TURKEY Saturday 4 May 2013
From Alexandropouli it is just a 30 minute drive to the Turkish border at Ipsala. Just take the motorway so there are no navigation problems. Leaving Greece was a doddle; just show your passport and off you go into no-man’s land.
The Turkish border is a little more complicated but not too bad. It goes as follows:
At the entrance to the border post show your passports to the man at the gate, so to speak.
The area widens out in to several lanes. Don’t enter a lane just yet. Park to one side.
Walk towards the several passport booths and just behind the right hand one is another booth for visas. He sticks a rather smart stamp into a page of your passport and takes your money. Cost £10 per person or €15 per person. So much for the EU.
Now walk back to the motorhome and drive up to one of the open passport booths. Here you show the man your passport with visa, your car “logbook” and insurance Green Card.
Drive to the exit and show everything again.
Now enter Turkey. Total time 40 minutes and painless.
The Turkish border is a little more complicated but not too bad. It goes as follows:
At the entrance to the border post show your passports to the man at the gate, so to speak.
The area widens out in to several lanes. Don’t enter a lane just yet. Park to one side.
Walk towards the several passport booths and just behind the right hand one is another booth for visas. He sticks a rather smart stamp into a page of your passport and takes your money. Cost £10 per person or €15 per person. So much for the EU.
Now walk back to the motorhome and drive up to one of the open passport booths. Here you show the man your passport with visa, your car “logbook” and insurance Green Card.
Drive to the exit and show everything again.
Now enter Turkey. Total time 40 minutes and painless.
Tekirdag
Rakoczi's house, Tekirdag.
It was then that we found Turkish roads had deteriorated since we visited last about 8 year ago. We drove straight to Tekirdag where there is a museum dedicated to Rakoczi, a famous Hungarian who lived in exile in Turkey in the 1700s.
Then it was time to meander round the town. First call was the Tourist Information office. The lady was very kind and helped us even though her English was limited. Maybe there are no British tourists coming here. However we followed her directions to an exchange office. After 200 yards the kind lady caught us up; she was holding the camera Judit had left on her desk. Thank goodness for Turkish kindness and also for following her directions.
We duly changed some Euros for Turkish Lira and continued our meander. Tekirdag is a busy place and the streets were filled with the aroma of interesting foods and cakes.
As it was approaching evening we took a “brown” road to Sarkoy. This is a small town on the coast towards Galliboli. There we saw our first KIPA store. This is a Turkish TESCO. It was well stocked and very clean and tidy.
Then it was time to meander round the town. First call was the Tourist Information office. The lady was very kind and helped us even though her English was limited. Maybe there are no British tourists coming here. However we followed her directions to an exchange office. After 200 yards the kind lady caught us up; she was holding the camera Judit had left on her desk. Thank goodness for Turkish kindness and also for following her directions.
We duly changed some Euros for Turkish Lira and continued our meander. Tekirdag is a busy place and the streets were filled with the aroma of interesting foods and cakes.
As it was approaching evening we took a “brown” road to Sarkoy. This is a small town on the coast towards Galliboli. There we saw our first KIPA store. This is a Turkish TESCO. It was well stocked and very clean and tidy.
Sarkoy
Although Sarkoy is a small town it was the weekend and in full swing. We had difficulty getting down to the coast as the streets were so narrow and twisting. But at each end of town it is possible to get to the sea. We parked opposite Veis cafe where we drank our first cay (tea) with the owner. He was surprised that we had even found the town and was delighted that we had arrived. Later we found ourselves surrounded by young Turkish students, three pretty young ladies and a young man. Although they had limited English they were keep to ask us some questions relating to their study of tourism. Ian’s answers were recorded on an iPhone. (I want one.)
During the night we paid for our pleasure because the town did not go to sleep until well after 3-00 am. However, in the morning the old owner of the cafe invited us across to the cafe; not for cay but for breakfast. We had just eaten but it was too complicated to refuse so we had the Full Turkish. Tomatoes, cucumber, sausages, “flat meat”, boiled egg, bread and olives. People are so kind and generous.
During the night we paid for our pleasure because the town did not go to sleep until well after 3-00 am. However, in the morning the old owner of the cafe invited us across to the cafe; not for cay but for breakfast. We had just eaten but it was too complicated to refuse so we had the Full Turkish. Tomatoes, cucumber, sausages, “flat meat”, boiled egg, bread and olives. People are so kind and generous.
Oran
After breakfast number 2 we drove to Galliboli for the ferry across the straights to Asian Turkey. Following Don Madge’s instructions we took the ferry with the white and green stripe on the left as you enter the harbour. The entry is a bit sudden so avoid all touts and calmly stop to assess the situation. The correct ferry takes you to Lapseki and straight onto the motorway. Don’t forget the bad roads. Several miles of lovely road can, and do, suddenly stop and become roadwork’s rubble.
We really needed a stop so we went to the Troy site area where we had heard there is a good Night Stop. There may be but we did not like the looks of the place and turned round. We have heard from many people that the archeological site is really for enthusiastic archeologists and not for the likes of Ian.
