Guess what?
I hate camping. Yes, that's been covered in previous blogs but I have another reason that's even more alarming than encountering a Hungarian thief. In eastern Turkey we had a 15 hours drive ahead of us. Our Belgian driver insisted on doing it in a single day but the thought of the bus spiralling down a Turkish ravine caused us to set up camp on the side of the road.
Setting up our tents in the darkness we heard a spray of gunfire in the surrounding hills. In a panic we set up our tents in two circles (guys on the outside) and yes, it would have been more sensible to move to a gunfire free zone, but do you know how annoying it is to pack a sleeping bag unnecessarily?
We weren't attacked by a Kurdish rebel or a Hungarian thief for that matter, but looking at the map the following morning it turns out we we camped only 50 miles from the Iraqi border. Oh dear.
The next day we travelled to Doğubeyazıt and en route we missed a lake ferry by only five minutes and had to wait two hours for the next ferry. Deciding to swim in the lake I enthusiastically jumped in and cut my feet on the broken glass. As I bobbed in the water, checking my feet I heard a deep horn and looking around I saw the ferry (an hour ahead of schedule) storming towards me. I got out and saw the bikined (Is that a word?) tour members throwing themselves into large shrubs at the risk of offending a boatload of Muslims.
Arriving in Doğubeyazıt (yes, it's pronounced like the dog treat) on the Turkish/Iranian border, it was even more evident that we were the only tourists there.
It was there I learned how to communicate with the local kids:
1. Smile and hold up both index fingers.
2. Bang your right index finger into your left index finger.
3. As you bang put down your right index finger and raise your left middle finger.
4. If done correctly, it should appear like your right index finger has magically passed through your left hand to appear as your left middle finger.
Wow, me explain things good.
Anyway local kids think it's mind blowing and if you also show them a video Ipod they pass out with excitement.
Oh, and Doğubeyazıt is close to the tallest mountain in Turkey and the location of what scientists believe is the original location of Noah's Ark. Interesting.
Doğubeyazıt
That night we partied as we finished off out remaining beer (120 cans) as it would be confiscated at the Iranian border. The next morning as I lay hungover in my tent, a still drunken tour member shouted to his equally drunken friend "Wake up man... Come on! We've got to go to Iran today!" I burst out laughing. That's the most random drunken comment ever.
Sober up boys, we're going to an Islamic fundamentalist state.
No comments:
Post a Comment