End of the stage, but not the journey

Back in the UK
Well, I'm back in the UK at the moment. First I was in Ankara for half a week, visiting a friend and a professor at the university there. Actually, I contacted this professor 3 years ago, towards the beginning of my PhD, asking for a paper of his, and I never expected I would have the nice opportunity to visit him one day.

I also managed to have my one and only ill day of the trip, but my recovery was quick and I progressed on to Istanbul. Only stopping for a day to visit a friend, I flew back to the UK the next day, ending my trip in Turkey. Since then I have been pretty busy visiting family and generally organising myself again, hence the delay in posting this to the blog.


Flying to England from Istanbul is a lot quicker than taking the train... (for my trip, 36x quicker, actually)

Epilogue
I never expected to be back so soon. But there are 2 primary reasons for this.

Firstly, the inability to go to Iran. This was really the main reason I was travelling in this region of the world, and when it because impossible to go, I lost some enthusiasm for the region. Turkey is a very easy country to travel in, and while it's very interesting, it was never the aim. Having said that, I've learnt a lot about Anatolian history, and am now, even back in the UK, enthusiastically reading more about it.

Secondly, there is ongoing work required to secure a job for later this year, as evidenced by my skype interviews in the middle of Cappadocia. And until the job issue is sorted, one way or another, it is difficult to travel.

So until it is sorted, I am stopping here for a couple of weeks. Then, time permitting, I can make a journey in a different direction. So the journey is not finished, only this stage. I am awaiting the time, soon or later, when I can continue the journey again...


Sunset on London, and this stage of my trip...

Central and Northern Turkey

In the 2 weeks I have seen many things. The battlefields of Gallipoli, with ferocious fighting that left bullets fused with each other in mid-flight, and hundreds of thousands of people dying in trenches separated only by the width of a road. I've visited the great ruins of Ephesus, with the magnificent buildings carefully restored. Nearby is the church of the Virgin Mary, and I made a short hike up to the church on a Sunday with many pilgrims praying and worshiping. Then on into central Turkey and to Pammukkale, with bright-white calcium flats overflowing with warm water, in which thousands of Russian and Kazakh tourists seemed determined to swim in. Continuing my penetration into central Turkey I reached Cappadocia, with the unique rock formations, forged by an earthquake and running water. Then finally north towards the black sea, exchanging the baking desert heat for a humid and temperate climate, and visiting Safranbolu, staying in a hostel that was 350 years old.

There are a number of reasons for the 2-week gap in updating this blog. I had an extended stay in Cappadocia; almost a week. Having suddenly received some potential job offers for after my travels, I was compelled to stay and look for jobs on the internet, as well as attend some skype interviews. Luckily I had brought a smart shirt for just an occasion; it didn't matter that I was wearing shorts and flip-flops underneath since this was not something you could see on the webcam. It was a pleasant place to stay while looking for work. Free wifi, a pool to dip in when the afternoon heat got too much, fresh local fruit, and all for less than my rent alone used to be in the UK.


Cappadocia


People lived in the rocks of Cappadocia, and built churches like this.

Prior to Cappadocia I had stopped off in Pammukkale, which was memorable for more than just the calcium deposits cascading down the mountain: the heat. It was hot. Very hot. Walking barefoot through the calcium pools, the burning sun beating down from above, the blinding white calcium beneath, the warm water running over my feet, the hot wind blowing across me. Taking photos was impossible; it was too bright. Point, click, hope for the best. Shutter speeds of 1/1500 still bright. Squinting through my sunglasses trying to not slip in the ankle-deep water. I returned later in the evening. The crowds were gone; the night was cool and it was dark except for the occasional calcium deposits lit in the coloured lights being cast on them. I enjoyed this far more...


Calcium despoits shaped by the water


And by night...

Heading north from Cappadocia towards the black sea, the climate changed noticeably. There is a line of mountains near the black sea, which serve to trap the moisture from the sea. Crossing ravines and travelling through tunnels, you emerge in a temperate climate. So temperate in fact, it was raining most of the time I was in Safranbolu. This old ottoman town is a UNESCO site, with building preserved from many hundreds of years ago. Walking through the streets, I came across an elderly Turk who had spent half his life in Germany, giving us a common language. He explained a lot to me about the area, and about the rising unemployment since the region was over-reliant on the nearby factory for work. Tourism is of course also a major employer in the town, but like many places in Turkey, although the main streets are full of the standard tourist stalls, get off the main road and you find normal life still ongoing, with farmers and people, like my new friend, who were retired.


