There is a seasonal ailment that afflicts most people in Canada and many in the United States. It is called 'cabin fever'. It has an incubation period ranging from sixty to ninety days and is brought on by severe cold weather and/or abnormally abundant snow falls, day after bloody day after bloody day. To avoid these unpleasant conditions, patients usually place themselves under voluntary quarantine and stay indoors. It is indoors when the disease sets in. Cabin fever is known to cause irritability, depression and, in some cases, divorce. Attempts to remedy cabin fever by going outdoors are usually met with extreme cold, frigid winds and foul language. There are no known cures for cabin fever. There are only remedies, usually involving southbound travel. Some regions' economies, such as Florida, are based on providing those remedies, as well as cheap alcohol.

Woebegone, gone, gone

Although this is my third winter in Budapest, it is the first winter in which I fell victim to that pervasive disorder. My condition was not helped in the least when three woebegone women friends of ours trumpeted quite loudly (and on Facebook) that they were going to Rome for the weekend.
That was it. Enough was enough. As they rubbed their Rome-bound salt in my festering winter wound, I dove into the travel sites looking for cheap airfares anywhere, as long as the plane was departing Ferihegy and taking a heading anywhere in the neighbourhood of 180 degrees on the compass. Southbound.
I checked Rome but that would have been so 'me-too'. Besides, I think it was a woebegone women's weekend and I'm just not the kind of guy who dresses like that. Not even on Halloween.

A world away not far away

Travel tip: If you're looking for cheaper airfares and can manage a Saturday travel day, do it. The affordable airfare I found was brilliant. It was Friday at noon when I booked. I had us departing the next day to a place I have wanted to visit since I arrived in Budapest. The next day, we were hopping in a cab, getting on a plane and a couple of hours later, we were landing in Istanbul.
There are many fabulous things about living in Budapest and one of them is the proximity to so many places that are so different to here.
Not that I knew what to expect, but Istanbul was nothing I expected. Even the airline took me by surprise. Turkish Airlines. The food they served actually resembled food and tasted like it, too. But, if you're an investor, I wouldn't be running off to invest in this company. They spend too much money on niceties for economy passengers.  Why is it that things that are good for people are bad for business?
I also got a good deal on a new boutique hotel, Antis, in the historic district. Great little hotel. When we arrived it was dark. We had a corner room and the door-sized windows opened to a view of shantytown-like rooftops and the sea beyond. The other, smaller window had a table and chairs in front of it and the curtains were drawn. We were there over an hour before I drew the drapes and found the Blue Mosque towering over us. As impressive as the architecture is, the PA system they use to announce the call to prayer at 5:45am is equally impressive. And pervasive.

Magic carpet baggers

With a population of almost 13 million, Istanbul qualifies as a 'large city'. Yet despite its size, I was amazed how quickly we became friends with so many people, each of whom had a brother, sister, cousin, aunt, uncle, friend, father-in-law, neighbour, soul mate or Siamese twin who owned a carpet shop around the corner.
Istanbul has been a centre of trade since before the Big Guy was in diapers. It is not just where East meets West, it is also where Buyers meet Sellers. As a result, there is an art to navigating the streets on foot in Istanbul. Best to go down the middle of the narrow streets. It's easier to dodge the cars than the persistent vendors. Having said that, if you are as creative with your rejection as they are with their 'hook', they enjoy it. You laugh. They laugh. Laughing is good. They are a friendly people, with a rich history. For a short hop from Budapest, it was a world away: A welcome respite from the claustrophobia of cabin fever.
I have not spoken to our woebegone women friends about their weekend in Rome. I'm sure there was shopping. See your one and raise you ten. I'm sure there were historical sites. But while they may have seen the Colosseum, we saw Moses' rod and the right hand and partial skull of John the Baptist. Yes, there are things about Istanbul that seemed a tad weird. Is it any wonder I liked it?

– William Lower is a freelance writer and advertising/marketing consultant now living in Budapest. You may contact him at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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