"MICHAEL PALIN:" "Lake Ohrld lies between Albanla, which I've just left, and Macedonla, on which I'm setting foot." "I shall be heading east through Macedonla's eye-catchlng scenery and onto the border It shares with Bulgarla." "Then across Bulgarla Into Turkey, and via Istanbul and Ephesus to Cappadocla on the Anatollan Plateau." "PALIN:" "Pretty spectacular up here!" "DIMITAR:" "Yeah!" "Wlth my friend, Dlmltar," "I'm entering territory where even four-by-fours fear to tread, the rocky foothills of the Rlla Mountalns In western Bulgarla." "Dlmltar Is a member of an order called the Whlte Brotherhood, who hold an annual gathering In the starkly beautiful surroundings of an area they call the Seven Lakes." "PALIN:" "We've just seen a lake!" "DIMITAR:" "Yeah!" "PALIN:" "Fantastic!" "DIMITAR:" "First lake!" "PALIN:" "That's beautiful!" "This is the first of the Seven Lakes up here!" "It's lovely!" "PALIN:" "It's been a long day's journey to get to this remote spot." "Well, as remote as a spot can be when there's 1,000 other people sharing It with you." "PALIN:" "This is the camp?" "It's like a small city, isn't it?" "DIMITAR: 0h, yeah!" "PALIN:" "Up there, all those tents, perched very precariously!" "PALIN:" "I didn't sleep much last night." "By the time I nodded off, everyone else was getting up for the sunrise, which Is very important to the Whlte Brotherhood." "The summer solstice Is the most auspicious time of year for them, and this lofty mountain top Is the most auspicious place to witness lt." "The Whlte Brotherhood was founded by a Bulgarlan called Peter Deunov on whom the spirit of God descended on March 7, 1 89 7." "Non-smoklng and vegetarian," "It's a curious mix of Chrlstlan and Indian mysticism with much talk of spiritual energies, which are evidently abundant In these spectacular mountains." "The climax of the day Is what they call paneurythmlc dancing." "No bobble hats and anoraks here." "Thls Is the Whlte Brotherhood In all its glory." "(SINGING SPIRITUAL S0NG)" "PALIN:" "What Is the aim of what you are doing here today?" "What's It really all about?" "MAN:" "It's about the peak of the summer." "Today Is the peak of the summer." "And people are gathering today because it's a celebration for The Brotherhood!" "Since this day is when you can receive the most of energies from the sun!" "We come together, we dance the paneurythmy, we have concerts!" "And that also makes us feel more close to each other, more like brothers and sisters." "The paneurythmic dancing, is that a sort of a way of achieving this kind of harmony, this function?" "Yes, this is the best tool that we have for achieving the harmony because it's a union of three very important things!" "Number one, that's the material, the moves." "Number two, this Is the words, you know, the mind." "It's words which are words about nature, about love, about harmony, about the spring, the energies." "And, also, It's the third thing, It's also the heart." "You know, people are also working with their hearts, while being In the circle." "It's a union circle, uniting people." "It's the symbol of the sun." "And, also, people are also working on their spiritual level." "It's like a prayer In movement and dance." "PALIN:" "Today was an extraordinary event!" "Were you pleased with the way it went?" "Yeah, absolutely!" "I think, every year it's becoming more and more harmonious!" "What happened to the White Brotherhood during the Communist period?" "During the Communist period, it was hard for all spiritual work in Bulgaria!" "Because, you know, the only spiritual thing allowed was worshipping the Communist ideal, the Communist principles!" "So, it was not only The White Brotherhood, also all kinds of religious and spiritual movements were either forbidden, at times they were persecuted, and, all, they have to hide!" "What I like about The White Brotherhood is that they're not dogmatic!" "They may be excessively tolerant!" "But also this great event today, very spectacular, but a quiet spectacular!" "It's not been the blasted noise from PA's and loudspeaker systems that seem to be so important these days!" "The other thing is that they talk a lot about the feel of natural energy in an arena, and I've never been sure about that!" "But here, in the Rila mountains, I think it actually really does exist!" "PALIN:" "After the elevated harmonies of the Whlte Brotherhood, mundane considerations, like getting off the mountain, bring us down to Earth with a jolt." "Well, rather a lot of jolts, actually." "On the way to the capital, Sofla, we detour to meet Stefan Kltanov, who has for many years championed the work of Monty Python In Bulgarla." "Whether It's our fault or not, I don't know, but his other great enthusiasm Is the powerful local spirit, raklya." "Hls