Istanbul and Gallipoli

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Where do I start - I know, getting to the airport in Vienna 2 hours early because i didn't read the ticket properly!!!!

That aside, We did fly the Turkish budget airline, Pegusus - another success booking online! Late into the airport which is 1 hr outside Istanbul, by the time we got to the hotel it was after 7.30, a quick checkin and chat to Yusuf about orientating ourselves then across the road for a great dinner - such amazing service. We then went back to pack for our trip out to Gallipoli - all very tired and knew we had to be up at 6am the next day to get our bus (a 5 hr trip). The trip out saw Kasey and i using the Asian toilets for the first time (place to put your feet and a hole in the ground) - maybe the last? but i doubt it. All very exciting!

We arrived in Eceabat, took our stuff to "crowded house" then headed off for lunch at the beach, soup, chicken rice and bread. We were joined on the tour by a Canadian guy who was about 70 who now lives in Thailand. So instead of 12 there were 5 of us.

Gallipoli was about a 15 min drive away, so began a 5 hour tour of all major sites on Gallipoli Penninsula. We all learnt lots and no amount of picutes of videos or maps can really explain just what a small place it was for such a huge part of Australian history. Our guide was great and knew so much. Greg and I are amazed that the Turkish people are so generous in allowing us to come every year and rain on their parade - as they see the war as a huge positive event in their history - their special day is 18/3. Huge flags and dates are carved into hillsides all over the peninsula, the Turkish monuments number over 50 and can easily been seen as they are huge an carved from sandstone. Till this day - the Dardanelles, the body of water running between between asian and european Turkey (which were the point of the campagain) hase over 50000 ships using the strait for trade per year.

We went out locally for dinner - running the gauntlet of roaming dog packs and feral cats (one tried to get me).

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Photos

Family at "the beach"
"the beach" is one of the landing places of the ANZACS - where simpson is buried

Lone Pine
half the total Aus casualties for the waar happened in this battle early august 1915, the battle field was the size of a football field and over 3000 Aus troops died

turkish trench
no mans land was a mere 10 metres between sides