My journey continues from the city of Kars to the Easternmost district of Turkey, lying
near the border with Iran.
The journey follows the line of an ancient caravan route.
The main road often carries regular convoys of intercontinental vehicles heading for Iran,
Afghanistan, and beyond.
Travel days such as this, teach you to trust and surrender to whatever that may come along the way.
Good morning!
This is me just checking out the hotel that I was staying at
and trying to get a bus to the bus station so that I can get to the next destination
called Igdir, and then from there, I have to get to Dogubeyazit.
Wish me luck, guys!
I'm going to Igdir?
Igdir?
So take the bus?
Where are you from?
Indonesia.
Go straight?
Yes yes!
Go straight.. come let's go!
Come let's go!
What's your name? Syifa, You?
Fevzi
You Muslim?
No, not a Muslim.
Do you get a boyfriend?
Me? Yes, boyfriend yes.
My camera bag is so heavy!
Come, Syifa come!
Do you want some tea?
Uh, no I'll see it later.
Window seat?
Fevzi is so kind, the kind gentleman right here.
Taking me all the way and bringing me to get some tea.
Do you want some tea?
Yes, please!
No sugar.
This is how they heat the tea.
Oh, teşekkürler! (thank you in Turkish)
You feel the sense of good intention and they're talking about where I am from and everything.
They're asking what is this GoPro thingy because it's very small.
In the Middle Eastern culture and even in South Asia, inviting for tea is a kind gesture of hospitality.
Syifa, see you later!
Yes, thank you so much!
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Bye-bye Fevzi.
Goodbye!
That's just the very first morning and things are already happening.
That's why I really like taking buses,
trains because there are so many locals along the way.
And usually, that's where you find such hospitalities and stories that you can't ever predict.
Dur (stop)!
No?
Yes!
(Seat) number four?
I guess we just figure it out.
This is a pleasant experience already in the morning.
The camera bag is so heavy huh!
Not only the camera bag, trying to navigate yourself, trying to be self-aware, sometimes
like regardless of hospitality being a solo female traveler, of course, there's this thought
of "oh is this person going to scam me or not?"
But usually in a smaller country, in a smaller part of the city, in a more rural area,
that's where true and such genuine hospitality happens.
We're stopping over for a quick break, pitstop.
But I'm just so so floored, along the way it's incredible!
I mean the flatland probably is not the best representation on the camera, but it's so
vast!
I don't know if you can see behind me, like snow cap mountain, snow-capped mountains.
I think that could be the mountain Ararat I don't know!
This rugged, stony gravel road, uninhabited land all-around.
Can you see it right there?
Just over the cloud.
We are quite up high in the altitude of above I think 1200m.
Stopping over for a quick petrol number two.
Can you see this Ararat mountain?
It's just so vast and huge!
Just right in your eyes, it's incredible!
Oh my God!
The camera doesn't do any justice to how magnificent it looks in real life!
Dogubeyazit?
That way? Okay, thank you!
So I have just arrived
in the city of Igdir?
Uh, I don't know if that's how you say it.
But I have to figure out how to find Dogubeyazit
Dogubeyazit?
That way? Okay, thank you!
Teşekkürler! (thank you in Turkish)
I think this is the market and the city center
because you can see a lot of fresh produces and people are walking passing by.
Teşekkürler! (thank you in Turkish)
Ooo, look at the local fresh (produces)!
Oh those grapes!
Dogubeyazit?
Tamam! (OK in Turkish)
Merhaba, Dogubeyazit?
Dogubeyazit, yes!
This bus.
Dogubeyazit?
Yes!
That way Oh okay!
Teşekkürler! (thank you in Turkish)
One? Here?
Oh okay, okay!
Thank you.
I think they're just trying to uh tell me where to sit?
This is much lower elevation than Kars city because it doesn't feel as cold.
You're from turkey, I know.
Are you from Igdir?
How do you say Igdir?
And how do you say Dogubeyazit?
The bus looks incredibly clean!
I don't know how much does it cost, but I think overall the bus in Turkey is extremely safe.
Only 15 TL, $2! That is so affordable for the quality!
Approaching Dogubeyazit, the towering 16800ft volcanic peak of mount Ararat
was slowly hovering into view.