father, who gave him the taste for lt, worked for a sports goods business run by the state." "KITAN0V:" "My father was Deputy Director then, and it was not possible, for him to be Director because he was not member of the Party!" "PALIN: 0h, I see, so he never got to the top!" "So, after he got retired, he came here and he escaped!" "Yeah!" "It was very important, during the Socialism, for people to have country house!" " So it was one of the aims for them!" " Yeah!" "He grows absolutely everything here, doesn't he, really?" "Well, basically, yes!" "But my father doesn't believe in trees which does not deliver fruits!" "0h, I see!" "Because from any type of fruit, we can make rakiya!" "But you see the best rakiya comes from this!" "These plums!" " And this is my father!" " Yes, hello!" "The ripe fruit Is carted off to a couple of doughty 70-year-olds called Lubo and Tzeta." "In their garden shed, they produce a head-whacklng, double-dlstllled concoction." "Brewed In a copper still called a kazan and decanted Into an attractive plastic bucket." " Cheers!" " Ah, well, cheers!" " Na ztrave." "We say "na ztrave"." " Na ztrave." "(CHEERING IN BULGARIAN)" "Thank you!" "0ops!" "PALIN:" "Does the government, sort of, discourage moonshine rakiya-making like this?" "Is there any sort of disapproval of it?" "You know, it's a very important part of the life of the people!" "So the government doesn't want to interfere!" "PALIN: 0h, yeah!" "Yes!" "It's a bit like opium poppies or cocoa in!" "(SPEAKING BULGARIAN)" "Nobody knows and everybody has a kazan." "(PALIN LAUGHS)" "PALIN:" "Sofla Is one of Eastern Europe's most Intimate and walkable capitals." "There are one or two grand buildings, like the Alexander Nevsky Church, a memorial to Russlans who died helping their fellow Slavs fight the Turks." "But, by and large, her leafy streets are on a human scale." "If you want to get around more quickly, there Is, as throughout Eastern Europe, a ubiquitous tram system, which the Communlsts wisely kept and, Indeed, actively encouraged." "Today, In pursuit of a wider cultural context," "I'm turning my back on cathedrals and churches." "(SINGING IN BULGARIAN)" "Thls Is Azls, and he must have come as quite a shock to some of his fellow Bulgarlans." "In a predominantly conservative and homophobic country, you couldn't be much more out of line than a gay gypsy transvestite." "And, as a result, he's wildly popular." "I meet him, with Maya, a local film director, as our translator." "PALIN:" "Were you encouraged by others around you, your mother, your father, to become a singer?" "(SPEAKING BULGARIAN)" "MAYA:" "His mother had some kind of sick ambitions!" "(SPEAKING BULGARIAN)" "MAYA:!" "Thinking that her child should be a megastar!" "(SPEAKING BULGARIAN)" "MAYA:" "Something like Elizabeth Taylor and her mother!" "(ALL LAUGH)" "(SPEAKING BULGARIAN)" "MAYA:" "But, in one moment, because of he's gypsy!" "(SPEAKING BULGARIAN)" "MAYA:!" "All the doors were closed in front of him!" "(SPEAKING BULGARIAN)" "MAYA:" "But that was before!" "I mean, you're born and brought up a gypsy!" "Do you think the situation has changed for the gypsy community now?" "(SPEAKING BULGARIAN)" "MAYA:" "No, actually not!" "They're still so dirty and so miserable as they were!" "When you were young, were you angry at the way you were treated as a gypsy?" "MAYA:" "Yes, there were people who obviously did it!" "They rejected him because of what his race is!" "(SPEAKING BULGARIAN)" "His mother took him to film castings!" "(SPEAKING BULGARIAN)" "!" "And nobody took him because of the colour of his skin!" "This is not a tan!" "It's the colour of the skin!" "He was born like that!" "Desplte his problems, Azls Is one of the lucky ones." "Most gypsies live as close to the edge as the threadbare horses they're racing for pin money In Plovdlv," "Bulgarla's second city." "I'm here with local girl Mlra Staleva." "Well, they move pretty quickly!" "They're moving fast, aren't they?" "We're enjoying ourselves, even If no one else Is." "PALIN:" "What's going on?" "(ALL CHEERING)" "The shouts and cheers belle uncomfortable facts." "85% of Bulgarla's gypsies are unemployed." "Only 1 0% of their children are In secondary education." "They live In a part of town dominated by canyons of Communlst housing blocks quietly going to seed." "PALIN:" "Are all these blocks here totally occupied by gypsies or do they mix them?" "No, no, they are not mixed!" "Actually, this quarter here is fully gypsies!" "Do they try to mix them ever?" "Yeah, they try!" "There is another quarter in the south of Plovdiv!" "At every first floor they put the gypsies, gypsy families and all the other floors were settled with Bulgarian families!" "About the big spy in the door you just have a hole and behind that