Day 76 - Gallipoli

- I really have trouble sleeping if I know I have to get up early the next morning, even if I have 2 alarm clocks set!!  Drives me crazy.  I was being picked up between 6.30-7am for my day tour to Gallipoli but was awake from about 4am. 

The Gallipoli site is a long bus ride from Istanbul – after picking up all the passengers from their various hotels, we didn’t really set off on the til about 8am.  We only had a stop of about 30min along the way, and arrived in the region after 12.30am.  I really wasn’t in the mood to talk on the bus – ipod great in those situations.

After lunch (pretty good meal), we were transported around the Gallipoli area via big bus.  Our guide was Mourat, and he was excellent, providing a really clear picture of the events leading up to ANZAC day, the Turkish perspective, a blow by blow description of what it was like at the time (as per letters and communication from people who were there), and all in a very sensitive manner. 

Places we visited in order were:

1. What is known as Brighton Beach
2. Hell’s Pit
3. Shrapnel Beach
4. ANZAC Cove
5. Site of Simpson’s grave (as in Simpson and his donkey)
6. Site of ANZAC day ceremony
7. Ari Burnu Cemetery (found the grave where a family member is buried)
8. Lone Pine Australia Memorial
9. Johnson Jolly – trenches still exist in the area
10. Turkish Cemetery
11.  Nek Cemetery
12. Chumuk Bair – first objective of the Allied landing in April 1915 because it is the highest point in the area, and site of NZ Memorial.

The whole took about 4.5 hours.  It was incredibly moving.  War sucks. 

Wild poppies at Brighton Beach

ANZAC Cove

Grave of Simpson

Tourists reading plagues outlining what occured in the area, against the backdrop of the rugged terrain

Statue from Lord Casey, Australian General honouring the bravery of a Turkish soldier who assisted an injured Allied soldier

Lone Pine

Trenches still clearly visible

Turkish memorial and cemetary

To give you an idea of the terrain

An amazing man - Ataturk

We then headed back to Istanbul on the bus, leaving at 6.30pm and again having a 30 min break on the way.  I did not get back to my hotel til midnight so was well and truly exhausted.  At least I had space on the bus on the way back to lie down and have a nap every now and again.