• Introduction
• Admirals Club Charles De Gaulle Airport, Paris
• London Heathrow
• British Airways Business Class
• Chaos at Dubai Airport
• Safi Airways Dubai – Kabul
• Kabul, Afghanistan
• Arghandeh, Afghanistan
• Northern Afghanistan
• Kabul Airport
• Hyatt Regency Dubai
• Al Dawwar Restaurant (Hyatt Regency Dubai)
• Warlords at Dubai Airport
• Qatar Airways Dubai – Istanbul
• Grand Hyatt Istanbul
• Istiklal Avenue
• Blue Mosque
• Hagia Sophia
• Topkapi Palace
• Old Town Istanbul (at night)
• Doubletree Istanbul Old Town

I got to the airport roughly an hour before departure, so after checking my bags and saying goodbye to my family, I immediately headed to the gate. My mom and sister were flying on Air Berlin, while my dad was headed back to Kabul.

Boarding was very disorganized and tons of economy passengers boarded when business class passengers were called. The flight was uneventful – I can’t even remember what was served onboard.

At Schiphol Airport, I had a 1.5 hour layover. Since the gate was so far away, I rushed to ensure I made it on time. Once there, the flight kept getting delayed and I spent another hour and a half waiting to board.

Somwhere in Europe

Since I had booked a last minute ticket over the phone, the agent had simply asked if I wanted to sit on the top deck or the bottom, and if I wanted a window or aisle seat. I hadn’t bothered to check my seat assignment, but it turned out I had (in my opinion) the best seat on board.

KLM Business Class Seat

KLM’s business class seats are angled-lie flat and very outdated. The service is pretty solid – not overly warm and friendly, but they get the job done. The entertainment selection was pretty decent, but I ended up sleeping most of the flight and very well too. I’ve always loved KLM’s food in economy, and their meal in business class was even better. The hollandaise sauce would make even road kill taste delicious.

Appetizer: Gravlax with white asparagus accompanied by hollandaise mousse, cream of garden peas, japanese ponzu dressing and puffed amaranth complemented by smoke trout, coriander pesto, croutons and asparagus veloute.

Fillet of chicken in tarragon gravy served with risotto, mushrooms, spring onions, cashew nuts and parmesan cheese crumbles

Captain’s dinner: Panga fillet with hollandaise sauce, apple compote, mixed vegetables and turkey lardons

At the end of the flight, they let you pick from a collection of KLM “Houses” which are filled with some kind of alcoholic beverage. The agent at SFO looked at it suspiciously, until his colleague ensured him they were souvenirs from the airline.

SFO

Upon arriving at SFO, there was a sign at the immigration line promising to treat all travelers with respect. By and large, they abided by this promise. The agent checked my passport, asked where I’d been, whether I brought back any food items, where I worked, etc. He looked at me a little strange when I told him I worked at an Oakland branch of a health management organization. “Is it the hospital?” When I explained it was a research institute, he nodded slowly, made a red mark on my customs form, before handing me my passport and sending me off with, “Welcome home.”

At the carousel in the next room, my bags had already been set aside. I had completely forgotten about the 2 bags I took off my mom’s hands. As soon as I threw them on the luggage cart, I was approached by a security agent who asked to see my customs form. Noting the red mark, he gestured me over to a nearby security checkpoint. This consisted of tables where people’s bags were opened and checked.

An agent who looked like a high school freshman greeted me, very upbeat and friendly. This was in stark contrast to the cold reception we received in Minneapolis the year before.

This agent was trying the “good cop” tactic, which I think is a good way of putting people at ease while interrogating the hell out of them. I knew despite his conversational tone, this guy wasn’t interested in my trip –  I was a female traveling back alone from Kabul and Istanbul. Still, his jolly attitude was much more disarming than the gruff tone of the Minneapolis agent.

The agent asked what I was doing in Kabul and who I was staying with. When I told him I was staying with my aunt, he asked “How is she doing?” which was strange. “She’s doing well. She says hello.” He was a good sport and laughed. When he asked if there were any food items in the bags, I told him no. Little did I know my mom had packed one of the bags with unshelled almonds, spices, and tubes of those fizzy vitamin tablets. When a second agent showed up and opened the bag, I’m sure the scene from Blow came to mind, when Johnny Depp smuggled cocaine out of Columbia in walnut shells.

They explained they would be unpacking my bags for security reasons, but they would do their best to get this done fast so I could avoid traffic on my way home (it was around 3:00 PM at this time). They cracked open a couple of almonds and popped open a tube of vitamins. I was surprised they didn’t bring one of those drug sniffing dogs around. These agents were cool and remained friendly and upbeat.

Amidst the chit chat, one of them admitted that my bags were searched mainly because I had traveled to Istanbul, which is a center for drug trafficking. Surprisingly, he said alot of people have been traveling to Kabul and while it is a security concern, it was me traveling as a female alone from Istanbul that arose suspicion. Apparently I fit the profile of a drug mule.

Neither of these guys traveled much, but they talked about all the places they wanted to see. They did ask me extensively about my travels and I know this wasn’t so much out of curiosity than to get information out of me in a non-threatening manner. Even though I had always vowed to be snarky if I was “randomly selected for additional screening,” these guys were actually pleasant and did the whole thing in a very respectful and professional manner. In general, I find security agents at SFO to be the least obnoxious out of any I’ve encountered. I walked away without feeling like I’d been profiled (even though I had been) or disrespected in any way. TSA and immigration officials across the country could learn a thing or two from them.

When my mom and sister arrived, they told me security was a breeze. Nobody asked any detailed questions, nobody checked their bags. When my dad came home a few months later, he didn’t encounter any issues either. In fact, even though he has now traveled to Kabul half a dozen times, he’s never been “randomly selected” or subject to thorough questioning. If anyone on this trip was going to receive “special treatment”, I would have guessed anyone but me.

