Mount Ararat region

Young Faroukh and his shepherd dogs

Young Faroukh and his shepherd dogs

I love dogs. I have one myself. Toshka is his name and I treat him like a son. I never fear nor panic when dogs bark at me. They’re just doing their job, guarding their territory. However… a couple of days ago, for the first time since I was a small child, I didn’t know whether I should run for my life from a dog. This was a BIG dog, which belonged to a shepherd boy named Faroukh. 

Mount Ararat, sheep crossings & the welcoming Kurds

Mount Ararat, sheep crossings & the welcoming Kurds

Mount Ararat appeared out of nowhere as we drove towards the Eastern Turkish city of Van. You could tell it was enormous. We were still so far away, yet it was already visible and its snow-capped peak towered above anything around it.