there is a horse!" " A horse in the apartment?" " Yeah!" "A horse in the apartment, and a fire in front of the block!" " So this didn't really work?" " No, at all, at all!" "But it's a quite funny and interesting idea!" "Do they like living in these blocks or would they rather be living in the countryside?" "If you spend some hours here, you will see, they are just out of the blocks!" "They never spend much time in the blocks!" "STALEVA:" "They are just gathering all together In front of the blocks doing music, singing, chatting." "PALIN:" "Do..." "I mean, would other Bulgarlans come here very often?" "No, actually, not." "PALIN:" "Hey!" "Desplte the conditions, wherever there are gypsies, there'll be music." "And where there's music, there'll be a party." "I've been Invited to sway along with the local Women's Institute." "Some of them have come armed." "(LIVELY MUSIC PLAYING)" "The gypsies of Plovdlv are not without friends." "There are groups working hard to improve conditions" "In ghettoes like this." "But like gypsies all over Europe, these people cling tenaciously to their own way of life." "Plovdlv Is the last big city this side of Turkey, and outside a local transport cafe" "I hitch a ride aboard one of the many trucks heading for the end of Europe." "(GRUNTS)" "(SPEAKING BULGARIAN)" "Turkey?" " Istanbul!" " Istanbul!" "That'll do me fine!" "Fantastic!" "Thank you!" "Istanbul turnoff!" "There's a title for a novel!" "PALIN:" "It's a long, straight drive, down the E80, across a flat, featureless plain that will take me to the border, then on to Edlrne and Istanbul before crossing the Bosphorus Into Asla, to Ephesus and as far east as Cappadocla." "I ask the driver to drop me at the border because I want to see as much as I can of European Turkey, which many people tend to forget about." "Well, this is the Turkish border, which used to stretch far into Europe, as far as Vienna, at one time, under the 0ttoman Empire!" "The Empire is now long gone, but modern Turkey still wants to be part of Europe!" "PALIN:" "I take a taxi Into the nearest big town, Edlrne." "Hello, Edirne or bust!" "There's nothing beautiful to see at first." "Just another wlndswept frontier and another Intermlnable line of traffic." "Well, people, you know, ask what the connection is between Turkey and the rest of Europe!" "Well, I mean, just look at all these trucks for the answer!" "There's certainly no evidence that Turkey's an underdeveloped nation." "Qulte the contrary." "It's the growing strength of the Turklsh economy and the size of the place that worries people." "If Turkey joins the European Union," "It won't be as a small country glad of the security, but as a giant, with a population bigger than any other member state." "I'm beginning to wonder If I've made the right decision to stop off at Edlrne." "But a 1 5th-century stone bridge leading Into town" "Is just the first of a series of wonderful revelations." "Behlnd the mundane facade of a busy modern city" "Iles an impressive history." "My guide, Selen Korkut, born and brought up In Edlrne," "Is keen to show It off." "PALIN:" "I'm glad to have met you, otherwise I would have just bypassed, gone through Edirne and straight to Istanbul!" "K0RKUT:" "That would be a shame because this city is full of so much culture and history!" "Yeah!" "And the landscape is beautiful!" "The buildings!" "I mean, the collection of buildings, just extraordinary!" "And three very important mosques in the walking distance and lots of bridges and rivers!" "The man largely responsible for the glories of Edlrne" "Is Mlmar Slnan, whose work, more than any other, expressed the might and magnificence of the Ottoman Empire." "The Ottomans, a dynasty from Eastern Turkey, made Edlrne their capital before they took Constantlnople, and It was here, In 1 569, that Slnan, In his 80s, created what many consider his finest work." "The Sellmlye Mosque Is arguably Europe's most glorious example of Islamic architecture." "PALIN:" "That is!" " Colossal!" "Colossal space, isn't it?" " Amazing!" " It's almost sort of dizzying!" " Very spacious!" "There is nothing in the centre, it's all supported around the side!" "Yes!" "When Sinan built this he was quite an old man, wasn't he?" "He was 85 years old!" "But this is why it's his masterpiece!" "K0RKUT:" "We are very happy that he had a long, fruitful life!" "That's why we have over, like, 400 art pieces from him!" "PALIN:" "Is this considered to be one of his best?" "K0RKUT:" "This is the masterpiece of Sinan!" "Yes, because he achieved everything he was aiming!" "He was, like, trying to make the minarets perfect, the dome as big as he wished!" "PALIN:" "If the Mosque represents the religious impact of the Ottomans, the 500-year old Beyazlt Kalesl shows how important