Monday, May 28, 2007

Domestic Birds

Well we left Urgip and were heading for Konya when I spied a lady in a field near the road. My photo stop proved to be quite a learning experience. She was kneeling over a small fire with an aubergine cooking in the coals and a large green pepper cooking in a pan. Along came an elderly gent and his wife in a car with some bread and onions. They asked us to join them and share their lunch but as we had not long had breakfast we declined. The soil was like pumice sand and looked as if it wouldn't grow anything. He was growing grapes for wine, pumpkins and tomotoes. They looked so healthy we asked what fertlizer he used. My secret bird manure he replied and asked us if we would like to see his domestic birds. I thought this would be a poultry farm. We drove back to the small village where his home backed onto the wall of a cave house which had small bird holes beside a door way. His pidgeons flew in and out of here to nest and he collected the manure. He said he had a couple of hundred birds. We proceeded on our way. This time the county side as far as the eye could see was very poor land, almost like scrubby desert. We passed a family moving a couple of dozen sheep with donkey and cart. We passed a village with houses made from mud and straw.

We then passed through Aksaray which was an industrial town with a huge steel mill, car (merceeded benz) factory, sugar refinery and many others. On arriving in Konya I was surprised to see many people from different cultures out on the street. Here is famous for the whirling dervishes. Their history is fascinating. This group of people were founded around 1231 to find a mystic union with God through music and dance. Once again the history that is preserved in the Mosques is unbelievable. It is said that St Paul visited here in AD50. Alcohol is banned from resturants here due to the religious beliefs of the people.

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