Summer in the Highlands

On Saturday we journeyed up into the mountains for the annual summer highland festival. After several hours of driving through pine forests and along cliff-sides, we popped out into what felt like another world. All of a sudden the humidity was gone and replaced with a cool breeze despite the blazing sun and bare stone cliffs rose from the flat basin. It kind of felt like being on the moon, if the moon happened to have craters carpeted with grass. The basin is filled by a glacier in the winter but in August it makes the perfect place for the entire community to gather.

We spent the day eating our way through the festival. A gözleme here, a cup of fresh mulberry juice there, köfte-ekmek (a Turkish meatball sandwich), spiraled potatoes, and many many cups of çay. We also drank ayran, a traditional salty yogurt drink. Below you can see the traditional preparation: inside a hanging sheep's skin and stirred with a long wooden dowel. The skin gives the drink its bacterial cultures as well as helping to keep it cool. It's definitely an acquired taste and I still can't drink a whole cup, but I will say that this ayran was the best I've had all summer.

As we explored the tents and stalls it became clear that we were the only non-locals at the festival at all. It felt like a great privilege to experience a part of life here in Turkey that is largely closed off to tourists. Despite clearly standing out from the community, every person we interacted with was more than welcoming. This kind of unconditional hospitality has been a common theme of my experience in Turkey this summer overall. Regardless of who you are, the people here are eager to talk, eat, and share good moments together.

Some other highlights of the day include: 1) Unexpected camels in the mountains! 2) Our bus drivers and site foreman taking a little mola (break). 3) Goat kisses! 4) The hardest and most addicting carnival game. Similar to beer pong, but about about a million times more challenging. 5) Leah at the main stage!

Thanks for reading :)

-GMH