science was." "K0RKUT:" "I really wanted to show you this place!" "This is my favourite place in Edirne!" "PALIN:" "It's lovely, isn't it?" "It's a complex with a mosque and a hospital, and Beyazit built this complex so that he could give the city a nice, advanced hospital!" "It's centrepiece, now a museum," "Is probably the first psychiatric ward ever built." "Runnlng water and soothing music were used to create a suitably therapeutic atmosphere." "PALIN:" "And the water and all that!" "It's a peaceful feeling even before you!" "K0RKUT:" "Yes, before knowing what!" "PALIN:!" "Started being treated!" "And the sound of music!" "Now let me show you this patient's room," " Suffering from black love!" " Black love?" " Impossible love!" " 0h!" " Dark!" " A sort of unrequited!" "Lovesick, melancholy!" "Lovesick, yes!" "Treated very nicely with new age therapies in this room!" " And he's insane!" " The insane one, yeah!" "So they two share a room, probably!" "PALIN:" "He doesn't look insane, just hasn't had a letter for a few days!" "K0RKUT:" "With a rose in his hand!" "PALIN:" "Very enlightened!" "K0RKUT:" "It is!" "Ahead of its time!" "Because in Europe, till 1 8th century, it wasn't recognised," " Mental illnesses!" " No!" "Lock them up!" "Yeah!" "PALIN:" "Thls far-slghted alternative to the madhouse failed to outlast the Ottoman Empire." "When the Russlans Invaded In the 1 870s, It was closed down." "But our tour of the splendours of Edlrne Is not yet over." " 0kay, Michael!" " That was good!" " You liked it?" " Now where?" "Now I want to take you on a traditional sightseeing trip!" "0h!" "Yeah, with this carriage!" "I hope you like it!" "It's the real thing with the horses!" "The modern way to get about!" "PALIN:" "Doesn't mean we're getting married or anything, does it?" "No, no!" "If you want!" "(SPEAKING TURKISH)" "PALIN: 0h, wow!" "K0RKUT:" "Lovely, isn't it?" "This is the municipality building!" "And this is the founder of the republic, Atatuerk!" " Atatuerk?" " Yes!" "It's a very new republic!" "So they're trying to keep up with his ideas, and not to forget so that religion and state is separate, kept separate, so that we are a modern country!" "He started the republic, didn't he, in the 1 920s after the end of the 0ttoman Empire!" "End of the 0ttoman Empire, it was the First World War!" " And we were defeated!" " Yes!" "So, this part of Edirne was taken over by Greeks!" "And then Atatuerk just put up a big war and tried getting back all the land, and then quickly had to make the republic!" "What else did he do that was, sort of, particularly!" "He did so many things!" "Like, for example, for us, Atatuerk is important, as a woman, because we have the same rights as men!" "PALIN:" "Where are we going now?" "We're leaving the town behind!" "0kay, this is a surprise for you!" "There is a little local wrestling, oil wrestling, right by the river!" "It has a beautiful view!" " What is it?" "0il wrestling?" " 0il wrestling!" "It's a very traditional Turkish sport!" "It dates back to, like, 640 years of history!" "And wrestlers are called pehllvan." " Pel..." "Pehllvan?" "Pehllvan." " Pehllvan." "PALIN:" "The prospect of grown men and young boys wrestling while covered from head to foot In olive oil may raise a few smiles In the crlcket-playlng countries, but, here In Turkey, It's a very serious business." "As the drum and pipe band gets everyone In the mood, the olive oil Is liberally dispensed." "It's important to get the oil everywhere, both over and under the black, buffalo-hlde pants, which are all the wrestlers are allowed to wear." "The youngsters are particularly keen." "They know that If they're any good, there's money to be made In the oil business." "As the band up the tempo and the grappling begins," "Selen fills me In on the rules of the game." "A bout Is deemed to be over when one of the pair Is flat on his back, belly to heaven." "The pants can be used to get a grip, as can the buttocks Inside them, but wedding tackle Is strictly out of bounds." "The referees, ever vigilant, keep a careful look-out for any slippery behaviour, or rather, non-sllppery behaviour." "The pehlivan are all professionals, and, In the height of the season, do really well." "What could get you arrested at Wembley can make you a fortune In Turkey." "Dlscoverlng Edlrne has been a delightful surprise, the sort of thing that gives travelling a good name." "But now It's time to see more of this country that straddles Europe and Asla." "As Edlrne slips away, a local train takes me on towards Istanbul." "It's not the most glamorous way to approach one of the great cities of the world, but there Is a touch of gold at the end of the rainbow." "PALIN:" "Our Istanbul terminal Is the very same one that was built In 1 883 for the