22 April – At Istanbul (Turkey)

The girls dressed in their Iran clothes so that we could go and visit the Blue Mosque and if possible see inside the mosque. Visitors were allowed provided that a service was not in progress and that they were dressed properly, especially women. We were lucky and were able to see inside and although the place was lovely to see it was spoilt (spoilt may be too strong a word, perhaps the view was distorted) by the numerous chains and wires hanging from the roof supporting the internal lights. There was no charge to go into the mosque but a donation could be given and we all had to take our shoes off and carry them in plastic bags provided. The removal of shoes was strictly enforced and we were watched that the shoes did not touch specific areas even at the entry to the mosque.


The Blue Mosque



Inside the Blue Mosque

Stephanie, Laura and Emily

Laura, Libby, Emily, Stephanie, Rebecca.

Musicians in the square

The Tomb of Ahmed Khan

In the park outside the smell of the flowers were everywhere with people just walking around enjoying themselves. The local people we talked to were very courteous, happy and helpful and everything was done with a smile. We sat on the grass and listened to a small group playing traditional music for a while before going to the Tomb of Ahmed Khan. This contained a number of  sarcophagi in which the remains of one family, dating over a period of hundreds of years, from children to adults were held as seen by the size of each one. The sarcophagi which had a white cloth over them were for the more important people, namely the men.


Lunch time saw us sitting at a table out on the pavement with coaches passing almost continually. Traffic in Istanbul crawls everywhere as the streets are too narrow and people park in odd places which did not help the flow of traffic. We were advised to watch out when eating at a cafe or restaurant as the waiters put water, bread and bits on the table which one thinks may be free but when the bill is presented these have been added to the bill whether they have been eaten or not. The girls are quite good at asking if they are free or not as soon as they come near the table and often, as the breads especially are hot, they cannot be taken back to the kitchen so end up being given to us for free. After I said in one shop that I did not know what turkish delight tasted like and was given free samples the girls soon caught on and did better than I could. Fluttering eyelashes go a long way, even to getting a free afternoon tea on the rooftop restaurant in one large hotel and doughnuts in a cafe.

Looking towards Asia from Istanbul

Catch it, cook it, eat it.

Walking along the sea front we noticed that there were no rubbish bins around though we did find some later much further along where most people congregated. Even though there were no bins very little rubbish could be seen and this was common everywhere in Istanbul. On the sea wall one could hire fishing gear and then a table and chairs to sit at after cooking the catch on a stove provided. There were a lot of people fishing and even some swimming but only in a full wetsuit as there were a lot of jelly fish around.

And we had only been walking for four hours

Walking further along the sea front we saw people hiring out air guns to shoot at balloons and bottles with no thought of safety at all. Stopping at the Galata Bridge we walked under the bridge where there were many fish restaurants and the food there looked fantastic as I could see people with lobster, king prawns and fish on their tables. When one waiter became an annoyance to the girls he was told by them that I was their father and that he had better behave. As the girls knew that I liked fish they persuaded be to buy a fresh grilled fish in a roll for £1.50 which was gorgeous. They all had a taste and were kicking themselves for not having a roll themselves. This was the area where there were ferry terminals for crossing the Halic River (the Golden Horn) and where it meets the Sea of Marmara and the Bosphorus River.

Make up your own caption

Afternoon tea complete with teapot

A fish restaurant under the bridge

Looking towards Asia

When walking past where our truck was in a secure parking area I saw that there was a Dragoman Overland truck there going from Istanbul to Cairo and a proper German coach with every luxury which was travelling from Germany to Shanghai. They definitely were not camping anywhere!


Returning to the hostel we had then been walking for seven hours when I had certainly enjoyed the sights and foods I had eaten. A mob of Australians had booked into the hostel and I was fed up of everyone calling each other and others, including me, ‘mate’. They were particularly noisy and had to be shouted at to keep quiet in the bunk room sometime early in the morning. At least with being in the cellar I could not hear the call to prayer from the minarets every few hours especially as the different mosques say the prayers starting minutes apart so that one can hear both sets of DIFFERENT prayers at the same time, which was maddening!

