Merhaba, hello, dear readers,
there is a very short connection to do in Istanbul.
Let´s go:
Thanx to once again:
http://www.gcmap.com/
Thursday, 30.01.2014
IST (İstanbul Atatürk Havalimanı)
GNY (Şanlıurfa GAP Havalimani)
The video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttyiN_ua3NE
Service TK 2248 operated by Turkish Airlines
Scheduled: 16.55 // 18.40
A warm welcome to GNY and no. 290 on the visited airports map:
Visited Airports II auf einer größeren Karte anzeigen
The first 200 examples:
Visited airports auf einer größeren Karte anzeigen
The checked airlines:
AIRLINES CHECKED auf einer größeren Karte anzeigen
And the recorded plane types, too:
PLANE TYPES RECORDED auf einer größeren Karte anzeigen
Just some visited countries:
VISITED COUNTRIES auf einer größeren Karte anzeigen
And the final Tripreporter 2013 data:
TRIPREPORTER 2013 auf einer größeren Karte anzeigen
Here is 2014:
TRIPREPORTER 2014 auf einer größeren Karte anzeigen
Ok, this one ix fixed directly by Turkish Airlines, the fare real good with just 30.00 Euro´s.
OLCI works again well 24 hours prior to departure and the self print out is necessary this time, no question.
The usual long, long queues at immigration, thanx to my status it was possible to cut it and use the priority counter with just some five minutes to wait after an Arabic family with I don´t know how much members are checked. Shopping in IST, isn´t it?.
The long, long walk around corners and corridors till domestic departures where my flight is shown as ontime on the screen, waiting time at security looks like acceptable.
I know from previous experiences that there is not much time here in between Go-to-Gate and Last Call, 403 it is by the way
Ok, asking an official if there is an Onur counter here?. It is. Talking to the nice guy that I don´t use the ticket
and asked for the refund. He understand swiftly what´s going on and imagine, never ever expected it this way, one day thereafter the money is on my credit card account. Well, Onur jumps up on my list of reliable airlines, definitely.
Ok, through security with the flight now shows boarding on the screen.
And so it is, down for the bus gates, where I´am not the last, but certainly one of the last pax. Really?.
Yes, under the wing, you know!
"Giresun", how I like these individual names by Turkish Airlines, a 737-800, TC-JFR, waits for me.
Leg no. 77 on type and new to the log it is
In the air and around with TK and AnadoluJet, sounds interesting, since 15.09.1999.
65 examples are in the fleet and here is a short story:
http://avherald.com/h?article=4164de0c&opt=0
A really nice conversation starts during boarding with the middle aged turkish FA in the rear cabin.
Black hair, not that really slim, well built to say the least and yes, really nice.
Believe me, she is really surprised to see a western traveller especially during this time of the year heading for South Eastern Anatolia. More good chat to follow when she noticed that I´am from Germany
where she spend also some time in the South of the country like me!. And now I´am surprised when I remember the gate scenery and she told me that there is another bus on the way. Where are all the pax coming from with no on else behind me at the gate?.
There is another woman aboard, brown hair, large, slim, nice and
one elder, nice, too together with an also nice younger male FA.
Cockpit crew is from Turkey, the "Pilot" with a nice welcome on the ground and once more nice and detailed inflight.
Routing is via Kayseri and Ankara at 37000 feet.
Ok, up we go, leaving the
"Istanbul Atatürk Havalimanı".
4.50 pm, short ahead to schedule, 1.20 "Turkish" hours
ex the 3000 meters runway "Three-Five-Left"
The load is 100% like the FA told me, every seat is taken.
999% locals and the exot!.
The cabin fitted with dark blue grey leather seats, well used and surprising good legroom
Seat details and the safety card
Lucky me, I don´t missed the service run, also nice with Turkish domestic, but you know, a page or two with my exciting book, dreaming about these convenient ZRH connections, really?. Really and I´am at the "Sanliurfa Güney Dogu Anadolu Projesi GAP Havalimani"
Touchdown at the impressive 3988 meters long runway "Zero-Four". 6.20 pm, 20 minutes ahead to schedule, 7 degrees and perfectly clear sky.
