Turkish Delight

It took something like three days to get home, days being a relative term, comprised of some unknown number of hours, due to to time zone changes.

Day 1: Chitwan to Kathmandu
The bus ride back was surprisingly comfortable. Maybe it was having seats near front. Maybe it was the fantastic views. We traveled along the river almost the whole way, climbing from around 500 feet of elevation to almost 5,000 feet of elevation. Right at the end, the road climbs a set of steep switchbacks to reach the Kathmandu valley. I'm not sure what happened our day, but we eventually passed at least 5 broken down trucks on the hill, which backed up traffic on the hill in both directions for miles. The road is only two lanes, with the mountain on one side and a steep drop off on the other, so a broken truck means that everyone in one direction has to stop while the other direction passes. It takes time. The trip that should have taken 6 hours took almost 10. But we made it back to Kathmandu safe and sound, in time for last minute shopping, device charging, and some sleep.

Day 2: Kathmandu to Istanbul
We met up with our guide, Kiran, again for breakfast, after which he presented us with katas, or prayer scarves, which are traditional for all sorts of things, including arrivals and departures.

The 8 1/2 hour trip was extended a couple hours, due to a refueling stop in Delhi - the fuel crisis is definitely not over. We arrived in Istanbul around 7:30 pm, local time. We quickly proceeded through customs to the "Hotel Desk", where we waited a VERY long time (over 2 hours). But the result was incredible - two free rooms at the Grand Chevalier Hotel, a place that we would never have paid for on our own. We collapsed into the cushy room after making good use of the plentiful hot water and shampoo :)

Day 3: Istanbul to Chicago/Minneapolis
It was a delight to be back in Turkey. It felt so clean and easy. Meg and I walked around after an incredibly sumptuous breakfast buffet, shopping at local supermarkets for snacks and presents, watching regular people head to work. The airline even sent a bus to bring us back to the airport. It was fun to see a different part of the city - most of our time has been spent in the old town by the Grand Bazaar and Topkapi Palace.

 Then it was time for our last long flight: 12 hours from Kathmandu to Chicago. The loaded personal entertainment devices helped the time pass. I watched Spy, Everest, and Boyhood. Wendy and Adam watched the Hobbit too. They even had all six of the first Star Wars movies. And then there was the food! Some of the best Turkish food I've ever had. Check out the menu they gave us when we boarded:

We're pretty enamored with Turkish Airlines, between the movies, the hotel rooms, the food, and the pile of goodies (I'm always going to fly with slippers from now on!).  And Istanbul. I highly recommend both!

When we got to Chicago, Adam and I rushed off to catch our Spirit Airlines flight, leaving Wendy and Meg to deal with all of our luggage and customs. Wendy and Meg spent another day picking up the dog in Milwaulkee and driving home - bless them!

And that's that! Now we're home to the land of plenty: food, heat, electricity, transportation, etc. And more responsibility. And of course the jet lag, which gives me plenty of time to post instead of sleeping! But what a trip - it was well worth it :)