Sanchez01:

Not sure if this is necessary but I recall making this post in 2020 and was sure I'd leave the following year, which was 2021. Well, for good reasons, it didn't happen.

The long and short of it is that I am leaving permantly to Salt Lake City, Utah, exactly a week from now. I hope to document the journey somehow. I wouldn't say I am excited and I wouldn't say I am not. To be fair, I'm indifferent, at least for now, largely as a result of a funny mistake I made while booking my flight ticket. Finger's crossed.

First, I am not a picture person so this is a whole lot of challenge taking pictures at every turn.

Anyways, Richdee1, here is a mention as promised.

The long and short of it is that I am in Turkey right now for my first. The next is in New York before finally moving to Salt Lake City, in Utah. In total, the travel time is 56 hours, which was the main reason for bemoaning the "mistake" I made while booking. Wifey thought booking a longer flight hour means an experience that is worth it. As a first time international traveller, I am fast learning the implication of having stopovers that are longer than the flight time themselves.

So we stayed about 13 hours in Turkey before our connecting flight to JFK. To be sincere, I tried applying for a transit visa before leaving Nigeria since I read Turkey no longer issue visa on transit and that one would need to apply ahead before arrival. I didn't even bother.

Cost was a factor somehow as I had already booked Airbnb of $42/night for 28 days pending when accommodation is sorted. A couple of the apartments we saw from Nigeria wanted security deposit of either twice the rent or exactly the rent and other ridiculous charges which the Nigerian in me won't allow.

Anyways, knowing a transit visa and transportation cost around Turkey would demand money, we chose sleep pods instead and they cost €8/hour, spent roughly three hours before getting one stale spaghetti (two servings and two chicken fillets with salad primarily consisting of tomatoes and one diced wara + water for hundreds of Lira which was approximately $40 per person).

A bit about the Turkish Airport, the architecture is insane and almost unbelievable. A downside about the airport is the availability of WiFi which is only available to travellers for free for one hour. They have WiFi stands scattered across the airport. All you just need to do is swipe your international passport on the machine and a WiFi password will be generated. An alternative is also using your MTN line to browse for free for one hour using the mobile login option on the Internet login page after connecting. You only need the OTP sent to your phone and that's it. Airtel failed to send OTPs both on my device and my wife's even after several retries.

A tiny fraction of the Turkish airport architecture captured below

*Scratches head.* The pictures look great and super sharp on my phone but for weird reasons, they become blurry when I upload them.

In total, flight time from Turkey to JFK, New York was 10 hours via Turkish Airlines. For a Nigerian, I suffered because the choices of food weren't so good. First was "herbed yogurt and supposedly rice white minced beef and stuffed eggplant or aubergine" with another round of tomatoes salad and white cheese with some funny vegetable that gave me an instant OBE when I tried it . Iya yii po.

The second was fair; Zucchini Pasta with tomato sauce, which almost everyone on the plan requested, including myself. The vegetables were basically the same for both menus. About 15 Turks and Americans combined lined up before the lavatory after eating. Yours truly joined the queue

Immigration experience at JFK was almost unbelievable. We were attended to in less than one minute and queue time was about 6 minutes maximum.

We connected to the JFK WiFi immediately we landed and it didn't require your passport to use it. It is not passworded and connection is instant. In the space of about 15 minutes spent at the airport, I did about 40 GB download. The speed was insane.

Finding our luggage was easy and simple and it costs $6 to use cart. The process is automated as opposed to the N500 experience at the MMIA and ticket you would get after.

U are doing well

So this is hilarious and would make it as funny as possible.

We were directed to take a different exit route if we intend using a taxi so we moved our cart to the exit point. A lady was in front of us and one traveller at a time is only allowed to exit in order not to make the front of the airport rowdy. When the lady in front us exited, a crazy cold breeze slapped my essence that I turned to my wife what just happened. She didn't have an answer and I wasn't sure if what hit me was the AC within JFK airport or it just came from outside. When it got to our turn and we exited, the cold was unbelievable. "But they said they are in spring, how come it is this cold?" I asked the taxi driver. The driver laughed and just said "welcome to New York". We packed our stuff in the car and moved.