As I drove over the Bay Bridge and past San Francisco, I thought how funny it was that the people on the plane with me had traveled thousands of miles to see this city, yet I was rushing past it to get home…

First sights of the Bay Area

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• Introduction
• Admirals Club Charles De Gaulle Airport, Paris
• London Heathrow
• British Airways Business Class
• Chaos at Dubai Airport
• Safi Airways Dubai – Kabul
• Kabul, Afghanistan
• Arghandeh, Afghanistan
• Northern Afghanistan
• Kabul Airport
• Hyatt Regency Dubai
• Al Dawwar Restaurant (Hyatt Regency Dubai)
• Warlords at Dubai Airport
• Qatar Airways Dubai – Istanbul
• Grand Hyatt Istanbul
• Istiklal Avenue
• Blue Mosque
• Hagia Sophia
• Topkapi Palace
• Old Town Istanbul (at night)

I picked the Doubletree Istanbul Old Town because of its location near Sultanahmed and all of the Old Town sights.

The hotel can be booked for 44,000 points or around $160 per night. This is a good choice for families, since the property offers 50% off second room rates (Best Available Rate only) if a child is staying in the second room.

The hotel is close enough to Sultanahmet, but not in the midst of it. You’ll miss out on a fully “local” experience, even if you do spend most of your time outside like I did.

If you’re staying in Istanbul for the first time and want a thorough overview of the city, I recommend splitting your stay between the Taksim and Sultanahmet area. Instead of a chain, try to stay at a local hotel in Sultanahmet. You’ll be right in the midst of a charming neighborhood, you’ll get more of a cultural experience, and many hotels in the area offer a discount the longer you stay. I’ve heard great things about the Erguvan Hotel, and the Neorion Hotel has been voted #1 on Tripadvisor. Both hotels were sold out, which is another reason I booked the Doubletree.

Much like at the Grand Hyatt, security is taken seriously at this property. Right before entering the lobby, you’re required to go through a metal detector. A security guard stood by the entrance at all times and would search guests who set off the alarm.

The check in agent was as frazzled as the one at the Hyatt. Because I was a Gold member, I received free wifi and breakfast. There were 2 wifi code sheets for every night, breakfast vouchers, spa coupons, and a welcome note. All of these papers really stacked up, which is why I think a folder would have been a nice way to keep everything organized.

The Room

The rooms at this hotel are tiny. In a room this small, they shouldn’t have cramped in a long desk spanning the length of one bed. I also don’t understand the strange black mirrors (?) on the walls. You can’t see your reflection and they don’t make the room bigger, so what’s the point? I know what you’re thinking – there was a tv, but these blocks weren’t it.

Standard Room at the Doubletree Istanbul Old Town

I think the hotel was going for an edgy and modern look, but that kind of fell flat. The bathroom amenities were a strange combination of some obscure brand and a Neutrogena body wash. It made me think they ran out of body wash and then raided the $1 bins at Target for replacements.

When I walked in to the room, I immediately headed for the window. Turns out we had a view of the noisy alley next to the building. By noisy, I mean there was loud construction noise at random times of the day, including at that moment. The hotel was completely sold out and unable to move us to a less noisy room.

Breakfast

Hilton HHonors Gold members (and those booking a package) get daily breakfast at the Oldtown Restaurant inside the hotel. You walk in, give your room number to the attendant, and are promptly seated. If you’re a Gold member, you present the vouchers that are handed to you at check in.

The waiters at the restaurant work very hard to take care of all the guests at breakfast. They make sure drinks are refilled and check on you constantly. It can get crowded at breakfast, but we never had to wait for a table.

Although breakfast offerings were plentiful, it got tiring by the third morning. The buffet offered a variety of fruits, cheeses, fresh honey, an omelette station, heart shaped pancakes or waffles, and scrambled eggs. Despite the variety, everything tasted bland. Take my advice and avoid the scrambled eggs. They were watery and cold. When I’d ask for eggs at the omelette station, the cook would direct me towards the scrambled egg tray. I’m getting shivers just thinking about it.

The restaurant was very clean, though the view was lacking. The floor to ceiling windows faced a few alleyway shops. In contrast, many of the Sultanahmed area hotels serve their breakfast on the rooftop, offering views of the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia.

Check out

If it seems like I’m always encountering thugs at the check-in counter, I’m convinced it’s because I am. Not only did they refuse to honor the 50% discount on the second room (even though I confirmed it via email ahead of time), they were pretty much useless when it came to booking a cab. I specified the number of people and bags. What pulls up at the entrance, but a tiny european compact with barely enough trunk space for a carry-on! Of course the cab driver left the meter on the entire time he “tried” to fit our bags in the trunk. I asked the staff member helping him if he could call for a bigger cab. He insisted “at this hour” these were the only cars available.

They called a second car, doubling our fare to the airport. To add a cherry to this crap sundae, my dad and I could not figure out where the cab driver had dropped off my mom and sister (who were ahead of us). It took another 10 minutes for them to arrive, and I was pretty agitated at this point. I’m patient most of the time, but if there’s one thing three things that makes me lose my cool, it’s incompetence, inconsiderate people, and dishonesty. Sufficient to say, I encountered all three during this trip.

I still would do it all over again. Can you imagine how boring going abroad would be if nothing bad ever happened? If it was just clear skies and friendly people all the time? You never laugh about the things that went well on a trip; booking a flight minutes before departing for the airport, blowing up on an airport agent in Dubai, the smart alek comments made by a kid on the streets of Kabul. It’s what makes these trips memorable and if you can’t laugh about the clusterf*****, what can you laugh about?

Doubletree Istanbul Old Town

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