Tuesday 21 April

I woke at 4.50am and the Mullahs made sure I was awake at 5.04am - you don't need to set your alarm here is you need to get up early. Breakfast this morning was a glass of water and bread purchased the night before as we are off to Gallipoli and Troy before breakfast is served in the hotel.

We are picked up by bus from the Hassle Free Travel Agency. Luggage is put on and away we go. The tour director asks us what time our flight is as we are off to the airport. We are confused and try to explain we are on the wrong bus as we are supposed to be on tour. Everyone laughs as he pulls this joke on every new person!

The drive is the same as in 2006 - we even stop at the same place for a break.

What was different were 4 lovely people we met.

Sitting behind us were two hillarious guys form Australia - Tom (Canberra) and Dave (Perth). Despite being Australians they are my kind of guys - great sense of humour and a passion for military history. After this two day trip they were off to the Western Front in France for ANZAC Day - that's dedication. They were fascinated by the huge number of petrol stations along the way and had bets when the next one would appear. They had a point - why, within 400m would there be two petrol stations of the same brand on the same side of the road? Their manical musings had me in fits of laughter. I became an Aussie ("Australians all let us rejoice, for we are young and free")!!!

Beside us were two lovely young women - Bronwen for Dunedin (coming from Dunedin she has to be nice!) and Andrea from Gisborne. Both were teachers in international schools, currently in Romania but previously Shanghai and Pakistan. Like our Helen, the world is a small place to them as they confidently move around it. They were so friendly and we spent much time with them over the next two days.

Lunch was pleasant at Maydos Restaurant in Eceabat - on the European side of the Dardanelles. We meet our guide Murat and then we are off on our guided Gallipoli tour.

Highlights:
- Gabatepe Museum
- "Brighton" Beach - where we were supposed to land
- Beach Cemetery - where Simpson (but not his donkey) is buried; more on him later from Tom - Hell Spit
- ANZAC Cove and Ariburnu Cemetery
- the Turkish soldier and wounded enemy statue
- Lone Pine - saw the name of James Martin, the youngest Australian to enlist/die - 14 years of age!
- the trenches at Johnston's Jolly
- the monument and cemetery of the Turkish 57th Regiment. Here we lose Tina. Everyone (apart form Tina) is on the bus waiting to go but she has locked herself in the toilet!!! She finally breaks free.
- The Nek
- Chunuk Bair

Everywhere we go there are preparations for upcoming ANZAC Day ceremonies: banks of seating, lighting and sound systems.

Our guide, Murat, was oustanding. So knowledgeable and passionate. Nothing was too much trouble eg I missed Malone's name at Chunuk Bair so Murat took a photo for me the next day!

We cross the Dardanelles by ferry to Canakkale (now in Asia), go to the Mados Hotel (nice room overlooking the harbour), have a rubbish dinner there (second bad evening meal in a row) and crash. A very good day.