Journeys and adventures in this big beautiful world!: Van, Tombs, Snow, and a fateful decision.

17^th October

Urfa-Dayakbakir -Dayakbakir-Tatvan

Local buses 10 hours

Map of Turkey our journey so far.

This leg of the journey takes us from the desert to the mountains-cape of southeastern Turkey.

We had planned to go straight to Lake Van but we heard there were some spectacular historic grave sites on the Northern side of Lake Van. So after a fairly uneventful Journey on the bus we stopped in the town on Tatvan on the lakes of Lake Van.

Tatvan at dawn with storm clouds threatening

The hotel was 70s style with eco friendly lights, so friendly we needed a torch to read anything.

On the side we were going to go for an evening stroll to look at the town, 5 minutes into the walk we both felt that maybe it was not a good idea. The streets were filled with testerone fueled young guys. We retreated to our hotel. It is the first time we felt any danger We were warned by the Polis earlier not to walk at night and not to go down alleys.

Good advice.

It rained all night with the promise of snow. We felt the cold after the deserts.

After a spartan brekkie in our 70s style hotel that looked like an hospital. We grabbed the mini bus for a 30 minute ride to Ahlat Museum miles from any where but right on the Historic tombs dating from 300AD Byzantine, Greek, Seljuk, Chinese Greek Armenian and Turkic tombs.

Seljuk Tombstones

The Museum adjacent was smal but very well done.

Armenian grave

The weather was deteriorating as we went into he grave area. So much so we abandoned the project. We changed into cold weather gear in the toilet of the Museum and just as well. The ensuing hours were to be uncomfortable as we were miles out and did not have a clue where to catch the bus to Van we knew the last left at 1330 in a town somewhere down the road. It was starting to sleet we had no shelter as we waited for the bus. Eventually a kind guy stopped and took us to the local mini bus stop but this was not a friendly spot.

Tea shop and restaurant.

We had some tea in a small shop. Out of the snow a bus appeared. We had no idea where is was going but we got on just to get out of that small unfriendly town and back on the road.

Random acts of kindness happen! The people on the bus were helpful pointing us in the right direction. Eventually we arrived in Van after a long roundabout journey none the worse for our ordeal but in Van it was snowing and cold. The hotel we favored was full.

Man not our day. That was not to be the case in hindsight.

Van had some interesting Armenian churches on an island in the lake. There was also some interesting villages we wanted to visit. It is an old Silk Road town on the route to the Med ports.

It was snowing so hard and so cold that we decided to get going next morning for Iran border crossing next day.

It was a good decision the date was 19th October.

Van: Sunday 23 October 13.41 pm an earthquake struck 7.1 on the richter scale at a shallow depth of 20,000 metres. The centre of the quake was 10 kilometres South of Van but the shock was shallow causing maximum destruction to buildings. The final tally 604 dead 4,152 injured 11,230 buildings damaged 6017 being uninhabitable. The after shock was 5.6 and caused further damage to the beautiful city of Van.

When we left on the bus we had no idea this city would be part destroyed.

Cit on our way to the bus station Van

Van to Dogubyzit Bus Turkey

It was snowing hard and it was cold. If it had not been snowing we would have gone to the lake and then to an island where an old Armenian church stood. We felt as we left Van on the bus that day that we had not done the City justice,

It was to turn out that the snow may have saved our lives.

Off to Dogubaysit on the Turksih Iran border. Our arrival was early in the afternoon this was a frontier town in the real context. But the food was good and in the process we met a Korean Lady travelling alone who joined us to visit the most amazing Ishak Pasha.