Across the Dardanelles to Çanakkale (April 20, 2008)

We rented a car and left Istanbul on the morning of April 20th, intending to follow our guidebook's recommendation to drive down the length of the Gallipoli peninsula and then cross into Asia. However, we stopped at the very pleasant town of Gelibolu for lunch and found a great fish restaurant right next to the ferry dock. Still, we would have continued down the peninsula, but a ferry was about to leave in ten minutes, and it had room for more vehicles! Who knew how long we might wait for the southern ferry later?

So we drove up to the ticket window, where we discovered how to get our windshield washed. All you have to do to get your windshield washed in Gelibolu is to come to a stop at the ticket window. Admittedly, the windshield needed washing, but we weren't prepared for the three (yes, three!) grown men who attacked the task with soap and sponges and vigor. You can say no as much as you want. The men are very cheerful. "No to worry! Just pay what you want! Is okay! You no like?"

And so, 2 New Turkish Lira poorer, we said goodbye to Europe (Gelibolu from the sea, below) and hello to Asia (Lapseki from the sea) by a ferry (just like the one below) which had the very worst bathroom I have ever encountered anywhere (no, I don't have a picture, and don't ask).

The ferry runs every hour. The ride takes half an hour. Two ferries go back and forth, back and forth all day long at each of the two crossings. Traveling from Europe to Asia is altogether an easier experience than going to Block Island from America.

Çanakkale (April 20th)

Çanakkale is a wonderfully vibrant town with a lively waterfront promenade. My dearth of pictures is truly inexcusable. Alas, the only picture I have is the one all the tourists have to take: my traveling companion stands in front of the wooden horse from the movie Troy (the one, everyone here will remind you, with Brad Pitt), which was given to the town (the wooden horse, not Brad Pitt) and set up in a prominent location on the waterfront.

You can see how a large bunch of men could be hidden in a primitive wooden horse. But really--somebody ought to have told those folks from Hollywood that the Achaeans were nothing if not sailors and that sailors know nothing if not how to tie knots. This horse is really BIG but these knots would never have held. And the horse itself is far from shipshape. Ah--Hollywood!

We spent the night of April 20-21 here. It's close to ANZAC Day (April 25th). Already the town is crawling with half-drunk Aussies and New Zealanders having a great time celebrating the great World War I battle at Gallipoli. We love the town and we love the Aussies. They continue to celebrate all night long. I have trouble at first understanding how a campaign with over 500,000 casualties can be cause for such celebration, but in the way of time passing, it has been turned into a celebration of the friendship of Turkey and Australia, once resolute enemies.

If they can do it, why can't everyone?

Click here to see an interactive map of our trip
Follow this link to start again at Istanbul
Onward to Troy