After the valleys shaped by the wind and water, we have passed through a geography completely different while we were going towards Konya. For a long while, we have driven without seeing any height until the horizon around Salt Lake. A close but infinite horizon…
Infinity
While we were struggling against the wind and trying to keep our vehicle on the road, we got into a sand storm. The atmosphere including tumbleweeds looked like it came out from a western movie. We tried to find the names of the villages we passed through from the map. We couldn’t. Then we checked them vie GPS. They weren’t there either. We were travelling towards infinity on a road, end of which was invisible.
Road to Nowhere
In this extraordinary atmosphere, we got off from our vehicle when we reached the Salt Lake. Then we realized the colorful bird on the buffer. So, we discovered the reason of the hitting sound we heard miles before. The bee-eater bird was still alive after the entire journey. There were 100 km to the closest veterinary. We put it into a box after checking its wings and paws.
Bee-eater
We ran into another miraculous encounter on the way to Konya with the bird who will be recovered and fly again the day after. The people are like birds… We ran into our traveller friend with whom we met in Ege 2 months ago and travelled together for a while. He hitchhikes just on the same place of the same road at the same time with us, and we go to Konya Mystic Music Festival together.
When we reach Konya, we find a free caravan parking. Electricity, water, shower, toilet, wi-fi; all for free! And just next to the hobby gardens.
Caravan Park
Konya welcomes us better than we expected, warmly. Besides 4 degrees at night.
When it gets cold unexpectedly, we rush into the flea market with more than 50 travellers came together for the festival on Sunday. Everybody succeeds finding some warm clothes just with the coins in their pockets. Every need is fulfilled in the same way in the commune house, founded spontaneously throughout the festival.
Each night, we listen to the music of bands from different countries with their local instruments. From Bolivia to Tajikistan, Iran to Indonesia… In daytime, we participate in macramé classes in then commune house and explore Konya. Drinking local soda in Hiçhane becomes our daily routine. Hiçhane is a nice café close to Mevlana Museum. It’s motto is: “the place of the people who says we are “nothing” in a world in which everybody is trying to be something”. We meet Rumi and explore Şems within our existence.
Hiçhane
After 8 days we spent in peace and music, we move towards the south again, to heat ourselves. We go to 9000 years ago with two travellers we met in the festival. We witness the big bang of humanity in Çatalhöyük. We see that, the whole civilization is built on what those people have done. Just like the residents of Çatalhöyük done thousands of years ago; building their homes on the houses of old generations and burying the dead under their homes. A mirror of wisdom…
While we are trying to combine our thoughts that has dispersed and came together again, another extraordinary encounter finds us in geography, in the garden of the house we stayed in Antalya. Our friend that we haven’t seen for a long time appears in the garden. Everybody knows one another somehow…
Garden of Encounters
*Cover Photo: Küf
https://www.facebook.com/KUFproject.oficial
