A spontaneous layover in Turkey

Due to a blizzard this past winter, I had a spontaneous layover in Adana, Turkey. I was flying from Washington D.C. to Tashkent, Uzbekistan, and my original layover was supposed to be in Istanbul, Turkey. However, Istanbul was experiencing a massive snowstorm and Ataturk Airport had to shut down the whole airport and cease all incoming and outgoing air traffic. 

Majority of the passengers, including myself, were not aware of this and were bewildered when the plane captain announced our early landing. I casually checked the digital map from the screen in front of me, and surely, we were nowhere close to Istanbul. I saw our plane landing in the south of Turkey, right above Syria. Hmm.. do not panic.. this is no big deal. At first, I thought maybe the digital map on my screen was experiencing some sort of technical issues because we still had not been informed about the blizzard in Istanbul yet. Unfortunately, much to my dismay, the plane was making an emergency stop at the Adana international Airport. Now if I was on my own, I would have absolutely enjoyed this spontaneous trip however, I was accompanied by my grandmother, who was recovering from a very serious cold. Therefore, I wanted to get home as soon as possible. 

Luckily, I speak the Uzbek language which is similar to Turkish. Also, it helped that I studied the Turkish language as a foreign language in college because this particular skill played a vital role in our survival for the next 36 hours. As Uzbek citizens (who hold an Uzbek passport), we did not need a visa to set foot in Adana so we were able to quickly go through customs quickly and grab out suitcases. Turkish Airlines had prepared transportation to a reserved hotel for all passengers. We were driven to the Sürmeli Adana Hotel, which was situated about twenty minutes away from the city's international airport. The hotel was completely packed and chaotic. Majority of the passengers could not speak the language and the receptionists' English were not the best either so you can just imagine the struggle! However, when we were finally accommodated, two-three hours had passed.

I have nothing but positive words to say about the Sürmeli Adana Hotel because they were extremely helpful and understanding of everyone's situation. Many people were concerned about their connecting flights and worried about when they would be on the next flight. Many were in utter shock, really upset and stressed. In order to ease everyone, the Sürmeli hotel and Turkish airlines organized a large and delightful buffet for all the passengers, which was an awfully considerate and nice gesture. 

Many people have not heard of the city of Adana as it is not a popular tourist destination. However, because I have studied Turkish and frequently eaten at Turkish restaurants, I knew of the city. I was not familiar with the landmarks nor the culture but I had heard of the trademark Adana Kebabs, which are highly appetizing. Sadly, I was not able to find any nearby cafes to feast on authentic kebabs from the city itself. 

It was already quite late and dark when we stepped foot into Adana. On our first night, my grandmother and I enjoyed the delicious meals set out by the lovely hotel employees and shortly after that, we retired to our beds. The next morning, I brought some breakfast for my grandmother and put on some Turkish TV for her while I went to inquire about our next flight. A few Turkish Airline representatives were available at the hotel to answer travelers' questions and resolve their concerns. I was told we were on the list for the next flight to Istanbul, which I was rather pleased to hear! 

After feasting on my scrumptious breakfast at the wonderful buffet, I decided to explore my new, unfamiliar environment. There were a few passengers who were planning on visiting the Adana Merkez Camii, which is the stunning local mosque, however, I could not join them because I could not leave my grandmother for a long period of time. 

I decided to walk around the hotel area, making sure I did not wander off too far. Let me just say many people have this perception of Adana being dangerous because it is very close to the border of Syria. My family was constantly worried and kept harassing me to stay indoors and to not leave the hotel. Despite that, being the adventurous person I am, I wanted to take advantage of this spontaneous trip and explore the streets of this peculiar Turkish city. And, I am so glad I did! 

As you know (or maybe not) Turkey is a country which lies in two continents. There is an Asian side and a European side. Adana easily falls on the Asian side, meaning it is more conservative. Majority of the women I saw were covered in the Hijab and the men, along with the women, were dressed more modestly. I am also assuming the city (or maybe the area we were in) was not very popular among tourists because the locals were rather surprised to see tourists in town. I was with another passenger and we got a few stares when we were walking around a nearby bazaar.  

Adana - a Turkish town where baklava beckons. My goodness, 'til this day, I have not had a delectable baklava as the ones I have had in Adana. These sweet, exquisite Turkish pastries were out of this world. I was very enthusiastic to have tried some authentic Turkish baklava. I mean, look at these luscious things: 

I cannot recall the exact prices but I do remember they were being sold at a rather reasonable cost. I bought some to take for my grandmother, who was resting back at the hotel, and I purchased more to take as gifts back home. The sellers were super friendly and enthusiastic to make conversation with us. They spoke little English but that did not stop them from communicating with us. A couple of young boys were quite eager to practice their elementary English, and very keen on knowing about us and our whereabouts. I think they were just very curious and we enjoyed their inquisitive questions! 

Since I could not really explore the city of Adana, I cannot comment on whether it is worth visiting or not. The infrastructure is somewhat developed as you can see in the pictures below. The receptionist told me there were a couple of malls and eateries nearby. The weather seemed pretty warm for winter. So on a hunch, I would say it probably gets very hot during the warmer months. 

Plus, I had no idea how dense the city was until we flew out of the country early next morning. Also, there seems to be some sort of water resort outside of the city so that is something to look into if you ever decide to visit Adana! 36 hours in Adana was rather interesting and I wish I was traveling by myself so I could have enjoyed this incidental layover but you cannot always have what you want! Maybe, another time!