Period piece – 47 years old, still going well.
The ‘Istanbul Ekspresi ‘ prepares to depart from Sofia. A 12 hour journey. No restaurant but we have made preparations and there is a fridge now keeping the beer cool. Border crossing in middle of night. Local Bulgarian coaches are attached at rear of our 3 coach sleeping car train. As usual Turkish staff are helpful and amusing.
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Two loos….. one in this style, the other more western ‘conventional’.
Sleeping compartment – with fridge.
This train is the last surviving link in the Orient Express route. At the moment it is the only international train in Bulgaria. Covid has severed other direct links (Serbia/Greece)… they will eventually return. The present situation of Bulgaria is manifest in what is happening with its railways (and what can see from a train). An extraordinary amount of change is occurring. So we travel through the strange (to us) mix of old and new, poverty and wealth. The contrast in much greater than in U.K….. it’s a juxtaposition…. Both next to each other. The main railway lines are literally being ripped up and new lines are being built…. So very slow and old occurs, then suddenly speed hits 150/160 kms….. and we pass areas of development next to barren industrial sites left from the Old Time. Politics seem to reflect this ‘churning’. It must be deeply unsettling for many people. We have experienced similar in Romania (where a similar action occurring on the line from Bucharest to Arad via Brasov
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Gara Svilengrad: 23.53 30th March 2023
Odd things occur during the night.
This is the last stop in Bulgaria & we are presumably waiting for official clearance to proceed to the border.
As I look out of the window I notice a dark snake-like shape squeezing its way under & between the wagons and then slither (as it seemed) onto the platform. It became human….. And crept away.
What was this person doing – and where did they come from?
It does seem rather late to have been shopping at Lidl.
The security fencing suggests that they not been on our train – or were crossing the tracks (unless they knew of a hole). …. maybe crawling under our train….?
One hour later… and into Turkey.
The engines are changed
we are required to take all our luggage and be checked.
Not all who presented themselves at the desk were permitted to enter. One person seemed to be removed and put back on the train heading into Bulgaria.
Once again, as on all previous visits we are greeted with smiles and genuine interest.
This example had a curious element to it.
On watching the changing of engines. The first a modern electric loco was added, then two grumbling diesels (‘very old’ I was told) & that would take us to Edirne, the staff were insistent that I photographed them – and then had my own photo.
Apparently I look like a specific TV personality. On being shown the image I could not (& did not) say that I agreed.
Arriving in Istanbul:
…one night before travelling on to Ankara.
The sleeper deposits us in the distant suburbs:
Halkali station 25 kms from central Istanbul (Sirkeci station). All very new and efficient but we finish the journey to the centre on a busy commuter train.
Istanbul and its surrounds have, in the time we’ve visited (since 1970) expanded dramatically. There are worries, following the catastrophic earthquakes in east-central Turkey in February 2023 that some of recently permitted building is not (due to official relaxation & corruption) as safe as required.
Very different feeling to arriving in Sofia or Bucuresti. The ‘Turkish slavery’ still referred to on official statements in Pleven seems, following the period of Soviet ‘systematisation’, a very inappropriate reference.
Whatever difficulties Turkish politics may have and still present, the entrepreneurial spirit was never crushed.
Sirkeci Station: no surface trains – and an undecided future.
Istanbul… and discover (eventually after confusing information) that our hotel ‘Istasyon’ is exactly that…. Next to the old terminus used by the Orient Express. Photos across roof of station to the waiting room etc
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Saturday April 1st
We rejoin the suburban railway that links, through a new tunnel under the Bosphorus, both Europe and Asia (its ‘in the name’)
The long distance transport networks in Istanbul are sited at either ends of the suburban system. To travel on to Ankara we first travel from Sirkeci to Söğütlüçeşme.
Then by fast train to Ankara
Arrival in Ankara – an enormous completely new station set next to the old main station – which as we cross into we see a train that will be heading east
The internationally famous Dogu Express.
When the catastrophic earthquake occurred is early February ’23 we were finalising plans for our 3 Month Tour which began at the end of February. Though we had partnership links in east-central Turkey we decided that it would be inappropriate to ignore requests by local and international rescue agencies and travel into the effected areas.
So, on seeing the Dogu Express & being able to chat to local Turkish travellers who were joining the train, we became for the only time in the whole of the 3 Months travel, ‘conflicted’.
We had our Rail Pass, there were many spaces on the train, we had time in which to adjust our travel.
Do we, as we were being encouraged by other passengers, join the train?
Instant decision was required.
We made it – and shortly after, metaphorically waved the train goodbye as it trundled out of the station.
Next year perhaps?
Ankara was the most easterly point on our travels. This 2nd Journey later added the, continentally, most westerly (near Lyon & then Paris).
Inspirational Pathways 