Below is a press release from Turkayfe, one of the walk’s backers. The press release has a nice description of my daily routine on the walk…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Headline
Ankara, Turkey December , 2012
“I am walking solo 1305 miles (2100 kilometers) across Turkey, from the Aegean coast to Iran, and describing what I run into along the way.” This bold announcement caught the attention of quite a few people and organizations, some of whom financially backed the $10,000 project.
Now three months into his trek and almost 50% of the distance, Matt Krause is more determined and confident than ever that he will reach Iran on foot. “Before I was knocking on wood and going on hope. After I reached the 40% mark I realized I have gained significant momentum. I know I can get this done.”
Each walking day follows a general routine: Wake up early, eat a large Turkish breakfast or grab something from the roadside stand, dedicate the day to someone special in his life, walk for 6-7 hours, find a place to sleep (usually in a mosque garden, gas station, bus station, open field, or as a guest in a house), and make sure he eats enough good food to give him the strength to continue walking. He usually starts walking around 8am and finishes about 3pm.
In between walking, Matt (or Mert as he introduces himself to Turks) finds time to keep his website (mattkrause.com) updated with pictures and his experiences along the way. He also gladly accepts speaking opportunities such as his talk at the Istanbul Toastmasters a few weeks ago. He has also been invited to be a guest speaker at Tarsus American College the second week of December. He will explain about his walk across Turkey to 4 classes, interacting with different age groups.
In the months to come he will trek through Adana, Antep, Diyarbakir, and Van, expecting to reach the Iranian border sometime in March. As the weather turns colder and he gets nearer to Van, Matt will find himself hiking and camping in the snow, something he is well prepared to do with his warm clothes and thick sleeping bag.
As American who spent a few years in Istanbul and who was previously married to a Turkish woman, Matt has a special place in his heart for Turkey. It bothers him that some people in the West not only have a negative view of Turkey and the Middle East in general but also regard these areas as unsafe. Matt aims to prove that people in the Middle East are basically the same as those in the West, with the same human feelings and problems and compassion. He is giving the people of the villages and cities he passes through the opportunity to demonstrate their hospitality and goodwill to the world through their kindness to him. So far he has not been disappointed.
Actually, this walk is just a warm-up. After he rests up and writes a couple of books about his trip across Turkey, he plans to continue walking where he left off…across Iran, showing that the people of Iran are also basically good people, just like everyone else.
To contact Matt for a speaking engagement or to join him in walking a kilometer or two, email him at mattkrause@mattkrause.com.
Turkayfe.org is a proud sponsor of this project. To find out more about Turkayfe, visit http://turkayfe.org/index.php/brandturkey
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