THE KING AND
THE BIRD
I climb the mountain and sit by the mint facing the sun and listening to the bees.
For a moment I think back of the bridge - the stones layed 2000 years ago - and the post
card given to my friend, Turkish soldier. I drew him a picture to understand the beautiful
miracle I captured today.
The oldest bridge in the world - 2000 years it echoes the same song of the running water
and animal talk, 2000 years it casts the shadow that never changes its form, 2000 years
the wheels and feet tickle its bones, and yet ... it is alive!
And so are the kings on the top of Nemrut looking down upon the world day by day, years
and centuries of sunset and sunrise.
One day my trip will come to the end and I will be gone streaming down the hard rocks and
caressing the stone or talking to mint. Some day I will be back to look down upon the
kings, and will fly like a bird with the colours of dawn and the dusk into the light.
Goda
Kahta, Turkey 29.08.1999.
TWO THINGS
Time does not matter any more.
We are ten, but only three of us have a watch. The rest of us harldy know the hour or day
of the week. It does not matter if we cycle at night in full moon or hottest time of the
day, it does not matter if we climb seven or nine hills resting and listeting to the
murmur of bees or joking and sleeping with these - we continue through time.
... and place makes no sense either.
What matters is pushing the bike up as long as you can, and yet if you think you are dead,
you continue through it.
The world is round and there's life everywhere - in mountains or desert - there's a stream
or oasis, Palmyra with a name of a woman dressed for the night - lights coming up, thick
green trees with water and life, feeding raptiles, animals and me.
Goda
Sinci, Turkey 30.08.1999.
THE TWINS
In Kahta we were robbed - Sigitas lost the computer and he was sad. Edvardas followed him
like a child something he always likes to do. Two beards, two pairs of glasses, two caps
and two crazy minds, father and son, or may be twins? They headed off for MALATYA leaving
us lazy and disorganised.
Second day we are in mountains, and yet they are not in sight. On the first pass we found
two things - the Lithuanian flag Edvardas has been carrying on his bike. It was a thing of
honour and pride - he marked names of each country we passed; and a dusty spoon of
Sigitas. Did something happen?
A beautiful view opened form this site, we stopped for a moment and laughed - somebody
came to Pier and Carlotta quite confused - I thought there was only one of them but there
are two! Are they twins?
We reached Malatya at the end of the third day cycling in mountains. A voice called out -
I turned - I saw the same beard and the same pair of glasses I had missed for the three
days.
Sigitas ran out in the middle of the busy street screaming and embracing each - "My
lost children..."
Goda
Malatya, Turkey 31.08.1999