January 23, 2005

Now, where are those chains?

Central Anatolia, Turkey

It's 3pm and I'm on a three hour bus ride from Amasya to Sungurlu - a couple of small towns in Central Anatolia. I sleep for much of the first hour and wake in Merzifon to find it snowing. A lot. A couple of inches of fresh snow lie on the road to Çorum. Lots of cars are stopped. Some putting on chains, some just stopped. The bus slips a little a couple of times but generally the driver's faith in its superior weight and traction was rewarded. Until...

We went to pass another, stopped, bus. The rear wheels start to slide to the left, slowly at first then faster and faster. The driver gamely pushes on as we slip right in to the ditch on the side of the road, hitting a snowy bank with a thump. Everyone gets off the bus. They bring a tractor to pull us out. A half-inch iron bar is produced and jammed somewhere under the front of the bus then connected to a thick cable and the tractor. The tractor begins to pull. The bus makes no sign of moving. The tractor pulls harder. The iron bar comes flying out bringing half of the front of the bus with it. Undaunted they try the same technique again. I step back a few more paces. More of the bus is ripped off. The tractor gives up and goes looking for a smaller objective. They call for the big tow truck.

It's now dark and still snowing. The guy standing next to me is shivering. I give him my wooly hat. The tow truck arrives and they attach a chain to a more solid part of the bus. The truck begins to pull. The bus moves a fraction, but no more. The truck moves for a better angle and tries again. The bus is moving now. The right back wheel starts to climb the embankment. The right front wheel is shooting straight up in to the air. The whole bus is tipping dangerously over. Passengers start to call out for the truck to stop pulling as we imagine the whole thing going over but he continues. One; two more feet, and then suddenly the front wheel comes down with a thump. The back wheel is over the crest and the bus is mobile again. Minus a few bits from the front which I'm sure weren't important.

It was pretty slow-going the rest of the way. The driver seemed strangely cautious. We passed some traffic police toting AK-47's. Must be expecting some serious traffic violations.

I finally get to Sungurlu at 8pm. Only two hours late. Not too bad really. After all that I decide to treat myself and check in to the hotel that Prince Charles stayed at in 1992. Just $12 a night. Even a prince can afford that.

Posted by David at January 23, 2005 05:11 AM