TRAVERSE Issue 24 - June 2021 | Page 123

TRAVERSE 123
are not more than one meter tall because they are carved into the earth to withstand the strong wind , then continued on my way until I came across the famous Mount Ararat whose top was snowy and where Noah ' s Ark is supposed to be buried . On that stretch I didn ' t meet any bikers , only military trucks , and huge war tanks . You could feel the conflict ...
Arriving in Doğubeyazıt I parked La Más on the street , in front of the door of the hotel and the next morning I went out to walk the city . I was the only foreigner in the streets , and such was the sense of insecurity I felt that I did not dare to take out my camera to take pictures , but I did it once , to discover something amazing . An immense mural in the wall representing “ La Calavera ” from the Mexican artist Frida Kalo . It was a shock . I could not believe it . In a city bordering Iran , a mural by Frida Kalo .
Well , let ' s say a copy , but that doesn ' t detract from the " internationality " of that artist . It forced me to take the camera out of my backpack to photograph the mural . The only photo that I took in that city .
On my return to the hotel , I decided to leave . While I was assembling the luggage to continue my trip and visit the Ishak Pasha Palace , outside the city limits and then continue to Mount Nemurt , someone " extracted " the motorcycle key from the top box lock . The key , it was stolen . It was less than a minute , when I got distracted and went inside to get the Givi waterproof 40L bag . Good thing I had a spare , otherwise who knows what would have happened to me in that city , a few kilometers from the Iranian border .
Despite the humility of the places visited what impressed me the most was the abundant breakfasts in all the hostels and small hotels . The
Turkish breakfasts are spectacular . On the tables where the dishes are displayed , there is everything , multiple kinds of olives , green and red peppers cut in small pieces with olive oil , pepper , and salt . Various types of goat cheese , flat bread , tea without limit in the teapot with two kettles , an abundant variety of jams and always hard-boiled eggs . I love the Turkish breakfast , but more the attitude of serving abundant and varied foods in it .
Setting off for Mount Nemurt , continuing on the E99 towards Van , I turned right to circle Lake Van passing through Erçis where I stopped to visit the Ahlat Selçuklu cemetery , with its wonderful tombs with inscriptions dating back to the Middle Ages . Also , a welcomed opportunity to take a nap under a tree .
After visiting the cemetery , I headed for my destination , a picturesque guesthouse in Kütüklü ,
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