http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Eastern-Anatolia/Van/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Middle East , Turkey , Eastern Anatolia , Van en-us Sun, 06 Dec 09 15:42:25 +0000 Sun, 06 Dec 09 15:42:25 +0000 Day 19The second new day on board the Trans Asyan Ekspresi began much the same as the first. But now there were sightings of a wide river and suddenly young children appeared by the side of the train tracks there were no houses to be seen. A mosque its bright silver dome dazzling brilliantly. At one stage we stop and most get out to stretch their legs rushing back when the whistle blows. I ha http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Eastern-Anatolia/Van/blog-448112.html Every time I cross another border to west everything looks more similar to home it heppen when I entered in Iran and now with Turkey. And more I go on and more my desire to go back in place like Pakistan and India becames stronger and stronger. But even the desire to see again all the people back home is so strong so...Anyways after a not so easy border crossing between Iran and Turkey I had to http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Eastern-Anatolia/Van/blog-353038.html After Esfahan we headed to Tabriz. This was basically a rest stop before making the border crossing into Turkey. It took us just over 4hrs to get to the border and then about another 2hrs leaving the Iranian border and entering Turkey. As far as border crossings go that was a good one As soon as we entered the Turkish side scarves were off coats off and we went and bought an ice cold Efeas t http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Eastern-Anatolia/Van/blog-336454.html There were many times I saw Van Lake in my dreams. I don't know why actually those dreams usually start from Ankara or Istanbul and after a ride with a car I end up in the coast of Van Lake. Maybe why this place so much took a place in my under concience is I always find this great junk of water which is in the middle of the high mountains so far from the sea interesting. I should have seen a pl http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Eastern-Anatolia/Van/blog-317661.html This journal from Van is dedicated to my brother and his new bride. Recently married in Sydney they spent their honeymoon in Greece and Turkey and Irsquom now following in their footsteps. Despite my brotherrsquos initial wish during the planning stage they made a joint decision not to visit Van during their honeymoon. But never mind cause your travelobsessed family member has made it to th http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Eastern-Anatolia/Van/blog-313119.html KurdistanExpressNotre passage en Turquie fut trs bref puisque nous y sommes rests seulement deux nuits.Vous avez sans doute dut vous en rendre compte depuis que vous suivez nos aventures notre spcialit nous c'est de voyager au fil des opportunits et des suggestions que l'on nous propose sans jamais savoir o nous dormirons le soir ni mme dans qu'elle ville nous finirons...... force es http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Eastern-Anatolia/Van/blog-306340.html Into the arrivals gate she stepped looking a bit confused perhaps but with a big smile on her face. Welcome to Turkey mom We hopped a Hava351 shuttle to Taksim and her adventures began. After lunch on 304stiklal Caddesi we headed to 304stinye to take it easy for the rest of the day... until the party that is.Ltfiye kept me up into the wee hours the night before rolling grape l http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Eastern-Anatolia/Van/blog-299610.html Wersquore heading into Iran now where internet access may not be easy and we really wanted to complete our record of the Turkey tour but don't know when we'll be able to publish this.Up Up and Away Cappadocia was our last port of call on the West Turkey ldquotourist trailrdquo. What an amazing place topped off with our Hot Air Balloon ride a 50th Birthday Present for Terry from folks back http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Eastern-Anatolia/Van/blog-274448.html A Van fa freddo. 16 gradi in piena estate per me sono davvero pochi e ci si mette pure la pioggia. Ma qui siamo in alta quota 1700mt. ed il paesaggio ricorda vagamente le Alpi quello che pero' alle Alpi manca e' il Lago di Van una vasta distesa di acqua alcalina azzurrissima che giace placida ai piedi delle montagne.Approfittiamo di una giornata di sole per salire su una piccola barca e raggiu http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Eastern-Anatolia/Van/blog-191886.html More about that later... This last one and a half week has been spent travelling around Eastern Turkey. First stop after Annamur was Kizkalesi which means Maiden's Castle in Turkish... It turned out to be Turkish package holiday territory... But the castle on an island just of the coast was beautiful... Still as I don't like crowds that much I headed of the next day to Antakya which I found to be http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Eastern-Anatolia/Van/blog-191358.html VERY TENCHIUDialoghi semiseri tra un Italiano mafioso e terroristi curdiIl mondo un libroe chi non viaggiane legge solo una pagina.Sant'AgostinoCos lasciata Ankara dopo cinque ore di pullman arrivo in Cappadocia e pi precisamente aGOREMEPiccolo villaggio di 2000 anime si trova proprio al centro dell'area che racchiude la maggior parte dei siti pi importanti.E' domenica e in giro pr http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Eastern-Anatolia/Van/blog-94614.html Sadly we had to say goodbye to Iran and crossed over 305nto the mounta305ns of Essendere Turkey. The scenery changed almost 305mmed305ately and so dramat305cally the dry desert was gone and we were surrounded by green f305elds mounta305ns w305ldflowers and rush305ng streams.Arr305v305ng 305n Van 305n the early even305ng we checked 305nto a local pla http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Eastern-Anatolia/Van/blog-79645.html Finally we are back in colder climes mountain streams rush by snowy mountains appear round every bend and the air is clean and clear well until the next truck thunders past us blasting its horn again. We are back in Turkey but things here are a bit different the people and the customs all seem a lot more European oh yes thats because this area is Kurdistan as we are reminded by almost e http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Eastern-Anatolia/Van/blog-57725.html