Under the wing, you know, is also possible here
Perfectly organized Turkey, no joke, Havas bus service catches every arrival. The airport is far away from the city and a "Taksi" is cheap in Turkey but not that really cheap here.
The only point to think about is that the bus stops only twice, at a
shopping center close to the city entrance and at a gas station in the center, but both places far from my hotel.
The hotel told me to support the taxistas, but with my special relationship?. Well, really nice people here, I tell you. The young guy beside me in the bus speaks just a little bit english, we talked and he decided to show me the Dolmus heading down the road along my hotel. Really nice people here.
The turkish guy talked to the driver, but takes another Dolmus, there is no chance for a thank you, so I do it this way!.
Me in the fully loaded Turkish style Dolmus, watching the things go by. I have no clue where I am and where my hotel is. Where should I get off?. Talking about the nice people here, everyone on the Dolmus, from the young guys coming back from work till middle aged men heading for a smoke, till the elder women with headscarf, everyone here knows where I like to go.
And with every stop someone told me, no this isn´t the one to till the hotel. And when I like to pay the driver, he don´t accept any money, you´re our guest!.
Really, really nice people here.
And finally this is the Hilton Garden Inn Sanliurfa and no, I don´t expect something like this here, definitely not
A young woman from the management confirmed the next morning, nice chat by the way, they have lots of guests from the Emirates, Saudia and other Arabic countries to visit the religious signs and they are looking for a high quality accomodation
Ok, after this full travel day, it´s dark, I´am very close to the Syrian border in Southeastern Anatolia, time to catch some sleep now, isn´t it?.
Hah, no way, certainly no way!.
Something for me, definitely!
It looks like this is hairdressers alley. A haircut at 10.00 pm?.
Sure the standard here!
Top modern equipment and the tea is ready to calm down your waiting time!
Ok, back for the hotel to enjoy one more of these short travel nights till the perfectly clear sky the next morning and breakfast.
How I like turkish food
And these small tea cups, simply lovely
A view around is necessary, isn´t it?.
Top notch cars and the basar street
Taksi anyone?
Palm trees and a nice park
This is a very special place in islamic history, prophet Abraham´s birthplace.
In fact no. 5 for the muslim people to visit
Where Abraham is trapped and should be burned, but god decided to change the embers in fish and fill the basin with water
But take care, if you catch one of the fish and try to eat it, you will burn down from the inside!
Nice and calm it looks like in the morning
And fresh it is, ok this is also January in South Eastern Anatolia
It seems they have a good life here with this background
Onwards for Abraham´s birthplace
The entrance to the "Mevlid I Halil Camii"
And finally the birthplace of Prophet Abraham
This way, sure?
Here it is with different entrances for women and men.
Not that I´ve really noticed it in advance!
And believe me, there are a thousand of western travellers around, really?. No, I don´t see anyone western looking like at all!
Nice it looks like in the bright January sun
The Yusuf Ekspres is ready for business!
With the limited number of flights from GAP,
GAP, what means GAP?, more on this with the next story.
There is one Havas bus for every flight leaving the Avsogul Petrol Station at Abide Park wherever it is, two hours prior to departure.
Ahem and after all these Abraham stories I should have a closer look for my mobile and here especially for the actual time.
Ahem again, so late, I should go now immediatelly to catch the bus for the upcoming first leg of three around the day
Here are the conclusions:
1.)Turkish Airlines STR-IST: A comfy experience again by TK.
2.)Turkish Airlines IST-GNY: The calm afternoon for South Eastern Anatolia.
Şimdilik hoşçakalın,
take care, more to come, if nothing turns wrong.
The Tripreporter.
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