Our destination was about 40 minutes away and all I had my eyes on was the fare meter. Something that was reading peacefully just added $6.55 after passing a bridge immediately. "Ah, do you guys have Tinubu or LCC here?", I exclaimed. The black driver laughed but didn't get the joke. "Please, how come $6.55 jumped on the fare just now?", I asked. "Oh, that's normal around here. It applies to Queens Midtown, blah blah blah..." At this time, the fare had jumped to $49 dollars and I kept wondering what the eventual fare would be after arriving our temporary destination.

Long story short, we arrived and fare cost was $69.10. Mi rogo! Lori taxi!? . I almost had instant migraine because the Nigerian in me just started converting $70 to Naira, in line with the latest Black Market Rate. While I was lost in thoughts, the driver jokingly asked if I wouldn't tip him after driving the long distance. I looked at him in confusion. "But I just paid you, I know tipping you isn't important. The Nigerian in me is converting the fare and you are asking that I tip you again?" E wo l'eleyi bayii? "So, how much do I tip you?" I asked, trying to prepare my mind for one unbelievable response. He looked at me and responded; "usually, it is 20% of the fare", about $7 or so", he replied. I gave him $10 from the $30 change he gave to me, converted $77 to Naira on the spot while he thanked us and drove away. I was shivering almost two minutes after alighting while trying to move our bags into our host's apartment. Cold ran up my spine even with a jacket on and was almost shaking. It isn't even in Utah yet or even winter but spring and the cold is this insane. Nothing prepares you for this as a Nigerian. Nothing does.

Nice

Following...
Long stopovers are only interesting if you have a transit visa. Otherwise, it's boring staying in the airport.

Sanchez01:
The long and short of it is that I am in Turkey right now for my first. The next is in New York before finally moving to Salt Lake City, in Utah. In total, the travel time is 56 hours, which was the main reason for bemoaning the "mistake" I made while booking. Wifey thought booking a longer flight hour means an experience that is worth it. As a first time international traveller, I am fast learning the implication of having stopovers that are longer than the flight time themselves.

There is nothing to see in stopover unless you are stepping out of the airport or it’s just only 3 hours max.
The max stopover I have experienced is 3 hrs and Its the worst, because our flight got to Lisbon early.
I promised myself since then never to wait for more than 2 hrs except I want to step out around the airport.

Following...

following...

Following

We here

Driver abeg drop me here....OP fire down

Just arrived JFK in New York and the time is currently 10:31 PM (Wednesday). I should be uploading pictures shortly.

Nice one!

seunny4lif:

There is nothing to see in stopover unless you are stepping out of the airport or it’s just only 3 hours max.
The max stopover I have experienced is 3 hrs and Its the worst, because our flight got to Lisbon early.
I promised myself since then never to wait for more than 2 hrs except I want to step out around the airport.

I enjoyed my 12 hours stopover at Heathrow airport, London. I even did massage within the airport and met nice people. Didn't go outta the airport.

Where are you staying in New York?..... and for how long?

CountVersailles:
Following...
Long stopovers are only interesting if you have a transit visa. Otherwise, it's boring staying in the airport.

Funny enough, I wouldn't say it was exactly boring. I enjoyed the sleep pod and movies kept us preoccupied.

I am definitely not wifey book tickets going forward. Long stopovers are ridiculous.

seunny4lif:

There is nothing to see in stopover unless you are stepping out of the airport or it’s just only 3 hours max.
The max stopover I have experienced is 3 hrs and Its the worst, because our flight got to Lisbon early.
I promised myself since then never to wait for more than 2 hrs except I want to step out around the airport.

I love to travel but I hate digressions. Doing other stuff doing stopovers won't work with me. To be fair, the Turkish Airport is packed with so many things that you could be there for over 20 hours and not feel it. That said, I am never subscribing to stopovers again. The experience isn't too bad for a first time international traveller but for someone who doesn't like seeing so many people moving around, I definitely wouldn't subscribe going forward.

Originalsly:
Where are you staying in New York?..... and for how long?

Currently at Bronx. JFK is our second stopover and we'll be moving out to our final destination later today. It is currently 3:22 AM here.

Sanchez01:


Currently at Bronx. JFK is our second stopover and we'll be moving out to our final destination later today. It is currently 3:22 AM here.