At Ezine we took a road to the right to the coast. We clearly took the wrong road and found ourselves in “white” roads winding our way through villages where no-one had seen a large white motorhome before. Good fun. Finally we hit the “brown” road at Tuzla and continued south. First impressions are that it is not easy to find a good Night Stop in Turkey compared to Greece. In fact there are very few places to simply pull in for a 10 minute break. Soon we turned East towards Ayvacik. We did not stop at Assos. It may be a lovely place with a great view of Greek Lesbos island.
Further east there is little to grab the attention. The road is along the coast and is like a motorway with surprise traffic lights here and there. The whole area is built up rather boringly.
After about 25 miles we turned south at Edremit and just before Burhaniye we turned right for Ören. What would we do without a PeeJay night stop. Good man. We had a very peaceful night to the north of the town. Later we investigated the town centre stop he mentions. We think that since PeeJay was here the whole area has been pedestrianized and no vehicles or motorbikes are allowed.
With that in mind we parked in a shady side road to catch up on some notes. In the evening we returned to the northern night stop and had another peaceful night.
In the morning we returned to the main road and refueled at the cheapest filling station around at 436TL per litre (around £1.56). But we had a free cay each and Bessy was given a full wash and brush up. Excellent.
We also called in a large KIPA. Wonder of wonders... they had tinned peas. Now this may not sound much, but Greeks don’t seem to eat peas. In fact the only tinned veg we saw was sweetcorn and mushrooms. Tonight is pea night!
We really needed a stop so we went to the Troy site area where we had heard there is a good Night Stop. There may be but we did not like the looks of the place and turned round. We have heard from many people that the archeological site is really for enthusiastic archeologists and not for the likes of Ian.
At Ezine we took a road to the right to the coast. We clearly took the wrong road and found ourselves in “white” roads winding our way through villages where no-one had seen a large white motorhome before. Good fun. Finally we hit the “brown” road at Tuzla and continued south. First impressions are that it is not easy to find a good Night Stop in Turkey compared to Greece. In fact there are very few places to simply pull in for a 10 minute break. Soon we turned East towards Ayvacik. We did not stop at Assos. It may be a lovely place with a great view of Greek Lesbos island.
Further east there is little to grab the attention. The road is along the coast and is like a motorway with surprise traffic lights here and there. The whole area is built up rather boringly.
After about 25 miles we turned south at Edremit and just before Burhaniye we turned right for Ören. What would we do without a PeeJay night stop. Good man. We had a very peaceful night to the north of the town. Later we investigated the town centre stop he mentions. We think that since PeeJay was here the whole area has been pedestrianized and no vehicles or motorbikes are allowed.
With that in mind we parked in a shady side road to catch up on some notes. In the evening we returned to the northern night stop and had another peaceful night.
In the morning we returned to the main road and refueled at the cheapest filling station around at 436TL per litre (around £1.56). But we had a free cay each and Bessy was given a full wash and brush up. Excellent.
We also called in a large KIPA. Wonder of wonders... they had tinned peas. Now this may not sound much, but Greeks don’t seem to eat peas. In fact the only tinned veg we saw was sweetcorn and mushrooms. Tonight is pea night!
Tuesday 7 May 2013
Cool place to relax near Gulmarmara.
The plan was to spend some time in Ayvalik. We found PeeJay’s excellent stopover but we could not find anywhere to park in or near the town. It was absolute chaos and even the police where trying to stop the parking. After 3 drive throughs we gave up and went to Bergama.
There is a large dirt car park at the bottom of he hill up to the ancient acropolis. It had plenty of trucks and dolmus (minibus) so we left Bessy there and walked around town. The historical sites are well worth seeing, but we’ve been before so we enjoyed meandering down back streets on foot. We also had our first ground beef pide in a small turkish cafe. A pide is a sort of Turkish pizza and is very tasty and quite economical.
We would have stopped at the dirt car park but it was only 1400 so we headed for Soma and Akhisar. It became a long drive as we haven’t got used to the scale on our Turkish map. But all good things come to he who plods on. North of Salhili, near Gulmarmara we came upon a Turkish “relaxing place” with car park, two large pools, lots of picnic places and an owner, Yücel Tutus who spoke excellent English. We were made very welcome, drank lots of cay, worked on the computer and had lots of chats.
The NS is next to a busy main road so is a bit noisy but around midnight the trucks seemed to stop and we had a good night, complete with security guard. In the morning we had more cay and met Yücel’s wife Gözde.
There is a large dirt car park at the bottom of he hill up to the ancient acropolis. It had plenty of trucks and dolmus (minibus) so we left Bessy there and walked around town. The historical sites are well worth seeing, but we’ve been before so we enjoyed meandering down back streets on foot. We also had our first ground beef pide in a small turkish cafe. A pide is a sort of Turkish pizza and is very tasty and quite economical.
