Tatvan and Kurds

We finally did get train tickets into Turkey.  After the great train we had from Tehran to Qazvin we were set to have a pleasant overnight travel in a private sleeper compartment.  Not so.  The train was an old clunker with each tiny, narrow sleeper compartment having 6 bunks.  We shared our compartment with 3  others - a young Iranian couple and their mother - they were very nice but the trip was not the comfortable accommodation we had envisioned.  Throughout the night, every 1 to 2 hours the train stopped or attendants knocked on the door for various passport stamping out, customs, passport stamping in, etc. Then there were periods of 2-3 hours where the train didn't move at all. 

Eileen in the dining car - finally able to get rid of the head scarf

 When we were going through western Turkey, a desolate area of dry hills and flocks of sheep complete with crook carrying shepherds and sheep dogs, we had several incidences where young adolescent boys threw stones at the train windows.  (We had noticed most of the outside panes of the double glazed windows were broken and now we knew why.)  It turns out this is all part of the Kurdish separatist movement and the boys are showing their displeasure at the Turkish government.  Not very nice at all. The Kurdish issue has been an ongoing problem for Turkey over several decades with the PKK waging a violent separatist movement. 

Broken window courtesy of adolescent Kurdish boys

We finally arrived at Van around midday.  This is a largish city on the eastern shore of Lake Van.  We decided not to stay here and to continue on across the lake.  We went directly to the ferry terminal and met the only other passengers; a young German backpacker and two middle age French men, also backpacking.  It was nice to talk to some other travellers as this has been a rare occurrence to date in our travels with the exception of the Annapurna Circuit.  The main purpose of the ferry is to take train carriages across.  It was interesting to watch how they shuttled about 10 carriages into the hull of the ferry.  The trip across the lake was 90 km (it is a huge lake) and took 5 hours.  Although the ferry was an old rust bucket the trip was very pleasant.  The passenger area had enough seats for 100 we were able to stretch out and catch up on some of the sleep we lost the night before. 

 

Our rust bucket ferry

Empty passenger area

Lake Van shore from the ferry

View from the ferry crossing Lake Van

Bob at the helm of the ferry

On the other side of Lake Van is Tatvan, a small city on the western shore.  It is quite a pleasant place.  Our hotel was right on a mall area and we watched the old men sitting in groups on little wicker stools chatting away to each other, sipping tea and fingering their prayer beads.  We will have to get use to drinking lots of tea.  All major business transactions are accompanied by a sit down and a glass of tea. We got Turkish sim cards for our phones and we were immediately asked to sit down and brought a glass of tea. A very nice way to do business.

Tatvan, Turkey

Tatvan park on dusk