Ottawa, June 28, 2022

 Hello all; It has been some time since my last report, but there are several reasons for that. The most important, as many of you may know, was a statement by the authorities in Bangkok that their borders would open on July 1 to all foreign visitors. That happened in the third week of June. After three days of late hours and assorted travel issues, I now have confirmed travel dates for my first trip to Thailand in two and a half years.

I will proceed to the Ottawa airport late on July 1, and at 07;00 in the morning of July 2, I will fly with WestJet to Vancouver. I must stay overnight in Vancouver, as connecting flight space was not available. This is the first time that has happened  to me in all my travels. At noon on July 3, I will fly with All Nippon airlines to Tokyo Narita airport, and after a change of planes, will fly on to Bangkok, my final destination. I will arrive there at midnight on the 4th. Remember, when we cross the International Date line at approximately 180 degrees west, we pass into the next day. On my return flights, which are the same carriers and routing, we go back a day. That will be August 4, which I will live twice.

While the "Rules of Rome", will apply to some of the activities in Thailand, I can say that I have dental appointments at my Bangkok Smile dental office on July 6, and then one or two other dates to be determined. After a week in Bangkok, I will go with Thai friends to Pattaya, which is a beach city, and while there, I will also visit my friends at the Pattaya Orphanage where I sometimes do volunteer work. For this trip, the visit is social only, as I did not get a work Visa. In Thailand, one must pay 80 dollars for a work Visa even to do volunteer work. The last ten days or so will be spent at a resort just north of Bangkok  (sixty miles or so), called Baan Dala.

 Because of medical Insurance rules, I can only be out of Canada for 40 days at a time without having to pay extremely expensive additional days. I will be doing updates as my trip unfolds.  

  

Ottawa, June 5, 2022

 Hello all; I arrived home Monday May 30, and have been extremely busy since then, so now have time to do an update. My last ten days or so in Istanbul were very relaxed and the most exciting time was on May 27 when we celebrated Hussian's birthday. His actual birthday is in the third week of June, but we had it early so that I could be present. His mother had made arrangements for a dinner party for the three of us at a famous Lebanese restaurant in Istanbul called Arada. We went by the Metro lines to this place in a busy tourist location. The restaurant staff were not busy that evening, so they went all out. They had a small cake with candles and this was on a nice tray, with Happy Birthday Hussian  in icing on the tray. At two times during our time at the table they came with bowls containing dry ice, so it set a very unique scene. The second time was when they brought the cake to the table.

 Hussian's mother and I had bought him a nice blue scooter which I had assembled in my hotel room. We returned to my hotel by taxi, and while they waited, I went and brought the scooter down...he went wild...the best thing we could have got for him.

 On May 29, I flew with Turkish Airlines to Montreal and stayed overnight at a hotel near the airport. The flight was on time, and as with all my travels with this carrier, the service on board was the best one could ask for. My Travel Agent had tried to get me connections from Ottawa to Montreal for my departure and to return here upon my return to Montreal, however they wanted 900 dollars for that, and I opted to take VIA both ways instead...at a cost of 90 dollars.

One hour after my arrival home, I had a call from Elections Ontario to go the next morning for refresher update so I could work the election on June 2. I then worked the assigned poll the next day. I worked in a Seniors Retirement home. Upon arrival there, we were told that none of the residents had received a Voter Identification card. This caused many problems for the poll staff. Upon complaining to the Riding Headquarters, I was told that no one in the province in care homes or assisted living centers and so on were issued VICs . 

I had a dental problem just two days before returning to Canada, so will have that looked at on Tuesday. I need the roots of two teeth removed. 

At this time, it is my intention to go to Thailand in July if they return to normal travel rules by then as is expected . I will do an update when I know what is happening in Thailand.  

Istanbul Turkey May 21, 2022

 Hello All. There have been no great events since my last update, (remember....what happens in Rome......) We have interviewed schools and now have one where Hussian can start grade one in September. It is an English school with two sessions of Turkish a week....just what we wanted.