The century-old ottoman houses of Safranbolu

North of Safranbolu is Amasra, a "pictureque town on the Black sea coast". Getting there proved impossible though; upon reaching the large town prior to Amasra, I asked the bus driver how to get there. "Problem", he replied, pointing to the road descending into the murkey overflowing river. Problem indeed. My hopes of seeing the black sea vanished in a brown river.


Problem

After this I have some time in Ankara, before, returning to Istanbul and then flying to the UK for a week. My destination after this is still undecided. I would like to go south through to Egypt, but the heat will be worse than that in Pamukkale. If I have time, I'd like to go after August when it's cooler. Until then though, I'm still considering the options...

Istanbul

The train to Turkey

The train to Istanbul was new and comfortable, although the only way to get any food was to ask the Turkish conductor for a sandwich, whereby he'd go into an unused cabin, warm a piece of bread up on a stove, cut it open and put one slice of cheese in, and ask for 2 euro. My cabin-mate for the journey was a Turk; an editor of a political magazine; and between the cheese sandwich and the wine and nuts my kind cabin-mate shared, dinner was reasonable.

Crossing the border involved being woken at 4am: "passports! Passports!" the train attendant was shouting. All the foreigners descended the train and out across the tracks to the customs office, where we stood around in the mild morning air, in the silence and darkness of this station in the countryside. We were called in one-by-one to pay the entrance fee. They prefer to have the payment in foreign currency, but having spent 2 euro on my cheese sandwich, I didn't have enough for the 10 Euro fee. "Ummm, 35 lira" says the guard. I dont know what exchange rate he was using, but in any case, after about an hour at the border, we continued onwards to Istanbul.


Stopped at the border


Even here you can get Duty free...


The final stop is still on the European side of Istanbul, so it was after a short ferry journey that I finally set foot in Asia, 9 days after having left London.

Istanbul

One of the first things I noticed in Istanbul was the people; although there is some variation, compared to Greeks they are generally darker, in terms of skin, hair and eye colour. And being a Muslim country, mosques can be found everywhere; indeed, just near to my host's house there are 3, all calling at the same time at the time to pray; it's quite loud, although by the end of my time here I'd stopped noticing it so much. The most famous mosque in Istanbul is the Blue Mosque, and it was the first I entered (in my life). Compared to the cold hard inside of churches, Mosques are carpeted, and have wide open spaces for people to sit, kneel, and/or pray. After the chaos, noise, heat and bustle of the city outside, they provide a calm, quiet and welcome respite.


The large famous Blue Mosque


Praying inside the calm of a mosque

I quickly tired of following the tourist trail like a sheep, and I was very lucky that my host took me round some of the lesser-known pats of the city, pointing out little details, churches and areas, including on more than one occasion the locations of past bomb-blasts and subsequent renovations. Of all my time in Istanbul, this little tour, and all the mosques, were my favourite parts. That and the food. Turkish tea and Baklava are reasons enough to come to Turkey...


Turkish tea

Leaving Istanbul

Unfortunately I am leaving Istanbul without collecting a key document: my Iranian visa. Recent developments have led to the UK foreign office advising against "all but essential" travel to Iran. This has two results: it worries family members, and it invalidates my insurance. So it is now highly unlikely that I am going.

This is very disappointing. Of all the countries I will travel through, it is Iran that I was most interested in. What you see on TV is only the worst of what Iran has to offer as a country. Through the Iranians I've met; the books I've read; the travellers I've spoken to; the research I've done - there is a lot more to the country than most people are aware. The kindness and hospitality of ordinary Iranians is something I came across again and again in my research. The amount of history there; much of it pre-dating western events; is immense, and much is preserved. The rogue element within the country; the government; is not bothered by the average tourist, unless you're a reporter or there deliberately to cause trouble.

So not being able to go to Iran raises the question of where to go. Do I push through to Georgia and Armenia as planned, and then fly over to India? Or continue my overland theme down through Syria and Jordan to Egypt? Or take a ferry across the black sea to the Ukraine, and up to Russia? Or, after making my brief visit to the UK in a few weeks, do I make a new journey in a different direction? There is much to consider.

But while I think about that, I will push on South, continuing the semi-circle route around the Aegean sea...

Five days in Greece

The five days were originally intended to be six, but the train to Istanbul was fully booked for 3 nights in a row, so I decided to push on one day early, rather than wait 3 days - as nice as Athens is. And I do like Athens. It's certainly European, but has something of the chaos often associated with Asian cities; it's the beginning of a transition.

