Istanbul – Austria – Istanbul

22. -25.4.2013

Monday I quickly do what needs to be done so I can leave like printing the ticket, going to a barber, packing my stuff and cleaning Suryananda. Way too quickly! I am ready around ten thirty and my shuttle is leaving at two. Reggae café is not open yet son ne yapabilirim (what to do)? I walk down to the ocean and a little around town. I like Istanbul! When I get back to Suryananda it’s way too late. The shuttle is supposed to leave in 4 minutes so I quickly grab my bags and run. At the travel agency there is no shuttle. I get a coke and some chocolate, open the coke, put the chocolate in the hand luggage and check my stuff. I don’t find my money! Except a few Lira I have nothing on me. I ask when the shuttle will be coming and if there is time to quickly check the car. I run to suryananda and back – without any success. I need a chocolate. In fact not that much of a problem as a friend will pick me up at the airport in Vienna and the wallet must be either at the car or somewhere in my luggage. I don’t find the chocolate! Seems like the small bag is eating my stuff! When I am just starting to check the big bag the shuttle arrives. At least I found the chocolate. I close the bag and try to feel satisfied with the thought that I will find the money like the chocolate and it will be no problem. At the airport I finally find my wallet in a side pocket of my bag.

At the check in I ask for a window seat but they tell me no possible – plane is full but I can sit in the middle. When I get on the plane an old lady is sitting on my seat (6 in a row I had D) and the window seat is free. I say nothing and take the window seat as I believe it is probably hers. A minute later a man who obviously knows her comes, takes her seat and she swaps in between us. Another minute later she stands up and I never see her again. I have no idea what had happened but I have a window seat no neighbor in an airplane that is completely full! Nice! A nice flight later I meet my friend Stefan at the airport. I am very happy to see him and we go to his flat in Vienna where I will spend my first night in Austria. I can’t wait to get a hot bath so I go to the bathroom full and step in just after turning on the water. Hmmm, no hot water… I ask Stefan for help but after a few attempts we give up. No hot water!!!! What for did I come to Austria but hot spring water from the mountains? Probably that’s the price for the window seat I think. The evening with Stephan passes much too fast and soon both of us go to sleep.

Tuesday I take a walk through the city first. After half an hour I stop at a new Indian restaurant to drink chai. The chai tastes like shit. I contact Sybille, a friend and yoga teacher colleague who lives close. She is surprised about me being here and invites me for breakfast. I can’t wait to get real bread! And real jam! Cheese! Hot bath! All my wishes are fulfilled now! Thank you once again Sybille. In the afternoon I have an appointment I came to Vienna for (fish pass needs to be built) and then I go on to my mothers place. I would love to get my motorbike as temperatures are around 25° but this is unfortunately not the plan yet. Wednesday I spend a nice day with my mother visiting the town where she grew up. Austria actually is amazingly beautiful…. If many of the people were not that strange it would be a great place to live! Ne yapabilirim I think. We get very nice dinner at a restaurant on a hill and enjoy an amazing sunset. We get back late so my mother goes to bed soon and I leave again to meet a friend who is living just around the corner – I have not much time here and I have to spend it wisely.

Thursday I sleep long and have nice breakfast with my mother again. We arrive at the airport having a lot spare time, go for another coffee and I check in. The stewardess at the check in counter seems to like me and gives me a window seat, without neighbor, on a plane that is full…. Wtf? Even though the cold water last time I decide this to be a good omen and enjoy the flight.

Today is Helins birthday and I can’t wait to see the girls in the evening. For a moment it seems like they have to study but soon Helin and two friends and then Versile and Deniz arrive. The evening becomes an amazing surprise party for Helin. When I sang “Start wearing purple” last week Helin was singing with me as she knows and likes the song so my birthday present for her is a purple Indian pant. She looks amazingly beautiful wearing it and it will be great for the yoga classes too! We all enjoy the evening a lot and again I fall in love…. Istanbul is a really amazing place and its seems like there might be a need for yoga teachers here! Another evening passes much too fast and we have to say good bye much too fast. I promise to be back after their exams and that we will do a yoga weekend then.

Tomorrow I want to meet Evelina whom I know from facebook because she is writing an amazing blog too (daily witchcraft). When we found out we are in Istanbul at the same time we decided to meet immediately of course. Unfortunately she missed a boat so she couldn’t come today. So tomorrow I will meet her, maybe store some yoga mats at reggae café and then definitely maybe move direction to the Bulgarian border. Inshallah.