Day 131 - Coming to America

As I type, we are a mile high in the sky, double-masked and heading back to American soil on a 13-hour flight. This double mask thing isn't so bad… really! I can breathe just the same and it's more snug-fitting on my nose!

We are not heading home but are making a pitstop in the USA for a hug. Our flight to French Polynesia had a connection in Los Angeles, so we decided we might as well stay for a bit to unload our winter gear and as many souvenirs that we could squeeze into our tight packs, replenish some supplies and refuel on foods we have been longing for. It didn't take any arm twisting to get the kids on board. Austin already has his In 'n Out order placed in his mind!

Of course, the best part will be seeing my parents and childhood friend, Yanina and kids! My parents just happened to be driving down south and this itinerary presented itself just in time for them to slightly reroute. Since LA is the COVID epicenter right now, we know this trip will be low key and heavily social distanced, but we will take what we can get! We found an Airbnb with a nice backyard that should be perfect for visits in the California sun.

Goodbye, Istanbul. The bustling markets selling everything under the sun, the wafts of roasting meats and Turkish coffee floating in the air, the Sultans' decadent palaces and the vast skyline dotted with grand mosques and towering minarets were an unforgettable experience which I am very grateful for. I wish my COVID radar wouldn't have always been buzzing there. I'd love to visit again during non-pandemic times to get the full experience and see more sites.

Delicious doner kebab stands can be found all over the massive city.

If we didn't fill up on street food during our outings, we cooked. We only dined in a restaurant twice in Istanbul. One can find Doner kebab stands on every corner where they cut off pieces of savory rotisserie beef, lamb or chicken and add tomato, a few French fries, a pickle and no sauce to a baguette or tortilla—simple and delicious. The fresh fish sandwiches along the bridge were perfection. Surprisingly, the thickness and mild grittiness of Turkish coffee does not get in the way of its satisfying taste. Baklava was our treat of choice in Istanbul. With each new one we tried, we kept saying, "This is the best one!" but really, they were all the best. Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever had bad baklava while traveling or at home!

Towers of Turkish treats filled many shop windows.

We ended up spending a third of our stay nestled in our warm apartment due to heavy rains and weekend closures. The Airbnb had amazing views of the city out of its many windows, which we really enjoyed. Our down days gave us lots of time to work on school and find an online Spanish tutor for the kids. Originally, we were going to spend half of our trip in Spanish-speaking countries, but that is not turning out to be the case. We also spent several late nights planning our future travels. This turned out to be quite difficult given the current COVID situation—more so than we anticipated with more quarantines, limited testing sites, etc.

For years, our top-destination for our big adventure was Thailand. Clint and I were so excited to take the kids, for we went twenty years ago and loved every minute of it. Getting to Thailand seemed impossible in the beginning of our trip but was looking more optimistic recently as they partially opened tourism. As soon as we heard Thailand was opening its doors, we quickly researched how to apply. Little did we know they were going to need everything but our firstborn!! After spending many late nights gathering our documents and reaching out to Thai hotels and embassies, we aborted our mission. We didn't feel comfortable spending thousands of dollars upfront without any promise of entry. They require a marriage license, birth certificates, bank statements, health insurance certificate, a doctor's Fit to Fly check-up, a COVID test, a Visa, proof of paid flights in and out of the same country and proof of payment of accommodations during and after your 14-day quarantine. Visitors must quarantine in a government-approved hotel that starts at $4000 per family. There you receive 2 nurse checks a day, 3 COVID tests and 3-meals a day. Even though it's a bummer for us, I commend Thailand's strict policy that has drastically limited their COVID cases. If I governed a country, I would impose a 10-day quarantine and require a negative COVID test before entering and another one four days after entry (available at many locations)!

After a couple of days of feeling defeated and disappointed, we researched our other options and decided to go to Tahiti and Bora Bora!! Just get me past the two long flights and I am ready for tropical paradise!!!

I loved these fresh-squeezed fruit stands on every block—two whole pomegranates and an orange squeezed into your cup for $1! We did not lack Vitamin C on this trip!

Dolmabahce Palace, the largest palace in Turkey. Our mouths dropped as we walked into the last room, which was the sultan's Grand Ballroom. It may be the most breathtaking room I've ever been in! Photos don't do it justice.

Dolmabahce Palace. Kate loves her "Titanic" staircases!

The Grand Bazaar (entrance pictured) and markets go on for miles selling spices, shoes, clothes, purses, jewelry, luggage, electronics, ball gowns, antique, coffee/tea supplies, fabrics, sewing notions, etc. We didn't even scratch the surface for it covers 60 streets and has over 4000 shops!

The Grand Bazaar is one of the largest and oldest covered bazaars in the world built in 1461. This is the main, newer section, but many areas are very old with gravel floors.

The Turks love to nurture animals. Homemade cat houses are scattered all around the city with food and water bowls set out on streets. We never saw a scrawny animal walking around—just lots of plump cats and dogs. Birds weren't forgotten either. The piles of bread provided were more than a flock of seagulls and pigeons could eat.

AIRPORT FACTS: Istanbul's new airport takes security to the next level. There was not one security checkpoint, but THREE! We had to remove shoes, belts, laptops, scan bags and bodies three times—once when entering the airport before ticketing, then after ticketing as usual and then immediately before we boarded the plane! Our boarding passes were checked five times after ticketing—before entering the second (normal) security point, immediately after going through the second security point, at the international terminal entrance, at the gate entrance and 5 steps away at the passenger boarding bridge.

Luckily, the lines moved quickly because adding all of those extra non-anticipated checkpoints on top of our shuttle driver being 30 minutes late to pick us up made us almost miss our plane. We ran across the airport with boots unzipped and belts hanging off to our gate. We made it winded but in the nick of time, cursing that we did not leave earlier. We have found that our international flights have all needed us there a solid 2-2.25 hours early even with fewer people flying.

Dolmabahce Palace was completed in 1856 decked out with 285 rooms, 46 halls, 6 Turkish baths (hamam) and 68 toilets.

Dolmabahce Palace sits along the sea.

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UPDATE: We arrived! As we approached the LAX immigration check, we were all laughing, saying how relaxed we were going through our home security for we knew the language and would have no issues. Well, the immigration officer told us to wait as he checked our passports and two officers escorted us to "the room." They were very friendly and asked us many questions about our travels and lengths of stays for about 15 minutes while taking many notes. Only one other person from our flight from Turkey was called in. We thought it was so strange that out of all of our travels, the US Homeland Security would be the ones to question us!

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