Excursion Day 2

We spent the second day of our excursion driving 300 kilometers to reach the city of Yusufeli. Our route took us along the Black Sea, over Kackar Mountain, and through Coruh Valley. While most of our day was spent on the bus, we made a few stops, including an artisan textile shop on the Black Sea, one of Turkey’s largest dams (aptly named the Monster Dam), and a small Anatolian village.

My friend Nick and I by the Black Sea

My favorite part of the day was driving along the artificial lake created by the Monster Dam. The dirt road we were driving on was etched into the mountainside, meandering parallel to the water. Steep mountains rose on all sides of the lake and the water was an eerie green, both of which contributed to the desolate atmosphere of the surrounding landscape. The area was hauntingly beautiful.

The Monster Dam

Towards the end of the day, we stopped to use the bathroom in a tiny village. After stepping off the bus, the first thing that hit me was the distinct smell of sewage. It was unpleasant, but I soon forgot about it when a few children ran over to inspect what were likely the only Americans they had ever seen. We practiced our rudimentary Turkish with them, and they seemed very pleased at our attempt to communicate. One boy, the most outgoing of the group, kept saying something to me, but I didn’t understand. Finally, when we were all about to get back on the bus, I realized that he had been asking for money the whole time. I gladly handed him some coins, embarrassed that I hadn’t understood him earlier.

Abandoned homes in the Coruh Valley

One of the strangest facts we learned from our guide is that the entire area we drove through that afternoon will be underwater sometime in the next decade. The government plans to fund a new dam that will cause the water level to rise and completely cover the surrounding valley, including the small village we visited and the city we spent the night in. Some houses in the valley have already been vacated, further adding to the ghostly feeling of the place. 

After reaching Yusufeli and having a mediocre dinner at the hotel, we went into the city to find some dessert. On our way back to the hotel, we were stopped by a group of young Turkish men who desperately wanted a picture with the African American and Chinese American girls on our program. The girls obliged and the guys went on their way. Our chaperone explained that these guys had never seen a black or Chinese person before. Coming from an American context, this seems impossible; it reminded me how isolated and off the beaten path this area really is.