Part 2 Across Europe (an unexpected war)

 Arriving in northern Greece it was just a matter of hitch hiking through to Turkey where I hoped to pick up some new ideas at the Pudding shop in Istanbul. As I made my way via various small towns and villages, it became apparent that something was going on. Every hoarding and notice board had propaganda posters of politicians and soldiers.

I had absolutely no grasp of current affairs, having no television, radio or newspaper input for the previous 18 months. It transpired that Turkey had invaded Cyprus and was now at war with Greece. It turned into the sole topic of conversation with people who could speak a little English and it seemed like the British weren't all that popular , suspected of arms sales to Turkey.
One lift terminated as soon as they realised I was English... I slept in a field between villages in a hedgerow and the next day told everyone I was American, which was apparently better as they were seen as suppliers of arms to Greece.
Walking much of the coast road through Kovali to Alexandroupoli was astonishingly beautiful, I had short rides from farmers and their families who shared bread and coffee with me and one very poor family gave me a lift in a donkey cart as it got dark, then a bed in their farmhouse and breakfast before putting me back on the road . No talk of war, no shared language, just shared humanity and traditional hospitality.
It seemed that there was still one rail link between the two countries and along with about 12 other travellers, unexpectedly stuck trying to cross the border, I bought a ticket for the 'one train a day' to go across no mans land and through to Istanbul.
This turned quite scary, the train was shunted into no mans land, then the engine and driver left all the carriages and returned to Greece.
We sat for over three hours. In the distance we could see anti aircraft spotlights scanning the skies and occasionally heard flares bang and light up the rest of the skies about a mile away. When the Turkish engine arrived and hooked us up, military police came aboard and checked everybody's bags and passports. The 4 Americans in my carriage were taken off the train, no idea what became of them.
I was hugely relieved to feel the train moving and eventually arrive in Istanbul about another three hours later. In the station buffet were almost identical posters to those in Greece, but showing the opposite politicians and soldiers, I wondered if they used the same printers.......

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