Day: March 6, 2006

At 7H15 Serge set out in -5 degree Celsius temperatures and began a 3 kilometer climb.  It was the only one of the day because after that the road descended gently until Horasan.

It was a day of controls: 2 police and army cars brought 6 soldiers, with machine guns over their shoulders, who checked our passports.  We felt a very different atmosphere as we approached the border.  Eastern Turkey is also a refuge for the Kurdish minority (12 million Kurds for 68 million inhabitants).  The Kurds have been demanding a territory for ages and if they don’t get territory then they at least want to remain an entity: schools, press in their language, TV.  But, for the moment, all of that is forbidden by the government.  Problems with the Kurds is one of the reasons why Turkey is not yet part  of the European Community, because the government respects neither the rights of this minority nor their freedom of expression.

We feel a definite change in atmospheres.  People are less open and glances are different.  There is no question of speaking openly to women, who usually turn their face away as we pass.  The cities are poorer, dirtier.  Horses reappear as a means of transport.  We are far, very far from Istanbul.

Obviously, we respect all of this; we are as discreet as possible.
In Pasinler that doesn’t keep our caravan from attracting attention:  The Duponts and Georges went to have tea at the police headquarters.  As he left town, Serge met school children who were leaving their classes: the crowd was quite amazing (see the photes).  It was a magical moment, like many others…

In the evening, Serge told us he had a good day, except for the last 15 kilometers, which seemed very long.