The seventies Hippy Trail 13

Erzurum Turkey

I stayed in Erzurum, Turkey a night in an old hotel that was really comfortable and no one could speak English but they were really nice people and treated us to innumerable cups of chai(tea) which is really nice here in Turkey. Every place or country has different ways of having tea and most of them taste really nice and I have quite a varied palate and will eat and drink anything that is good.

Turkey is surprisingly green and fertile and the mountains are covered in wild flowers and grass and black sheep and donkeys and rock huts and peasants. They have lots of stuff that looks like peat. It is a really beautiful country. I thought it was mostly desert but it is not. They have got these old-fashioned carriages pulled by nice horses like the queen rides in and they are really a nice sight.

Istanbul Turkey

Istanbul reminds me a lot of Sydney with its harbour and ships etc, and lots of people. I get a lump in my throat every time that I go down to the Bosphorous. Gallipoli is around here somewhere and I would like to go there but I do not think I will have the time . Maybe next time. I asked this yank chick about it and she had never heard of it, so naturally I was downright disgusted with her.

I have started to learn German and have a book that I am studying very dilligently. das ist gut, nein? They have these really nice mandolins around here. I would not mind getting one as they are fairly cheap and very good quality. The Turkish music is incredible and just knocks me out.
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Poste Restante, Amsterdam , the netherlands.

Turkey Resources

Next Stage on the overland trail to Europe

Ankara is in the East of Turkey and from 1923 has been the seat of Government. Ankara is laid out on modern lines.
Erzurum is a major city in eastern Anatolia in Turkey. Erzurum is located on a plateau at about eighteen hundred meters above sea level. You can go skiing around the city in the Palandoken Mountains. Erzerum is a regional center of academic pursuits, medicine, and has lots of important historical and architectural sites. The Byzantine city walls are still in good condition and are a fantastic tourist spot. The Grand Mosque was constructed in 1179 with seven wide naves. Erzurum is a center for Seljuk Architecture and there are many fine examples throughout the city. For example the theological school has a remarkable carved portal. Lake Tortum is only one hundred and twenty kilometers from Erzurum and is the perfect spot for enjoying water sports and the scenic waterfall which is one hundred and fifty feet high.
Erzurum has always been a main hub for travel between Iran and Anatolia. It used to be on the caravan route and is now a major rail station on the way from Iran to the administrative centers of Turkey. The currency that is used in Turkey is the Turkish Lira and one United states dollar will get you more than a million turkish lira. A cheap hotel may cost you about thirty dollars and a budget option for cheap travelling may not be an option. But Erzurum is worth the visit. It really is a very nice town, but cold and brisk, so remember to rug up when you get there.

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