Stuck in Istanbul

Hello!
Greetings from Istanbul - yet again. I am heading home for two months, one month medical leave, one month vacation...(or so I hope it doesn't turn into two months medical leave) - but yet again, the Turkish air flight from Dushanbe to Istanbul was delayed by about 9 hours.

After waking up at 2:30, we left for the airport. A guy came up to us and I thought he said to my colleague, who went to the airport with me, "The plane left at 11:30." I immediately thought he meant 11:30 at night, three hours early. I told my colleague to ignore the crazy man. Afterall, planes never leave five hours early.

The real reason for my immediate assumption that the man was making up a story or that he had a heard a rumor about "early departure" was because this same colleague five minutes earlier had asked me if I felt a third earthquake (yes, third) two days before in the middle of the night. Of course I hadn't - because there was no earthquake. However, the Tajiks - prone to rumors and group mentality, had spread "news" that an earthquake would strike at like 2:30 am. For this reason, all Tajiks (in the know or who had friends) came out of their houses and stayed out for several hours.

My colleague, who agreed that you can't predict earthquakes that way - still left his house for at least an hour because all his neighbors were outside and another one of our co-workers had called him. I quietly wondered why nobody called me. (hmm...).

We turned back around, I went back to sleep in my Dushanbe apartment, and now at 11:30 at night Dushanbe time, I am finally half way to NY in a cute little hotel called the Gunes in Istanbul. I was quite lucky that I had bought the ticket to NY completely through Turkish air, because many people on the flight from Dushanbe who had connecting flights with other airlines, were turned away and not provided any accomodation or meals. How horrible!
The real lesson is to either buy a ticket through one airline or to take out travel insurance in the case of absurdities - like being stuck in Istanbul. Actually, I love Istanbul - if you have the time to get into the city. Unfortunately, it's almost 9PM now, and at 8AM, the shuttle picks me up for the airport.

Despite liking Istanbul in general (particularly for the restaurants), i can't stand the airport. When I arrived - they told me I could stay at the "airport hotel." That's all they said. They told me to exit passport control and then follow signs for airport hotel. This I did, but only after complaining that it's a small scam to make me pay for the visa fee. As always, I tried to get answers to whether they would pay for the visa fee, and they just kept telling me to wait, and wait, and wait. Finally, I said, "what am I waiting for" - and they admitted that there's nothing to be waiting for, because they don't cover the visa fee. I think I'll be obnoxious and file a travel insurance claim for the Turkish visa fee.

After I passed the passport control, I followed the sign for "airport hotel," walked down a highway ramp, and got directions from police officers. I arrived at the "Turkish Air airport hotel", went to the front desk and a woman (with supreme attitude) told me it was a private hotel and I should leave immediately. Perhaps I am too literal?? I walked back up the hill to the arrivals terminal, with my heavy backpack, visibly distressed, and found an information desk. I asked the nice woman there how I can get to the free turkish air airport hotel. She pointed to the other end of the hall - and said, there is a sign for airport hotel.

I walked onwards, and When I reached the other end of the hall, EVERY single kiosk said "Airport Hotel" - I seriously decided that I was in an idiot's paradise. Anyway, reaching the conclusion of an idiot's paradise has left me exhausted. :)
Wish me a good flight tomorrow to New York!