As Tim and I checked in for our American Airlines flight to Lima Peru on Sunday April 10th we were full of excitement and anticipation. We were off to meet a group of 35 adventure travel agents and companions in Iquitos, then cruise 2000 miles down the Amazon River to Manaus on the expedition ship called The Explorer. Little did I know that this trip held by Gap Adventures / Global Connections would be the most incredible trip I have ever had during my 18 years as a Travel Agent.

 

My  most recent  journey – and it could probably be classified as a voyage, as I chose the longer route via Toronto to sample Turkish Airlines 499 fare to Tashkent via Istanbul – taxes to be added.  Arrival in the middle of the night was swift after getting a visa official to open up his booth and let us in – remember you have to arrange ahead of time with the tour operator for the invitation!

Mosques, carpets, rock castles, underground cities, the legend of Troy, whirling dervishes, kebabs, apple tea, the Mediterranean Sea, the Aegean Sea, two continents in one country… Really, what more could you ask for?

I arrived into Istanbul on Nov 4th at 2am incredibly knackered but wide awake with excitement as I watched the city lights pass by on the way to my hotel. The next morning I was ready to go at 3am. Got to love jet lag! Finally at 8am I decided to give my map reading skills a try and venture thru the streets of this city waiting to be explored by me.