Kale Mahallesi (the Castle Neighbourhood) in Ankara is a historical squatter’s
neighbourhood, a gecekondu
bölgesi. Built over decades by people who migrated from rural Anatolia to the
city in search for work and a livelihood.
These photographs were taken from up the castle itself, in April 2012. The
first photo shows an overview of the area north-east of Kale, with
Bentderesi (I think) on the left. On the right are newer
TOKİ flat complexes, so-called social
housing projects.
I don’t know if these homes still stand today. The nearby Hamamönü
neighbourhood had already gone through a brutal renewal at this time. I came
across an interesting article about that by Courtney M. Dorroll, concluding
with:
An analysis of the case of Hamamönü demonstrates that the Altındağ
Municipality has used its restoration project to inscribe the AK Party’s
vision of institutionalized Neo-Ottomanism and neoliberalism onto the urban
space of Ankara, a process that epitomizes the spatial politics of Erdoğanian
Neo-Ottomanism in contemporary Turkey.
In “Hamamönü, Reconfiguring an Ankara Neighborhood”, Journal of
Ethnography and Folklore, no. 1-2, 2016.
I was somehow reminded of these photos of mine when I came across the work of
Jon “Harriorrihar” Juarez.
Previously published on a blog on wordpress.com, now long gone.
Again, I arrived at a border after bad hitchhiking and more busses. Decided to
walk the last 10 km to Turkey. It was hot, but ok. It took a couple of hours,
and there very few cars, none of which cared to pick up a sweating, dirty bum.
After crossing the border, with more passport checks than usual, I found out
that there is no bus whatsoever going to the next village, Dereköy, which is
some 40 away. I hang out there for a while, try to talk to people and hitchhike
the few cars passing. There is also a taxi driver there whom I talk a little to
in the few words of English he knows. He has a little shed there which he
sleeps in between the, very few I suppose, jobs he gets. He seems to be mostly
a good guy, and also offers me some food. After a couple of hours I understand
that my chances here are mostly zero, and the evening is getting late. So I end
up being his customer to Kirklareli where I spend the night in a small hotel.
The next day becomes a long mix of shorter hitches and busses, jumping over
quite a few cities on the way to İstanbul.
I never managed to get a ride on that big highway, but I did manage to take
busses, trams a ferries to get to Üsküdar, an asian part of the city, east of
the Bosphorus, and meet Özge. A very slow evening is spend with cooking some
food and talking, and then sleeping for 12 hours.
That was yesterday. Today I have been walking around for hours, thinking about
many things. Perhaps tomorrow I am taking that last jump to Sinop with a bus,
all the way. I probably said it before; the road is tiring this time… Not
bad, but tiring. Looking forward to staying 2-3 weeks near one place.
Good evening!
This winding journey took me through Anatolia, over the Caucasus and as far as
the Persian Gulf. I returned to Scandinavia in the spring of 2009, but left
soon enough for the Baltics, crossing through Eastern and Western Europe
once again…
Previously published on a blog on wordpress.com, now long gone.
Walked across the border to Bulgaria. Waited many hours for a ride, and when I
was about to give up, sitting slumped over by the road, a man stops a drives me
to Балчик (Balchik), just north of Варна (Varna). I sleep on a small
shrubbery-covered hill in the middle of the town, with a nice view of the Black
sea. In the morning I see a big sailing ship that has anchored during the
night. I continue south, and end up in Поморие (Pomorie), where I have been
staying with Martin for a couple of days. Tomorrow I am heading south, towards
Istanbul. Let’s go!
Previously published on a blog on wordpress.com, now long gone.
Leaving Ocniţa early in the morning with the bus to Chişinău, I was planning to
go to Brăila in Romania, but not sure about the way. The weather was clear, and
I felt good about leaving. In Chişinău I take a minibus to Gara de Sur, and
upon entering the bus, and during the 15 minutes trip, there is a great hail
storm crashing down over the city. Though stepping out at the other station,
the ground looks almost dry.
I decide to catch a bus to Cahul, and there cross the border to Romania. This
border crossing was kind of a hassle to, because when I eventually get to the
border, the guy there explains to me in gestures that I am not allowed to cross
the border on foot. And ofcourse there is a guy in a “taxi” there, waiting for
me to pay 250 LEI (about 25 dollars, 150 kr; a large amount here) to take me
across the border, and maybe 2 km to the small town of Oancea in Romania. And
there are really no cars passing to hitch with. So I pay.
It became a long day of travelling, alltogether. When I finally get to Brăila,
I find the place of my host, but after waiting a few hours, it is clear that
she is not going to turn up, or answer any messages… I end up sleeping in
some no-mans-land behind an old school. Mosquitos and feeling down.
The morning is better, and I talk to a few people on the streets (spanish,
gestures, improvisation). On the bus station a man I talk with goes away to buy
me some food, because he thought I looked hungry? I was, and had kinda forgot
about it. I end up in the evening south of Magnalia, in Vama Veche, on the
Black Sea (Yes, finally that sea!). A small village on the Bulgarian border
that turns into a party beach for Romanians during the summer and especiall
weekends. Camping in a really small place, I hang out with two people, mom and
daughter, from northern Romania. Having a few beers on the beach, and
collapsing after a strenous journey…
Previously published on a blog on wordpress.com, now long gone.
Today I woke up in the city of Ocniţa, Moldova (about 200 km north of the
capital, Chişinău) I finally arrived here yesterday after a few winding bus
rides from Чернівці (Chernivtsi), Ukraine, being helped by a few very kind and
talkative Moldavians on the way. When I jumped off the bus by Platon bar, my
host Amy suddenly appeared right there. We walked together back to her flat,
located in a worn down concrete slab, 20 years old or so, just in the outskirts
of this small city (10k people?), built around a large railway junction of the
former Union. Back at the apartment, I met Ita, who was already staying with
Amy for a few days, and we went over to the school/social center where she
works, for having a shower. There is no water in most of the apartments on
Sunday and Monday. Due to shortage? Or to the municipality not having paid the
bills to the partly privatized water company? And corruption? Later we all had
dinner, together with Misha and Annie. I fell asleep easily, being tired both
mentally and physically, but also from feeling very at home and welcome.
Travelling has proved to be a little harder this time than before. Atleast it
have started out like that. I feel secure and safe, but what takes me down is
the lack social communion, physical contact and intimate coversations. Things
that doesn’t come so easily when you travel alone and in places where you have
more or less no common language with the majority of the people. I had some
apprehension about going to Ukraine, but it worked out quite well and I had a
good time and some good talks with people in Lviv. Though at times when I just
cannot make myself understood, like finding out about from where or when that
bus I want to take goes, and if that is at all where I should go. At times like
that, loneliness can really kick in.
But today is good. A hot day, waving Ita off at the small bus station. Walking
around for a while. Talking with Amy. Falling into a small siesta. And now
seeing the sky becoming dark, turning into a storm, thunder rumbling in the
distant, the lights flickering once in a while… I go to start preparing some
dinner. Anyway, life is right now, and right now it feels good!
