Vegetarian Festival in Turkey, 21-27 June 2003

We must admit that we had been wondering what to expect after the events of 11 September 2001, which led to the postponement of the congress, the recent war in Iraq, and reports about earthquakes... But since all these obstacles had not deterred us we were privileged to enjoy a wonderful experience.

Already the journey to Turkey was an adventure in itself. Despite a very early arrival we were picked up at the airport and brought to private accommodation from where we could do some sight seeing in Istanbul before starting our 12-hour-trip in a crosscountry bus. We have never experienced such impressive service as the one this bus company had to offer: Two bus drivers alternated regularly and a steward dressed in a perfect outfit (black suit with waistcoat and bow-tie) looked after the passengers and provided a pleasant journey.

Our destination was Club Natura Oliva at the Bafa Gölü (Bafa lake, in the proximity of Milas, not far from the Aegean coast), a pleasant holiday camp in the midst of a large olive pleasant. Mediterranean plants and animals, in particular innumerable cicadas, families of cats, lizards and swallows presented an enjoyable opportunity to be in touch with nature.

The weather was really wonderful with fantastic sun-rises and -sets, which made even the cicadas forget their concert. We enjoyed a cloudless blue sky and lots of sun, with a pleasant breeze coming from the lake. Indeed it was very hot and plenty of raw food, fruit, and drinking water were just what we needed along with many showers.

The complete programme took place outside, starting with a yogahour in the morning with Margaret Gunn-King, followed by a rich buffet breakfast with Turkish specialities, lectures or trips, lunch, siesta during the hottest time of the day, workshops or lectures, dinners and evening programmes with music and dancing or just chatting and enjoying each others' company.

The lecture programme started off with a “Laugh Meditation” by Margaret Gunn-King. We all took this particular lecture very seriously so that we never forgot to laugh during the whole conference. We would like to mention in particular the lecture of Sascha Barrio, a Peruvian physician of Chinese medicine, who at the moment attends training courses in China. He spoke about nutrition according to Chinese medicine in general and in particular about the correct fats, whereby he gave special attention to plant sources for Omega- 3 fatty acids. Other lecture topics dealt with the work of the Turkish ecology and environmental movement “Bugday” (= wheat), Yoga for the eyes and SSS healing after Sai Baba.

Under the guidance of Viktor Ananias (formerly owner of a vegetarian restaurant in Bodrum) and Tuba K_l_ç we also, with a lot of fun and generously applied laughter-therapy, prepared a typically Turkish meal, which tasted really good. We had bought all the ingredients beforehand at the large market at Milas. The bazaar in Milas is really extraordinary. Besides a variety of traders, the farmers from about 60 villages in the area also offer their products. The pattern on the headscarves of the market women identify which village they come from. The most prominent produce on offer at the market was fruit and vegetables, meat and fish played a much smaller role. In general the diet of the population in this area is predominantly without meat and thereby points in the right direction. The visit to a former caravanserai with various craftsmen (like carpet-weavers and saddleries etc.) and shops was also interesting.

Sightseeing was not forgotten either. We went to the ruins of wellknown ancient places e.g. Ephesus, Harakleia and Labranda and visited typical villages of that particular area to get to know the regional life styles better.

There was ample time for all members of the group to get acquainted, to talk, to exchange experiences and ideas, to swim and enjoy the sun. We spent the evenings listening to Turkish folklore music, dance (with improvised belly dances) and singing.

The participants came from many countries: Great Britain, Belgium, Denmark, Turkey, Germany, Peru and China. There was no problem in coping with all the different languages and nobody felt left out.

The Festival was organized by Victor Ananias from Bugday and Bora Sari who really went out of their way to make this Festival an unforgettable event. We sincerely thank them for all they have done and for all the effort they invested to turn this event into a great success. In just this one week we got to know a lot about, and really enjoy the proverbial Turkish hospitality. We certainly shall come back!

Guenter and Hildegund Scholvien
Email : hscholvien@cybernetica.de