Each region of Turkey we have visited has varied considerably and Eastern Anatolia is no exception. Fay climbs mountains, covers plains and journeys on through the old volcanic scenery. She isn't keen on going higher than 2000 meters, it makes her short of breath and cough black smoke but none the less, she trundles on.
Our destination for today - Mount Arrat. It is huge, initially partially covered with cloud but we can see the snow line even if the summit is hidden. As we went to the Russian boarder, we thought we would also go to the Iranian boarder. This decision put us in the right place, at the time as on our about turn, we saw a tourist sign for Noah's Ark! Being under the impression that evidence for the Arks existence had never been found on Arrat, we were intrigued. 5k on, up a steep incline we came to a tatty looking closed up building. Peeping through the window, inside appeared set up for a lecture? If nothing else there was a stupendous view and this would make a great stopover.
An elderly gentleman appears, he informs us he is the "Guardian of the Ark" and offers to open the museum. Inside it is tatty but to our amazement there are documents, accounts and artefacts indicating overwhelming evidence that the Ark is not on Mount Arrat itself but opposite! The dimensions of the outline are exact to the biblical account, there is petrified wood and keel stones. One man has tried desperately to get a full excavation of the whole area, but for years has been refused permission. Whether it is or whether it isn't, I shall choose to believe we did find the Ark! As we exited the building, the cloud briefly parted and we were privileged to see Mount Arrat in its entirety. Wow!
We asked the "guardian" if it would be ok to stay there for the night but he said no. He explained it was too dangerous for us, we were so close to the Iranian boarder and it would be a problem when the soldiers garrisoned nearby found us, which there was no doubt they would. Shame, that really would have been a one off campsite.
With so many roadworks and their accompanying loose clippings, it was only a matter of time before Fay caught one right on the smacker! It is a large chip, we will just have to hope it goes no further before we are somewhere we can get it repaired. Fay now looks like every other vehicle on the road!
Back we go, putting distance between us and Iran, we settle for another old quarry, this time we really are alone.
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