Country Two - Turkey

If I am reading both of your posts correctly, as the weeks pass and tourists aren’t bringing that spike, restrictions are easing up. As always James, thank you for feet-on-the-ground reporting. Enjoy the remainder of your trip.

I presume the countries i am traveling to are watching the numbers and making judgments accordingly. I have watched their numbers and while i have an opinion about what is driving the decisions, we have been asked to avoid COVID debates.. So I leave it with i have confidence that my trip is pretty safe from rollback. But what is important is playing by their rules and with respect without commentary.

What about a real trip report for Turkey and Ukraine? What did you do there? Sights seen, etc.?

So, in Odesa, before issuing the boarding pass the Turkish Air agent studied my vaccine card, then asked if I had a visa and had filled out the online health questionnaire and gotten my document with the bar code. Yes, and yes, so I was given a boarding pass.

At passport control in Istanbul, the agent didn't want to see either. My guess is it's confirmed when they scan the passport. Then they scan your luggage for bombs and you are in Turkey.

That simple. Both ends, Odesa and Istanbul the processes only took a few minutes.

I will say this, if you require social distancing and near 100% indoor mask wearing to be comfortable it might be a good idea to reconsider travel.

A couple of days doing the Istanbul Top Ten. Moving on to Zagreb late Monday.

Not impressed with the Haiga Sofia as a mosque. Too much you can't see now. But its their toy. The Blue Mosque was under renovation so that was limited too .... and the Basilica cistern was closed, but we found another recently uncovered cistern that was fascinating to visit.

The roof top of the Sura Design Hitel us a sweet place to hang out and the staff is excellent.

It sounds like airlines are reviewing vaccine status, but countries aren’t checking that over and over. Masks and physical distance are more the focus, right? This is where the U.S. was 6 months ago, which now seems like a long time ago.

If you require social distancing and/or strict mask adherence for comfort, you might reconsider travel.

In Turkey, masks outside were optional. Inside compliance was maybe 75%.

Few special COVID precautions in business operations. Twice i was asked for my vaccine card, and twice it was good enough that my travel companion had hers, mine wasn't necessary.

Arrived Athens airport this morning for my Turkish Air flight back to Istanbul.

Checkin took 15 minutes. They glanced at my PLF on my phone, that was about it.

Two final days in Istanbul, then home.