I had 3 full days based in Athens. The first, of course, was used to explore the Acropolis of Athens, perched high above the city. In fact, an Acropolis is a generic term referring to such structures built on high rocks, inclusive of spring water to out-last any siege. This one in Athens is of course the most famous of them all though. So you have a combination of amazing monuments which are around 2000 years old, and a view of Athens which is breathtaking, especially with the weather; clear-blue sky and over 30 degrees temperature.

Around the Acropolis are various other historical sites, each of which would be highly noteworthy in their own right if they didn't stand in the shadow of the Acropolis. A number of different groups ruled Greece over the years, including the Spartans, Romans and Turks, and thus there are relics from all of these periods here. I spent a good 9 hours on the first day, starting at the Acropolis, then down to a site where Aristotle and others had preached their wisdom so long ago, and then beyond to many other ruins from the various periods of Greek history. The day was finished with a climb up a small hill, with a beautiful view onto the Acropolis, and the lengthening shadows across the city as the sun gradually got lower.





On the 2nd day I made a trip to Delphi; the "navel" or centre, of the earth, as the Greeks believed. Perched high in the mountains, the relics, combined with the views, are spectacular.


Delphi

My final day in Athens was a museum day. As well as the national archaeological museum, I managed to get to the new Acropolis museum on it's first day of public opening. It's brand new, and housed in a modern and spacious building. It makes a compelling companion to the Acropolis site. The only downside was the fact that it took an hour to order and pay for a sandwich which took me 5 minutes to eat, but then again, it was their first day. I'd even suggest going to the museum before you actually visit the real Acropolis site. You'll be able to appreciate and understand your visit much more.



A visit to Greece would not be complete without visiting the islands, so I made a short jump to Syros, Mykonos and Delos. It was really the latter that I was most interested in. This small island became the centre of commerce for the circle of islands here, and despite its small size, housed tens of thousands of inhabitants. A combination of its immense wealth, and supporting the wrong side, led to its very sudden demise. This all happened about 2000 years ago, but what is interesting, and what is different from all the other ruins I've described until now, is that it is still possible to walk down the narrow streets that existed 2000 years ago, albeit with the walls reduced to less than a metre high. It's easy to imagine how it was, so long ago, walking among ancient history, as it has lain for so long.


Ruins of Delos. Who lived here?

After a late-night return to Athens, it was time to continue my journey. First the train to Thessaloniki, and then the night-train to Istanbul... and Asia...



Practical information
Delphi is an easy day-trip, taking only 3 hours by bus. The bus station in Athens is not easy to get to by public transport, so take a taxi from Onomia metro station, explaining you want to take a bus to delphi, and the taxi only should cost about 4 euro.
If you're a student of an EU University, possession of an ISIC card will get you free access to all historical sites in Greece, including the Acropolis and all museums, Delphi and Delos. Definitely worth it if you're eligible.
It seems that the train to Istanbul can get quickly fully booked, so reserve at least a few days ahead. Upon boarding the train, the assigned compartment number ceased to have any meaning, and the passengers were just filled in the compartments one-by-one in a random order.

London to Athens by train and ferry

The journey

It is said that every journey begins with but a step. In my case, my journey began with a taxi to Nottingham train station. My route down to London was somewhat indirect, featuring a night at my university where I picked up and submitted my bound thesis, but the next day my journey could really begin.

The first stage of the journey was non-stop from London to Brindisi in southern Italy; the journey is relatively quick too: I was standing on the platform of Brindisi station only 26 hours after my train departed from London.

Starting with the eurostar, cloudy London soon gave way to the flat open fields of northern France. After a short transfer from Paris Nord to Paris Bercy, I watched the sun setting over the built-up areas of Paris as the night train pulled out on its way to Milan. Arrival into Milan was at in the daylight at 6am, but I woke an hour earlier to see that the buildings of Paris had been replaced by huge mountains silhouetting the dark-blue sky, and lights winding their way through the valleys. After just an hour at Milan station, I joined a day-train non-stop to Brindisi. Initially traversing the flat rolling hills of Tuscany, the hills slowly grew in number and size as the train made its way south. The sky was clear blue for the whole journey, and although I was separated from the heat by an air-conditioned cabin, it was becoming visibly warmer. By the time the track was following the coast, the sea was light blue, people and boats could be seen enjoying the weather, and the air-conditioning of the train was beginning to struggle to keep the carriage cool. The approach of the deep south was marked by the obvious presence of Palm trees, and this is what greeted me when finally arriving in Brindisi.