With its snow-capped peak, I felt a sense of humbleness and humility to witness such grandeur from afar.
On a typical hazy day, the base of the mountain blends into the blue sky leaving the enormous
white cap of snow hovering eerily in space.
Teşekkürler! (thank you in Turkish)
Bye!
Uuh, there is a bus coming!
Do you think the bus will take me? I don't know..
So the bus driver is basically saying that this is actually the other way around,
not this way.
But it's okay!
Indonesia
Merhaba!
One small step, just get onto the bus
is already an incredible achievement.
Another achievement, get to the city center!
Now my next task is to contact my host and tell him that I am here.
What a day has it been hey!
We are at 1600m elevation (above sea level).
Mask? yes!
Okay, four.
Two and (then another two).
Five?
Five okay?
Just take it.
Five for two (of you)?
Teşekkürler! (thank you in Turkish)
Name?
My name is Suleiman
My name is Addis.
Addis?
My name is Mert
My name is Yusuf
I think they may have seen tourists for quite a while,
that's why they can speak English a little bit
because they know the word of tourists.
Chocolate? No?
How many? One two three four five, fifteen!
Yeah!
Hello!
This is the day that I am in the Dogubeyazit, you don't pronounce the "G".
I'm currently in a local park if you can see, but I have been sitting here just drinking
tea and...
and have been so kind!
She's taking me through her shop, I think?
(She is) showcasing that this is her shop and I've been drinking from her tea.
Teşekkürler!
Basically just been a bit exhausted from yesterday's trip, but I'm actually here just to see the
view of Mount Ararat.
The city itself is very close to Iran border, you just cross to the border in a few minutes.
As you can see there are plenty of locally produced fruits, I guess?
Very colorful and all..
Hello yes yes hello yes
Çay (tea)?
Yes, okay!
What is your name?
Syifa
(Can I) sit there?
Camera?
Yes!
Name?
Yes, camera.
Syifa, you?
What is your name, Abdul Razzak
Oh no, it's okay (trying to pay for the tea)
No, no.
No, Syifa!
Spas? (Thank you in Kurdish)
Kurdish (ethnicity)?
Yes, Kurdish
Spas = Teşekkürler?
Every time I wanted to pay he kept saying, which means no.
And I said "spas" which means thank you in Kurdish (language).
Isn't that just incredible when a local that you don't know, they don't know you,
but they're so kind in showcasing a little generosity and showcasing such hospitality
by offering tea giving a warm feeling and friendliness,
in which especially as a solo traveler
sometimes the way the filming situation doesn't work as you plan it,
sometimes you feel lonely and feel secluded in a far foreign land that
you don't understand the language and you don't know anyone.
Can you see the clear view of Mount Ararat from the city of Dogubeyazit?
It's incredibly magnificent, it's so big!
Can you see there is a painting of Frida Kahlo, of all places!
We are walking towards the city center, this is where the locals are sunbathing I guess?
Because it's the winter, nothing much of a difference rather than
it's mostly shops filled with people going on and about with their lives.
This is also how local is drinking their tea.
So you have this tall of
tower, of uh not stuff fire, fire?
and the water, and usually that's the...
Syifa!
Hello!
That yesterday's kids.
Yeah, so and they are just placed all over the town.
I am here just to be able to see the view of Mount Ararat.
How lucky I am that today is very clear.
In Dogubeyazit, there is this one place called Ishak Pasha palace, and
I think this is the bus that we are going for?
One of the reasons why I want to come to Dogubeyazit is this particular palace. It's called Ishak Pasa Palace (İshak Paşa Sarayı).
It's incredible that this was built back in 1000AD.
It's incredible because it was found around the rugged mountains, just surrounding the Ararat.
Can you see, the mountains surrounding it?
This reminds me of what I've seen in Iran!
Can you imagine what the palace used to look like with a fully functioning room and courtyard?
This is extremely well-preserved architecture and example of
how the Seljuk empire used to build the palace.
Thank you so much for watching today's episode!
I hope you can learn a thing or two from this video together with me.
Let me know what you think in the comment section down below.
Don't forget to check out my Patreon page, if you wish to support a creator like me and my work.
Yeah, see you again next time on the next video,
Bye!