The Olive Journey: A Quaint Rustic Beauty

Sunday, June 5, 2011

A Quaint Rustic Beauty - Palangan, Kurdistan

Approaching the village of Palangan

The journey from Sanandaj to Palangan, a remote Kurdish village, took slightly more than two hours with a stop in Kamyaran. Kurdistan is a mountainous region and the view along the way is truly breathtaking, with fields of poppies, yellow, white and purplish flowers adorning the road sides. Not a minute did I close my eyes, trying to absorb the beauty of the landscape. As our bus moved slowly approaching the valley, the quaint and rustic stone and mud-brick houses became more pronounced parading its jaw dropping beauty. I now understand the saying “Kurds have no friends but the mountains” I supposed mountains are the symbolic features of Kurdish life.

Houses perching on the rocks

The houses are neatly tucked on the walls of the mountain and the emerald river flows effortlessly in between the village, perfecting the scenery. Some of the villagers were busy walking up and down the mountain, some were fishing in Sirwan river while others were walking on the roof top….the roof top of one’s house is the yard of another. Not only the villagers, but the donkeys and cows were equally busy trotting! The pristine mountain air and the panoramic beauty just melt me away!

We walked about 2 km along the river under the blazing heat but half way we were treated with a can of cold drink. We kept moving after the brief stop and finally we found a perfect place for a rest under the mulberry trees. Resting under the shades by the river, the coolness made me feel like I’m in a slice of heaven on earth. We spent almost a day in Palangan and I was indulging myself …… unabashedly gawking at the beauty surrounding me!!!