world-renowned train that connected Turkey with the rest of Europe, the Orlent Express." "The famous old train doesn't come here any more, but ghosts of the old days still linger at Slrkecl Statlon." "There's something about arriving at Istanbul!" "It's just one of the great destinations of the world!" "You know when you've come here, it's a place of consequence!" "Probably been at the heart of human affairs, this city, longer than any other!" "And, of course, it's the end of Europe!" "Well, for now, at any rate!" "The Bosphorus, touching Asla and Europe, connecting Russla with the Medlterranean, binds Istanbul together." "Wherever you are, It's always there." "I meet Raffl Portakal, an art dealer who recently brought a big Plcasso exhibition here." "He reminds me that Turkey's connections with Europe are nothing new." "Don't forget that Istanbul was a capital of Eastern Rome!" "Ah, when it was Constantinople!" "Yes, yes, right!" "And today, people at the art area also, we feel that we are in Europe!" "We are bringing exhibitions in Istanbul!" "PALIN:" "And do you think the success of your Picasso exhibition is an example of things changing on a wider scale in Turkey?" "Yes, especially in last 20 years the artists had to change very quickly, so easily to the Western way!" "PALIN:" "Do you feel frustrated at all at the attitude of certain European countries towards Turkish membership?" "If you want to come even a simple, a simple club member!" "Yeah, yeah!" "!" "You have to accept many rules!" "What we did to become a member of the European Union!" "But if the club starts to create, every moment, different rules, you don't feel comfortable in that club!" "Yeah!" "PALIN:" "I think if Turkey joined, you feel it would be good thing, sort of a bridge between East and the West!" "P0RTAKAL:" "Exactly, exactly!" "It's a very, very!" "PALIN:" "More so than any other country, really!" "PALIN:" "Judglng from the young Turks" "I see pouring In and out of the Sabancl Museum, there's no lack of curiosity about things European." "PALIN:" "So, of course, I mean, it's a two-way process, isn't it?" "We're not just talking about Turkey becoming all Westernised!" "But the West being interested in the East through Turkey!" "Exactly, because!" "Where we are here, right now, the Red Salon, is a very good place to explain this question!" "We have a silver brazier here!" " Ah, that's what it is, yeah!" " And then we have a painting!" "It's an anonymous painting, but we think it made by a French artist, beginning of the 20th century!" "PALIN:" "Western ladies being, sort of, brought tea and coffee!" " Exactly!" " PALIN:!" "By Turkish girls!" "It's a very good place to ask this question to me!" "So do you think it'll happen in your lifetime, this Turkish membership?" " Yes!" " You do?" "Yes, yes, I'm sure, yes!" "Well, you are a young man, so that's a pretty safe answer!" " Let's say I'm 60 years old!" "Young man!" " For me, very young!" "Istanbul is a place of drama, not just for arrival, but departure!" "And you can't get much more sensational than going on one of the world's very few inter-continental ferries, Europe to Asia!" "For about 50p!" "PALIN:" "On the Aslan shore," "I'm to glimpse a more exotic side of Turkey." "(SPEAKING TURKISH)" "Tanyell Is not just one of the country's most accomplished belly-dancers, she's also a canny businesswoman, taking her product away from sweaty folklorlc evenings for tourists and turning It Into a cool global brand." "She has studios In Florlda and Australla, has taught moves to Madonna, and I'm here at her dance academy to see how she does lt." "It's a tough assignment, which, rather unexpectedly, becomes a lot tougher." " I need to see your belly!" " 0h, all right!" "I have to see your sexy belly!" " Yeah, my sexy belly!" " 0kay!" "Now, you have to do, as she comes!" " Come here!" " Yes!" "I won't be able to do this, I just know!" "I'm sort of culturally and physically!" "When you do with the belly dance, it works, breathe in and take your muscle in!" "0kay, and now you breathe out!" "See, she makes it roll nicely, and I!" " No, no, no, it's not rolling!" " 0kay!" "It's the base step!" "Then you have to work with the muscle like this!" "It's because we have stomach here and here, two different muscle!" "Then we start to move, from start with here, and breathe in and out, but then, to belly roll, you have to hold your breath here, first!" " You cannot do it!" " Not just at the moment!" "I'm very nervous!" "I might have a heart attack!" "No, no!" "I'll work on it and come back in five years!" "TANYELl:" "Five years!" "0h, my God!" "PALIN:" "Five minutes, if you like!" "I think I can do it when you're not watching!" "It's why I'm telling you that!" "PALIN:" "Anything at all?" "0r is that rather