TRAVELLIVE 04-2016
Istanbul, the first days of spring… I’m warming myself in the sun on a café’s balcony in the Old Town. The sunbeams are as stunning as the fine strands of newly reeled silk. Meanwhile the old oak trees give their morning greeting to the glossy stone road as their red-brown leaves gently fall. The Old Town is still half-asleep, like a lazy girl who’s turned off her alarm after ringing the first time. Sunlight visits each street, dancing happily on passers-by’s shoulders, making the atmosphere more intimate to me – the traveler’s first time here. I feel more amorous in Istanbul. I’m enchanted by everything, from sweet lokum to the light sour ice-cream with ground ice on top, or from the gorgeous domes of hundreds of mosques and palaces to their uniquely designed windows, and from the discreet eyes of Muslim girls to the multitude of boards and posters with the images of Besiktas – the city’s legendary football team. I have fallen in love with Bosphorus Bay since the first time seeing the seagulls hovering in the open sky, creating invisible strings that connect the two continents – Asia and Europe. The clear blue sky is reflected on the deep blue sea, giving me tranquility. I drop my last Lira into the water of the Bosphorus, not to make a wish, but in hopes that they will preserve my memories here. And somehow, the water currents might bring them somewhere else to be found by me again, or might accidentally be stumbled upon by a boy who is playing with sand on a sunny beach. Tomorrow, I will go to Grand Bazzar, buy some postcards, and write something to leave beneath the sun near a mosque before sending them to some friends of mine. I do hope that these postcards, together with the coins, will inspire and attract more visitors to this land. Uhm… will you come there?
Istanbul, the first days of spring…
I’m warming myself in the sun on a café’s balcony in the Old Town. The sunbeams are as stunning as the fine strands of newly reeled silk. Meanwhile the old oak trees give their morning greeting to the glossy stone road as their red-brown leaves gently fall. The Old Town is still half-asleep, like a lazy girl who’s turned off her alarm after ringing the first time. Sunlight visits each street, dancing happily on passers-by’s shoulders, making the atmosphere more intimate to me – the traveler’s first time here.
I feel more amorous in Istanbul. I’m enchanted by everything, from sweet lokum to the light sour ice-cream with ground ice on top, or from the gorgeous domes of hundreds of mosques and palaces to their uniquely designed windows, and from the discreet eyes of Muslim girls to the multitude of boards and posters with the images of Besiktas – the city’s legendary football team.
I have fallen in love with Bosphorus Bay since the first time seeing the seagulls hovering in the open sky, creating invisible strings that connect the two continents – Asia and Europe. The clear blue sky is reflected on the deep blue sea, giving me tranquility. I drop my last Lira into the water of the Bosphorus, not to make a wish, but in hopes that they will preserve my memories here. And somehow, the water currents might bring them somewhere else to be found by me again, or might accidentally be stumbled upon by a boy who is playing with sand on a sunny beach.
Tomorrow, I will go to Grand Bazzar, buy some postcards, and write something to leave beneath the sun near a mosque before sending them to some friends of mine. I do hope that these postcards, together with the coins, will inspire and attract more visitors to this land. Uhm… will you come there?
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
HOW TO TRAVEL AROUND THE WORLD WITH<br />
With more than 287 destinations in 113 countries, Turkish Airlines gives Vietnamese tourists the<br />
opportunity to travel the world, especially around Europe, by changing planes at their airport hubs on<br />
their way to their final destination. Remarkably nonstop service flight between Vietnam and Turkey is<br />
slated for launch on June 27 th <strong>2016</strong>. The length of a nonstop flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Istanbul<br />
(IST) and vice versa is about 11h50m; from Hanoi to Istanbul is 10h40m. Once the nonstop service is<br />
launched, there will be 2 nonstop flights from Istanbul to Hanoi and 3 from Istanbul to Ho Chi Minh as<br />
well as 2 nonstop flights from Ho Chi Minh and 3 from Hanoi to Istanbul per week without midnight<br />
transits, This allows passengers a full night sleep.<br />
3 “MUST-HAVE” EXPERIENCES WITH TURKISH AIRLINES<br />
Experience The In-Flight 5-<br />
Star Gourmet Galore<br />
With the partnership between Turkish<br />
Airlines Inc. and Turkish Do. & Co.<br />
A.G., meals are always prepared with<br />
fresh ingredients. Winning the Best<br />
Food And Beverage Award by the US<br />
Passenger Choice Awards plus Best<br />
Business Class On-board Catering and<br />
Best Business Class Lounge Dining<br />
Awards by Skytrax World Airline;<br />
Turkish Airlines has reaffirmed its<br />
position as a global leader in on-board<br />
catering. This is the reason why you<br />
shouldn’t miss the opportunity to<br />
appreciate Turkish cuisine with the<br />
“Flying Chef”.<br />
Hot-served Turkish delight is always<br />
ready for passengers. One of the<br />
highlights is the breakfast bar, where<br />
the Flying Chef would assist you<br />
in creating your own breakfast. An<br />
extensive variety of on-board beverages<br />
is an added bonus to your air travel<br />
experience with Turkish Airlines.<br />
Besides standard beverages, you can<br />
sample some traditional Turkish<br />
drinks such as Ayran - a fermented<br />
yogurt drink with a foamy texture, or<br />
Raki - Turkey's national drink, a kind<br />
of anise-flavored brandy made from<br />
grapes and raisins.<br />
98<br />
<strong>TRAVELLIVE</strong>
Change language