Anzac Cove
Trip Start
Jan 28, 2008
1
12
83
Trip End
Sep 18, 2008
Eceabat,
Turkey
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Cameron & I arrived in Eçeabat from Istanbul in the afternoon. We walked around the tiny town until we figured there was only one hostel open and booked in to the Eçeabat Hotel - also known as TJs. It did have a good recommendation in the Lonely Planet. We also tried to figure out how to rent push bikes for the next day, but again we are travelling to early in the season and most things are shut. TJs were offering a tour at $45 each, which it turns out was the bext thing we did.
After taking it easy Sunday morning, the rest of the tour partıcpants arrived at midday. 2 Aussie blokes from the NT and a Canadian family of 4. A nice little group. Our guide Bulert said in a few weeks the groups would be between 50 - 100.
We spent 5 really interesting hours visiting many key sites on the peninsular. It is hard to explain what it feels like to finally visit somewhere that you know has such a huge importance in Australian history. What struck Cameron and I most of all was the small area of the entire place. There was literally only a few metres between the Turkish and the Allied frontlines. Apparantly they used to throw food tins at each other to help vary the diets (neither liked Bully beef). Our guide was able to show us the small distances that each fighting side moved in those 9 months, most of which was a deadlock. Anzac Cove itself is so small, hardly a blip on a map. It has eroded a fair bit since WW1 though. We also visited Lone Pine, Johnson`s Jolley and a few other sites where fierce fighting took place.
It was also great to hear the Turkisk side of the story. One of the men in charge of the 57th Division that initially held back the Allies was Ataturk - the future first Turkish President. Galipolli is a defining point in Turk history too.
We hope you enjoy some of the photos.
Comments
beautiful photos of a unique sacred site
reading your story and viewing the photos was quite moving. wished I could be there . Walking now through the serene landscape would be so surreal-- knowing what it once was; a nightmare battlefield where so many lives were destroyed. Visiting with only a few people gave you a better chance to experience the spiritual aura of the place. It would be a totally different feeling with the huge crowds that gather on ANZAC day.
Thats an awesome story about that Turkish Soldier! Thanks for putting up, it's inspirational!