rude?" "TANYELl:" "I think!" "PALIN:" "That's not a belly roll!" "PALIN:" "That is a!" "TANYELl:" "It is something, I cannot!" "That's a pelvic thrust!" "(B0TH LAUGHING)" "PALIN:" "No, it is!" "That's what I was taught in Alexander technique!" "TANYELl:" "Anyway, thank you, it's perfect!" "PALIN:" "Thank you!" "So, any Turkish girl should be able to belly dance, because you're sort of born to it!" "Yes, exactly because, really, the tango is not from my country, and waltz is not from my country!" "You know, for new generation and new age, we know how to do tango!" "We love to Latin dance and, you know, even Indian, hip-hop, RB," " But belly dance is from our blood!" " Yeah!" "It's like people ask me sometimes, "When did you start?"" "I don't remember!" "I think I start when I was in my mother's tummy!" "Yes!" "This dance is like a medicine, it's like a meditation, but when you have stress, when you feel uncomfortable about something!" "But you've made it internationally!" "I mean, you've got your clubs all over the world, so, how've you been able to export it?" "Dance, it means love, dance, it means peace!" "And, you know, in the dance, there is no fight!" "So, my advice from me to them, it's good to dance little bit!" "Do men belly dance?" "Could you teach George Bush to belly dance?" "George Bush to belly dance!" "How I will start?" "You know, this is like mission impossible!" "You'd ask for a big fee to start with!" "(BELLY DANCING MUSIC PLAYING)" "PALIN:" "So, hang on, that's two steps to the left." "Turn to the right." "One step forward, one step back." "Turn to the right." "Turn to the left." "Spln and..." "Yeah." "Yeahl" "Yeah, I thlnk I've got lt." "After all that excitement," "I take my evening meal at a meyhane, a simple local restaurant, where I can sit quietly and recover over a meze and a glass of raki." "But they have ways of dealing with people who want to sit quietly." "(LIVELY MUSIC PLAYING)" "May I sit?" "Wlthln seconds, my meal turns Into a concert." "(SINGING IN TURKISH)" "Very good!" "Sevval, who has serenaded me so beautifully, explains." "What was it about, apart from you, your very passionate singing and all that, and beautiful playing?" "So, what was going on?" " Here is meyhane." " Meyhane." "Meyhane means, if I should have to exactly translate, means "mey'; old-fashioned Turkish word, is drink!" "And "hane"is the home, the house!" "Like a drink house!" "But it's not that kind of simple word!" "Meyhane is more poetic word in Turkish!" "This kind of music is coming from 0ttoman Empire!" "It's half of academic and half of the street!" "You know, the people express their feelings with this kind of music!" "So, the idea, really, of a place like this is to open up!" "If we see someone drink alone, like you, and we have more compassion!" "After two raki, two glasses of raki!" "And with this kind of music, you start to open your heart, and, you know, express your feelings, your sadness!" "It takes a lot more than two drinks to unlock the Englishman, you know!" " They're very!" " Are you sure?" " Probably six or seven!" " Let's try!" "PALIN:" "Throughout its long history as a Greek, Roman and Ottoman city," "Istanbul has managed to combine both an Eastern and Western temperament, which has made It unique." "But Istanbul Isn't Turkey." "If I want to understand this country better," "I must move on." "Under the stern gaze of Kemal Atatuerk, founder of the republic, a procession Is taking place to mark an extraordinary event, the 25th Camel Wrestllng Festlval." "The event Is held In an arena In Ephesus, built on top of 2,500 years of history." "20,000 people, mostly male, gather together to enjoy raki and kebabs whilst wallowlng In a nostalgia for the creature that once played such a central part In rural life." "In modern Turkey, apart from these showplece occasions, the camel Is virtually redundant." "These are speclally-bred, hlghly-tralned Iranian camels, kept hungry and randy to ensure that bad temper will make for a better bout." "Frothlng at the mouth like angry colonels, they try everything to pin their opponents' heads to the ground." "Tell me a good trick you've seen a camel play!" "To hold the other's head under both legs!" "PALIN:" "Hold the head under the front legs!" "0h, really?" "YUSUF:" "It is very dangerous for the other one, but also very good for the one who can do this!" "So that's like a sort of head lock that's!" "You can't get him out!" "Exactly, exactly!" "My friend Yusuf assures me that the camels feel no pain, though, not being a camel himself, there's an element of speculation here." "Certalnly looks bloody uncomfortable to me." "PALIN:" "They're encouraging the more aggressive side of the camel's behaviour!" "Although one or two out there, they obviously don't want