Magic carpet ride

Tell ITN about the funniest thing that ever happened to you while traveling in a foreign country. (ITN prints no info on destinations in the United States.) There are no restrictions on length. The ITN staff will choose each month’s winner, who will receive a free one-year subscription to ITN. Entries not chosen cannot be acknowledged.

This month’s winner is GEORGE R. COHEN of Rancho Mirage, CA:

While journeying through Turkey in April 2010, my wife and I were given the name of a well-known carpet establishment in Istanbul. There, we were greeted by the owner and his employees, then led upstairs to a display of many, many rugs and plied with apple tea and a few small glasses of a Turkish liqueur. The show of rug after rug lasted well over two hours and was consummated with more drinks.

While I paid the bill, my wife and the owner proceeded downstairs and waited for me just outside the open door of the shop. After paying, I headed down the stairs, upon which were row upon row of rolled-up carpets standing vertically along the staircase wall in a descending fashion. At that point, I slipped and began to slide down the stairs in a supine position.

My wife and the shop owner heard a loud, rumbling sound and began to see carpet after carpet come tumbling out through the open door, whereupon my wife turned to the owner and said, “I believe my husband will come out next.”

Lo and behold, I shot out through the open doorway.

The entire office staff sat silently watching this whole affair and then began to applaud and laugh. Luckily, all I sustained were some large bruises, mostly in an area we will not discuss at this time.