The Blue Mosque at night

21 April – At Istanbul (Turkey)

 The exchange rate for Turkish  lire was 2.84 lire to the pound and diesel cost £1.36 with petrol £1.60 per litre.

After arriving at the Orient Hostel in the old part of Istanbul and finding that we were to sleep in the cellar room which had fifteen pair of bunk beds making a total bed space of thirty bunk beds. As we were a group of twenty-two, Seamus having joined us for the rest of the trip, we picked our bunks (I had a bottom one) and hung around waiting for the rain to stop, which it eventually did at 1100 hours. That night and every night I slept in the hostel with my money and passport under the bed.

The bunk room

The street where we lived

Three of us males went to the Grand Mosque with the ladies as an escort where they bought clothes suitable to be worn in Iran, the next country to be visited. We had a good run around being told to go to different places but they did end up with a headscarf, long  top and loose fitting trousers and having bartered well ended up paying half of what the group paid on the similar trip last year.

Lunch after a hard morning shopping

The results of the shopping showing left to right Vicky, Jackie, Janet, Stephanie, Libby. Rebecca, Laura, Emily, Polly, Helen

Once the important shopping had been done we then split up with the ladies going shopping again and I did the rounds of the turkish delight shops, of which there were hundreds. After free samples in many I did not want to eat any more  The turkish delight here is much different from that in the boxes in the UK and tasted better too.

Mounds of turkish delight

The weekend was a Festival of Children occasion and in the square near the Blue Mosque there were groups of children from as far away as Russia and Indonesia singing and dancing with a very appreciative audience including some of us. By now the day had warmed up and the sun was out showing off the flowers of which there were lots of tulips. It appears that tulips have a meaning for the Turkish people as during the Ottoman period only the very rich could afford them as they were very difficult to grow. It was suggested that they did not come from Holland in the first place! There were lots of local people and tourists around enjoying the music and just walking through the park. There were lots of cats to be seen, wild, well fed and very friendly, walking up to people for a fuss. It was said that the local people liked cats and did not chase them away as I would have expected.

Children singing and dancing at the Childrens Cultural Festival

Flowers in the square

The Blue Mosque

In the evening we all sat on the roof and watched the sun go down. The others, (not me, honest), smoked an apple smelling nargile, which is shown in the photographs (it is like the Egyptian hookah).

Libby and Stephanie

Stephanie

Stephanie, Laura and Emily

2012 Anzac Day Dawn Service at Gallipoli (Turkey)

I had the privelidge of attending the 2012 Dawn Service at Anzac Bay, Gallipoli, on 25 April and with many other give thanks and remember those who not only lost their lives at Gallipoli but those who fought and lived through the terrible battles as well. It was a moving experience and one I will never forget.

Although the service started at 0530 hours a group of us, consisting of an Australian, one Canadian and the remainder British, arrived at the site at 2200 hours the night before. We had been told to be early as the local roads were narrow and the police closed the roads to traffic early to avoid any problems. Even arriving at that time there were already hundreds of people there mostly in sleeping bags lying on the grass. Backpacks, alcohol, open bottles of liquid, flammable liquids, weapons and sharp objects were not allowed and there was an airport type screening on entering the site which was done in a pleasant manner. We were all tagged with a hospital type bracelet to indicate that we had cleared security and then given another tag to indicate that we were one group, again all very efficiently done. Each person entering for the service were also given a commemorative bag with books giving the story of the Gallipoli Campaign, a beanie and other items relating to Anzac Day.

Hundreds sleeping

The same hundreds awake

I estimated that there were over 1000 people sleeping on the grassy areas and at the start of the service about another 4000 people were there. This may not have been the total number for the whole commemorative services as they stretched over three locations, Anzac Bay, Lone Pine and Chunuk Bair while we only went to the Dawn Service. There were large groups who had come to the service as part of a tour round Europe and as far as I was told those that were there wanted to be there for their own personal reasons and a good percentage were young people. It was thought that 90% of the people were from Australia.

