The Van trip organized on the evening of the first day I settled in Batman’s Sason district, due to our visit to Sason and the region, got me very excited.
Thanks to this trip, I will have the chance to see Bitlis, Siirt and Van for the first time and for years
After midnight, we arrived at the junction of Kozluk by the highway, which harbors very difficult conditions in Sason.. We were now waiting for the bus carrying friends from Diyarbakır.. With intense telephone diplomacy, we learned where the bus departing from Diyarbakır and going to Van via Batman, Kozluk and Bitlis is at.. We took pictures on the side of the road, laughed and had fun, not caring that it was past midnight.. We waited for the arrival of the bus with the interesting glances of the truck drivers passing by.. However, there was a problem; We were going to get on the bus for three people, but the three seats reserved for us were in separate spots.
While I was sitting at the back of the bus, one of my friends had to sit in the stewardess seat at the front of the bus and the other in the middle of the bus.
Sitting in separate seats for the journey that would take around 6 hours would have caused trouble, but our eyes were closed before the expected trouble could be experienced.
After finishing the first half of the journey with our eyes closed, we took a break at Buzlupınar Facilities.. I had never brought anything with long sleeves on my way from Izmir, as I did not expect to encounter such a low temperature in the middle of summer.. I paid the penalty for this by trembling.
I was quite surprised by the narrow single street of the city center of Bitlis, which we entered with half-closed eyes, inside the rocks.. All the settlements in the city were lined up side by side, in two rows, giving a fairly regular impression.. After leaving Bitlis in a short time, we reached Tatvan, one of the most important districts of the region.. Therefore, the first settlement where Lake Van greeted us was Tatvan.
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The environment, reminiscent of the Black Sea climate, evoked the unique landscapes on calendars and postcards with the first light of the morning.. For a moment I felt myself in the Black Sea highlands.. In the meantime, my sleep, which the cool air took over me, had long gone away.
The ongoing road construction works at many points of the road allowed us to see the surroundings more closely.. In many parts of the region, the government’s double road constructions continued at full speed.. The cost of working in this way in this geography must be so high that I always say that the government should be congratulated on this issue.
The first and last point we stop in Van is the Van Bus Station.. Van Bus Station, which we arrived at when life started slowly, evokes the landscapes of Middle Eastern countries.. I also experience the Bus Station enigma, which is one of the biggest shortcomings I see in cities in Turkey, in Van.. Such outdated, disgraceful images can be easily seen at bus stations in many parts of Turkey.. I wish the municipalities to start working to modernize their bus stations as soon as possible.
The warning letter I saw at the Bus Station, which welcomed the guests who came to Van in a rather neglected way, was a feast for the houses.. The warning letter stating that it is forbidden to export the ancient artifacts made me laugh while at the same time making me mad.
I was quite curious what logic had hung such a ridiculous article here.
I wonder if it’s in Izmir or Adana Bus Station. It was allowed to export the old works abroad in , but was it only forbidden in Van? Together, we go to Van city center by shuttle from the bus station for the famous Van breakfast, which is famous all over Turkey.
Van’s city center is a complete disappointment.. The roads are pretty bad, neglected. A very cold image prevails throughout the city.
There is a silence in the city due to the early hours of the morning.
From the moment we come to the street where the famous breakfast eaters are lined up side by side. the waiters of the breakfast rooms are blocking us. They are officially jumping at us, claiming that they have the best breakfast all in unison.
We are sitting at Sütçü Fevzi, Erol Kardeşler Breakfast Hall upon the recommendation of our friends who have breakfast experience before.. Breakfasts are available immediately according to the number of people.. While we fill our stomachs with unlimited tea and water, we hear that Van breakfasts were much better in the past.. However, I would definitely recommend people visiting Van to have a Van breakfast.. Although its name is “Van”, this breakfast is similar to breakfasts all over Turkey, and it is very affordable in price.
We are making Van plans with the participation of a friend of ours studying in Van.. We have only two days in Van and we want to make the most of this time.
Our next stop will be Akdamar Island…