I have some observations as to what tourists will see when they visit this country. First is that pedestrians must give way to cars, motorcycles, scooters, and anything else that is motorised. This applies even if there is a green walk signal. There appears to be no laws for motorcycles. There are thousands of them, and they run on roads, sidewalks and pedestrian crossings, everywhere. If one were to buy a car here, the signal lights and brakes would be unused...the horn would be worn out.

the city of Istanbul has an excellent bus and Metro train system and it runs on time. There is a bus service that covers the area beyond the rail system, but there is one major problem for tourists, and some locals not familiar with the routes. While there are Bus Stops every two blocks or so, not one stop has the number of the buses that stop there.

We now have continuous warm weather, into the mid twenties, and so far just one day of rain since I came here.

This afternoon, we will again go over to the park known as Miniaturk and spend some time there. It has miniature scale models of dozens of sights within Turkey.

This will probably be my last posting until after I return to Ottawa, which will happen a week from tomorrow. I actually go to Montreal on 29 of May, and to Ottawa by rail the next day, Take Care.

Istanbul Turkey Monday, May 9, 2022

 To continue from where I left off last week, we finally received a copy of the Police Report for my friend's stolen wallet. One week later, and after two visits she went to the police station with a lady friend of hers from Morocco. This lady speaks Turkish and Arabic. The ladies were treated with the greatest of respect, and had the report and translated it in no time. People at the station all of a sudden could speak English, Arabic and Turkish. The issue, believe it or not was the fact that all along, the police thought that my friend was from Syria, when in fact she was born and raised in Iraq. Two days later, the president here announced that Turkey would soon start to send a million Syrian refugees back to their home country.

Yesterday was a time for exploring, so we went by subway into the main part of this old city to the world famous Grand Bazaar. This is the largest covered market in the world, with over four thousand shops, and more than 66 streets. It covers over 330,500 square feet, and in addition to the shops, has banks,Post Office,Restaurants, police station, and its own Mosque. We walked and walked, but did not buy.  At no time did I see a price on anything. Thousands of handbags and such with world famous names, but probably all made in Asia. We were here briefly in January, and the only change is the fact that tourist season is in full swing here.

The weather is forecast to be  sunny and in the mid twenties until the weekend so we will pick a day and do a one day tour of Prince's Island. This is actually a group of ten small islands a little over an hour by boat from a dock here on what is known as the Golden Horn. The islands are in the Sea of Marmara. For about the equivalent of twenty five Canadian dollars per person, we get picked up here at my hotel, the round trip boat ride, tours on the larger islands and lunch. I will report on this adventure in my next update.

Istanbul May 2, 2022

 Today is the end of Ramadan for this year, so almost everything is closed. Tomorrow, everyone will be back to a normal routine. For the Muslim faithful, the last month required that they not eat, drink or smoke during the period from Sun up...about 05;30 to sun set now about 8;25 in the evening. Their days are spent in prayer and at their work sites. After dark, they have a large meal with family and friends, and attend band concerts, playgrounds  parades and even night markets which are open for this month only. Yesterday was set aside for shopping. The custom is to go out and buy yourself new clothes,for being good, and if you have family, new clothes for the kids also. We took the Istanbul Metro two stops to the Isfanbul Mall, which was a madhouse. Since Hussian's mother had already purchased her new outfits, it was a day of shopping for Hussian.

On the evening of April 29, (last Friday), we attended events at a nearby park with the night markets, bands and the whole nine yards. There were massive crowds. About ten thirty that evening, someone stole a wallet from my friend's purse. There were police everywhere, but these characters are very bold. We had about nine police officers asking questions and had a problem with that because not one of them could speak Arabic or English...just Turkish. My friend speaks English and Arabic. Two boys about 14 came by and offered to translate from Arabic to Turkish...this went on for an hour. The officers offered phones and any help but their phones would not work outside of Turkey.