It would have been possible to transfer directly to a ferry, but I wanted to take a break and visit nearby Lecce (called "the Florence of the south") so I stayed one night in Brindisi and had a few hours exploring Lecce, before catching an overnight ferry to Patra in Greece, where I was met by the cousin of a friend. There was some time before the train, so we had a nice Pita-bread Souvlaki lunch. Catching the train, eventually, finally, after a further 4 hours, I finally reached Athens, completing the 3000km journey in a little over 4 days.



The next move

Far from being bored on such a long journey, when I wasn't looking at the scenery, I was thankful that I could take the time to read my guidebooks and plan my trip in more detail. It became obvious that Greece deserved far more attention then as a brief stop-over on the way to Istanbul, as I had originally planned, I may now spend up to a week here, visiting some of the key world heritage sites, and visiting some islands (boat schedules permitting). In addition, it has become necessary for me to return to England briefly during my trip, and this will probably happen in 4 weeks. My intention is to fly out and back again to the same place, without breaking the route, continue from where I left off, and maintain the "overland" aim as I push eastwards. Finally, the situation in Iran at the moment is too hot, and I'm monitoring it closely, considering how it might effect my trip. There is very little danger for me, but if communications are limited and public transport is heavily disrupted, it will make it difficult to travel through what is already a challenging country. Stay tuned to see what happens...

Preparations

The preparations are almost over, and the initial trains have been booked. My bag has been packed; taking essentials, but mindful to travel as lightly as possible. My plan has been prepared as far as Greece, and I'm ready to leave on Wednesday.

Travelling light
Travelling light is important. If I'm lighter, then I'm more mobile, and I'm safer too. I can run for a train, or remove myself from a bad situation quickly. My aim to travel lightly is not helped by the fact that my bag is already 2.6kg - a quarter of the total weight I'm carrying. It's the first time that I've travelled with a backpack like this; my small rucksack has served me well, taking me on long trips in the US and china. But somehow those trips were different.

Planning
For example, in the US I planned every part of the journey in advance. Taking a list of a month's worth of trains that I wanted to book, I travelled to a small station in Michigan, where there were only a few trains a day. The station conductor, used to a quiet life, responded with the exact words: "I'm going to the bathroom. This could take a while.". And he was right. It did take a while. But then I knew for one month all the trains I would take, and all the accommodation I would stay in. It was easy.

This journey is different, in that it is much less planned. Partly out of necessity, and partly out of desire to have some freedom and a flexible schedule, after having been so busy and sticking to deadlines so closely during my PhD.

The route
One important rule in this journey, is not to fly. Travelling overland is so much richer; you see the transition of landscapes, languages and people. Having worked in Japan for a few years, flying between the UK and Japan each time, I would look out of the window and see the world passing by, below. You can't help but wonder what it's like down there. Whether the endless snow of Siberia, the sharp transition in the landscape crossing from russia to china, or the ripples of the mountains in southern Iran, I've seen so much of the world from an aircraft window. It's time to go there and see those places on the ground.

Travelling overland from London, there are several routes east. The russian route takes you up by train to Moscow, then across through Mongolia and china to Japan. The near-east route takes you down through Syria to Egypt, and the final route, my route, goes through Turkey to Iran. In fact, it's possible to travel from London to Tehran in just 6 days by train and ferry.

My route is slightly more indirect, however. And more interesting. Taking the train from London down through France, Italy and Greece, I intend to spend a few weeks in Turkey, before heading north east through to Georgia, down through Armenia and then into Iran. The whole journey, including some weeks exploring Iran may take about 2 months. But that's just an estimation: recent events in Iran have demonstrated how things can change. The ongoing events in Georgia must also be monitored closely. Not because there is any danger to foreigners, but rather that roads may be blocked or borders even closed, necessitating a change in route or timing.

The reason
So there are many challenges to travelling in this region, but there are also many reasons to go. There is a significant amount of Islamic culture and history, pre-dating that of the west. The landscapes, partly which I have seen myself from the air, are varied, and the kindness of the people is renowned. I'm also interested to see how my world, in Europe, is connected to that world which we see on TV, that otherwise seems so far way. I'm looking forward to experiencing the culture, seeing the landscapes, and above all, meeting the people.


A view from the plane, on one of my many journeys between Japan and the UK


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Practical information
It seems that an Iranian visa is not easy to come by directly; it is necessary to go through an agent who obtains an authorisation number, which you can then use to obtain the visa at an embassy (in the UK or elsewhere). In my case I used Persian Voyages, and received my authorisation number in just 1 week. Results and time may also depend on your nationality; as a Dutch national, I suspect it was relatively easier than many other countries. There are a number of agencies around, all charging different prices and promising different turnaround times, with different reviews by other travellers, but I heard good things about this agency, and wasn't disappointed.