If you consider visiting Van, I recommend you to take train. This route is still not popular enough among tourists because eastern Turkey had gone through violent conflicts. As long as you don’t get yourself in trouble intentionally, you’ll be safe though. I traveled Eastern Turkey by hitchhiking last year with my wife, and felt really safe and welcomed. People are very friendly, food is great, the nature is like Swi…
The Turkish city that lives for breakfast
41–50 of 50 posts
Re: The Turkish city that lives for breakfast
#42Earlier quoted context omitted.
There is a lot of military check points, many undercover cops. So you need to manage your ambition about politics when you’re there. just be a tourist and you’ll be fine :)
>So you need to manage your ambition about politics A polite way of saying "don't be that jerk that goes to someone else's home/town/county/state/country just to tell them what they're doing wrong" which really shouldn't be that hard to do if you're distracted by all the other touristy things you should be doing. Edit: I know this is gonna get down-voted because it's not "nice" but it's true. You shouldn't go to wher…
Re: The Turkish city that lives for breakfast
#43Earlier quoted context omitted.
>So you need to manage your ambition about politics A polite way of saying "don't be that jerk that goes to someone else's home/town/county/state/country just to tell them what they're doing wrong" which really shouldn't be that hard to do if you're distracted by all the other touristy things you should be doing. Edit: I know this is gonna get down-voted because it's not "nice" but it's true. You shouldn't go to wher…
I'd say people need to recognize that the role of tourist and activist are different, and don't combine well. Know why you're there, and take the appropriate precautions for your role, and you're probably going to be fine. But don't show up as an activist and expect to be treated like a tourist.
Re: The Turkish city that lives for breakfast
#44Earlier quoted context omitted.
There is a lot of military check points, many undercover cops. So you need to manage your ambition about politics when you’re there. just be a tourist and you’ll be fine :)
>So you need to manage your ambition about politics A polite way of saying "don't be that jerk that goes to someone else's home/town/county/state/country just to tell them what they're doing wrong" which really shouldn't be that hard to do if you're distracted by all the other touristy things you should be doing. Edit: I know this is gonna get down-voted because it's not "nice" but it's true. You shouldn't go to wher…
Any tourist activist is a pure idiot. People are quite capable of taking care of themselves, and if something human behaviour related looks like it needs fixing it's likely a non trivial thing to fix.
Re: The Turkish city that lives for breakfast
#45Re: The Turkish city that lives for breakfast
#46Earlier quoted context omitted.
Lake Van Express(Eastwards:Sundays and Tuesdays, Westwards:Tuesdays and Thursdays). Eastern Express, which works between Ankara and Kars, is running sleepers full.
It is usually overbooked though. It was great a few years ago when it wasn't very popular.
Re: The Turkish city that lives for breakfast
#47Earlier quoted context omitted.
Both parties are abused. No body gives a damn about Armenians or Turks. Not really. Other countries are using this to exploit both countries however it is possible. That's enough abuse. It's politics and it's disgusting.
Turkey needs to recognize the Genocide, instead it's putting all its effort into denial propaganda inside and outside Turkey. They even made Armenians not bringing it up a precondition for opening the border. Until Turkey can be honest Armenians will fight for truth to be preserved outside of Turkey. This may be an abstract issue for you but most Armenians today still are just one generation away from survivors and t…
Re: The Turkish city that lives for breakfast
#48Earlier quoted context omitted.
Turkey needs to recognize the Genocide, instead it's putting all its effort into denial propaganda inside and outside Turkey. They even made Armenians not bringing it up a precondition for opening the border. Until Turkey can be honest Armenians will fight for truth to be preserved outside of Turkey. This may be an abstract issue for you but most Armenians today still are just one generation away from survivors and t…
You're completely missing my point. Although the main issue is the violence and genocide dispute between 2 nations (just making an objective remark that covers both sides), you can't just look at this matter only from that perspective. It's all about power leverage and gain. I have Armenian friends living in Turkey labeled traitors by the diaspora in the States who are not oppressed like their counterparts in Turkey.…
Re: The Turkish city that lives for breakfast
#49Having heard the hype about this famous breakfast I have to admit to being a little underwhelmed when I experienced it myself, so ymmv. Apart from that my trip to Eastern Turkey was brilliant and as with others I wholeheartedly recommend it. So much amazing history and scenery, friendly people, easy travel. I'd suggest it's safer with at least two of you and I'm not sure I'd visit Diyarbakir area if I went again now.…
> Don't mention the Armenian genocide. What happens when you do? Do people just stop being nice to you or way more?
Re: The Turkish city that lives for breakfast
#50Earlier quoted context omitted.
You're completely missing my point. Although the main issue is the violence and genocide dispute between 2 nations (just making an objective remark that covers both sides), you can't just look at this matter only from that perspective. It's all about power leverage and gain. I have Armenian friends living in Turkey labeled traitors by the diaspora in the States who are not oppressed like their counterparts in Turkey.…
It's not a "dispute", no more than Holocaust was. You trying to make this some kind of argument that has two sides is an insult to me. Jewish people don't have to listen to Germans complaining how Jewish killed so many Germans in Warsaw. Turks drafted our men to "labor battalions", slaughtered them, and slaughtered remaining women and children. I have heard first hand stories of people who survived but lost most of t…