"Stories to follow" a Dogubayazit Travel Page by chauncenetta

The day before my trip to this town an young Canadian in Van told me he had just returned from there. He seemed a bit shaken. Stated the Noah Ark thing was a big scam and he described Dogubayazit as "a s*#thole of a town", said it was covered in coal dust and at night the streets emptied out making for a creepy scene. Enticing for me to be sure, we left the next day. The drive from Van is spectacular, through mountain passes slick with snow, and the mandatory military checkpoints along the way. I wouldn't describe this town as a "s*#thole". Not at all. It is a peculiar place at a peculiar point on the map in a most peculiar point of history with a peculiar energy, not necessarily unpleasant. Think of Dobugayazit as a Casablanca for the new millenium. I would encourage everyone to go, at the very least for the reason of freaking the ubiquitious Turkish Secret Police.