A tale of two very different cities!
Being a quintessential globetrotter is never easy since you never know where you might be headed next! Though, of course, I don’t mind traveling to any place in the world, my recent experience with Germany has left me a little shaken.
My fifteen day trip to Germany via Turkey and then back to Turkey for a two-day stint started off on a good note. A Turkish airlines plane is not my idea of a great traveling experience but it sure isn’t one of the worst I’ve had so far. Anyway, I slept throughout the journey but when I landed in Turkey for my stopover, I was wide awake! The Turkish airport is grand! There isn’t any other word to describe it. Baklava, a sweet Turkish specialty, is to die for!
After a fun filled duty free shopping spree at the Turkey airport (at which point I got some amazing clothes for baby that my sister just had), I prepared myself for Germany. Thinking about what awaits me there, I fell asleep again (sleeping in flights helps you pass the rotten flight food so napping is highly advisable). My stay in Munich was nothing compared to what I had envisioned. I mean no offence to the place since it has lots to offer. It’s the people who disappointed me. German was never my strong point and so I was treated like an outcast. Most people know little or no English which made matters worse. Even the hotel staff acted like I was living off on their hospitality and not my own money! Visiting the Allianz Arena football stadium was a great consolation for how I was being made to feel by the not-so-helpful citizens of Munich and so I recommend you do the same!
Glad to get out of what in my opinion is the rude capital of the world, I made my way to Turkey. Istanbul is warm, bustling with energy and is just the opposite of Munich’s cold indifference. The Grand Bazaar, the Bosphorus Ferry and the Spice market were an exotic welcome to the city. In two days I enjoyed what Istanbul had to offer to my heart’s content and shopped till I was almost broke!