土耳其在我心中一直是一個神秘的國家，它的神秘是因為對它幾乎毫無認識（如果真是一點都不認識那就是陌生而不是神秘了），對它的印象只有橫跨歐亞和清真寺… 還有土耳其浴這個名詞。其實這是對伊斯坦堡而不是土耳其的認識。
一手交錢一手交貨的簽證
因為土耳其並非歐盟國家，所以用英國護照進入土耳其是需要簽證的。後來得知香港的特區護照是免簽，可想言知我的心情…
出發前同事告訢我在土耳其辦落地簽證需要10英鎊現金手續費，所以我留了一些英鎊在錢包中以作準備。
下機後跟其他乘客步行前往入境通道。突然見到入境通道前有個寫著Visa的窗口，其他乘客中沒有人排這個窗口，所以我是第一個。在裹面的職員問我「Tourist visa？」，我說「Yes」，他跟著說「Passport! 」，我把護照交給他之後，他在我的passport上貼了一張貼紙，然後對我說「10 pound！」， 當我遞上10英鎊後，他把護照交回給我。我打開護照一看，那張貼紙寫著Tourist Visa, 原來落地簽證是這麼樣辦的…
然後在排入境通道時，有不少遊客被送反去排Visa窗口，結果我只排兩次隊（實際上只排了一次），而一大部份的其他遊客則排了三次(passport control, visa, passport control)，原來慢慢行是有「著數」的。
我是「肥羊」？
由Sabiha Gökçen機場搭巴士去到Taksim Square(位於新城區)，再搭電車到Sultanahmet(位於舊城區)，太約用了兩小時。因為是夜機，所以去到Sultanahmet時已經是晚上大約十時半。由電車站到我訂的青旅那短短十分鐘的路程，我三次被「好客」的土耳其人邀請我去飲酒，以下是我們的對答：
土耳其人：「你從那裹來？」
我：「從香港／英國來。(看心情而定)」
土耳其人：「真巧！我在韓國Daewood打工／我都有英國朋友／我都是遊客，從希臘來的。」
我：「是嗎？」
土耳其人：「這麼巧，不如一起去喝酒吧／我朋友的party！對了，你做什麼工作的？多少錢一個月？」
我：「Sorry，我需要去hostel，趕時間。」
土耳其人：「不打緊，我可以在hostel門口等你。」
我：「…」
可能是我以小人之心度君子之腹，但以上的對話令我感覺自己是一只可以任意屠宰的大肥羊，很糟糕的一種感覺。
據說這是一個很普遍的騙局，騙子和酒吧老闆一伙，請陌生遊客去酒吧喝酒，然後送上一張特貴的帳單（可達400歐元!!）。 騙子告訴你這是正常價，然後和你一人付一半。當你走了之後騙子和老闆對分那200歐元。
我堅持自己去青旅,「好客」的土耳其人可能認為我不太友善，最後離我而去，而我亦落得耳根清靜。我相信直覺，況且「好客的」實在太可疑…
Turkey has always been a mysterious country to me, it’s because I knew almost nothing about it (had I know nothing at all, then it would only be a strange country to me, not mysterious…). The only things I knew about Turkey were it situated over Asia and Europe, its mosques and of course the term Turkish bath. In fact it’s more like an impression of Istanbul, I think…
It’s because Turkey isn’t part of EU, it isn’t cover by Schengen Agreement. Therefore British passport holders are required to have a visa for entry. I later found out there’s no visa requirement for Hong Kong SAR passport holders; I was well gutted…
My colleagues reminded me to bring some pound sterling with me as a landing visa costs £10 in cash, so I heeded their advice.
After I got off the plane, I walked with other passengers to passport control. On the way there, I saw there’s a counter with the sign ‘Visa’, everyone just walked past it without stopping, so I didn’t have to queue. The official said to me “Tourist visa?” and I said “Yes”. He then said “Passport!” and I handed the passport over to him. He then put a sticker on and said “10 pound!”. I gave him £10 cash and he gave me my passport back. I looked at my passport; the sticker says Multiple Entry Visa. “I see”, I said to myself “that’s how you do landing visa, nice to do business with you.”
Later on when I queued for passport control, I saw many tourists were sent back for visas, so they ended up queuing 3 times (passport control, visa, passport control) where I only queued twice (actually just once, as I didn’t have to queue for my visa), it seems there’re perks in taking my time.
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| 用10英鎊「買」回來的簽證/My £10 visa |
Turkey has always been a mysterious country to me, it’s because I knew almost nothing about it (had I know nothing at all, then it would only be a strange country to me, not mysterious…). The only things I knew about Turkey were it situated over Asia and Europe, its mosques and of course the term Turkish bath. In fact it’s more like an impression of Istanbul, I think…
Nice to do business with Turkish visa official
It’s because Turkey isn’t part of EU, it isn’t cover by Schengen Agreement. Therefore British passport holders are required to have a visa for entry. I later found out there’s no visa requirement for Hong Kong SAR passport holders; I was well gutted…
My colleagues reminded me to bring some pound sterling with me as a landing visa costs £10 in cash, so I heeded their advice.
After I got off the plane, I walked with other passengers to passport control. On the way there, I saw there’s a counter with the sign ‘Visa’, everyone just walked past it without stopping, so I didn’t have to queue. The official said to me “Tourist visa?” and I said “Yes”. He then said “Passport!” and I handed the passport over to him. He then put a sticker on and said “10 pound!”. I gave him £10 cash and he gave me my passport back. I looked at my passport; the sticker says Multiple Entry Visa. “I see”, I said to myself “that’s how you do landing visa, nice to do business with you.”
Later on when I queued for passport control, I saw many tourists were sent back for visas, so they ended up queuing 3 times (passport control, visa, passport control) where I only queued twice (actually just once, as I didn’t have to queue for my visa), it seems there’re perks in taking my time.
Gary the “mark”？
The journey from Sabiha Gökçen Airport to Taksim Squire (in new town) then to Sultanahmet (in the old town) took about 2 hours, because it’s a late flight, by the time I got there it was around 10.30 at night. During the 10 minutes walk from the tram stop at Sultanahmet to my hostel, I was approached by “friendly” Turkish man 3 times separately, inviting me to go for drinks. The conversations went something like this:
Turkish man: “Where are you from?”
Me: “Hong Kong/England (depending on how I feel)”
Turkish man: “Oh, me too. I’m working for Daewood in Korean/I have English friends/I’m also a tourist, I come from Greece”
Me: “Really?”
Turkish man: “Of course, my friend. Why don’t we go for drinks/my friend’s party? Oh, what is your job? How much do you earn?”
Me: “Sorry, I need to get to my hostel, I’m in a hurry.”
Turkish man: “It’s ok, I can wait for you outside your hostel, then go for a drink.”
Me: “…”
Might be I’m just being suspicious, but it just felt wrong, I felt like I was a huge “mark” in the eye of a conman, a pretty rubbish feeling.
Apparently it’s a pretty common con, the conman and bar owner are in it together. Con man invites an unsuspected tourist for drinks, and the bar owner sends a massive bill (can be up to €400!!). The conman then tells you it’s the normal price, and splits the bill with you. Once you’re gone, conman and bar own splits the €200 they got out of you.
I insisted I was going to my hostel, perhaps they thought I wasn’t that friendly, so they left me alone. I still don’t know if they were just friendly people or conmen, but I trust my feeling and am not sure I really want to find out anyway…
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