This was a planned destination at last. I left my two friends after breakfast and headed to Urfa. Interesting but I could not find the copper market and it was too early to eat so I went south to Harran.
I mentioned sheep well they are everywhere. This is in a town. And the mud huts are in Harran.
This is a pretty well had it tourist attraction based on a community of people that lived in mud houses. They claim to have had the first University in the world although I have no details on that. It was sort of interesting. The town was a thriving market place that served the surrounding villages. Mostly it seems they grew cotton here. As usual the car of choice is a tractor. They sem to get a lot of people on a tractor, although later in the day I did see three men on a motorcycle with two more on the sidecart. Poor little bike.
On the way to Mardin much later than expected, having tried a "shortcut" through an area that seemed to have those roads that get narrower and rougher and then hard to find... I spotted Ismail by the road. He had collected another friend Janel so I followed them to the Otel where we stayed the night. This was a Boutique otel so the cost went up to 70 ytl but a very nice place in a very ordinary town. The site was as usual incredible however. Perched on the side of a hill with the usual steep cobblestoned roads, and the usual fort on top.
This place is close to Syria ( lots of army presence) and at the crossroads of Europe, Asia and the middle East. There would have been more posessors of this little mountain than owners of a Model A.
But it was worth the visit and we had a fun night. I was very fortunate that not only were these guys good company but all had pretty good english.
Anul had been unfortunate in that as a mountaineer he had been struck by lightening while up the mountain. To know two people that have survived a lightening strike is unusual I think.
I discovered the Turkish drink of preference. Raki (well thats how its pronounced). An annis type of spirit with a kick like a mule.
So late to bed.
nzl04
This is a pretty well had it tourist attraction based on a community of people that lived in mud houses. They claim to have had the first University in the world although I have no details on that. It was sort of interesting. The town was a thriving market place that served the surrounding villages. Mostly it seems they grew cotton here. As usual the car of choice is a tractor. They sem to get a lot of people on a tractor, although later in the day I did see three men on a motorcycle with two more on the sidecart. Poor little bike.
On the way to Mardin much later than expected, having tried a "shortcut" through an area that seemed to have those roads that get narrower and rougher and then hard to find... I spotted Ismail by the road. He had collected another friend Janel so I followed them to the Otel where we stayed the night. This was a Boutique otel so the cost went up to 70 ytl but a very nice place in a very ordinary town. The site was as usual incredible however. Perched on the side of a hill with the usual steep cobblestoned roads, and the usual fort on top.
This place is close to Syria ( lots of army presence) and at the crossroads of Europe, Asia and the middle East. There would have been more posessors of this little mountain than owners of a Model A.
But it was worth the visit and we had a fun night. I was very fortunate that not only were these guys good company but all had pretty good english.
Anul had been unfortunate in that as a mountaineer he had been struck by lightening while up the mountain. To know two people that have survived a lightening strike is unusual I think.
I discovered the Turkish drink of preference. Raki (well thats how its pronounced). An annis type of spirit with a kick like a mule.
So late to bed.
nzl04
