Thread by @WiebeWkkr

Good morning! At 8 I was awakened by the morning sun and I haven’t stopped staring outside the Dogu Express since. Incredible landscapes!

UAE newspaper The National also wrote a nice article ahout my trip.

thenationalnews.com/uae/environmen…

This is the @_DiningCar of the Dogu Express. They serve snacks, Turkish bread, tea of course, coffee but no warm meals.

Within a few hours the landscape completely changed to snow. It’s incredible. I took loads of photos which I’m going to share with you later but need to edit them and right now Im not going to waste even a second looking at my laptop screen. It’s just breathtaking looking outside

Still looking outside. Glued to my seat.

Snow, sometimes a tree, then only snow and clouds, a mountain appears, a few other trees pass. So simple but so stunning.

Having a chia with Sami. Only person on the train I could find who speaks a little bit of English.

22.5 hours later I reached Erzurum. Seems fun here even though it’s -6.

I’m going to get a meal and after find a bus to Dogebayazit, the last town before Iran.

Proof that I’m in Erzurum

Found a bus to Doğubayazıt. Leaves at 21.00. 3 hours from now. Arrival 01.00. Some friends are waiting for me there so pity there is no earlier bus.
I’ve been to this part before when I was travelling to Australia by electric car.

Been spending a while now at this bus terminal. Always love it to be at strange and random places in the middle of nowhere.

Now boarding the bus to Doğubayazıt. 4 hour drive and will enter Kurdistan soon. Not always in the news for the right reasons but my experience is that Kurds are extremely friendly and hospitable.

Arrived at hotel in Dogubeyazit, 34km from the Iranian border. So far the whole trip went pretty smooth. Tomorrow could be a big twist. The Iran border is closed for 15 days since Dec 25. Today is day 15. So should reopen tomorrow but no news so far and might well be extended.