Welcome from Jan

Hi there!
This blog is for those who love both books and travel. I'm starting by travelling back in time to the 1970s and the overland trail to India which I took as an 18 year old. Have a look at my daily diary entries and photos. Some of these places are impossible to visit at the moment, but I can give you a flavour of what they were like in the golden age of the hippy trail.

The experience has inspired my new mystery novel, THE VANISHING OF RUTH, which is out now as an ebook. Find details and extracts at The Vanishing of Ruth

To buy: The Vanishing of Ruth

Also take a look at Facebook Page Overlanders for more memorabilia.
http://bit.ly/Overlanders

HELP ME FIND MY FELLOW PASSENGERS! TAKE A LOOK AT THE GROUP PHOTO (post on 30th November 2009) AND CHECK THE NAMES ON THIS LINK:
http://www.indiaoverland.biz/overland/passengers/sep26_76.html
Cheers, Jan.


Wednesday 18 August 2010

RED HOT SHOWERS, COOL BLUE MOSQUE & A MOUTHFUL OF CHESTNUTS - ISTANBUL, TURKEY


Blue Mosque, Istanbul
SUNDAY 17TH OCTOBER, 1976

Part One:
"Hot shower!  Porridge in the kitchen.  Dropped at the Blue Mosque - people bombed in on the bus with bread, pcs and shoe cleaning boxes!  Jan, Rob and me went to the Blue Mosque.  At the inner courtyard we took off our shoes and went in under a leather curtain.  Lovely inside - blue tiled mosaics - 4 main pillars (called elephants' feet) with arches and semi arches.  Turkish carpets covering all floor, with wooden trays for extra shoes.  Two taps on wall for drinking water from Mecca - guide zoomed up and told me to drink, but couldn't get anything to come out!

Inner courtyard of Blue Mosque
He told me about blue being to guard against the devil.  Showed me 3 black pieces of stone set in the wall - bits of the stone at Mecca; two large candles on either side of alcove - all facing to Mecca.  Beside was very steep, narrow staircase, pointing upwards - guide said no one allowed up because top belongs to God, top step to Mohammed, priest allowed half way up and speaks from there each day.  He calls people to prayer through microphone!  Large boards in black with gold inscriptions on 4 sides - the 4 most important prophets?

After (collected Diana too) we wandered off towards the Galata bridge, looking for dancing bears!  Streets very dirty and busy - bought chestnuts from a little toothless grinning man, popped extra ones into our mouths!"

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