through it. Saw zebra, eland, wildebeest, giraffe, hartebeest and all sorts of game. Soon after we flew out from Mongena we saw golden wildebeest. I have never seen them before and to be honest, I didn't even know they existed. It was exciting, it felt as though I had discovered a new species. I know, I am being dramatic. We stopped of at Kitty Hawk on and errand, about 10 minutes, then back to Fly-Inn. Ah no, over already. On the drive home Karl continued to tell me the most amazing stories. All-in-all a delightful experience.

The last time I had flown in a small aircraft was in Namibia, in the late 1970s, it was still South West Africa then. This flight brought back so many memories of the adventures and shenanigans we had there. Good and wicked times.

In and around Gulhane Park

I checked in to the hotel, they showed me maps, and circled things, pinned the lucky blue eye to my shirt and after a quick breakfast I followed their directions to the tourist sights. But before I could even get there I saw this wonderful park and thought: I need to sit quietly here for a few minutes.

Istanbul or Constantinople

On 4 January 2013 I booked my flight to Istanbul. It has been on my wishlist for the past 3 years, every January 
the 1st it would go on my list and on December 31st it would still be there. 

Why hadn’t I gone before? Honestly, the longer I waited after 1 January each year to more apprehensive 

I was about going on my own. So how long can you go on disappointing yourself? 

Apparently 3 years and 3 days :-) 

To keep the whole thing authentic I booked with Turkish Airlines, and their fare was also the cheapest. 

In keeping with good intentions and New Year’s resolutions I prebooked a low calorie meal, which I had forgotten about
by the time I boarded the flight on 15 April. 

Last year I had downloaded information, bought a guide book and had paged through it, but I left with no clear plan,
and with the intention of doing whatever took my fancy and enjoying it rather than rushing from one tourist highlight
to the next, just so that I could tick them all off the list. 

For some reason I had to find the St Christopher my mother gave me when I was still in school and wear it during
this trip. It seemed more important than packing a jersey (more about that later). St Christopher is the patron saint
of travelers. 

Booked a hotel, organised a shuttle, sorted out someone to feed my dogs. Packed my suitcase and
the three books I was going to read while in Istanbul.

The service on the flight was fabulous but I hadn’t anticipated eating in the middle of the night so by the time dinner
was served I was so very hungry and then to find out I has ordered the low-cal meal, arrrrgh! no!

So to get from point A to point B you have to spend 10 hours among BO and fresh farts. Hmmm, great, yes.
Thankfully there is inflight entertainment to distract you, I chose movies.

The drive from the airport was wonderful, still dark, with a hint of a day beginning. The verges along the road were
beautiful - flower displays/designs among the green grass, beau-ti-ful. 

We did it too for the World Cup and then after that we didn’t bother anymore, we should realise tourists come to
our country all the time.

The road takes you past some ruins that where once the city walls and you get a sense of how great the empire
once was. The driver took me past the Blue Mosque and Haghia Sophia and they looked awesome in the early morning
light without a soul about. It seemed out of place to be in motorised transport among these ancient structures.
I’m so glad I had this moment and it was so different to how I would see them later - littered with tourists.
Yes, of course, of which I was one, granted. 

And so my adventure began.