During the month of Ramazan I didn't have many classes so I was able to travel quite a bit (since most students would rather not learn English for 4 hours on an empty stomach). With two weeks off I decided to make my rounds through Central Anatolia and Kurdish territory in the SE of Turkey.
With only a small day pack and a sleeping bag, I decided start my trip in what has been coined "backpackers paradise": Cappadocia! And since I'm often annoyed by the watered-down package tours you usually get at these places, I decided to set out alone with a map (and a little good sense) into the heart of Cappadocia.
It took 2 bus rides and an overpriced taxi to get to my launching point but the site of the Ilhara Valley was more than enough to make up for my disappointment. Usually hikers start from the Ilhara Vally village and hike south to Selime but, being the hard-heading and often idealistic traveler I am, I decided to hike it the other way around to add a little adventure to the 8 hour trek. The only problem was my starting point was probably the most difficult part of the hike and the trails were somewhat wayward. All hazard aside, I was able to explore the cave monasteries (dwelling places of Byzantine monks, covered with colorful frescos)and trek some of the less traveled territory and at my own pace. All in all it was quite wonderful.
At the end of the trek, while sipping some tea and recovering from near exhaustion, I happened to meet and older American couple staying in Goreme who happened to have a personal guide. Luckily, they told me I could hitch a ride back with them back to Goreme and even tag along for a private tour around the area. What luck!! Turns out they were quite a globe-trotting twosome--spending half of the year in Washington state and the other half kitesurfing at their beach house in Mexico. We all stayed at the same pension and they even let me come along the next day for a private tour of the underground cities and fairy chimney sites. On my last day, I rented a bicycle and rode the 18 km loop around the major outline of the area....completely misjudging the difficulty because I was quite sore the next day. However, the views from the ride were breathtaking. I'll just make sure I'm in better shape next time so there will be more admiring and less time spent trying desperately to catch my breath. The beauty and magic of Cappadocia cannot possibly be described. I suggest checking out my photos for that!
From there, I took a flight far-east to see Van and the surrounding Van Lake area. I stayed with a friend, Semet, from Couchsurfing who was just great. He took the afternoon off of work to pick me up from the airport and take me directly to see my first site at Van Castle! And wow. It really is stunning. After a night of Turkish coffee and foreign films, Semet and I went to an island on Lake Van to see an ancient Armenian church and to catch some magnificent views of the lake. I didn't have much more time in Van because I had to catch a minibus to my next, and most anticipated, destination: Dogubayazit and Mt. Ararat!!!!
Dogubayazit is Turkey's eastern-most city, 35 km from the border of Iran and just on the other side of Armenia. This is also distinctly Kurdish territory, with most of the people identifying the area as Kurdistan rather than Turkey (touchy subject!). On the 3 hour bus trip I met 3 Polish travelers also going to Dogybayazit and immediately befriended them--as it is often nice to have companions when traveling into the unknown! They agreed to let me stay in their hotel room and travel to see the sites with them...I've got splendid traveling luck I tell ya!!! Aside from the dreamlike view of Mt. Ararat in the distance, the main site in Dogubayazit is IshakPasha Palace. We made our way to the stop to take a gander and while waiting for the doors to open we met a Kurdish guide who happened to be on his day off--but who also happened to be willing to show us around the place for free. Again, jackpot! The guy was friendly, incredibly funny, and was full of historical information about the place. Walking around I really felt as though I was in a dream. The view from this place is unreal. I had to pinch myself. Afterward the guide took us to eat at a local spot and sang us some Kurdish songs over several pots of tea and a few games of arm wrestling (strangely popular with the Kurdish). And just when I though the day couldn't get any better, he invited us to partake in a Bayram tradition with his family! (*During the Bayram at the end of Ramazan, it is traditional for people to spend time with their extended families and eat lots of Bayram goodies! Children often going door to door partaking of trayfulls of baklava and lokum) So, we all went door-to-door to his families homes and sat down for many glasses of tea and an obscene amount of chocolate and baklava. One of my best nights in Turkey.
I was always warned by Turks about the dangers of Eastern Turkey. And, ofcourse, the area has its share of political tension, but the warmth of the people is grossly understated. It was on this trip that I received my most genuine displays of hospitality and kindness. Definitely my favorite part of the country. Next time I'll be back to climb that Ararat!!!
**As a side note, every Kurdish person seemed to enjoy asking openly political questions. They all kept asking me if I liked George Bush. I just laughed.
Soon I was on the bus for a 11 hour journey to my next destination. I was set to meet up with some of my friends from Bursa in a place called Antep (known for its baklava---which I bought, and subsequently ate, a whole box of). From there we drove to the prized Mt. Nemrut to catch the most breathtaking sunset I've ever seen. Since we wanted to see the sunrise, we decided to sleep in the car at the top of the mountain. Needless to say we didn't get much sleep because of the near freezing temperatures. After thawing out over breakfast, we decided to check out one more place before going home. The town of Urfa was only about a 3hour drive so we though we'd make the trip. Urfa is the supposed home of Abraham (like father Abraham. you know. the one with many sons.) Also, its the site of one of the earliest civilizations: Harran (which is mentioned in Genesis). Aside from the blazing heat, it was great. The place had a definite Middle Eastern feel with one of the most magical and exotic bazaars I've seen in Turkey.
By this point in the trip I was so exhausted and ready to be home in my own bed. Unfortunately, I had an 18 hour bus ride back to Bursa.......
