Today was the last leg of my journey by bus from Plovdiv Bulgaria onto Istanbul from where I would fly home on Friday. This week is a week long religious holiday in Turkey so I was worried the buses might be sold out.

When I first got to Sofia I bought my ticket from Plovdiv to Istanbul for three days later. As I wasn't buying a ticket from Sofia at first they were confused and I thought they would say I have to buy it in Plovdiv.

She checked on the phone and sold me the ticket for 21eu ($26). I was still worried that the bus might sell out in Sofia and be full when it gets to Plovdiv so I'll have to wait and see.

The bus leaves Sofia 9am arriving at Plovdiv 11am to pickup more passengers. When I arrived in Plovdiv yesterday I first went to the bus company to show my ticket since I didn't buy it from them and to check it was ok to come tomorrow.

Arriving this morning I showed my ticket again and it was a different lady. She checked her sheet and next to seat no.6 which was my ticket it said Sofia. So I guess when they phoned when I bought my ticket she had called Plovdiv and told them to mark it down

I was still worried the bus might show up and still be full from Sofia. As I was travelling Monday I was hoping the holiday rush would have went on the weekend. On the way I had saw some Koreans so chatted briefly in Korean to get myself in a good mood for the possible ordeal that was to follow at the border

The bus arrived at 11.20 and was an empty bus starting from Plovdiv, not coming from Istanbul, so not sure why it wasn't on time then. I made it on the bus so no more worries about not being able to make the bus.

Bus travel in Turkey is like being on a plane. It was a modern interior and all seats had their own personal tv and headphones. After leaving the attendant came by, offered complementary drinks and snacks.

There was a good choice of music channels. The only problem the headphones wouldn't sit properly so I had to hold them with one hand so I couldn't put my head back and fall asleep or they kept falling off.

As we got to the border there were signs for Greece. I was dreading Bulgarian border police as to whether they would search everything again, and then be searched again on the Turkish side.

Since this is a big international crossing that goes back to prehistory it was much better organized. To exit Bulgaria we all had to get off the bus and go to a passport counter then get back on the bus. We had cleared Bulgaria so no bag searches again.

In between the two borders is a large duty free shopping mall where they stopped for 15 mins so we could use the washrooms. Then we got back on the bus and went to the Turkish crossing

First we had to all get off and give our passports again at the passport window. There is an entry visa for Turkey but I already got the evisa expecting a land border not to be as organized as the airport for such things.

Then we had to take our bags off and put them thru an xray scanner. Only two gypsy looking ladies had to open their plastic shopping bags even though they were xrayed, and we all put our luggage back on the bus. It was much more civilized then when coming into Bulgaria

It was now another two hours to Istanbul. Right at the border is the large city of Edirne which I had visited in 2007. It was the former Roman town of Adrianople and the former Ottoman capital before the capture of Constantinople so rich in history

When we arrived at the bus station he went to the depot for the bus company, not the main bus terminal. I was going to take a cab but a guy said there were free company buses to different parts of the city. I wanted to goto Eminonou and he said goto Aksaray and take the tram.

I didn't have a map and was doing this off memory as this is my third time in Istanbul. I'm not sure where the bus was going but he stopped at Aksaray Metro station so I decided to get off there even though this wasn't the last stop

I asked a cab to take me the rest of the way. He said 25L ($12) which I probably should have bargained. We weren't that far from the hotel which he had called for directions but it was better to take the cab with the narrow streets and my big luggage.

At the hotel it seemed a bit run down despite all the glowing reviews about cleanliness and friendly staff on trip advisor. I knew my room didn't have a bathroom but he said the shower was on the floor above. There was only one shower for all of that floor and my floor.

I went to look for some food and exchange money. There were no exchange places, this being a very authentic neighbourhood for locals and not tourists. It had a great atmosphere and lots of cheap places to eat where locals and not tourists go.

I got a potatoe chicken curry with rice and bread for only 4.75L ($2.50). I asked in a couple of hotels if they had rooms available as I really didn't like mine for four nites with a bathroom one floor up and waiting if people from the above floor are using it.

The first had a room for 45L ($22) with private bathroom but was quite older too. I went to a more modern looking one next to my hotel and they had rooms for 50L ($25) which are more modern with private bathroom and flat screen tv. My hotel only had a few boring channels, not music ones, on a half broken tv

Now I had to get my stuff back from the first hotel. I tried to tell him politely that I was going to change hotels because I didn't want to go upstairs for the bathroom for four nites, and that I ws very sorry. At first he wasn't happy and said I had to pay cash for two nights.

That didn't sound right and when I checked my booking it said you only pay 23euros if you cancel after the first night so I gave him that. Then he was bad mouthing the other hotel and watching as I was checking in as they both face each other and have glass outer walls.

Everyday he is standing outside smoking and wont make eye contact with me even when I try to say hello after he tried charging me for two nights. It seems Turks are offended quite easily, I've seen this before. I keep seeing people arriving at his hotel so I dont see why he's that bothered as he still has good business