Go See It On the Mountain

We tried to capture some of the interesting sites and people we saw as we drove up and around the various areas of the mountain.  The "camp" areas were extremely interesting, some complete with satellite dishes.  We weren't able to truly capture some what we saw as the roads in some areas were teeming with men just "released" from mosque and they got in the way of camera.  The covered women made us all hot just to look at them, and some of the photos were taken from a moving vehicle, so the quality is not the best, but gives somewhat of an idea of what was going on.

This little man with his load of something he was selling or something he had picked on the mountain to eat.

A group of fully covered Arab women, the ones in black, with a covered Turkish woman behind.

Carrying their bar-b-que to a picnic site.  The bbq is nothing more than a 5 gallon metal container cut off to about 6-8 inches with a grill on the top and legs.  And they sell them that way, but you can also buy Weber Kettles and fancy smokers.

Siesta time.  They sold these hammocks in the market on the mountain and you could see them scattered throughout the picnic/camp grounds

 These are the campgrounds, with blue plastic "privacy" panels, complete with satellite at one, and old men talking, drinking tea, and/or playing games.

"The Man From Nilifer River".  Don't think he liked us taking his photo, even when we smiled and waved at him.

View from the parking lot of a picnic, campground, bazaar, cable car parking lot.  The small bazaar, that sold mostly cold weather gear, sweaters, caps, scarves, for those that "forgot" that mountains get cold at night when you are camping.  They also sold a special honey made from flowers of chestnut trees, but for 80TL or $50/qt, I think what we get at the grocery is just fine.  Don't know how anyone would afford that.  It is supposed to have more nutritional benefit than the pine or flower honeys.

The "teleferik" or cable car that runs from in Bursa to near the top and return, but on thiday, filled with 30 sweaty bodies, it didn't look too inviting.  Maybe a less busy time.