3rd of May, 2022.
There are two women, a young one and most likely her mum, and a kid, waiting by the same place as I. This place it happens to be also a bus stop. They look at me, from time to time, and I try not to get bothered by it. Suddenly, the young girl approaches me and gives me some candies and some small fruits. That’s sweet!
A car with two men stop. And even though perhaps they just wanted to help, there is something about them which bothers me. But they say they are going to work in Nemrut, so I think I can get in, and I do. Soon enough, they pick up another guy. My backpack is in front, on the passenger seat, and I am in the back seat, with the two guys. The car is small, so we are quite squeezed. They reaffirm they are going to work there, and that’s when the driver says something about me not worrying or not be scared. Well, that’s my queue to get out!
I see a gas station approaching and I tell them I need to pee. They pull over, and when I get out, I also grab The Hulk, and don’t explain much to them, I just say something like thank you guys but I am good from here.
An elderly man comes from the gas station. He try to chat a bit with me but he cannot speak any English. He crosses the street and start to hitchhike towards Adiyaman. Soon enough somebody picks him up.
From the gas station, a group of people get in a van and passes by me. I don’t hold my sign to them, because I though, you know, private company tour, they wouldn’t stop. But they do and come back! They are a group of friends going to visit Nemrut and its surroundings. And there is some seats available, so they decide to take me! Yay!
They are all very friendly and talkative. I start chatting with the guy who is usually the joke maker of the group. He is nice and get very surprised about what I am doing it, but when he tell the others, they don’t seen much interested. Some of the ladies talk to me a bit too.
The driver is taken them to see three different sites before Nemrut, all ancient places: Karakus, Cenrede Bridge and Arsameia (Eski Kale). They are all nice, with emphasis to the bridge, but apart of the history of these places, what caught more my attention was the view. Oh, dear Loki! The views around this area are breath taking!
On the last stop before Nemrut, they seat to drink something, coffee and tea, and they get me a tea.
Right, so arriving in Nemrut, I am not sure about if you have to pay or not to visit the mount. I was told you have and that how it looks from the website. So I am considering leaving the group, taking my backpack with me and trying to bargain for a free entrance. But when we get in there, I don’t see any gate or tickets office. You pass by a building, the museum and visitor centre, but then you can carry on with your car, and that’s what we did. For a moment, I thought they had paid already, like for the whole van as a group, but no. When I ask them, they say you don’t have to pay anything. We go all up together.
It is a hell of a climb! Not so much the inclination but the length of it. And all the tiny rocks make the hike trickier. But we make to the top which, unfortunately, is packed with people. The weather is not so great and we can see the rain coming. So after visiting both sides of the mount, they all gather together to drink the wines they have brought. Yeah, that’s right! They brought some wine because they want to celebrate their friendship and register this moment. So they drink and I make a video of them singing “Bella ciau!”. I also have a glass.
If I was alone and the weather was good, most likely I would spend much more time here, because there is something special about this place.
It starts to rain when we are half way down. Me and the guy with whom I have been talking don’t get that much wet because we are the first ones to make to the van but the others get all soaked. And while we are going down, there is plenty of people coming up, which is crazy! Although, when we are on our way back, the sun comes out and there is a lovely sunset. That is actually what Nemrut Mount is famous for, a beautiful sunset.
I am starving so I eat the delicious food my Kurdish family prepared for me. Everybody have snacks and they offer me this tradition candy, similar to a Turkish delight but not really. It is made of carrots, nuts, sugar and coconut. In the opposite of Turkish delight, I really liked.
So I am in the car, getting a lift with them back to Adiyaman, because of the rain. And because it is quite late. It would make no sense trying to camp somewhere near the road with this weather. But they have told me they would go back to Adiyaman. They have just forgot to tell me they would have dinner in a small town before that. They do invite me but I don’t feel like it plus it would be too late to get to Adiyaman and asking for a place for the night in Havva’s house. Because that is my plan now. Since I have told her that, if I had another night in Adiyaman I would come to her place, I am hoping she will be fine with that now.
It is getting really dark. But I have to do it, I have to get a lift back to Adiyaman. So I hope for the best and I start. In a few minutes, a fancy car with two men stop. They are both very kind and nice and tell me they can drop me off anywhere in Adiyaman. Now tell me, do you think that I am just that lucky to by hitchhiking in the evening, in Turkey, to get such lovely people to pick me up?
I don’t know exactly how to get back to my Kurdish family house. I do know it is a few blocks from this main road and, when we drove this morning, I was paying attention on the road and I remember seeing a Burger King. That is what I tell the lovely men so they drop me there. Well, actually across the street, so I decide to ask for a plug and wi-fi in this cafe.
The friendly manager not only help me out but also offer me some tea. How sweet!
The only contact I have with my Kurdish family is an email. So I send an email to them explaining everything. But I do guess they will not be checking the email all the time, so I find their house on Google Earth and walk there. The reason is because I was told yesterday that Havva lives nearby.
When I get there everybody is very surprised but again very welcoming. I explain to them everything and they contact Havva. The husband drives me there together with his wife sister, who is Havva’s friend, and little Leyla.
Havva seems so happy to see me and for the fact I came to stay with her. That’s is so sweet! Her sister is spending the night too and it is nice to see and talk with Hellen again. She is such a lovely girl!
They prepared a delicious dinner! And we drink coffee and we chat for a long time. It is really nice to be here!
Havva sleeps in the living room with me. Each one of us in one couch. That’s so sweet of her!
In the morning, after an amazing “buffet” for breakfast, so good and with so many delicious food that I couldn’t know what to eat, I tell Havva I have to go because I am already late on my schedule. She would like to show me around thought, like the museum and other places. It is a shame I have to go and now I actually think that perhaps I could have staid. I mean, I would just have skipped one place to visit in Turkey but so what? This experience with a nice and friendly local could have been much better! I will definitely think about that next time.
Havva take a walk with me until half way of where I will hitchhike. We exchange emails and she tells me that if I decide to visit Trabzon town, she has a friend there who speaks English and perhaps he can help me. She gives me his contact and after saying goodbye to her I carry on.
