CONVERSATION
CONVERSATION
CONVERSATION
HUMAN TRACES:
ETHIOPIA
HUMAN TRACES:
ETHIOPIA
THE BALANCE OF FACTS
THE BALANCE OF FACTS
THE BALANCE OF FACTS
THE BALANCE OF FACTS
DESTINATIONS
DESTINATIONS
The Dreamtime, or the Dreaming, portrays the Aboriginal beliefs in spiritual existence. According to the tribes that first settled down in the continent, the Dreaming's roots date all the way back to the very begging of the creation of the world. The meaning and ideology of the term is generally not so well-understood by non-indigenous people as it is referred to as part of the culture of one of the early nations, which differs from modern perceptions.
The Spirits were the creators of everything. They made the land and the seas, the rocks and the plants, the sky and the earth. They were the higher power and the Australian Aborigines spent their lifetimes honoring this power, which guided their path and shaped their way of thinking. Not only creators of everything, which could be seen as well as felt, the Spirits also gave the Aborigines the Dreaming.
The time when everything started existing according to the initial Australians, was called the Dreaming. This is the foundation of the continent's culture. The origin of the Dreaming goes way back - 65 000 years back in time to be exact. The Ancestors of the nation shaped the land, forming some parts of it as sacred. The Aborigines were very careful and overprotective of those places, strongly believing in their significance.
The Australian Aborigines are known to have believed that the world didn't have any shape and was therefore empty. Darkness dominated, and life was simply asleep, but this changed when the creation began happening. After the Dreaming and the influence of the Spirits, objects began taking shapes and came to be. They created the four elements: water, earth, air and fire, as well as all the planets, the Sun and the Moon. The Dreaming therefore is a continuous process, which never ended. It is a small cosmos on its own, unifying the past, present and the future into one.
The Australian Aborigines' home riches so many vivid areas of the continent, including Fraser Island, Tasmania, Palm Island, Groote Eylandt and Mornington Island. The Aborigines had very strong believes in relation to the powers of the land, claiming that they never owned it - it rather owned them. The only reason they were able to call it their home is because they were looking after it and the land was taking care of the people in return.
Equally important to the Dreaming was the tribes' understandings of the disappearance of the Spirits. There came a time, when the creators of everything vanished from sight. Some of them were thought to have started living in sacred places, which is why the Aborigines perceived their homeland to be so sacred. The ancestors of today's Australians used to believe that the creators started living in rocks, in water holes and some went up to the sky to guide the people from above and keep them safe. Others transformed completely, taking the forms of the rain, the lightnings and the thunderstorms so they could be part of peoples' life.
Among the hundred's different Aboriginal languages, there isn't a word to describe 'time', because to them this simply doesn't exist. Dreaming and Dreamtime are used to replace it and summarize the ideologies of the Aborigines about everything they knew, everything they could see, feel and experience. This is why the Dreaming has such a vivid, and overwhelming meaning and has survived the obstacles of time. For the past couple thousand years, the Dreaming has built a rich cultural heritage that can identify a whole nation.
Read more about the Land, its connection to people and the way it has been perceived from different generations in the very first print issue of ORIGIN. The Land Issue covers varied topics, most of which remain related to cultural aspects of the land and its importance.
A lot of people travel to explore places and learn about them which is the message that ORIGIN wants to spread. With traveling, however, comes certain responsibilities that we should all be aware of. Elephants riding has become a popular way to explore locations by land. People have been doing this as part of their trips, mostly to places such as Thailand, Nepal, Cambodia and other parts of Asia. It is a common thing to see in certain places in Africa as well. We investigated the activity to explain why it is wrong and riding elephants should be banned everywhere.
Our first print issue studies culture and traveling represented through the land. We explored various location around the globe and learned what makes the land so valuable, which nations cherish it and how it helps us establish an identity. Traveling is important to us but traveling responsibly and making an impact is what we feel proud to stand behind. This is why riding elephants as a way of amusement should be reconsidered.
