Day 1 Istanbul

We have arrived and are ready, well not really ready, to begin this assignment.  We arrived in Istanbul about 3 PM yesterday afternoon and after discovering that one of our bags was reluctant to come we met the Canfields and took a wild and long minibus ride almost to our temporary new residence, the Holiday Inn of Istanbul.
I mean almost because the taxi driver refused to drop us off in front of the hotel.  Instead he dropped us off across two streets and down the block a little.  No matter how much Anita requested that he take us around the block and park in front, he would not.  He simply got out and took our luggage out of his car.  We all dragged a couple of bags to the hotel.  Really strange.  We packed 5 large bags of 50 pounds each ( one was actually 62 pounds).  Plus we had two, big as you could carry bags that we carried on with our normal carry on and our winter coats.  What a load!  Of course the missing bag has all of our medicine and daily stuff.  Hopefully it will arrive today.
We took a brief fresh up and then walked around the block to our new future home where the Canfield's currently reside.  We will stay in the Holiday Inn until Nov. 29 and then we move in to our regular home.
This is one very busy city.  The traffic is beyond reality and the lane markers must not have anything to do with keeping traffic in line.  You would not believe how they drive.
We went to bed about 8 PM and slept like a rock until 6 AM.  We start a WHO training at 7:30 for professors for the process of fitting wheel chairs.  This will be a 4 day training.

This is a view from our hotel.  Note the tower for call to prayer in the middle.  This not the mosque, but one of dozens of towers where they broadcast the calls to prayer.  There are more than the steeples of the local LDS churches in Utan.

This is our temporary bed, nice digs on the 9th floor with a penthouse balcony over looking the crowded neighborhood.

Wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving.  We will be in class.