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authorities weren’t as strict as I was afraid to be. So, through immigration, and on toward ancient land. What an awe-inspiring sight. Thousand of red roofs, and minarets, columns and spires galore. It was a hot summer’s day, and the haze from the heat made everything seem more dream-like. Exotic cars and sleek busses were everywhere, and highways unrolled in every direction. High-rise buildings with modernist shapes sat side by side with ancient mosques and ‘60s apartment blocks. A history lesson, come to life! I had booked a room at the Grand Tarabya Hotel, which was in the outskirts of Istanbul proper. The structure seemed imposing, although it was only mid-rise, because everything else around it consisted of two or
STANBUL. THE VERY SYLLABLES rolling down the mouth thrum with exoticism. Mystery. Danger, even. There I was on an eleven-
American or Canadian visa that allows a prospective tourist to simply log on to the Turkish ministry’s website, and fill out an application form. After paying the $20 online, the Turkish visa is sent via email, and all one has to is print out a copy for presentation to Turkish immigration. Talk about convenience! Expect the immigration officer to look for the OECD visa, and check a perfect match between the information provided in your application form and the actual OECD visa. The regulation also requires tourists to carry at least $50 per stay and a valid hotel booking. However, the immigration offie I encountered never bother to check my hotel booking or the cash I was carrying. He just took a bored look at my passport and then stamped it perfunctorily. It turns out the
hour flight from Singapore and I had absolutely no clue about the place except for the half-remembered stories culled from novels, movies, and anecdotes of friends far more adventurous than I was. What awaited me? Apparently, plenty. A city straddling both Asia and Europe. A hub of ancient trade and commerce. A modernizing city well on its way to full European Union membership. Not to mention, nearly 80 million people filled with savage pride and sunny smiles. But first, a more practical matter: the visa. Getting a Turkish visa is easy if one already has an existing OECD visa. That means, perhaps, an
31 EC Magazine | World Tourism Day Edition 2020
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