Around the highest elevation we reached the whole trek... hiking towards what was to be our last campsite.
Bryan on the terrace with another Oren family eating popcorn We continued to walk through town, winding among various farm animals (I had to help Bryan get by the donkey) until we heard a call. Looking up, there was a woman on her 2nd floor porch calling to us, "Gel! Gel!" (come! come!). So we smiled, said okay, struggled out of our boots and packs and spent almost an hour sitting on the porch of the house built by the family with a breathtaking view of a mountain canyon. The grandmother spent the entire time we were there grinding corn on a stone mortar and pestle while one mother air popped popcorn over a wood fire.
When we finally left that family - the mother insisted on giving us the rest of the popcorn - as well as a bag of olives and ANOTHER bag of yufka! (needless to say - we ate a lot of yufka the next few days).
When we finally left that family - the mother insisted on giving us the rest of the popcorn - as well as a bag of olives and ANOTHER bag of yufka! (needless to say - we ate a lot of yufka the next few days).
Two sons and their grandfather, who has lived in this town his entire life. His daughter gave us an entire bag full of yufka (a really thin long-life bread).Due to a series of events during the first days of our trek, by the third day we had decided that unless we obtained more food, we would have to bail from the trek to find something to eat. The only problem with this is we were days worth of hiking away from the next place where we could buy food.
We finally arrived at the town of Oren around 2 in the afternoon (population: mmmmaybe 50). We walked into town and were greeted by this elderly Turk standing outside his home. During the course of our conversation, his daughter went into the house and came out with a bag full of yufka, and her little boys ran shyly up to us and gave it to us. In exchange for candy, they posed for Bryan's camera. They were so friendly!
We finally arrived at the town of Oren around 2 in the afternoon (population: mmmmaybe 50). We walked into town and were greeted by this elderly Turk standing outside his home. During the course of our conversation, his daughter went into the house and came out with a bag full of yufka, and her little boys ran shyly up to us and gave it to us. In exchange for candy, they posed for Bryan's camera. They were so friendly!
Walking up one of the main public roads in Oren 
A view hiking along towards the village of Ören (Haskızılören)
Bryan at a spring refilling our water bottles
Bryan with the family, our first "major cultural encounter"We started hiking the next day - uphill, of course - and after a few hours we started hearing what sounded like cow bells. We finally figured out the sounds came from goats. The trail lead right through the mountainside pasture of a goatherd and his family who were up for a few weeks while the kids had some time from school off. They said they don't normally come up in the winter but the weather waas mild so they drove all 120 goats up the mountian from their village in the valley, so lucky for us, they were around!
The father and son were planting peach trees, and took time off to talk with us while the mum and sister made tea - and a whole delicious meal of vegetables from their garden (at this point we'd been eating nothing but noodles and rice for a few days so we were really, really happy to see the tomatoes and onions!). The whole time they were talking to us I could understand about half of what they were saying, but despite the language difference they were still super friendly and welcoming. We left that family in very high spirits.
The father and son were planting peach trees, and took time off to talk with us while the mum and sister made tea - and a whole delicious meal of vegetables from their garden (at this point we'd been eating nothing but noodles and rice for a few days so we were really, really happy to see the tomatoes and onions!). The whole time they were talking to us I could understand about half of what they were saying, but despite the language difference they were still super friendly and welcoming. We left that family in very high spirits.
No comments:
Post a Comment