The Laz and Hemsin Cultures of Turkey 2014 Holiday
I could feel the chill in my bones. After a long day touring local attractions, I was trying to sleep and was dressed in pyjamas, T-shirt, and a sweater but still had to pull the blanket around my neck to keep warm. This is the moment that I fully appreciated the diversity of Turkey and ironically had to laugh because it was the middle of June. In previous years, I normally spent this month in the coastal resorts of the Aegean where beaches are full with sunbathers, air-conditioning units are on full speed, and cold showers are taken at least once a day. However, on this occasion, I had travelled to the Northeast of Turkey and my hotel for the night was in the Kackar Mountains at an altitude of 3000 metres. The diversity of weather conditions was strongly obvious. Despite the cold nights, it was impossible not to appreciate my surroundings. While my friends spent their days sunbathing on sandy beaches, I was exploring sites and attractions that resembled the Swiss Alps rather than