"Our" Beautiful (squatted) House by the Waterfall! - The story about the traveling band Caspian Caravan and the Journey Over Land to India Part 11
Time to get on to the next chapter in the story from about when I travelled overland to India with a band, funding all our expenses with music. A journey that took 1 year and 8 months, through 32 countries!
Last Episode On The road With The Girls
Tortum Gölü, Turkey
June 2011
In the last episode I left the guys for a bit to go travelling with the Spanish Girls. In this episode we meet up again with the guys. We had looked at the map before splitting up and decided we would meet again at the spot "Tortum Gölü" - gölü means dam, and there was also written there was a şelale, which means waterfall. We didn't know anything about the place, but we would often just look at the map and if there was written something nice like waterfall we would go check it out! This was before smart phones and stuff you know..!
I don't remember exactly how we met up and who found the house. I think the guys (Jeff, Sparrow and Matt) came before us and already found the house. How we found each other I also don't remember, but I remember sitting at the café by the dam, looking at this view, waiting for the others to turn up
Turned out that the Tortum Waterfall is the largest waterfall in Turkey!
The waterfall is fed only from the surplus water from the Dam and thus now functions only for a very short period during the months of May and June when the water level of the lake is exceptionally high. During the other months the bed of the waterfall is almost dry.
Wikipedia
Luckily we were there in June! Solely by change!
We had to cross the bridge that goes right by the waterfall and underneath the rainbow! A magical passage, that made you come out soaked on the other side!
Strangely, even though it turns out that the waterfall is only functioning for such a short time of the year and the fact that it's the largest waterfall in Turkey and it's really beautiful, there were not many tourists or visitors at all! And those there were just stopped at the café and didn't go for walks beyond the waterfall.
So what met us on the other side, somewhere under the rainbow was an incredible beautiful landscape, with small walking paths to little houses. Very fertile, with fresh water springs and the wild river running behind, and almost nobody around!
The guys had found this little "house" which was not really a house at all, just an empty hay shed, with big spaces between the planks of wood, but for us it was the most beautiful little house that we moved into for a bit!
There even was a fresh water spring coming out right under the house, so we had running drinking water!
view
There was a door with a padlock underneath, which of course we didn't touch. But we borrowed the space for a second room :)
We tried to ask around about the house. Of course it's not nice to just be moving in on someone's property. If it's just for a night I usually don't have a problem with it, if you can see the space is not used, but we were so comfy that we were gonna stay at least a few days, so we better ask around!
We ended up meeting the very friendly neighbours and we were welcomed with big open arms! We had to communicate in the sparse Turkish we had picked up along the way, but we made out that it was no problem for us staying at the shed a few days, though we couldn't really figure out if anyone knew who it belonged to..
Trespassing is hardly a thing in Turkey anyway. If you see a stranger on your land, the custom is to invite him in for tea!
Turkey is the most hospitable country I have ever experienced!
Blanca and Gemma helping in the field of our neighbours
music break
And as always invited for a taste of their own honey and youghurt!
the first strawberry!
These neighbours were two old sisters, living together. Never married. They were the sweetest old ladies living together in such a beautiful place and house! I really loved their little tea space with the sweetest little clay oven!
Fatima
Culture exchange! :)
Back at our house with shoes under the roof
Celebrating Sparrow's 25th birthday
The house from the Garden
And this was our back garden waterfall
Other creatures living here too though! (fortunately not in the house) We were so fascinated by this guy!
We went for a little hitchhiking trip and got a ride in the digger of an excavator!
Then one day we finally found the owners of the shed, or they found us - and invited us for tea at their house!
Where we met and played and danced with his whole family!
This was really one of my favorite places we stayed in Turkey. So friendly and warm people! It was so nice to be staying together as the bigger "traveling family" (we were 8 staying together at the house) in such peaceful and beautiful surroundings. I really enjoyed traveling with the Spanish girls, since they were so good at getting getting to know the locals, to communicate and share!
So thank you to all that took part of this trip of the journey!
So much love!
Thank you for stopping by! <3
Life is truly simple and full of joy if we allow it. Being away from the city and going back into nature, just being around the local folks, now.. that's the richness that no money can buy.
From the photos one can actually feel the happiness of the families whom you have met and the joy that you have brought to them and them to you.
This positive vibe that's in you makes you stand out amongst everyone else.
thank you! those are so precious words, i really appreciate that!
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Gosh I love these episodes. And I miss the days of travelling without smartphones... why can't we just go instead of looking stuff up all the time!!!
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i know, it had a certain magic to it! i remember my dad telling about when he was travelling in the 70s without even normal phones or internet. the only way to contact people back home was by letters that would be two weeks to arrive. must have been such a different feeling..
Yeah, for sure. We read a lot of adventure stories, especially the overland ones from Australia to Europe or the ones through places like tibet in the '50's to the '70's - a different world. Some landscapes don't even exist anymore, like temples in the Middle East. And imagine when folks immigrated to Australia in the 50's - imagine how long a letter took back to Europe to family left behind!
Your stories and adventures always make me want to get back on the road again, what an amazing experience this whole trip must have been. I look forward to more xxx
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What an amazing adventure, @frejafri. Turkey seems to be such a beautiful and warm country.
I have never stayed in a hut like that but I would like to try it.
Thanks a lot for this great article and all the lovely photos! 😊
thank you! Yes the warmth and hospitality from the turkish people is unforgettable!
I used to be an adventurer like you, then I took an arrow in the knee.
maybe too adventurous...!? how did that happen?
Hehe, it's an old saying meaning got married ;)
haha, okay XD
You can call yourself lucky to be traveling like this. You're making so many great memories!
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Thank you for the submission for our project – 1001 Places to Remember. Let us go through the content and will make an announcement soon for the posts which will be winning the rewards as well as qualify for the publication.
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thank you! I know there are a bit too many pictures for your project, but couldn't stop myself! Hope you can manage to edit it a bit :)
We can manage that :) Thanks for your support @frejafri! We love these striking photographs.
Loved your story and photos, Freja! Keep them coming!