On the road to Canakkale

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Last night I met my roommate for the next month, and then the rest of the group. They are a lively mixture of mostly Aussies with a Canadian, South African, a Brit, an American and only one Kiwi. Me.

Last night was a major football game on TV, for the country’s championship. All the restaurants were full of men watching their local team. The pavement outside our hotel was jammed with locals watching the giant ancient TV set up outside for then diners. It all went quiet later so I assumed they lost. As I left the restaurant last night and fought my back to the hotel through the throngs of footballers the host from the restaurant appears, the one that wanted to take me for coffee at 1am. He produced a bag, a gift for me he says. I was both stunned and embarrassed. It was a wallet from the bazaar. It was asweet thought, I left it in my room as a gift for the housemaid.

This morning I said goodbye to Istanbul and we set off in a mini bus, with me being the only person not to have a seat. We were told that the journey was 6 hours. Argh!! One of the guys in the group repacked where our luggage on the back seat and created a seat for me down the back corner. As it turned out we were only going to the local bus station to connect with a coach, complete with a charming young man who brought us all tea and biscuits.

How can you possible describe Gallipoli? We visited several sites to get a feel for the campaign. The graves moved me. Inscriptions such as ‘possibly buried here’ ‘believed to be buried here’ ‘erected by a loving mother’ the ages, 18, 19, 20; what a waste of so many.

A short ferry ride over to Canakkale and here we are in our hotel overlooking the water. Turkish pizza for dinner.

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Photos

Tiles
in the Blue Mosque

Vegies
the local plant stall

Pot shop
the local kithcenware dealer