OnTheRoad

High in altitude and low in temperature, that's Erzurum in Winter. It was warm enough on the day of my arrival, somewhere around four degrees, but that didn't stop a little sleet falling as I walked the streets.

The train trip here from Kayseri was incredible, at least to my eyes. Once the light returned and I woke up, we were travelling through valleys of sere grass and snow drifts, with steep mountains vanishing into the clouds above. Aside from the occasional cut of a road into the hills, there was only the train and a power line beside it; all other signs of people were gone.

The city itself doesn't have much to offer most tourists; it's certainly not on the main trail. Nonetheless, for those of us with a need for snow, there is Mt Palandoken looming somewhere in the clouds above the town. It has a good reputation for top quality snow, and I'm hoping for the best.

The hospitality of the people here is also incredible; the most hospitable I've come across in Turkey. Three times I ate in one kebab store; every time I was invited to sit with people, offered cigarettes (I feel bad not smoking; maybe I should take it up to be polite? Naaaaah!). One time they invited me around to their house, cooked me dinner, introduced me to their friends and helped me find an ATM with US dollars. Another time I went into a minimarket and ended up sitting down eating bread and drinking coffee with the owner, who didn't speak a word of English. Great people here :)

You'll also notice the huge increase in head scarves worn by the women here over western Turkey. From a minority in the west to a vast majority here, and quite a few of the full veil and everything variety. A little odd for me, but I guess I'll see even more of it as I head into Iran and Pakistan.