Day 8
Today was our target day the final drive Doğubayazıt.
We set off driving through more high mountains passes's with snow on all the tops through AĞRI and then finally we reach Doğubayazıt.
As the weather was fine we decided to go straight to the IŞAKPAŞA SARAYI to do the main tourist attraction. What a place high in the hills above the town is this spectacular palace. You all really do need to come and visit this place.
After some timer spent viewing the palace, (we find a Kurdish tourist from Hastings UK who spoke no Turkish but good English and Kurdish!) we descended and pushed onto to the Iran border. Well we got there but no chance of getting through as there was a great many lorries blocking all lanes to get across probably several hours wait. So from the border we turned around and decided as the time was on our side to move south to VAN.
However fırst there are two things that we saw that must be mentioned.
1. Mount Ararat
Now this mountain evaded us on the whole days drive hidden in clouds, and as it is some 16,000 feet high we should have been able to see it.
Just as we came down the hill side from the Palace over Doğubayazıt the clouds parted and there it was standing majestic above us, the highest mountain ın Turkey and snow capped all year long. We stopped and clicked away in case the cloud cover returned, however it did not and for the rest of the day we were always over looked by the mountain.
2. Noah`s Ark
In 2001 a boat shape was found on the mountaıns near mount Ararat, 30 cubits long and high on a hill top. Pete had done some research into this story and with great enthusiasm we drove up their hill to the visitors center. We were met by an old man who Pete recognised as the man who first discovered the site and there he was chatting to us about the site, the museum and the people who have been to see it. He was a great character (see pıcs) and it was a super visit.
It was then onto Van. Now throughout this trip we have not been stopped and challenged by polıce or Jandarma in any way however, all that was about to change. Our fırst encounter was along the Iran Border on the way to Van, a passport check and a look in our boot and off we go with a smile and no problemsi, we pass a huge lava flow now solid of course that was spectacular and stayed with us for miles along the road on our right with the Iran border on our left.
We get to Van in the dark and discover a traffic and roadwork's nightmare, so after some food we move on to TATVAN where we found a hotel for the night, but not before we get stopped at a check point where we had the full treatment by the Army. We queued inline with other cars and lorries for 30 minutes before it was our turn to be checked.
Out of the car, passports and vısas checked, clothes (dirty washing and all looked through) and then Peter got involved in selling white women to the guards, don't ask me how that happened, but we still owe them two! All was fine and they apologised saying it was their job, we said No Probs, you are protecting us, and that of course is the truth of the matter, they were there (in fact they said they had been at this remote place for 2 months) trying to stop terrorists from getting in and therefore keeping us all safe.
This has been our longest day on the road so far and one of the best. We have traveled 3100 kilometers so far.
There is so much more to say that I shall be writing a more comprehensive report/story about the whole trip on our return, that you can all download when it is ready.
Day 9 will be a journey South West as we head home, but still lots to see including Batman, Urfa, Gazıantep, and who knows where.
Akbuk Turkey .com
The Independent website about Akbuk in Turkey
