A trip through parts of Eastern Turkey

Christine Carrillo

After 46 years of marriage and traveling to more than 75

countries, Paula and John Kruse of Newport Beach managed to mesh

their continuous quest for historical knowledge with their zest for

crossing and exploring international borders -- even if that meant

exploring the same ones again.

Following 10-year-old breadcrumbs to a country that had piqued

their interest in Greco-Roman mythology, history and biblical

stories, the couple returned to Turkey. This time they explored the

eastern side of the country.

“They’re friendly people,” John said. “I think so many people

think of Turkey as another one of those ‘Muslim’ countries, but it’s

really a very interesting country because so many other civilizations

have tromped through it.”

The Kruses, who tromped through Western Turkey about a decade ago,

were determined to feel out the entirety of the country that housed

so many historical connections. They wanted to do so without feeling

overloaded with tourist feed.

“I think it’s more the historical things than the current

culture,” said John, referring to what pulled them back to the

country in late September. “It’s good to see a Muslim country that’s

a modern Muslim country. We see that almost everywhere we travel. The

people are quite Americanized.”

With children and young adults aching for an opportunity to try

out their English on the tourists, the Kruses indulged them by

telling the youngsters about their home in California.

Their response, Paula said, was “Shaq ... the Lakers,” not the

Golden State.

Having experienced a similar warmth from the Turkish people the

first time around, the Kruses were not surprised at the friendliness

of people during their return trip, despite the United States’

current political strife with the Middle East.

“We don’t worry about things like that,” John said. “The press

tends to give us all the bad news about what’s going on in certain

places. It’s a very safe country to visit. The only thing we noticed

was that there were checkpoints on the borders with Armenia, Georgia

and Iran -- they’re looking for smugglers.”

Driving throughout Eastern Turkey on a tour bus of about 38

people, all American and Australian tourists, the Kruses were stopped

on several occasions. But that slight inconvenience, along with some

restrictions on picture taking, was the most danger they faced.

“I’d highly recommend it, and safety should not be a concern

people worry about,” John said. “We certainly had no cause for

concern.”

However, John said he would recommend Western Turkey, rather than

the east, for a first trip.

The Kruses trip to the country’s eastern half gave them a chance

to visit the sites where so many biblical stories were based.

“Many people that travel to that area are very interested in the

Christian sites,” Paula said.

From churches built during the sixth and eighth centuries to the

site of Noah’s Ark, the Kruses found themselves surrounded by

biblical and religious relics and sites that soothed their insatiable

appetites for history.

The highlight of their trip was their strenuous hike up a rocky

trail to the summit of Mt. Nemrut.

“It’s amazing because you go out into the wilderness and, from the

top of the mountain, you can ... see the Euphrates River,” Paula

said.

The view, however, wasn’t the only thing that was amazing. Atop

the 7,000 foot mountain sit 8-foot statue heads of the Greek gods

dating back to about 100 A.D.

“It’s amazing because it’s on top of a 7,000 foot mountain way out

in the boonies, really nothing around,” John said. “They told us that

some people called it the eighth wonder of the world.”

* Have you, or someone you know, gone on an interesting vacation

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