Day 24 - Don Curry is freezing

Don Curry usually copes well with outside temperatures. He can handle both heat and cold. The only problem arises when the temperature differences within a day become too large. Then he also has problems, like on this day.

Already during breakfast in his wonderful hotel in Mardin, Don Curry noticed that it was noticeably cooler today, especially because of the strong wind. So he had to put on a sweater today to feel comfortable at his terrace breakfast. While he was still waiting, there was intense aggression among the hotel cats. One of them had just killed a white dove and didn't want to share the fat prey, which her colleague didn't understand at all. So today Don Curry had breakfast without begging cats, but with the already known components.

After everything was packed in the suitcase, Don Curry finally wanted to visit the sights of Mardin. Unfortunately, he only had one hour for that. An employee quickly put together a program for him and accompanied him to the starting point on the upper main street (100 steps). From there, he had to go another 50 steps uphill to the Zinciriye Madrasa, the most beautiful Islamic building in Mardin. In addition to the magnificent facade, the unlimited view from the roof terrace on the second floor (25 steps) is particularly delightful. Here, the entire old town of Mardin lies at his feet. Don Curry guided by more steps downwards to the Mary Church, which, however, was closed. He also had no luck at the Chaldean Church, the courtyard was being cleaned so thoroughly that the water was ankle-deep and there was no possible way through. So Don Curry hurried to the Great Mosque, whose minaret and dome he had often seen before. However, the interior turned out to be completely sober, similar to the Great Mosque in Sanliurfa.

Punctually after one hour, Don Curry returned to Maristan Tariri Konak and was of course accompanied to his car with luggage. 'It's cold in Van,' his companion said, who knew his next destination. Don Curry started at 22° C and bright sunshine and thought: Cold is relative; it's even below 10° C in Germany now.

He wanted to visit one of the Syriac Orthodox churches east of Midyat one more time. As soon as he left the city, he came to a military checkpoint that wanted to know exactly why he was passing through here. Don Curry declared himself as a tourist and was finally allowed to pass. Directly behind the military checkpoint, he entered an extensive and completely fenced refugee camp, where he saw only a few people. The road became increasingly worse, but the landscape became more picturesque. Like a castle with fortified walls, the Church of Mor Hadbschabo stood out from the village at the end. Unfortunately, the access to the church grounds was also closed here.

As another stopover, Don Curry chose the town of Hasankeyf, which must have been one of the most beautiful and photogenic villages in Anatolia in the past. But that is now history. Here, too, a dam project has completely changed the situation. The former residents of Hasankeyf already live in modern, but uniform and characterless row houses far above the reservoir. The historical sights were rebuilt at positions above the future water level. The whole thing still looks like a huge construction site - bulldozers and excavators swarm around ancient mosques and tombs. However, extensive areas for restaurants and souvenir shops have already been completed. One of the vendors told Don Curry that everything will be finished in two or three years; then he should come back. And now buy a book about how beautiful Hasankeyf was before. Don Curry declined and wondered: Can presumed progress be so destructive?

He zoomed 300 km on mostly well-developed roads to the east. Near Tatvan, he saw the huge blue expanse of Lake Van for the first time and realized that it was no longer warm in the car. The air conditioning remained constant at 20° C, but the outside temperature had dropped to 11° C. During the journey, Don Curry suddenly saw snow-covered mountains. Where had he ended up?

He reached his destination, the Ramada Hotel directly on the shore of Lake Van, only after sunset. When he left his car, the thermometer showed 6° C. Don Curry was freezing. He quickly took out a sweater from his suitcase to put it on, and then put on a jacket. It was colder here than in Germany! Fortunately, his room with a view of the lake had already been preheated. He quickly went to the hotel restaurant, ordered chicken schnitzel with fries and Efes - completely unregional - and paid more for the beer than for the food.

'It's cold in Van,' the friendly person from Mardin had predicted. He had been right...