Looks like I may not be writing as much as in previous years. We\u2019re in a field of greater negativity than I\u2019ve experienced on previous trips, and I need to do more spiritual exercises to stay clear\/sane\/healthy. <\/p>\n
We went on a boat ride to the Armenian Ktuts monastery and church on an island in Lake Van. A glorious angelic energy came in as we called in the Light in the church, and Leigh did a kind of flower-opening body movement that used to be done by Chioko at minsters meetings. Then we circled up for a blessing outside the church. I\u2019m not going to search for more adjectives to describe it. It was massive. There, I found another one.<\/p>\n
Then lunch by the lake, then a Turkish rug shopping party, complete with some very talented and well trained kids who danced for us. Kevin McGinn got up to dance with them, and then most of us got up to join in the dancing. Then a demo of how the rugs are made. I\u2019ve never seen so many carpets in one place. I asked if they had any flying ones because surely there must be one or two in that multi-roomed store packed and stacked with them. No answer.<\/p>\n
Then we hiked up to Van Castle for a hilltop blessing by John. We ran into multiple wedding parties near the entrance (apparently the colorfully dressed ones are Kurds). The guides wanted to show us some remnants of walls at the bottom of the hill, and John got the inner call to start going up the hill, and took off with all of us trying to keep up.<\/p>\n
A sunset bus ride gets us back to the hotel just in time for dinner. Then an evening sharing. The sharing photos aren\u2019t included in this post. I\u2019ll put them in the next one. It\u2019s going to be an early morning and two plane flights tomorrow\u2014in and out of Ataturk\u2019s tomb in Ankara.<\/p>\n
One note on the scenery you\u2019re seeing in the photos: It wasn\u2019t like this when these historical sites were active. The barren, dry landscape is the result of deforestation and the resulting desertification that happens when successful civilizations don\u2019t take care of the environment. There were a lot more trees, fruit trees, greenery, animals, etc., during the ancient and early medieval periods when this area was at its height.<\/p>\n
A very sweet evening sharing with John tops off a busy day.<\/p>\n