The chants for Kewell confirmed the local fan’s admiration for the Australian football star. He didn’t disappoint. Two goals and one assist saw him cheered off the field as he was replaced in the 60th minute. One of his goals was scored right in front of us, leaving the crowd screaming in unison ‘Harry….Harry Kewell…’. Quite the experience. Mark and I were lucky to even get into the stadium, as it was the first home game of the season for Galatasaray, and the 20,000 fans swelled outside the security checkpoint, all simultaneously trying to squeeze through the tiny barrier that led to the stadium entrance. Upon finally pushing through the masses and getting a seat, we were left stunned by the atmosphere inside ‘Hell’ (as the Galatasaray fans call their caldron), where we witnessed some of the most spine tingling and adrenaline-pumping chants I have ever heard. In one notable occasion, with flares swaying in unison, the crowd went silent before erupting in a four-piece call-and-reply between each of the four stands. The players seemed to rise to the occasion with a convincing and crowd-pleasing 4-1 victory.
The following morning I caught a bus down the coast to Gallipoli, where the morning after I engaged on a tour of the battlefields and surrounding region. It was quite an emotional experience to be taken through the history, and walk through the very trenches where so many young diggers perished. What was even more rewarding and emotional was the walk I attempted to complete the day after. Starting at ANZAC Cove, I followed the initial path of the Aussie and NZ troops up ‘Shrapnel Valley’, attempting to get over the ridgeline and up to ‘The Neck’, as the troops had done in their initial offensive in 1915. I somehow made it through the valley, following an old path, which twisted through low (and seriously thorny) shrub-land to the base of the ridge. By the time I reached the almost vertical cliff-face I was bleeding from cuts on my legs, and had thorns that had penetrated my shoes into my feet, and was unable to continue. Retracing my steps and then attempting to follow another of the ANZAC routes, I climbed Plugge’s Plateau to follow the ridgeline, again attempting to reach The Neck (site of the finale to the movie Gallipoli). Once again I was stopped in my tracks, this time by the narrowing of the ridge to half-a-metre in width, and dropping on either side a hundred metres or so to the valley below. Taking into account that erosion may have changed the landscape slightly since 1915, I am still absolutely bemused as to how the ANZACS made it over this ridgeline. I sat there for some time studying the terrain from the backside of the Plateau, and was left with a deep sense of admiration for the courage, skill and determination of the troops who pushed through this area on April 25, 1915.
Leaving Gallipoli, I turned north again, heading towards the Greek and Bulgarian border, to a small city called Edirne. This city was briefly the capital of the Ottoman Empire, and thus was adorned with fine baths, caravanserais and mosques, including the serene Selimiye Camaii, one of the most beautiful I have seen in all of Turkey. One of the most special parts of this small city is it’s authenticity, in part I assume due to the lack of foreign visitors who seem to rush to make their way through to Istanbul, or to cross one of the nearby borders. Their loss I guess, as this is one of the most attractive places I have visited during my time in the country. There are mosques everywhere, and the town is small enough that you can walk around and explore the regions attractions, including the old hamams, roman bridges, beautiful parks, and the river, which surround the city like a natural moat. One of the more rewarding parts of my day was spent sitting in the courtyard of Selimiye Camaii, listening to the call-to-prayer, and watching the locals casually wash themselves and enter the mosque to pray.
Tomorrow I head back to Istanbul to wait for my flight out two days later to Abu Dhabi. I have also booked my flight out to Delhi from the UAE a week later on the 3rd of September, so I’m guessing after a week or two in India I will head home (most likely with a stopover in Singapore) arriving around September 20. Looking forward to it.
Matt.
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