The last waltz

So this will be the last post. I have just finished packing and am ready to go. Except for the fact that my flight is in 3 hours and i have some time to kill.

Lets start from Thursday. We got into a bus and started heading to the Ishak Pasha Palace. This is a palace in the east of Turkey near the border of Iran. Scary I know! We were thinking about heading 35km over the mountains in order to join in on the protests. But before we got to the palace we ate breakfast.

This was an odd experience. We arrive in this really crappy neighborhood. I mean bad. Dogs and chickens walking all over the place. A homeless woman with her entire body covered in black (including her face) begging for money. and a man riding a bicycle with no air in the tires. "It was the worst neighborhood but the best breakfast!" according to my Italian roommate Yakopa. The meal included bread that you dip into a mixture of honey and butter. There was also this stringy cheese that you could put on your bread. On a side note all food in Turkey is salty, even their cookies. Way too salty for my taste if you ask me. The place we ate at was a hole in the wall and it took about 20 min for the lights to come on but the breakfast is one that i will never forget. Here is a pic.



Here are some pics of the palace. One thing to note is that this palace is located near a Kurdish town. The Kurds are without a home and are denied land by the Turks. I dont know the history but if you want to look it up i am sure it will be very interesting. Another side note. Turks really do not like to talk about the controversial issues facing their country (like the Kurds) so it was difficult for me to get a clear idea of the conflict.



We also visited the Ani ruins near the city of Kar. There are ruins and old buildings but the most fascinating part is that there is a river below the town that makes the border between Armenia and Turkey. I was able to get a really cool video of it. Check it




Here is a pic of the ruins



On our Bus ride we also passes by Mount Ararat. Some believe that this was the mountain that Noahs Ark landed on. crazy right? It is at a very high altitude and therefore there is always snow on top of it. Take a look.



And now for your enjoyment Mark Walbergh talks to animals



Friday we had our closing ceremonies and we said our goodbyes. Wow i can't believe two weeks went by so fast. I guess i was expecting it. Anyway I will leave you with something I've noticed about the culture of Taiwan.... They love talking pictures. Romeo and Juliet style. See for yourself.




Goodbye from Turkey and hope to see you soon in the States!

Benjie