ANZAC

Middle East » Turkey » Marmara » Gallipoli
April 22nd 2007

Published: April 22nd 2007

Well well well after the boring trip ın Scotland we were off to Turkey for the Anzac Day service in Gallipoli and to spend three weeks travelling around Turkey seeing all the sights.

We arrived in İstanbul only to realise that we had stupidly spent all our money in the London airport on shit and had to get Turkish Vısa's, oops. We had enough money for one but not for another. We were a lıttle concerned but we scraped together enough cash (somehow Kez had some Euro's hidden) to get Visas and then we were in. A short taxi rıde to the area where we were to stay for a few days before heading off to Gallipoli. Sultanamhet was the area of Istanbul we stayed in and it was littered with Aussies and Kiwi's all there to go on Anzac tours. The hostel was very close to the pubs which was a bonus then, but looking back on it now we spent way to much cash on beers. Anyhow, the area great was fun and the roof top vıews from the pub over the city and Marmara Sea were amazing. Whilst in İstanbul we saw the Blue Mosque, the

View while paragliding

Not bad at all!!!

Aya Sofya and walked around and through the Grand Bazar, which is a market full of everything Turkish. Unfortunately we had no way of lugging stuff around so we couldn't buy anything, much to Kerrie's disgust.
After a few days in İstanbul we started our tour and headed to Gallipoli. Once we were there we looked at the Lone Pine and Chunuk Bear memorial sites for Aussies and Kiwis. The Lone Pine site has around 7000 people buried there alone. We were then dropped off by the bus and walked to Anzac Cove where we spent the night freezing in sleeping bags on the grass. There was plenty of history, entertainment and people to keep us amused until the mornıng, which meant that we only got a few hours sleep.
The dawn service in the morning was moving and a experience that we will never forget with thousands of people gathered on Anzac Cove. The Lone Pine service was held about 3kms away from Anzac Cove . With little sleep and not much energy we walked there in the heat, most of the way beıng uphill. Once at the Lone Pine service we all were seated and were entertained by

Trenches at Galipolli

a fella for a hour or so until the service began. This is the site where they had the battle of Lone Pine where the Aussies fought the Turks. After a moving, and at times funny, service at Lone Pine we spent the rest of the morning walking a further 3kms to the Turkish and Kiwi Memorial Sites. After a long 2 days we jumped on the bus and drove for a further 7 hours to reach our first hotel. That shower and dınner was one of the best ever!!
After a good nights sleep it was back on the bus to head further south to a town called Kusadasi. Along the way we stopped at Pergamum ruins and a Leather Factory. The leather factory would have to be one of the highlights of the trip. On arrival we were seated along a runway and we watched a fashion parade, it was hilarious!! We finally arrived in Kusadasi and headed out to a beach party. this was supposed to be an ANZAC party but it was mainly Turkish people. Things got a little out of hand when the Turks started fıghtıng with each other and someone was either stabbed or

Turkish Soldiers

He was a little scared of the gun pointing at the head!!

smashed across the head with a bottle. Anyway the police/army marched onto the beach and we all made for a quick escape.
Next day ıt was more ruins. Ephesus was a huge city of about 300,000 people. The place was huge and apparently 3/4 of the city ıs still underground. That night it was party time, again.
That was the end of our ANZAC tour. After 5 days we said goodbye to new friends and our guide, Crunchie, and together with another 9 people we headed to the next stop, Fethiye.

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