Train shenanigans and a new country

Dear Marmite

You would have loved the train. It was so relaxing with the rhythm of the wheels going over the tracks. The big dampener was having to get out of bed at 3am and get off the train, go down some stairs and up some more to wait for 30 minutes to have my passport stamped. Then out into the cold again, down the stairs, up the stairs and back onto the train. The sleeper was lovely, clean and the young lady I shared the apartment with was off back to university in Sofia from her home in Turkey and a very good source of information, her English being excellent.

At this point I should probably start another conversation about toilets I have known. The toilet on the train was a metal dip in the floor and when you pressed the flush, it burped and gurgled, sending a small spray of water upwards and outwards from the hole. It wasn't dirty. There was a small,  residual pool of lemon coloured liquid though. It was noisy and would have been well suited for an episode of Dr Who.

My last day in Istanbul I spent walking. I walked from my hotel near the Blue Mosque, down to the waterfront and along that til I reached the bridge. I crossed over to the new part and then along the waterfront there til I decided I would go up hill to Taksim. A man stripped off and jumped in the water in the morning and swam a goodly distance in the freezing water. Hats off to anyone who could more than a big toe in the water.

After my walking the eating with Naeroz started. It lasted so long that I thought I would be late for my train. I admit to a quick panic but all was well and the Turkish Marmaray line was quick and efficient. I was shown through to an overheated waiting room that reminded me of Russian heating extravagances. Everyone stripped off ( modestly). The only problem was that the door to the room didn't shut easily so each time a new passenger joined the assembled, someone had to get up and repeatedly slam the door til it stayed in place. A small diversion of entertainment.

With the langauge barrier, it is better to wait til other people react before doing anything yourself. A station master told us blah, blah, blah, Sofia.. Aha.. my train. I followed the crowd to the wrong train and then to one hidden down the track on the other side. If only I really knew what we were told.

Now I am in Bulgaria - a new langauge challenge. On the metro it sounds like the word,vodka pops into most sentences.. I wonder?

When in Rome...

Ta ta, off into the cold..

Miss you still

Love

A

XXX