Looking back to the cliffs over the bay

It was cool when we arrived but became colder during the night and morning. Although we were well dressed for the weather the cold was just about as much as we could cope with. There were blankets for sale if they were wanted. While everyone waited for the service to begin large screens showed films of the fighting, interviews with servicemen who had been at the fighting and comments by some of the soldiers citing the incompetence of the officers with the resultant waste of young lives in a conflict far from their homes.

The actual service began with music and singing then addresses by various politicians and members of various military personnel from Australia, New Zealand and Turkey. It was strange to see representatives from the Turkish Government and Military Forces present but it was made clear that the Turkish Forces recognised the bravery of the Australian and New Zealand Forces and treated the dead and injured with honour and compassion.This for me was the most telling part together with the fact that men from one city, town or district stood up and advanced from the trenches knowing that as groups of 150 men at a time they had very little chance of surviving.

Copying from the order of service the following means so much.

They went with songs to the battle, they were young. Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted: they fell with their faces to the foe.
They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old. Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning we will remember them.

20 and 21 April - From Bulgaria to Istanbul (Turkey)

Sunrise at the Veliko Tarnovo campsite

Bent and broken trees on the hill sides

Old and new

The bush campsite on the way to Istanbul

We left Veliko Tarnovo early to make our way to Istanbul as the journey will take more than a day. The weather was mild and it looked as if it would be a fine day as we left the camp site but became colder as we went along with everyone putting  on more clothing. A lot of the trees on the hills on the side of the road were broken at half  height or bent over to touch the ground, seemingly by natural causes. Getting closer to the border the standard of the houses improved with more gravel pits and many more vineyards to be seen. When we stopped at a service station just before the border I was told not to walk too far as the guards did not like people walking around. Some of the others changed money here and it was only when they arrived in Istanbul that they noticed that it had been changed to Romanian not Turkey money, by design or otherwise is not known.

We had been told that the visa at the Turkish border would cost £10, 15 euro or US$20. Working this out at the relevant exchange rates the £10 equated to 12 euro and US$16 so it was cheaper to pay in sterling. But, what we did not know was that the £10 fee only related to the EU passport as the Canadian and Australian amongst us had to pay euro 45 and 20 respectively. Except for walking back and forth to pay for the visa, then to have the passport stamped and walking around the place we had no problems passing through to Turkey with the time taken to go through the two border being two hours, a very good time by all accounts. We had finished at the border by 1400hrs.

Driving on the E80/03 towards Istanbul the countryside was mainly of rolling green farmland, fences, but not many trees. After a couple of hours travelling there was much more forest around us and we turned off the main road to look for somewhere to camp for the night. I think we ended up in a rubbish/ gravel pit place! As there was plenty of dead wood lying around a fire was lit and the barbecue taken off the truck so that gas for cooking could be saved. Jay had a packet of marshmallows and he had great delight cooking them on the fire. Although the idea was to save on gas cooking on the fire resulted in much more cleaning of the pots and pans as they were pretty dirty on the outside. During the night the regular call to prayers was heard from the village, (and the dogs howling at the same time), but I did not hear the 0100 hrs call but I was awake to hear the 0500 hrs one. During the night everyone heard the nightingales singing round the glen we were camped in.

Keeping warm round the fire

A typical housing estate near Istanbul

A house near Istanbul

It is now two weeks since we left London and at 0830 hrs local time we parked in Istanbul, our last stop in Europe before going into the East. For the past 100 kilometres or so the motorway sides were planted with trees, shrubs and flowers and very pleasant to see. Leaving the truck in a secure parking area we walked to the hostel, The Orient Hostel, went to our room which had thirty bunk beds (15 pairs), left our bags to go walking and the heavens opened.

Istanbul Ferries

Istanbul Harbour

 
                                 Istanbul Harbour  

19 April – Veliko Tarnovo Camp Site (Bulgaria)

Our camp site with the big orange truck

A full English breakfast with homemade sausages and home cured bacon really set up the day and was enjoyable. Not that I intended doing much as I was so far behind with the blog that I intended spending a lot of the day catching up and perhaps walking round the local village in the afternoon. I worked on the blog until 1400 hrs then walked into the local village with Derek.