Hmmm...... this leg needed a longgggg stop over! Not really much to see or do in the Bronx ... unless if you're around a commercial area. If traveling later in the afternoon.... I suggest you get on the #4/#6 Subway this morning around 9... after Rush Hour.... and ride down to 42nd Street Grand Central Station ... find your way out of the station ... find 42nd street and ask anyone which direction to Times Square.... a 20 minutes walk. Leave around 2 hours before the time you need to get back. Take taxi to drop you off at the nearest #6 uptown station except Grand Central.
Shorter trip.... #2/5 subway to 149th Street 3rd Ave..... after 10:30 a.m ...shopping area in the Bronx.....or Fordhan Road... your host should fill you in.
If neither.... get on the #4 ride to 149th street ... get off.... get the same train in opposite direction and back to where you got on. Runs above ground up to Yankee Stadium then dives underground to next stop 149th... just for the experience.

It will be a longggg time if ever you return to NYC. Make the best while you can.

Sanchez01:
*Scratches head.* The pictures look great and super sharp on my phone but for weird reasons, they become blurry when I upload them.

Okay use this hack


Screenshot then upload the new screenshot.

Originalsly:


Hmmm...... this leg needed a longgggg stop over! Not really much to see or do in the Bronx ... unless if you're around a commercial area. If traveling later in the afternoon.... I suggest you get on the #4/#6 Subway this morning around 9... after Rush Hour.... and ride down to 42nd Street Grand Central Station ... find your way out of the station ... find 42nd street and ask anyone which direction to Times Square.... a 20 minutes walk. Leave around 2 hours before the time you need to get back. Take taxi to drop you off at the nearest #6 uptown station except Grand Central.
Shorter trip.... #2/5 subway to 149th Street 3rd Ave..... after 10:30 a.m ...shopping area in the Bronx.....or Fordhan Road... your host should fill you in.
If neither.... get on the #4 ride to 149th street ... get off.... get the same train in opposite direction and back to where you got on. Runs above ground up to Yankee Stadium then dives underground to next stop 149th... just for the experience.

It will be a longggg time if ever you return to NYC. Make the best while you can.

My Boss dishing out his NY knowledge

Solanaa:




My Boss dishing out his NY knowledge

... no comment!

Originalsly:


Hmmm...... this leg needed a longgggg stop over! Not really much to see or do in the Bronx ... unless if you're around a commercial area. If traveling later in the afternoon.... I suggest you get on the #4/#6 Subway this morning around 9... after Rush Hour.... and ride down to 42nd Street Grand Central Station ... find your way out of the station ... find 42nd street and ask anyone which direction to Times Square.... a 20 minutes walk. Leave around 2 hours before the time you need to get back. Take taxi to drop you off at the nearest #6 uptown station except Grand Central.
Shorter trip.... #2/5 subway to 149th Street 3rd Ave..... after 10:30 a.m ...shopping area in the Bronx.....or Fordhan Road... your host should fill you in.
If neither.... get on the #4 ride to 149th street ... get off.... get the same train in opposite direction and back to where you got on. Runs above ground up to Yankee Stadium then dives underground to next stop 149th... just for the experience.

It will be a longggg time if ever you return to NYC. Make the best while you can.

Lol! Thank you for this! These folks are about dragging us out to Times Square and a couple of other places. Would definitely be touching some places you mentioned. I'll equally be dropping some pictures later.

Thanks once again

Modified:

Pictures!

Sanchez01:

Lol! Thank you for this! These folks are about dragging us out to Times Square and a couple of other places. Would definitely be touching some places you mentioned. I'll equally be dropping some pictures later.

Thanks once again

Nice of them....to drag you out... for your own good! You can't come to NYC and not go to "the City"!

0.Hadampson
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3. Nicoswit
5. Jaycew ( POLAND)*
6. Subomi007
7. lamboladee
8. SaintHillary (UK)*
9. Vhuqnl
10. Joohan
11.Paccus
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Another Wonderful Japa Story.

Sanchez01:


First, I am not a picture person so this is a whole lot of challenge taking pictures at every turn.

Anyways, Richdee1, here is a mention as promised.

Thsvks boss!! We await

Pictures help spice up thread in this section
Congratulations �

Just take a screenshot like someone said up there and post the screenshot instead of the main pics

Originalsly:


Nice of them....to drag you out... for your own good! You can't come to NYC and not go to "the City"!

Times Square...