We took our last long bus ride today, crossing the Dardanelles, leaving Asia, and entering Europe. Gaining access to the ferry was exciting. None of us believed there was room for our bus on the ferry. That would mean waiting an hour for the next ferry. But they managed to get all the wheels on the ferry, even if the back end of the bus was hanging over the edge. They even got one more bus parallel to ours. You can see pictures of the crossing on the website. One of the pictures shows the longest suspension bridge in the world, with six lanes traversing the Dardanelles. Unfortunately, the bridge connects two small towns. Locals deride it as being the bridge to nowhere. But the exorbitant toll is undoubtedly a major reason for the light traffic on the bridge. $20 US goes a very long way in Turkiye.
Just on the European side of the Dardanelles is Gallipoli. This is where WW I started for the Ottoman Empire (soon to be Turkiye). It was the first place where Aataturk (the father of the Turks) beat the British, with very heavy losses on both sides. I don’t normally get a lot out of these kinds of visits, but it is impossible to add anything that Ataturk had to say. If you have trouble reading the picture, he said:
Those heroes who shed their blood and lost their lives .. you are now living in the soil of a friendly country therefore rest in peace.
Ataturk, 1934
There is no difference between the Jonnies and the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side here in this country of ours …
You, the mothers who sent your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace. After having lost their lives on this land, they have become our sons as well.
Finally we arrived at out hotel, where we will remain for 6 nights. It’s in the center of the historic part of Istanbul. Their lobby includes a turtle pool. You can see a pic on the website. It includes many of the people we are traveling with.
I hope this finds everybody doing well.