Gapgenç Festival @ Adıyaman

Between 8 and 12 of May I went to Adıyaman to participate as a volunteer in the 3 day Gapgenç Festival, in Adıyaman. This is an annual festival that happens each time in a different city in Turkey. This time Adıyaman - the cursed city - was the place to go.

 

To my joy, my good friend Luís Blümel (Portuguese, EVS near Çanakkale) was there.

On Wednesday it was about that, meeting other volunteers, dancing to Halay music and playing football. We just had a small meeting at night.

On Thursday we had to wait until the protests about the Festival were finished to start our “work” outside. LOL! I wanted to protest against the protesters but no one was willing to join me.

Me, Adem and The Man



At that time I didn't know Tavla, now I am unbeatable

 

That night the Gods agreed with the protesters, that we, the people who brings diseases, should go away, so They launched a furious storm to make us go home and stop our promiscuous activities. The first photo is just ten or fifteen minutes before the punishment begun. The second is the first I could get a lightning on a photographic machine!

That night most people slept in a school near Kamp Alanı, and the next morning we had already a place to stay the next few days, a nice and safe pavilion, nearer to the city centre and with plenty space to resume our dancing and playing :)

  

Gapgenç Parade

Gapgenç döner



Best part of those days

Award winning picture of the Syrian war, interesting exhibition



We didn’t stay until the end, on Saturday afternoon it was time to go, and this time it only took one and a half hours to otostop home, but only thanks to my friend Mustafa who saw us in the road.

The concept of the Festival was different from other festivals I’ve been before, I was expecting more workshops and different activities, but maybe it was the rain that ruined the plans of the Organization. Despite that, I think they did an excellent job in putting everyone in a comfortable place after the sky fell down on the Earth.

I had a wonderful time there, it was really worth it!

 

Paco