TOWARD TATVAN 09.07.2010

TOWARD TATVAN 09.07. 2010

As we journeyed toward Iran, we spent our second night in the Trans Asia train too...

At 5:30 in the morning.. The Trans Asia train passed from the station of the city of Malatya while the first light of the day was shining on the apricot gardens of the towns of the this town. I saw so many apricot gardens growing between the cityies of Malatya and Elazığ belonging to the villagers. Malatya city is the largest producer and exporter of dry apricot in the world.

I had been in this city for almost 7 years as a teacher and as a student   for second undergraduated education at the same time . We resided at the apartment that overlooked an apricot garden of a notable person in the city. İnhabitants of this city are consumers of a kind of Turkish pizza which is very popular among the locals here .

 I wonder if I did an ınjustice to my memories? My small daughter was born in this city…

As we journeyed toward Iran, we spent our second night in the Trans Asia train too. The railway passes by the Karakaya Dam Lake providing a beautiful view together with the apricot gardens on its shores  while the train was passing above it slowly... The train would be arriving in Tatvan  at 5pm.

As we travelled toward Bingöl, the train passed through the valley of Euphrates River. Seeing the nest of a stork above the electric pylons gave me a warm feeling from my childhood. I don't know why… I remember now, once upon a time in our country,  the stork was a symbol of a bank.  The bank gave loans to people buying houses.

That is Kale, county of Bingöl city.. The train stopped for a while there… We had  an opportunity to disembark … Feeling the calm of the small town of  east Anatolia gave me different sensations.  There was no noise on the air … you would see only clear sky and hear nature's speech… What a strange situation.. if I ever live such in that town , being bored would be my destiny..

 My compartment friends Andre and Paul opened their Polska flag with pride.  Yugin did not communicate throughout trip ..

 I remember wondering about Yugin’s passport completely filled with stamps of checking- in and out.  It seemed like the reflection  of  a successful life to me… then

Tatvan is seen from afar... Tatvan town is on the west of shores of Van lake... the train coming from Haydarpasa  will be loaded on the  ferry  to cross to the east of Van lake.  The train of the Iran state was waiting for the passengers of the Trans Asia Train.

We are in the ferry... İt was 19:30 pm when the ferry departed. The ferry was very old. I think, it was constructed in the early 1970's.  When Arab -İsrael war started in 1967, the Suez channel crossing became dangerous. Lake crossing was important for provıding safe transportation between Europe and south East Asia. The topography surrounding the lake made highway transport difficult. The lake was already used for transport since BC 900.  Russians had even made a few small landing stages on the shores of the lake when they occupied this area in the First World War They left behind a few boats here while leaving from Van. 

I exchanged 50 dollars to 10000 Iran Riyal in the ferry. It was equal to 1000 tumen that Iranians use.

The ferry  need  4 hour and more 30 minute to reaching the shore of the east of Van Lake ..so we will have chance seing the stars on the sky while the ferry  is still going on the lake  in the darkness of the midnight

Under the Stars in, the heat of July the sky,  it is a good opportunity to imagine  the temporality of the life or history... "