Let’s talk about the details. Elephants are very caring and extremely intelligent animals. It is a well-known fact that they never forget anything. When kept in captivity instead of spending their life in the wild, elephants die younger. Unlike in other species, this is common for the gentle giants and is often a result for stress.
Many African cultures respect elephants, believing they symbolize strength, loyalty and power. However, power can be a very tender concept. Elephant used as a tourism tool suffer from great pain daily. Elephants can be hurt very severely from the weight of carrying people and a trainer on their backs. The reason for this is the design of their spines. They have sharp protrusions, extending upwards from their spine instead of having round spinal disks. The protrusions and the tissue that serves to protect them can be harmed easily from weight pressure. Once a damage to their spine has been made, there is no going back and sometimes the harm can be irreversible. While this can’t be physically seen, the harm that the chairs can do to the elephants’ skin is. It is often the case that the chairs and the weight on their back can damage the animal’s skin and cause pain to their body. The chair, called Howdah, that gets attached to their backs, rubs on their skin and can cause blisters, which can sometimes get infected.
The training that elephants are required to go through when in captivity sometimes adopts a traditional Thai ‘phajaan’ or ‘crush’ technique. Explaining the technique would compare it to the animals’ spirits constantly and continuously being broken by the means of torture and social isolation. This is done in order to tame them. Elephants are wild animals, this is their nature as they are born in such conditions. Making them safe and obedient around people requires them to go through such training. As horrible as it sounds, in some places young elephants are taken away from their mothers to be abused with nails, bull hooks and bamboo sticks to make them obey rules, given by people. The animals often lack sleep and are starved to become submissive.
Actions from such nature are cruel and harmful as the technique is used to crash the animals’ spirit. Once wild and free, elephants become a source of tourism and entertainment. Nobody, who cared about sustainable tourism should ever ride an elephant.
In a sense, elephants have a human soul. They socialise and feel everything – pain, happiness, grief, sadness etc. They spend their life building families and finding friends. The largest land animals are a gift from nature and it is our responsibility to take special care of them and make sure they live according to their nature. Many animals, who are kept in captivity, are forced to live in isolation and carry heavy loads all day long, which is a wrong way to treat them. Their strength and power shouldn’t be abused but treated gently and celebrated by people. Elephants require minimal care to stay happy and healthy, which comes from giving them freedom to behave naturally and socialise. It is our responsibility to be culturally aware while traveling and make sure to spread awareness about the problem.
You can read the rest of the article as published in the LAND issue.
SUN, SALTWATER AND SERENITY:
A GUIDE TO FISHING IN TURKEY
Come along to one of the best places in the world for fishing some of the tastiest catch. From area recommendations to details on fishing season and bans, this is our ultimate guide to a fishing holiday in Turkey
Words: Aleksandra Georgieva
Photography: Tolga Ahmetler
23 December 2020
Surrounded by not one but four seas, with an abundance of rivers and lakes, Turkey has turned into a paradise destination for the lovers of salt water and freshwater fishing. Experts and first-timers rush to book trips to the country where fishing has turned from a Sunday hobby into something of an art form for locals. Even thinking of the dynamic capital city of Istanbul is difficult without picturing the fishermen lined up alongside the Galata Bridge that has become one of the most iconic images of the country.
For Turks fishing is no hobby but a passion. The nation specialises in preparing and cooking various types of freshwater and salt water fish which is where we seek advice on the best areas in the country to head to for a delicious catch.
The fishing season for saltwater begins in the late summer months, which is when the fish swims to the shores before retreating to deep waters in the early winter. Saltwater fishing sites vary depending on the region but in most places it is not difficult to find local fishermen who would be happy to share some of their methods with tourists. Apart from saltwater sites, Turkey is also a popular destination for freshwater fishing. Travellers often go for relaxing trips to the Turkish countryside, while we recommend finding a guide when opting in for a freshwater catch as locals know the most exquisite regions and tricks to help you.
