Trabzon, Amasya and Ankara- Turkey

In Trabzon I decide the Lonely Planet and I don’t get along.  Time and time again I have had a totally different experience than is written in the guidebook.  The same is true in Trabzon located on Turkey’s Black Sea.  Proclaimed to be a seedy port city where many budget hotels double as brothels, Trabzon becomes one of my favourite places in Turkey.  Trabzon reminds me of Vancouver with its lush mountains, dark sea, many rivers and a bustling port.  My budget hotel is the best value for my dollar yet and the area that was supposed to be teeming with pimps ‘n hoes is my favourite spot for people watching.  I suppose what I experience is a city with character, which is too busy for tourists, and finally a break from the heat and the dust. 

From Trabzon, I head to pretty (but boring) Amasya before arriving at my final destination- Ankara.  The country’s capital is a great place for my final days in Turkey.  It is much cheaper than Istanbul with many places to explore such as the Aviation Museum, the Railway Museum, the Avionic Museum (nerd alert) all free and all “open air” (read outdoors). 

Turkey is such a beautiful and interesting country with a ton of diversity in sights, culture and people.  But Turks seem to have one peculiar habit cross country...their obsession with cleanliness.  I can’t tell you the number of times my bus was washed on an 8hr journey.  Refreshing towels (aka hand wipes), hand sanitizer, aerosol sprays and air fresheners are used in ridiculous amounts.  They even spray their cities and towns with mosquito killing chemicals.  But maybe I’m just a dirty hippie after all J

Thinking of home but happily abroad,

Carrie

Trabzon

 Mosque at prayer time

Tabzon's Aya Sophia 

Monastary near Trabzon 

Amasya 

Ankara 

It may not be old but it is the biggest mosque I have seen...Ankara 

For the Love of Egypt

Although I have to finish writing about my travels in Turkey I couldn’t wait to write about the demonstration I attended this past Friday in Cairo...

It is Friday Aug 12^th and I am walking to Tahrir Square with my friend Gaser, his sister and her son.  They are all wearing Egyptian paraphernalia and I am carrying Sahar’s huge Egyptian flag.  As we are walking a foreigner spots me and asks where I am from.  She tells me she is from Saskatoon and for a brief moment we share a common bond.  But then she says, ``are you going to the riot?``  I tell her it’s not a riot, it’s a demonstration.  Yet she proceeds to tell me to be careful and says she hopes she doesn`t see me on the news.  I hold back the eye roll thinking “Wow, you are in the heart of Egypt and you still can’t see past misconceptions from the West.”      

This demonstration named “For the love of Egypt” is in response to a rally held 2 weeks prior which was made up of religious groups including Salafist extremists (see link below).  My Egyptian friends and I are in attendance to support the secular movement, the “liberalists”, and to keep religion and government separate.  The demonstration was made up of tens of thousands of people- even though most are fasting for Ramadan- who peacefully expressed their hopes for the New Egypt.  The rally included music, dancing, food (after sunset), face painting, families and foreigners.  But the highlight of the evening was when the Sufis came out- essentially opposing the Salafists. 

As I stand in the crowd I am inspired by what the Egyptians have accomplished and I am proud to be considered an honorary Egyptian J  I cannot say enough about the people of Egypt who I consider to be the friendliest, kindest, most generous, tolerant and openhearted people I have ever met.  I feel safer in downtown Cairo than anywhere in the world I have visited.  I firmly believe it is the character of Egyptians which makes them unstoppable and I have high hopes for their future.  Their legacy includes ousting their president, cleaning house within the government, imprisoning the former president and numerous government officials, and now holding televised trails of these officials.  It is jaw dropping for sure, but the next steps are arguably the most important yet. 

As “revolutions” sweep across the globe it seems the Egyptians are poised to be a rare success story.  I sincerely hope the Americans who plan on attending “Occupy Wall Street Day” (Sept 17) take note and can make positive, peaceful steps forward.  No one wants to see the likes of what happened in Britain copied.

Finally, I can`t close this post without expressing yet again my disgust with Assad and those who carry out his directives.  It is absolutely heartbreaking.  How much further will this go?  When is it going to end? 

Here is a short clip of the festivities at Tahrir on Aug 12th:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFKgj_TJDNU&feature=email

Here is an interesting article on the Salafist Movement:

http://gulfnews.com/opinions/columnists/resurgent-salafist-movement-troubles-secular-egyptians-1.795632

Thinking of home but happily abroad,

Carrie

The Army protects the circle to prevent people from a sit in there...

The one thing that makes Egyptians really mad...

Serious business, but the sunglasses tan is laughable :)

Van and Kars- Turkey



It is 8am and I am awoken to the sound of someone driving up and down the streets with a siren and a PA system repeating something over and over again in Turkish.  Accompanying this are helicopters relentlessly overhead.  Although I would love to ignore the commotion, I decide the smart thing to do is to ask what’s up.  The city of Van is located in southeast Turkey, the hotspot for the Turkish Kurdish conflict.  Things are noticeably tense, understandably so since a few days prior there was a bombing that killed some Turkish soldiers.  I head downstairs but unfortunately no one speaks English.  All they can say is it’s finished.  Good enough for me.  Later I learn it was parking control and the helicopters are normal for this region J 

Van is a nice city on a lake formed in a volcanic crater.  But I am still extremely guarded after my visit to Iraqi Kurdistan and I spend most of the time walking the city with my angry face on- don’t talk to me, don’t even look at me. 

My next stop was Kars in the far northeast, the main attraction being the ruins in Ani.  Another interesting area since it is right on the border of Armenia meaning there are distinct no-go areas that I am strangely attracted to...

Below are some pics for your viewing pleasure.  Although I am currently back in Cairo, I will post one more blog on Turkey to cover my final week there.  Thinking of home but happily abroad,

Carrie 

Van

Ani

 Kars



Iraqi Kurdistan

After reading about Iraqi Kurdistan in the Lonely Planet I am intrigued enough to go and check it out.  According to the book, it is a safe, beautiful and very friendly place.  But unfortunately, what I will remember of Iraqi Kurdistan is this- the next man that puts his f***ing hands on me will regret it.  I have travelled enough to recognize and prevent bad situations.  But I am shocked at the number of times I feel violated and taken advantage of while visiting this country.  After only 6 days I book it back to Turkey feeling slightly traumatized. 

The recent history of Iraqi Kurdistan is brutal.  I learn about the Kurdish massacre committed by Saddam Hussein, declared an act of genocide.  I visited a couple museums that depicted this gruesome tale.  Leftover from the Iran-Iraq War are unexploded landmines in the mountain ranges that separate the 2 countries.  The small piles of red-painted rocks along the side of the road are markers of this danger.  It makes me wonder how 2 American hikers "accidentally" crossed into Iran from Iraq.  It seems you would have to be crazy to go hiking without knowing terrain and without appreciating the seriousness of illegally entering Iran.  As Hollywood as it may sound spies are a reality in the Middle East.  In fact, one guy who stayed at my Cairo hostel was arrested and charged with being a spy in Egypt. 

Sadly, my best memory of Iraqi Kurdistan is watching a young Michael J Fox in Back to the Future on satellite TV. Such a good movie- did you know the guys who shot Doc were Libyans?  Arabs always get such a bad rap.  Thinking of home but happily abroad,

Carrie

Erbil