I have since returned to Turkey. When I came back, I bought the three month tourist visa like everyone else. Within that time my school was supposed to have gotten me my ikamet. Despite my telling the office staff that time was running out, they never got their butts in gear.
Note: If you are late and your school attempts to get your ikamet (residence permit) do not bother to waste your time at the emniyet because you will wait all day for nothing. They will tell you that once your visa has expired you must leave. So I left for Greece.
This time I did not go to Komotini - although I may as well have. It would have been cheaper and I knew (basically) where everything was.
BUS LINE: Still Varan - Gates 15-16 at the Otogar : left on a Friday at 10:00 am. Cost - 50 YTL
Time to Greece - 10 hours to Alexandroupolis - due to rain and a border delay. Arrived around 8:00 pm.
DEPARTURE: Bright and early the next morning at 8:30 am. The bus picks you up at the train station. Go in to the little office and present your ticket and passport to the man there. He needs to add you to the list. You want to be added to the list as soon as possible because others may arrive and seats may be few.
NOTE: have heard that there are no Monday morning buses.
Note: A train also departed at 8:00 am for Istanbul Saturday morning.
The bus will get you back to Istanbul by 4 or 5 pm. A varan shuttle bus may take you to Taksim or Bak�rkoy.
HOTEL: Stayed at the Hotel Erika. Listed on the net for 24 Euros. Big lie. Charged us 50 Euros. And that was ths single rate. Apparently a regular rate is 76 Euros in the on-season. No bathtub. Clean enough and centrally located.
EATS: Up the road from the Hotel Erika, walking towards the lighthouse, is the Roma Pizza house. Go there. Order the Bacon-Mushroom classic. It is worth it.
IN GENERAL: Found the town nice. Would have been nicer in the summer, spring or early fall.
FINES: 16 days late cost me nearly 200 YTL.