Right when the cold of the upcoming winter is still a few weeks away but the scorching heat of the Mediterranean summer begins to die down, is when you'll find the best fishing regions in Turkey lined up with expert fishermen. The sport is one of the country's favourite and a great way to dive into nature for travellers from around the world.
Some of the most elusive catch in the country is found in the areas around Babakale, Assos, the Dardanelles Strait as well as the islands of Gökçeada and Bozcaada. Some of the best quality saltwater fish also swims in the Northern Aegean and the Gulf if Saros. The Black Sea is paradise for breeds that are specifically indigenous to the region while the Eastern Anatolian Kaçkar mountainous sites are ideal for freshwater catch, reminiscing fishing in places like Scandinavia and Alaska.
Turkey's variety of delicious fish has defined the way of living for many locals. The sport also vastly benefits tourism while providing a healthy lifestyle for a nation that is surrounded by four seas, mastering the skills of catching and cooking fish. To maintain the balance in nature and to regulate fishermen, every four years the government establishes new rules on the amount, sizes and types of fish allowed to be caught by amateur fishermen.
Depending on the types of fish and region, fishing is illegal during breeding season. Violating the restrictions on commercial fishing can result in heavy penalties for foreign enthusiasts. The ban usually stretches between 1st April and 1st September.
In non-prohibited and non-military regions in Turkey fishing can be done without obtaining a licence as long as you are an amateur using non-commercial equipment and fishing nets with a weight of less than 5kg. Yet, it is important to note that species such as sea horses, turtles, black coral, dolphins, cuttlefish and sandbar sharks are protected and it is strictly against the law to break the ban on protected species. Spear fishing is also prohibited at night including at historic sites. Latest information on the regions and fish specifications allowed per person can be obtained from the Department of Fisheries at the Turkish Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock.
Another reason fishing enthusiasts head to Turkey is the country's abundance of large-sized fish alongside varieties of species that aren't found elsewhere. While the sea bass, bream and mackerel that swims in the Marmara and the Aegean is delicious, the sunken ship sites at the Çanakkale strait are especially fruitful when it comes to big fish. The catfish in Turkey often reaches epic sizes up to 100 kilos where it only grows up to 30kg in America. Near the Fırat River in Southeastern Anatolia endemic species including şabut, caner and bezir swim in huge dams reaching a size between 5 and 100 kilogrammes.
The Aegean Sea around the coast of Turkey is famous for the taste of the fish and whoever makes a catch is greeted with great honour. Among the best areas to fish in the region include Ildır, Alaçatı and Kuşadası, while Marmaris, Bodrum and Datça are some of the loclas' favourite spots in the east for large-sized species sich as snapper. Freshwater fishing is most rewarding in cold, clear waters with lots of oxygen. This is where balleye, trout and the "American Levrek" (similar to Sweetwater brass) can be caught. Warmer lakes and streams are home to smaller species.
Eastern Anatolia's wilderness is popular for rainbow trout alongside its own version of salmon, known as the East Black Sea Alabalik. Yet, local experts agree that the Black Sea fish is most delicious especially when caught in cold salty waters. Some of the fishermen's favourite species include levrek, lüfer (blue fish), hamsi, palamut and istavrit as they swim towards Çanakkale through the Bosporus Strait.
Some of Turkey's most popular fishing spots:
1. Black Sea
2. Aegean Sea
3. Mediterranean Sea
4. Sea of Marmara ( where the aquatic life is threatened by uncontrolled commercial fishing and pollution but some fish, mussels, crabs and shrimp can still be found).
5. Strait of Istanbul or the Bosphorus (main fishing season lasts from September to December when tourists can fish from the shore or from a rented boat, best done alongside local fishermen).
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NOMADSofORIGIN is an independent annual publication with a focus on sustainable travelling and global cultural values. Each issue features interviews, engaging articles and photo guides, which take our nomadic readers through different destinations and introduce them to local people's perspectives.
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