I did not get much sleep prior to leaving for Turkey, waking up at 3:30 am, knowing that I had a taxi to take me to Heathrow airport at 5 am to catch the Turkish Airlines flight to Istanbul.
I had a talk scheduled for the staff at Vodafone (Turkey) at 5:30 that afternoon, and I was tired, I needed sleep and rest. I think I got some on the four hour flight, interrupted by the serving of breakfast, the crying young babies, and the endless throbbing noise from the engines and air conditioning.
Upon arrival in Istanbul, should I take a coach into the center of Istanbul, to my hotel in Taxim Square, The Seminal Hotel, or should I take a taxi. The coach should be 15 Turkish Lira compared to say 30 Turkish Liar for a taxi? I was getting late, 1:30 pm, I needed to get to Vodafone for about 4:30pm to prepare myself and the venue. Taxi was the only answer.
I quickly got into the standard public yellow taxi (34 TDH 59), and in broken English the taxi driver made some conversation with me, playing some Hip Pop CD music, and wearing some wrap-around sunglasses.
Then I heard the words, “Traffic, Istanbul, problem.”
Whenever I hear those words I know that the driver will take me a long route. so that the meter will charge even more.
Oh well what can I do? I need to get to Taxim Square, and there is no other way. There was nothing else to do but to relax, stay calm and enjoy the ride. And, it was a great ride, because it is the 3rd International Tulip Festival of Istanbul, and along the road they had planted thousands of tulips, now fully in bloom. I could not capture the true wonder and splendor of the colour.
2008, 3rd International Tulip Festival, Istanbul, from taxi 34 TDH 59
Sure enough, when it was time to leave the coast road to head into the center of Istanbul, he said again, “Traffic, Istanbul, problem.” I could see a queue of cars, and said OK as he headed straight on, following the coast road.
All was well until we hit another queue of traffic. He lost his temper, hitting the steering wheel and shouting in Turkish.
Me? I just laughed and said “yavaş, yavaş.” This means “slowly, slowly.”
We edged slowly forward, him complaining, me looking at the ever increasing charges on the meter. There was nothing to do but keep my cool, stay calm and centered. (Mustapha, Fred, Antonio).
It was then as I glanced out of the side window overlooking the Bosphorus that my eye caught a dolphin breaking surface, its’ dorsal fin and tail fully visible. Then another dolphin, and another. They just kept appearing. There must have been fifty or more, obviously feeding on fish. A TV cameraman was trying capture to this sight. I had only my mobile phone to capture this scene, so believe me there are at least three dolphins in this picture. (see video of another view of dolphins click here)
Really there are dolphins in the picture not just TV cameraman 
After 15 minutes watching this sight and crawling slowly forward, we came to a break in the central barrier, and without a word he sped quickly through it and raced back in the opposite direction, the meter still adding up, to join the queue he had originally tried to avoid.
Oh Poo Poo. Keep centered and strong Phillip. (Mustapha, Fred, Antonio). Nothing you can do.
Half an hour later we arrived in Taxim Square, and the meter read 43 Turkish Lira. Oh Poo Poo. I gave him a 50 Lira bank note.
He looked at me and said “OK?”
I was having none of it, I wanted my change and a receipt. And this was not the first time this has happened to me. (click to see previous article).
I had one hour to get to my hotel, and then start my journey to Vodafone , but I had seen some great sights, sights that those who have lived a lifetime in Istanbul have never seen. see video