Eastern and Central Turkey
click here for another exciting image
Leaning B.O.B. (bastard old bike) into yet another sinuous series of bends, Turkish music playing in my helmet and another gorgeous vista unfolding before me, I thought to myself this was one of most enjoyable roads I have ridden for a very long time.
We were riding around the Mediterranean coast of Turkey, specifically the road between Fetihye and Antalya; where the road clings to the coastline for much of the way, winding around secluded coves and golden beaches. I was finding it hard to keep my attention on the road though, as my eyes were constantly drawn away by the azure and turquoise coloured waters and the gorgeous islands.
The only drawback to all these winding roads were getting to Lisa and she started to succumb to motion sickness!
click to see Patara Beach
This ride in itself would have been enough to make my day (sorry about the motion sickness Lisa), but there were more treats in store for us, namely Olimpos, which proved to be a delightful spot. No carpet shops, in fact no shops at all, just treehouses to stay in, Roman ruins, a beach and lots of chilled out backpackers.
And just over the hill was the Chimaera - flames that dance around fissures on the side of Mt Olimpos - very ethereal.
Click here to see Lisa at the Chimaera
Up to now we have almost constantly been travelling in weather varying from hot to very hot with only one day of rain in Istanbul while sightseeing, so we were very surprised to find that one more days ride brought about a serious climatic change.
From the warmth of the Mediterranean coast we had climbed inland to the surreal landscapes of Cappadocia. Finally a chance to use all the bulky warm clothing we have been carting around with us. We had climbed up to about 1500m and were now well away from the warming influence of the Med and it was starting to feel like autumn.
We spent four days exploring the wonders of Cappadocia; trekking in the lovely Ilhara Gorge, marvelling at the frescos surviving inside 1500 year old Byzantine churches that had been carved into the cliffside; riding around the countryside surrounding Goreme and being constantly surprised by the weird and wonderful rock formations, many of them with houses and churches cut into them.
Well, really it was only three days looking around Cappadocia as we took one day off from riding or doing anything touristy to just kick back, relax and do bugger all. Strange place for us to choose to do this as it is such a wonderland with so much to see and do, but we both enjoyed the downtime and also Lisa had her first 24 hour bug which proved to be a cleansing experience. Not that we got to sleep in. Every morning we would get woken just before sunrise to a roaring noise overhead. It would invariably get me up and out of the tent to watch half a dozen or so hot-air balloons drift by the rock tuffs.
Click here to see Lisa and friend
This, I think, will be an abiding memory of Cappadocia for me, along with the night we spent at a restored caravanserai watching a Whirling Dervish performance.
We finally dragged ourselves away from Cappadocia and struck out east. A long days ride through lovely scenery brought us to Nemrut Dagi. The transition between western and eastern Turkey started to make itself apparent by the relative scarcity of petrol stations and the deterioration in driving skills. It was becoming increasingly common for oncoming traffic to flash their headlights at us, pull out to overtake another vehicle and expect us to get out of their way. Generally, I would grudgingly oblige.
click here for another photo from Nemrut Dagi
Nemrut Dagi is a very special place. A rugged road climbs up to the top of this peak where an egocentric king built colossal statues of himself and his relatives, the gods (around 38 BC). We spent an hour or two marvelling at the giant bodies and their detached heads, enjoying the views down over the Mesopotamian plains and soaking up the tranquillity. Then the cold breeze got to much for us and we retreated to the comforts of our campsite.
Now that we are in Eastern Turkey our campsites and fellow campers have changed. At Nemrut Dagi our camping and bill for food was exceedingly cheap, and our next two campsites at Lake Van and here at Dogubayazit have been free. We are now also meeting other overland travellers at our campsites rather than European tourists on short holidays.
At Lake Van we met Jerome and Sophie Maurice, a French couple that have been riding around the world for the last 2 years on Piaggio scooters. Unfortunately they were not riding them as one of the scooters had run out of oil in Iran and blown the crankshaft, so it was in a shop waiting for parts to arrive from France. Their website is www.2globe-reporters.com
We are now staying at Murat Camping in Dogubayazit near the Iranian border, in the shadow of towering Mt Arafat. It appears to be a stopping point for overlanders crossing to and from Iran and we are enjoying hearing about everyones experiences in Iran and Pakistan and getting some good advice on routes and nice places to check out.
I am also giving B.O.B. some tender loving care. Yesterday we fitted some new tyres that I had sent from Ankara as I don't think I can find another set until Thailand. Have also changed my rear brake pads and will give B.O.B. an oil change today. We will be going shopping in town for a shapeless coat or knee length shirt and head scarf for Lisa, obligatory in Iran, and catching up on a few other tasks before we embark on our next adventure - Iran.