to fight!" "They look as though they're really happy just having a little cuddle!" "They're gay camels?" " There are some sort of camels, yes!" " Some gay camels!" "So expensive Is It to run a good fighting camel that as soon as victory Is achieved, the contestants are Instantly pulled apart." "Changing tack slightly, do you think that people here today are mostly in favour of Turkey being in the European Union or not?" "Yeah, hard to say, you know!" "I know, and I believe many Turkish people, majority of the Turkish people, wants to be part of the European Union!" "But this political things seems like new difficulties" "been created by the European community!" "Maybe it's our fault, too!" "We must explain ourselves, express our feelings better!" "PALIN:" "I think we should get some camel wrestling at Wembley Stadium!" "That's the first step!" "Well, we've come to the end of the Turkey that we know!" "But the vast majority of this country lies out to the east, where the camels came from, and where we're going to!" "PALIN:" "In the heart of Anatolla, or Asla Mlnor, as It was known," "Is this hauntingly beautiful area called Cappadocla." "Created by the aftermath of a massive volcanic eruption, the sea of lava solidified Into a soft rock called tufa, which has been sculpted Into these unique shapes by wind, rain and snow." "Thls Is the town of Goreme and I'm off to meet a couple who have turned one of these wonderfully odd structures, called fairy chimneys, Into a very unusual guesthouse." "Half-expectlng to find Hobblts," "I Instead find myself taking a glass of tea with a German academic called Andus, and his Turklsh wife, Gulchan." "How did you end up living in a cave in the middle of Turkey?" "Well, it's kind of a funny story, actually!" "But I'm an anthropologist and, during my studies," "I came to this area as a tourist, actually!" "And I found out it's a very interesting area because, first of all, the funny dwellings, you know, all these troglodyte caves everywhere, and the nice landscape, so I thought it might be a nice scene for a thesis!" "And so I started kind of doing field research in the area!" "And, well, later on, many years later, I came back!" "Gulchan, what do people think around here about a German moving into one of these caves when everyone else is leaving?" "They get surprised and they think why he is living here!" "How he's doing?" "Is he a secret agent?" "007 James Bond or something!" " Some people!" "Things like that!" " He looks a bit like him, too!" " 0h, well, thank you!" " 0r you probably did then!" "Where are all the Bond girls, then?" "Because here, this house, almost 30, I mean, 40 years, nobody didn't live before!" "Because it was empty, the whole broken houses!" "And when I was a little child, when I coming to my grandparents', if I get naughty with my brother, they always said," ""Don't!" "You have to be okay!" "Just stop," ""otherwise we are going to put you in the ghost house!"" "Because we call this area ghost house." "PALIN:" "You call these ghost houses?" "GULCHAN:" "Yeah." "What kind of ghosts?" "You know there are two different kinds of ghosts!" "There are these nice ones, they are the fairies, they call it fairies and these are the good ghosts!" "So they say, well, fairies!" "And there are the bad ones, the bad spirits, which are kind of gathering in the green water!" " The su perlsl." " Su perlsl." "Means take you in the water!" "And they pull you into the water and drown you and they give some kind of bad energy!" "And people!" "It's still part of that folk belief that they think they are!" "Still, also, I believe, I mean it's not true, I just get scary!" "ANDUS:" "You go first?" "PALIN:" "No, after you!" "PALIN:" "It's nice today!" "0kay!" "ANDUS:" "Careful down there!" "PALIN:" "Perilous, this!" "Don't have railings!" "ANDUS:" "Yeah, it's still in progress!" "(B0TH LAUGH)" "PALIN:" "This is sporting!" "ANDUS:" "But the good thing there's a pond down there, so, you know, if it's not frozen!" "0h, right, yes, we shall fall in that!" "PALIN:" "The caves have provided refuge for many." "None more so than the early Christians who came here fleeing from persecution." "They built an estimated 1,000 rock churches In Cappadocla." "ANDUS:" "It's an area where you have lots of churches from different periods very close together!" "PALIN:" "Was this early Christianity?" "Well, it's a very important area!" "Especially over here you have lots of different churches from different times!" "And, in early Christianity, it was the area where, where also the Trinity was invented with Father, God and Holy Spirit!" "Really?" "I thought that idea was!" "So, it all kind of developed over here and then later on became part of that 0rthodox part in Christianity!" "PALIN:" "So how long