Day 1 of a 35 day trip through the middle east.
First destination Gallipoli, Turkey. After that more of Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and finally Egpyt for 2 weeks. I'm on the trip with 18 others (plus guide and driver) trucking about the middle east, camping in the bush/desert/camp grounds and sleeping in the occasional hostel/hotel. In Jordan at the moment about to ferry across to Egypt so will update you with some of the trip thus far.
Met the tour group in Istanbul, great group especially since pretty much all of us are independant travellers.
First stop Gallipoli. Slept on the side of the road by some water and a pub in tents for 3 nights. Very cold. Were actually on the opposide of island to anzac cove. Not sure if you can see the map too clearly.
Next morning up early to do a tour around the island where the fighting took place.
Anzac Cove
The stage set up for dawn service that night
The Australian cemetary called Lone Pine
Some of the many trenches still scattered about
The Australian trench opening ... not actaully that far from the Turkish one...about 15 metres. They used to through food to each other to get a little more variety.
A Turkish Statue
Where we camped (green truck up the back)
Us girls walking up to the stands for our overnight camp out for the Dawn day service. The Australian Government had crew there handing out goodie bags so we got to munch on some anzac cookies! Yummo
7.30pm...about 10 hours to go...and it was freezing!! (Night 2)
Me, Kelly (Adelaide) and Tess (Shepparton...look familar Kingy!!)
The stage from our seat
Next morning..after the dawn day service, we walked up the hill to camp out, sleep and get ready for the 10.30am Aussie service..Kelly, Tess and I.
The crowd waiting at the Lone Pine Cemetary (the australian cemetary/memorial area)
Back at camp chilllin out..
Jo Me and Kelly in the truck
Troy
Some of the Troy ruins..not much to see..this is the old entrance/draw bridge and moat
Chris, Joe, Fi and Shed on the trusk playing cards and drinking beer on our make do table as we drove through Turkey
Ephesis Ruins (one of the ancient wonders)
Ephesis male toilet room. Chris, Majella, Shed, Juliet, Joe, Kelly, Jo and Linda
The whole group at Ephesis. Back- Linda, Gail, Jane.
Middle- Tia, Kyle, Juliet, Kelly, Joe, Tess, Jo, Jells, Chris, Shed, Martin Front- Joe, Rita, Dave and Fi
Tess and I at the top of the forum
The silk worms (cocoons) soaking before it's spindled into silk.
Pikey (tour guide) before his turkish barber shave
Shed having the final hairs burnt off
The shaving came along with a mock wedding ceremony we had for Jo and Fi (not a couple).
Some girls came and did some belly dancing. Kelly in tha background getting a mud mask and massage
Later on...Chris and I playing backgammon in a bar nearby.
First night in Syria we all went out for dinner in a place that boasts having the record for the largest kebab in the world. Great food. Then as if we didn't get enough attention from all the men in the middle east, Tess had a blow out (thongs broke) so I had to piggy back her home. By the end we had a little group of men as an audience.
Crac des Chevaliers Castle, the Crusaders actually inhabited this place for a while.
Desert Bush camp number 1. 100km from the Iraq border. All throught the desert here there were military people/camps scattered about.
Toilet stop...good luck trying to find a bush to go behind out there girls
Jo and Pikey (tour leader) cooking up some dinner
Joe and his locker full of booze. We had just been through the Syria/Turkey border crossing and had to stock up for the 10 days or so.
So Pikey tells us that it's not scorpian season yet!! Next morning we pull up and tents and they were everywhere. Lucky none of us were stung during the night when we were running around barefoot and drunk through the desert!
Me, Jo and Kelly at the end ruins of Palmyra
As you can see from the photos it was a scortcher, so we stop for some arab pepsi and 7-up
