And now for something completely different.

My first and only car wash in Turkey. In a strange turn of events, I ended up catching a ride to Ankara with a guy who was going to the same workshop as me, and needed to drop a car off at the British Institute. He walked in at lunch, and a half hour later we were on the road. Very weird. Normally I would be wary of such things, but stranger things have happened. 

Driving in Ankara is not for the faint of heart, as there is no regard for lanes, and cutting people off seems to be not only expected but the only way to get anywhere. In any case, we went the wrong way on several one way streets, got lost, blocked traffic for a while, and still somehow managed to drop off the car without any major incidents.  

Gordion History

This blog is very behind right now, and I'm only just getting to the point where I leave Gordion. I thought I would end with a post about something completely random. They have been excavating at the site since 1950, and there are lots of traces around the house of excavators and visitors from years past. My favorite is the bookshelves filled with novels that people have left behind. They make up a fairly complete record of popular reading from the last 60 years. Tucked in the back, on the very bottom shelf, I found these books. 

And with that, I'm off to other adventures. Goodbye, Gordion! I'll miss you!

A Night of Black Sea Dancing

We went out for dinner in Ankara, at a wonderful restaurant on a terrace that had (by far) the best Turkish food I've had. They seemed reluctant to let us in at first, but Gareth somehow managed to get us a spot. I think some name dropping might have been involved, but who really knows. Anyhow, I love meze. 

This was the only photo I took at dinner. We were the only foreigners there, and were already receiving a lot of stares, so I tried to refrain from looking any more like a tourist. 

From there, we ended up going to watch Black Sea style music at a bar next door. The bag pipe player, Ozbay, works at the hotel where we always stay, and has toured the world playing music.  There was a lively group at the bar, and everyone was up and dancing most of the evening. We got roped into joining for a few numbers, but the steps are complicated, and I made a complete fool of myself. Oh well. Luckily most people seemed excited enough by the music to ignore the presence of a few token foreigners. The people of the Black Sea region of Turkey, I was told, have a distinct regional identity and culture, and identify very strongly with hailing from the region.

    

 

Ozbay explains how the bagpipe works. 

Gareth gives it a try.

The dancing begins. 

Anıtkabir (Part 2)

I thought the Anıtkabir deserved more than one post, partially because I am fascinated with the place, and completely taken with Atatürk's entire persona. He had the look of a silent movie star, and managed to transform the entire character of this country. I'm also fascinated because we don't have any national figures that even come close to receiving the reverence shown to this man.

Atatürk. I took this picture from elsewhere on the internet.

Guard stationed at the entrance to the main building. 

A nice family portrait. I hope I wasn't being creepy.

Atatürk's address to the Turkish youth.

There are a number of Atatürk's speeches displayed, and I was incredibly impressed with how moving they are.  

I'm also obsessed with the guards at this place.

Anıtkabir (Part 1)

I've been on the move, and am now really far behind on this blog. I've yet to resolve my internet issues, but hopefully I'll have that taken care of soon...

In any case, we went into Ankara again for my last day off from Gordion. Janet (my roommate, and an absolutely delightful person) suggested we go to the Anitkabir, Atatürk's mausoleum. For anyone who makes it to Ankara, or even Turkey, this is a place you have to see. Atatürk is the father of modern Turkey, and is revered almost like a god. The mausoleum is a fantastic example of fervent nationalism at its finest, with Atatürk's clothes, personal effects, and even his dog on display. There is also a section dedicated to the War of Independance, fought against the Greeks. One of the major battles was actually fought in the area right around Gordion, strangely enough. Its hard not to be moved by tales of wartime atrocities and triumphant victories, the elaborate dioramas and the general nationalistic excess. 

  

The changing of the high-stepping guards.

Statues depicting women in national costumes of Turkey.

More guards.

The main building, housing Atatürk's body.

I just thought these reliefs were fantastic.

Random Shots

I've got no real thread tying these pictures together, just thought I would post some pictures I liked. Things have been very chaotic the past few days, and I realized its been a week since I put anything up. I've got a huge backlog of photos now.  

Storm.

Dolmuş. Small buses that carry people around. The name is the Turkish word for stuffed, because the buses don't leave until they're stuffed full of people...or so I hear. Also one of my favorite Turkish words.

Weather balloon for aerial photography.

If a Turkish cow ever got the chance, he would eat you and everyone you care about. 

Working in a Tomb

We've been working off and on in the Midas tomb. We're cleaning and helping in the monitoring of the environment. This involves lots of shimmying on ladders and scaffolding, and reminds me of my childhood spelunking adventures more than anything else.

   

The roof of the tomb.

A tethered vacuum, suspended from a bar in case it falls from the scaffolding.

Richard surveys the roof of the tomb.

This is me cleaning a 2700-year-old log. I find that to be a lot of pressure.

Also, it was brought to my attention by a friend that this blog is currently failing to focus on the city of Los Angeles. I hope unsuspecting visitors are not disappointed by the false advertising. I might change the title picture, if I have time before cocktail hour.