On the plane to Istanbul …

I feel like it should be the beginning of a nursery rhyme or a child’s geography game.  On the plane to Istanbul … I met a woman going to Mongolia, or I met a Peace Corps Volunteer from Uganda or I met a contractor bound for Najaf.  It seems that Turkish Airlines is the Iceland Air of random destinations.  This reference is perhaps not universally understood:  Iceland Air more than anything – maybe even more than Bjork – has put Reykjavik on the map.  From the east coast of the US, you can get almost anywhere in western Europe and probably most cheaply reach anywhere in Scandinavia if you only agree to a short stop over through the gift shop of Iceland that is Keflevik Airport.

Apparently Turkey thought this was a good idea.  I am not sure if it is because of sheer proximity, or an interesting juxtaposition of cultures and development; rather than connecting Europe with the US, Turkish Airlines connects western industrial nations with … dare I say the rest of the non-latin world?  On the flight from New York to Istanbul there are connections to Russia, Central Asia, South Asia, Africa and the Middle East; and those are only the ones that I’m aware of. 

The fact that I am aware of so many destinations also says something, as I am not the traveler who actively seeks out conversation from those around her.  In fact, I’m the one who sits in her seat and fights not to roll her eyes when she gets stuck next to chatty Cathy who wants to discuss her upcoming “exotic” vacation.  I’m the one who will pretend to fall asleep early in the flight simply to avoid being trapped in a 9 hour conversation.  So if I have been able to find Iraq, Mongolia, Uganda, Tajikistan and Russia plus suspect Kenya or Tanzania, and Pakistan … what other destinations are hidden here among my fellow flight mates that a more social traveler may have discovered?  Not to say that everyone is travelling on.  The Turkish tourists and the Americans on a Turkish holiday are easy enough to spot. 

Amusing that travel to Istanbul would, in this situation, seem to be the most mundane option.