26 hr bus ride

Mardin old town.

Can’t  just sit on the boat for a month so have headed east , past Aleppo to a lovely hill town called Mardin. Very old, full of Turkish visitors and pretty nice. Bus ride was great with cologne, cakes , sweets and a trolly service of water or coffee.Accommodation is a bit basic but lots of hot water and good jet that sprays the bedroom, Also ironically,the lavatories have arse washing jets like the Japs, being as they’re at opposite ends of  the social sophistication spectrum . Electricity went off for a few hours but the room was pretty dark any way with slit windows and 5 ft thick front wall??

My room.

Roof terrace and brekky

Did a 20 k walk down a valley and up to a monastery past a prison which was a bit austere, couldn’t hear any shouting or beatings but did not look like a welcoming establishment. The monastery was beautiful and made its own wine and olive oil 

Stayed two nights then on to big bus and mini bus to Adiyaman . Was told there were hotels there but most had fallen down in the February earth quake . Ramada hadn’t but wasn’t on my  list. A lot of roads had broken buildings and crushed concrete plots , very sad must have been chaos but the people are just getting on and the whole place smells of Kebabs so life is back to normal.Almost!

Where I am now is a bustling town which wasn’t affected but only 20 k’s up the road. Hotel is luxury at €30 per night with breakfast and heat in the room. Off to Mt Nemrut in a minute for some photo opportunities.

Just returned and it was a great little trip. Paid some 

bloke in a mini bus who does tours but I was the only 

one. One site was closed due to instability post quake. 

First item called the black bird tumulus, not sure it is , then on to a Roman bridge . Only blocked to traffic 20 yrs ago!

View of Nemrut from crow

Next was drive up to the Mt itself. 3 inches of beautiful snow! Most people go for sunrise/sunsets but conditions weren’t right and that’s in summer.Stone heads removed from their bases are pretty impressive. I learnt that I am an iconoclast. Most of the heads are damaged in a way suggesting iconoclastic vandalism .

                                       Nemrut!

                   Best snowball in living memory

Dam and local restaurant, was getting ready for tantrum  having invited guide to have a quick lunch then all this food turned up when I was expecting a beef kebab which isn’t in the picture . As it happens it cost less than €20 including drinks so just as well the fuse wasn’t lit properly.

Off to another hill in Cappadocia  tomorrow. Incidentally the top of Nemrut looks over Mesapotamia and the Tigris is down there somewhere. Good old names from the past!