Fiesta Diary :: Day Six :: Thursday 27 July 2006

At about 4am we cross over the Turkish border and keep on driving. We follow a huge bus down through the misty mountains. At some point just after daybreak we kip at a petrol station for an hour or so. This is easily the longest section of driving so far and we are both absolutely shattered. However, we hope to make Istanbul by nightfall so we must press on. No petrol stations for 'kin miles. Have lovely tea stop with Turkish policemen, equipped with MP5s. Arrive Istanbul at about 1700hrs. It's rush hour tastic. 12 million people all out and about in their cars. The 17 lines that shrink down to 4 as we cross the Bosphorous is quite impressive. We're now on the Asian side and can't find a hotel at all. Eventually I manage todrive down to the waterfront and we book into the most expensive hotel ever. $250+ a night I think. Tiny shit kebab for room service and no plug adapters so no laptop action. Go down to the rooftop pool then pass out.