The village was only about ten minutes away to the outskirts and we just walked as we felt. The village was obviously very old and I was told later that it was about 300 years old. This agreed with the structure of an old house that was damaged and patched up with cow dung and straw. Each house had a vine in the garden and a good pile of wood. Tree trunks were whitewashed to 1 metre high and we were told that this was to stop ants from going for the fruit. Water and electricity were very cheap I was told as there is no standing charge and people only pay for what they use, and at a cheaper rate than in the UK.



The old house with the dung repaired wall

The dis-used church bell tower

One old lady was collecting fresh nettles for making a cordial, tea and soup. Many outer doors and gates had notices and a black bow on them. This announced the death of someone in the house. Walking round the village I noticed three or more notices on the doors and I wondered if a lot of people had died in a short time before finding out the reason for the notices. The notice and bow have to be kept on the doors for seven years, replaced if worn or damaged during this time.When a person dies, as there is no crematorium or mortuary, the body is buried within 24 hours. A wake and party is then held at the grave after twenty-one days when the relatives and friends can be brought together. Another party is then held after one year and thereafter every three years. In the past, at the twenty-one day wake, the body would be dug up to see, (these were the actual words used), that the body was not ‘un-dead!’ Superstition is still rife in the country but these old practises no longer continue.

 

These elderly ladies were sitting in the afternoon sun let me take their photographs. There were few people to be seen as most were resting in the afternoon ready to return to the fields later or away in the town working. We saw two young girls who ignored us as they are not allowed to initiate a conversation with any male, local or otherwise. We said nothing to them realising that was the way things were. Because the fields had no fences all animals, cows, goats and sheep were always accompanied by someone so as to keep them safe from dogs, wolves, wild pig and bears. The animals were brought back to the village each evening.

Being an old village the standard of housing varied as could be expected. Most houses had three layers of half-round tiles on the roof with the hips held down with stones. The newer houses, apparently owned by expatriates and obviously so by the ‘For Rent and For Sale’ signs, were of a modern standard as would be seen in the UK and with cemented hips. Many of the garden walls were of dry stone construction and finished to be straight and true, and being very pleasant to look at.

In the evening the local women’s Dragichevo Choir sang local Magyar folk songs for us while in their national dress. This was very entertaining and at the end the people from the truck were invited to join them in a traditional dance.

A lady singer

Part of the singing group

Part of the group

Teaching the travellers a traditional dance

18 April – To Veliko Turnovo (Bulgaria)

My bed on the benches

Because my tent was damp after the thunderstorm late yesterday I slept under an open arch on two park benches put together while the tent was hung up to dry overnight. I did put the mattress down on the slats first and even though it was in the open I was quite warm during the night.

A view across the border to show the horrible weather

A typical block of flats

Laura and her small plate of sandwiches

My lunch

Ready for lunch

A view of Veliko Turnovo

A view of the town

Leaving early again we travelled on the E70 to the border with Bulgaria, taking 50 minutes to cross through the two border posts. Arriving at Veliko Turnovo at 12.30hrs and in light rain we went and had lunch in a coffee shop where there was a good view of the town. A walk to the end of the street gave a view of the fort which was too far to walk to in the time allowed. It was noticeable that there were more sex shops and clubs than places to eat in the town but there were some very good craft and junk shops.

The old fort

A view of the town

Sculpture on the end of a building

Off to the camp site which was owned by an English couple and another English couple helped them to run it when they were busy. The awning was put up on the side of the truck for the first time in-case it rained, and rain it did right through to bedtime. The camp site had a bar and restaurant where we all congregated in the evening catching up on emails and blogs/diaries or playing board games. They had Strongbow cider which I had to try and plenty of English beers and foodstuff, including pork scratchings. The menu consisted of sausage and mash, English breakfast, treacle tart and custard and many of the British standards. In fact they could easily run a pudding club there with only the choices in the menu.

Toby wanted to swim in the lake in the morning regardless of the temperature but was warned off as they have a horned viper there which also went into the water and is poisonous. The lake was also used as the town water supply so swimming was not allowed because it was drinking water.

As a treat to myself I ordered a full English breakfast for the morning as did many others.