Beginnings and Endings

On the afternoon of Wednesday, August 1st, I arrived in Tatvan, a small town on the West side of Lake Van. I checked into Hotel Kardelan to find that I was the ONLY tourist. All the other occupants were there either for the funeral of a couple of young people who died in a car accident or the wedding of Mr. N... the little brother of the man who owns a construction company and some hotels. But all of the guests, whether there for the funeral were dressed in the same somber garb... all heads covered and nothing remotely cheerful. Seems Tatvan is just as conservative as Erbil with few young tourists... the only visitors are mostly older... and they tend to avoid the heat of August (so I was told). I guess my chances of finding someone to share the taxi to the top of the volcanic Mt. Nemrut are lost...