Farewell to Turkey... For Now

And what a farewell it was! I fairly quickly realised that in travelling an hour east of Goreme to Kayseri (on my way to Antakya and Syria), I had strayed off the well trodden Turkey tourist path. In what ended up being 3 hours in the bus station waiting for my connection, it dawned on me just how easy travelling had been up until now. My (very) few words of Turkish had proven to be an amusement and, at times a good conversation starter (which then proceeded in English). I hadn't quite prepared for the complete lack of English and non-Turkish faces.

That's not what will prove to be memorable however. I arrived at the bus station at the same time as a considerable group of young guys, all chanting in unison and waiving their Turkish flags. My first reaction was "Oh Shit!" what celebrity or soccer team is coming in by bus and what have I let myself in for?

I was further enthralled (and more than slightly bemused) by the masses that gathered around every bus. The incessant chanting was just part of the most dramatic display of nationalistic fervour I have ever witnessed first hand. I couldn't work out why hundreds of people were bidding farewell to the young men boarding buses travelling in every direction. One thing I did realise is that there was not going to be any sleep on this overnight bus trip! Every bus that departed Kayseri was allowed to back out and then the path was blocked by a group who was allowed to sing, cheer and wave their flags. It was a strangely moving experience and one I now feel privileged to have witnessed (though not at the time). It was enough to move the young guy I was sitting next to, to tears.

A few hours into the trip it dawned on me that this was agroup of young men heading off to commence their compulsory military service (currently 15 months in Turkey). This suspicion was confirmed by the greeting party in Iskenderun the next morning.

As Antakya (known as Hatay by the locals) approached I was beginning to feel better (waking up after a sleepless night if you will). With Syria virtually in sight, I made a last minute change of plans and decided to push my tiredness and continue on to Syria; but that's for the next post...