Hello again to all of you! Remember learning about Mesopotamia in school? Well, we are here… on the banks of the Tigris river!

October 12

We have headed still further east today toward Dyarbakir then south to the smaller city of Mardin. It has a population about the same as the entire Comox Valley, but picture everyone squished into the hill between Ryan Road and Comox Hill. It is an ancient city built mostly of honey colored rock. Most of the people are Kurdish and they are very warm and kind, interested in us and where we come from.

We are no longer virtually the only tourists here, but rather we are the only tourists here for certain. The children eagerly come up to ask “What is your name?” in very careful English … practicing their school work. “Where do you live?” is the second question we are asked. They are hanging over our shoulders watching as we type…all smiles! The adults are most careful to distinguish us from Americans before they open up. They smile broadly and say “Canada good!” Some even go so far as to share with us their belief that Allah has sent Katarina because of the U.S. involvement in Viet Nam, Afghanistan and Iraq. They follow that with “Welcome to Turkey, welcome to Mardin!”

Once again the bazzar is such a labyrinth of alleys, so sensuous in every way. We found ourselves in “Old Mardin” a maze of rock walls and houses built into the hillside. We got lost in there too!  It is one of the oldest cities ın the world and overlooks the immense plains of Mesopotamia. The village streets and alleys are so steep that donkeys are the most sensible mode of transporting goods to and from market. They become part of the street traffic as well. A horseman galloped right through the main thoroughfare alongside cars and busses!

Syrian Christians settled here in the 5th century and though they were eventually pushed out, many of the families have lived here for hundreds of years. Mardin was only recently safe to visit after being hard hit in the 70’s and 80’s by the Kurdish resistance effort. Everyone is certain to tell us that they are Kurdish and wonder if we know anything about them.

We are waiting for the cannon to fire so that we call join in the evening meal with everyone else.

October 13

The evening meal was stupendous! The restaurant was in an old Syrian home, the name of which we cannot remember as we have lost the Lonley Planet guidbook today! It was our bible and security blanket…We are on our own now with no map or hints to guide us. Oh well…more adventures!

Got the bus this morning and, at breakneck speed (Mario Kurddretti at the wheel!) came back to Dyarbakir. Let off at a much smaller bus station adjacent to the sheep and goat market. Thousands of animals up for bid and the farmers herding and parading them for buyers. Blood flowing in the gutters around the market, as those bought seem to be slaughtered on the spot. How else to get a goat into the side car of a scooter??? We thought the bus was going to take us to the main bus station and after circling the city a number of times the driver finally looked at us oddly and, using sign language, we managed to communicate where we wanted to go. Unfortunately his bus didn’t go there!!! So he pawned us off on another reluctant driver. Other passengers, most cheerfully helped us out and tonight we will be on the red-eye to Adana.

We came across a chainsaw shop in an alleyway at the bazzar here in Dyarbakir today…what a celebration they had to discover that Randy was a faller and that he was from Canada! Hugs and kisses for Randy from a half dozen of the men…(Monika was thankful to be ignored!) Since we had learned to say “Good-day” and “Thank-you” in Kurdish (before we lost the guidebook) they were thrilled and welcomed us to ‘Kurdistan’. They are really hopeful for a homeland.

Dyarbakir’s old city is surrounded by a huge wall of black basalt rock. It is second only to the Great Wall of China but we have been told it is taller. It most impressive. One is able to climb to a viewpoint and from there we were able to look far across the plains. In the distance one can see Iraq. Stunning actually to know we are so close. We tried for a photo but we had a hoard of children pulling at our coat tails and pickpockets are rampant, so we beat a hasty retreat.

Guess that’s about it for now…take care all…soon be back in Istanbul…around the 16th of October…probably write once more before then.

Love Mom and Dad