Doin it for the anzacs!

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March 13th 2007

Published: March 13th 2007

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gordo

Turk bloke!

a big statue of a turkish solder but he has an english gun. picked it up from a dead pom! because they had shit guns(single shot!)

“Thos heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives…
You are now lying in the soil of a friendly country.
Therefore rest in peace.
There is no difference between the johnnies and the
Mehmets to us where they lay side by side,
here in this country of ours…
You the mothers,
who sent their sons from far away countries
wipe away your tears
your sons are now lying in our bosom
and are in peace.
After having lost their lives on this land they have
become our sons as well”
Ataturk, 1934

Standing in Anzac cove reading that just about brings a tear to ya eye, deep stuff!

Up early and a 5 hr bus ride and a quick ferry trip to Canakala and to Anzac house hostel. Then we had a look around town and it was a top little h2o side town. That nite I went and had a traditional Turkish bath, lets just say it was an interesting experience (not for the homophobes!) Then we watched Mel in Gallipoli.

Next day up early to go see the big horse at troy and the 9 level city ruins (the city of troy was built

Ataturk's words

GALOPILLI

on the same spot 9 times and you can see the different levels)
And I decided to wear the aussie uniform (boardies n pluggers!) since it was Gallipoli day, holy shit I nearly got frost bite on my toes!

Then back for lunch and off to Gallipoli.
1st up to the museum, heaps of old pics, uniforms, shrapnel and letters the diggers sent home to family. Then Anzac cove, reading the headstones, walkin along the beach & lookin for treasure (old bullets & stuff but no luck!) then to the trenches (front line) they are still there! And the Anzac and Turkish trenches are only like 8 meters apart! Full on!

So we cruised around the trenches pretending to be an Anzac! Then off to the oz, kiwi & turk memorial/grave sites respectively. Then back to the bul.

Additional photos below

Photos: 16, Displayed: 16

lone pine

Ausie & kiwi memoral site. an anzac sent home a pine cone before he died, to his mum. and the seeds where sent back to turkey and the same tree is there today!