The stolen items were a few Lira, but also a Canadian based bank debit card, Hussian's Turkish Residency card  and two store cards. Our first action was to call the bank and freeze the card from use. We had help from the Canadian Consulate office here, but had to wait for one hour on hold to speak to the bank people. We got the account frozen, and no charges had been yet made on the card. Last evening, we went to the local police station to get a Police Report but no one there could speak Arabic or English. Tonight, we will try again. This was the highlights of the trip so far....the type we do not need. I must say that everyone was doing what they could, and were most polite. Take Care

Istanbul, April 25, 2022........ANZAC Day

 Two items before I get to the current day and the activities here. For those living in the Ottawa area, and wish to do so, VIA will soon have an open house at the Ottawa train station. When I passed through there last Wednesday, I saw this new train sitting on the first track. I noticed that groups were doing tours of the train, at least of one car.  Upon questions to staff, I was informed that it was the latest in train technology,and would soon be open to all for tours very soon.

Second. A few words on airline technology. Turkish Airlines is the oldest continuous serving airline in the world. My flight here from Montreal was on their newest model of aircraft...the A350-900 model. It seats 300 , and for my flight, that model was configured  mostly to economy class. I like to set the tv to route mode, and watch where we are going on the screen in front of me. There are three external cameras on this plane, one high on the tail looking forward, and two underneath, one looking down and one forward, both about midsection. One gets a view better than they would have with a window seat.

April 25 is known as ANZAC day, referring to Australia and New Zealand, and a part they played in World War one here in Turkey. Those armies were ordered here by Winston Churchill to fight the Turkish army (as it is known today...not then). Neither side wanted to fight, but the Brits wanted control of the waterway controlling the entrance to the Black Sea). The place is known as Gallipoli , and I visited there in 2012 on my first trip around the world. When I got to Australia, on April 25 that year there were parades and such in memory of the event and the Turks. Last evening at 11 P.M. we celebrated the ANZACS here. There was a parade, flags and loud band music everywhere......and 23 degrees. The above noted battles were the events that led to the establishment of modern Turkey by a man known as Ataturk, from where the name has its origin. So the party last evening was like Canada day back home, and again.....no alcohol. Way back at the times of the battles, the two sides shared food, visits and smokes, and generally enjoyed the time.....until the order came down to fight...then they would do some shooting, then back to the relaxed atmosphere. This is how it was explained to my tour group at the time of my visit. Each year, during normal times the ANZAC dignitaries come here for the celebrations. Turkey gave all of the various Unit battle flags to the War museum in Canberra, Australia.  I saw them during my visit. Tonight, another party.

Hello From Istanbul

Hello all, VIA was on time, and a shuttle was waiting at the Dorval station to take passengers to the nearby airport. I was early and the counter for Turkish Airlines did not open until 6;45 P.M. The flight was on time for departure, and at midnight, a large dinner was served. (Air Canada staff, please note.) I cleared customs and was at my hotel an hour after landing. (a breakfast was served one hour before landing, which was three in the afternoon here.) This is Ramadan, the Holiest month   for Muslims, which my friends here are. The adults do not eat from sun up to sun down. The sun sets at eight here now so my lady friend and her son Hussian came down to my hotel at nine, after their dinner with a birthday cake....(it was my birthday.) Since the hotel staff know me from my previous trips here, they joined in the action, and had cake also. Hussian did not know that the big bag I had with me was his large Batman robot that was to big to move when they moved back here in October. I announced to Hussian with a voice that all could hear , '' I am finished playing with this toy now, you can have it''. Hussian went wild. The three of us then went to a nearby park where the music was loud, and there were singers, performers and a full night market...people with tables selling everything one could imagine. We stayed until closing at midnight .M y friends went home on the train and I walked to the hotel. At no time did I see alcohol being served. Today will be more of the same after sunset.