were the Christians here for?" "How long were these working churches?" "Well, it started in the 6th century, would last till the1 2th, 1 3th century!" "Even at the time when the 0ttomans overwhelmed, the culture of their time, already invaded Turkey!" "PALIN:" "Andus tells me that human habitation goes back way beyond the early years of Chrlstlanlty." "ANDUS:" "People were living here from Neolithic times onwards!" "They had some trading contacts to Mesopotamia where they were trading this volcanic glass, the obsidian, which they used for cutting the harvest in Mesopotamia!" "So, this was the beginning!" "It wouldn't be the Silk Route, but it would be going across it!" "Yeah, a very early trade line!" "And then afterwards, more and more people settled down in the area, 'cause it's rather fertile!" "In some of the churches there are wall paintings In stunning condition, protected over the centuries from direct sunlight, though, sadly, not from the hand of man." "PALIN:" "And the faces scratched out!" "They've got the eyes, the mouth!" "They've just scratched the faces out!" "Was that deliberate policy at some time?" "Later on, when the Turks came, they were afraid of the evil eye!" "And so for that reason, most of them scratched out the faces," " And especially the eyes of these!" " Ah, right!" "'Cause they kept some flock and some animals in the cave and they didn't want to!" "PALIN:" "They thought the eyes had some spiritual quality!" "0kay!" "Would you like to learn your future?" "I have a friend of mine, she's just living over here!" "Gulchan Is more Interested In the future than the past." "She wants me to meet a neighbour who can read fortunes from looking In a cup of coffee." "PALIN:" "I never know whether it's a good thing to know about what's gonna happen!" "GULCHAN:" "As you know, she says bad things and good things and everything!" "You know, most of the time, it's coming true!" " Does your neighbour read your fortune?" " Yes, sometimes!" " Good things?" " Yeah, good things and bad things!" "PALIN:" "You seem quite a happy sort of person!" "0h, yes, yes!" "PALIN:" "I generally think news is good for you!" "Yes, I'm always interested and excited if she says nice things!" "But, also, if she says bad things, of course, I get upset!" " Then turn it upside down!" " Mmm-hmm!" "Yeah!" "There we go!" " And down there!" " Let it wait for a while!" "When it becomes cold here, it means it's ready!" "0h, I see!" "So it takes time for them to dry out!" "Yeah!" "So it's against Islamic law?" "Yeah, for Islamic thing, I mean, this thing is!" "I am really not good Muslim person and I am!" "I am not really a religious person but this kind of things, for Muslim people, they say never, ever do it!" "They don't accept such things!" "They say it's a sin, it's a bad!" "PALIN: 0nly God knows!" "Mmm!" "Yeah!" "But also sometimes men, also, are very interested in such things!" "But mostly maybe 80 or 90% of woman is much more interested than men!" " That's interesting!" " Yes, I like it very much!" "(SPEAKING TURKISH) 0kay!" "You will meet a rich lady here and she is, she will make you tied here!" "And you don't want to go away!" " That's interesting!" " It's really interesting!" " You know, there is a new love for you!" " 0h, well!" "(SPEAKING TURKISH)" "You will get very good news!" "You will be happy and you will be jumping like a kangaroo design!" "You will be very happy, she says!" "Is this to do with meeting the lady or has this got a separate!" "(SPEAKING TURKISH)" "Maybe!" "Maybe or not!" "(SPEAKING TURKISH)" "That's really interesting!" "You!" "(SPEAKING TURKISH)" "You are going to meet this rich lady in the Internet chat!" "Like a teenager!" "A chat room!" "I can't work the chat rooms!" "So, on richlady!" "Com!" "(SPEAKING TURKISH)" "Caves and Internet chat rooms?" "It's most confusing." "It certainly stops you from making any glib judgements about big cities and rural backwaters." "It feels strange, unfamiliar and very foreign out here In Aslan Turkey." "Yet there Is much we have In common." "Our Christian heritage survived here." "Sons of Anatollan farmers are abandoning their fields to run hotels for us." "As the young move to modern houses, anthropologists save their old ones." "Separatlng East and West Is a futile preoccupation." "The future Is cooperation." "I know." "I saw It In the coffee cup." "Much history has been played out In thls hard and mountainous land." "And as political and economic change reverberates through the region," "It could well see its time come again." "If Turkey is successful in joining the European Union, and many think she will be, then the new Europe will include not just wild and wonderful landscape like this but a whole set of new neighbours, including Syria, Iraq and Iran!"