Kangal dogs with massive bulging muscles surge across open fields as they chase our train. We are moving so slow that the dogs stay with us for minutes which drip into hours. They trample through meadows and forests, hugging our winding tracks. They only give up the hunt as we enter the narrow canyons, deep valleys, and craggy mountainsides of Somewhere Central Anatolia. I am on a 47-hour train-ride from Kars to Istanbul. I have one mission, and despite my attention span’s protests, it’s not admiring Kangal dogs from the safety of the restaurant car. I want to write one good 10-minute speech about Balyolu. This speech is to be presented at a conference called “For the Love of…” hosted by the Turkish Women’s International Network (WIN). So far, my preparations are going something like this: (more…)
Balyolu: The Honey Road
Cat as a National Geographic Young Explorer
Claire Bangser Makes Things
One Sticky Hive
