Safe haven in Istanbul.

After so long relying only on hotels, we're once again couchsurfing and we're being hosted - for the second time - by our friends: Ercan and Ebru.

We continue to explore Istanbul for one day and half, the city with which we started this journey, almost a month ago.
It's really interesting to see so many changes and to discover the transformations the city has been through, since the last time we strolled it's streets. So, while revisiting some places, we take a stroll down the memory lane - just to compare the present and the not so distant past.
The streets are packed with a lot more tourists now and the local small entrepreneurs take advantage of the situation: there are taverns everywhere - offering all sorts of goodies - especially ice-cream and boiled corn.
We couldn't resist the temptation and already ate three corns in Sultanahmet area. And since we have some more Turkish lira left to spend, we'll try various dishes from the local cuisine.
Also, it's time to buy some souvenirs and add some goodies to the small stash we're carrying for our friends back home.

Flight to Cairo

It started raining heavily in Istanbul in the morning we left (it rained in the previous day as well), so we headed directly towards the airport, accompanied for a while by our host Ercan.

It turned out that it was worth it to carry with me the "LOST hoodie" (received 2 years ago when working on the LOST game) and the rain cover for the DSLR.

Before the trip I was really close to decide upon leaving them at home, as I thought that there were little chances for rain in the areas we're visiting. Anyway, I would have regretted it.

The hoodie was also a cause for having some fun at the airport. While in line for Passport Control, an Italian couple noticed it and the guy asked where/when did I buy it. When I told him that I work in the gaming industry and that I received the hoodie while working on the Lost game, he asked if he could touch me :). Then we had a nice 5 minutes talk about traveling and couchsurfing.

The flight was scheduled to leave at 14:00, but it was delayed. It seems that there was a problematic passenger and the authorities escorted him out of the plane (we didn't see/hear any commotion, so it probably happened in the 1st class isolated space).
The flight itself was bumpy, with quite some turbulence that made us regret the food we ate on board (a really nice meal though, offered by Egypt airlines).
Upon landing, it was interesting to see Cairo from above, ..it looked "sandy". The heat wave that hit us when getting off the plane, was unexpected. Shukran Allah for the air conditioning inside the airport :)

As you can see we're trying to learn a few words and phrases in the local languages. So far they proved a bit useful; but they're definitely not a must, as most people know basic English.
Shukran (thank you) and Salam Alecum (peace be with you) get instant positive responses, especially the latter which seems to disarm people and make them treat you with more respect (and less hassle).

More about Cairo in 1-2 days.