1.11.11

Welcome to my great adventure! With a German punctuality, my journey began at 00:01 of the day 1.11.11. I didn't do it on purpose. It jus happen to take the train thatarrived at the airport on that moment. Nice coincidence.

After a journey of four hours, my body demanded its dose of nicotine. And like any good German station, the yellow zone marked my safe haven. No sooner I had lit my cigarette and Mediterranean voices filled the void of station. A woman in a head scarf fired some incomprehensible words, and another tried to keep her hellish pace.

The first points to the clock above me and tell me something in German. "No deutch" I reply, to which she returns with a "No English." But the language barrier did not dissuaded her and soon we were having a brief and strange conversation. I find that one is Turkish with lots of bags and the other is Neapolitan, who was helping (maybe even a little forced). Both awaited the next train and wanted to know if they had time to smoke. A company that lasted the length of a cigarette and we each of us went in our separate ways.

I finally enter the airport and find it naked. Only a few wandered the aisles while many people were preparing for another day in one of the most international airports of Europe - Frankfurt. Without open cafes and with 25 kilos to carry, I decide to sit on a bench. My makeshift bed. At first I was a little shy, but after a while, tiredness already spoke louder and I slept the best I could.

I awoke to the sound of movement and surrounded by people who waited for the first flight and wanted me to turn my bed into sitting places. And with this hint, I was dealing with my "red tape" and get 20 kilos lighter. Now, without further to do, wandered around the cafes and shops until I reached the gate that was in my ticket. With one hour to burn and an inviting free chairs I had a little nap. I woke up and decided to check whether the ticket was correct. Things you do when you crave something. Look once to the screen and quickly rub my eyes. Check it again and didn't want to believe it: ten minutes remaining and the gate is different from my ticket. The time passed very quickly this time. Things that stress does. When I realized I was inside the plane.

The journey of three hours were passed with much nervousness. The adventure was about to start and all the fears came into my head. How do I deal with visas? How do I find the hostel? Will I be able to do anything? For a moment I had a panic attack. But as fast as it appeared, it disappeared. The image of what I was doing calmed me. And as I descended through the clouds that covered Istanbul, the only thing that I was eager was to see the first image of this beautiful city ...