Day 3 - Çanakkale

We learned a new word today: deprem. It means earthquake.
Apparently there was a 6.5 earthquake centered around an island close to where we are in the peninsula. We had stopped to get some phone credit and I thought some kind of tank was rumbling down the street. Suddenly everybody rushed out of every building and we ran into the street.
Fortunately nothing crazy happened were we were standing.
There was a dilapidated building next to us that started crumbling and developed a huge crack above the door, a motorcycle and a car were crushed under some falling roof materials but the building didn't tumble, it's just more dilapidated.
As if we needed a reminder that we are literally straddling the European and Asian continents.
Our goal for today was Çanakkale, which is accessible by ferry from Eceabat across the peninsula.
The peninsula was apparently a hotly contested area during World War I and there are many sites of intense fighting between French, British and Turkish troops. We even passed a cemetery along the way.



As we were boarding the ferry, our couchsurfer phoned us to say that his home was heavily damaged and, due to the threat of any subsequent terms, he was going camping on the beach near Eceabat with several of his friends.
So we are headed there now, apparently safer in a tent than in a building.

Comments

  1. Encore un bien beau voyage! Et a velo quel courage!
    J'ai adore la Turquie, profitez en bien!
    Marie et John (anciennement a Albuquerque et maintenant en Floride).

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