Ankara to Kars. Day 51 -52 June 19th and 20 2019
After a late and long leisurely lunch-dinner, we decided to head to the station. I have learned from my travelling companion over time that early is better!!! This time no argument from me – I was very much looking forward to collapsing onto the train and having 24hours to fully recover.
Retracing our steps to the old station we find no sign of the train to Kars. Chris begins the step by step of showing our ticket, asking directions and heading to the next stage. In this case, we were sent to the “new” rail station. Fortunately attached to the old station. Once there no-one seemed to know where we were supposed to be until we were sent to board a bus.
“Train Kars” was our catch cry and it appeared the driver and guide on the bus were agreeing this was it. And so about 45minutes before train departure time the fully laden bus heads out into Ankara traffic – and then out into the countryside. We are left puzzling – are we on the right transport? Are we going to have 36hours of bus ride to Kars – noooooooooooooooooo. Both get the giggles and decide nothing to be done but sit back and see what happens.
About an hour later we arrive at a tiny station well out from Ankara. Everyone pours onto the small station platform – some into the restaurant, the men to prepare for prayer and the call to prayer heard shortly after we arrived.
Sitting about as the sun sets we still wonder what might be happening but figure while everyone else mills around, so will we.
Finally, a train arrives and shunts backwards and forwards before stopping and staff begin opening carriages. Everyone gets on. So do we. We find our coach and cabin number and very relieved we begin to set up our little home on wheels. Comfy cabins with bunk beds that fold up forming 2 armchairs during the day and very comfortable beds at night. A small fridge, washbasin and desk down the other side.
We are underway and congratulating ourselves on finding our way to this point. A knock on the door finds the young guide we had seen on the bus and a young man who spoke English and had been found by the guide to translate what was on offer,
The Tourist train we had signed up for had three excursions along the route that we could choose to attend. Having no idea where they were going we decided to sign up anyway and for a small sum, we were booked into all three.
Time for bed and recovery. A delicious nights sleep as the train ambled along at a gently rocking pace. The only downside as so often is on long train rides – the toilets of the squat variety became sloshing, smelly messes.
Early waking the next morning the countryside was green, way off into the distance, rolling green hills. Peat farms in neat rows, fields of purple lupins, and rocky outcrops and rolling hills along the way.
Watching the world go by we were treated to live music from our neighbour playing the local stringed instrument and singing a variety of Turkish songs. Magical. (See video above)
Towards midday, we arrive at our first stop. We follow the group onto small minibuses and off we go into the countryside. Finally arriving at a river and an awaiting boat. Emre explains we are being taken to see a canyon second only in length to the Grand Canyon. The Kemaliye KaranlIk Kanyon – also known as the “Dark Canyon”.
Wikipedia describes “Dark Canyon is a canyon formed by Karasu River on Munzur Mountains in Erzincan province. The Munzur Mountains, extending approximately in the east-west direction, were broken down by the Karasu River in the north-south direction with the gorges. This field is called the Kemaliye Strait. The part of the Bosphorus between the Bağıştaş village of İliç and the Dutluca village of Kemaliye is called the Karanlık Canyon. The Dark Canyon has a length of 25 km, a depth of 1000 m, a slope of 90% and a valley floor of 10–15 m from time to time. “
The canyon was steep and long. Either side of the gorge was lined with craggy towering cliffs. The river cut through the gorge leading into the distance. We discover we are floating on the ancient, historical Euphrates river.
As we boat along the river there are glimpses of the occasional mountain goat confidently hopping along the mountainside.
Back at the landing we are again popped onto buses and taken to a small nearby village that invites a longer stay. As always we have no idea what will be happening other than we ordered a beef roll for lunch which we expect back on the train.
Not so – after a walk through the tree-filled village of old houses, tiny streets we are seated in a cool outdoor vine-covered area. Beef rolls – delicious seasoned lightly cooked, tender beef in tasty flatbread, – are delivered along with Aryan a yoghurt drink. After lunch fellow train guests feed us on white mulberries as we walk back to our buses and back to the train.
And on to Erzincan where we arrived late afternoon and again were bundled onto a bus with no idea of our destination. The young Turkish man Emre, did not come on this trip so we were left with a Turkish guide on the bus. However, the sweet guide from the train sat with us in the back listened to the Turkish guide used Google translate to get it into English then showed us her phone!. She was relieved when a young Turkish man with great English (He had a cafe in Colchester UK) volunteered to take over. By this time it was overcast and we had determined that we were heading for a waterfall. When we arrived it was quite picturesque but it started raining which sent everybody back to the bus. We think that the weather might have curtailed the tour somewhat because we ended up at some mineral springs which might have normally busy but was empty and seemed a bit down at heel. Then into town where we were left in a kind of underground bazaar which seemed to feature masses of metalware both decorative and useful. Anyway not a highpoint.
Back on the train and on with our magical mystery journey. In another display of what was becoming typical Turkish hospitality, a young lady in a cabin next door dropped by with a plate of fruit. These guys continually go out of their way to make us feel welcome.
So it is now getting late and as the train has been delayed I am not sure if our last tour is going to go ahead. However right on midnight, we are told that another bus is coming. Mel had opted out but I thought that it would be a bit of a hoot so I persisted. When I went to get on the bus I was met by the young man Emre who had been our “interpreter”. Although he wasn’t going on the tour he had stayed up to present me with handwritten notes in English that I was going to be seeing that night. He was insistent that I particularly understood the importance of one of the buildings that we were visiting. It was where the congress was held, presided over by Ataturk to plan the move to Turkish Independence. I was incredibly touched by his kindness and also the pride in his country and its history.
So about ten of us rug up and trundle into town with our lovely train guide and a local guide. Of course, before we could commence the tour we had to have a late supper in town masses of tea and kebab. Then, first stop the Museum of Congress, armed with my notes I was able to understand the historic importance of this site as the beginning of the modern Turkish Republic. The name Ataturk formally given to him by parliament means Father of the Turks. He is known to Australians having defeated us and our allies at Gallipoli. However, given Turkey’s granting of the name Anzac Cove on the peninsula where they landed Australia responded by creating a memorial to him in Canberra. See Ataturk Memorial. There is an interesting side story to this that suggests that the inscription on this memorial credited to him actually can not be independently verified. Another history mystery!
Undercover of darkness, we then proceeded around several quite striking Islamic buildings, all the more striking in that some of them were quite dramatically lit. I liked the feeling of Erzurum and there seems to have been an investment in creating and maintaining a historic precinct. It is a place I would like to come back to and take in the stories surrounding the buildings.
So we ended the tour by visiting the start of the chair lift a little way out of town that goes to the Palandoken ski resort. Unusual to have a lift so near to the town centre.
Finally cups of tea at a cafe that was still open then back to the train as we trundled on towards Kars.
So here we are at seven o’clock in the morning dragging our bags into town, unfortunately, missing Emre before we left the train.