We would have stopped at the dirt car park but it was only 1400 so we headed for Soma and Akhisar. It became a long drive as we haven’t got used to the scale on our Turkish map. But all good things come to he who plods on. North of Salhili, near Gulmarmara we came upon a Turkish “relaxing place” with car park, two large pools, lots of picnic places and an owner, Yücel Tutus who spoke excellent English. We were made very welcome, drank lots of cay, worked on the computer and had lots of chats.
The NS is next to a busy main road so is a bit noisy but around midnight the trucks seemed to stop and we had a good night, complete with security guard. In the morning we had more cay and met Yücel’s wife Gözde.
Pamukkale
Not snow, just lots of tourists at Pamukkale.
Our next stop was to be Pamukkale. On the way we drove past around 70 miles of vineyards which apparently are for making sultanas.
We missed a couple of towns because the new roads are not on the SatNav and the signposts did not help a lot. But we got to Pamukkale OK and found Manzara (panorama) campsite. It’s really a restaurant with a pool and a small grassy area. But very quiet and within easy reach of the famous site. They do like to charge for beer though. In Gulmarmara we were charged 5TL. Here they want 9TL. But in the shops we found Efes beer for 5TL so we stocked up. Later in the evening we had our first rain, a thunder storm, since March.
In the morning we walked to the entrance to the site of the white hillside. It really is big and worth visiting. After paying 20TL each we had to take our shoes off and walk up the calcium deposited hillside. It’s a bit rough on tender toes. At the top we enjoyed more views and roamed around the ancient town of Hieropolis. The museum is extra. Since our last visit they authorities have got rid of the many shops and hotels on the top and the place is much more pleasant and in keeping with a World Heritage site. Once again it rained and in the afternoon there was a heavy thunderstorm.
We missed a couple of towns because the new roads are not on the SatNav and the signposts did not help a lot. But we got to Pamukkale OK and found Manzara (panorama) campsite. It’s really a restaurant with a pool and a small grassy area. But very quiet and within easy reach of the famous site. They do like to charge for beer though. In Gulmarmara we were charged 5TL. Here they want 9TL. But in the shops we found Efes beer for 5TL so we stocked up. Later in the evening we had our first rain, a thunder storm, since March.
In the morning we walked to the entrance to the site of the white hillside. It really is big and worth visiting. After paying 20TL each we had to take our shoes off and walk up the calcium deposited hillside. It’s a bit rough on tender toes. At the top we enjoyed more views and roamed around the ancient town of Hieropolis. The museum is extra. Since our last visit they authorities have got rid of the many shops and hotels on the top and the place is much more pleasant and in keeping with a World Heritage site. Once again it rained and in the afternoon there was a heavy thunderstorm.
10 May 2013
Salda Golu.
Left Pamukkale after using the ATM. There is a whole selection of them in one place near the southern end of the village on the road to Denizli. Denizli is a big place but easy to negotiate with new wide roads. On the southern edge of town is a KIPA and we stocked up as we are heading for the hills.
About 20 Km out of town we turned right towards Yesilyuva. The road was pretty good for a brown road and we had a very short journey today. On the southern shore of Lake Salda we found another “relaxing place”. It is for picnics on the beach, with a restaurant and lots of space. The beach is pure white and the water crystal clear. According to the owner the season starts in one month, so at the moment we are alone, except for the usual stray dogs who are remarkably well mannered.
Ian commented on the owner’s 4x4 Nissan and the he said that he was a hunter. We asked what for... birds such as pheasant? Not at all. He hunted for wild boar. We asked if he ate it and he said he did not, as we would expect from a muslim. But our German and his English were not good enough to ask what did he do with the dead wild boar.
In the afternoon Judit did some washing while Ian made a shepherds pie. Shortly after we had another thunderstorm with hail and rain. While heating up the oven for the pie we were suddenly filling up with smoke. Ian had left an oven glove in the oven. Oops!
About 20 Km out of town we turned right towards Yesilyuva. The road was pretty good for a brown road and we had a very short journey today. On the southern shore of Lake Salda we found another “relaxing place”. It is for picnics on the beach, with a restaurant and lots of space. The beach is pure white and the water crystal clear. According to the owner the season starts in one month, so at the moment we are alone, except for the usual stray dogs who are remarkably well mannered.
Ian commented on the owner’s 4x4 Nissan and the he said that he was a hunter. We asked what for... birds such as pheasant? Not at all. He hunted for wild boar. We asked if he ate it and he said he did not, as we would expect from a muslim. But our German and his English were not good enough to ask what did he do with the dead wild boar.
In the afternoon Judit did some washing while Ian made a shepherds pie. Shortly after we had another thunderstorm with hail and rain. While heating up the oven for the pie we were suddenly filling up with smoke. Ian had left an oven glove in the oven. Oops!
Saturday 11 May 2013
Ancient and modern.
After giving Bessy’s carpets a good shake we left Salda Golu for Isparta. We travelled through several sleepy villages. The majority of houses were made of mud-brick and the most common form of transport was the tractor. The fields in the valley were quite small; each one the size of a football field, and everyone had cows. In Düger they were even in the “front garden”. Surrounding mountains were littered with white scars from marble quarries.
The next big lake was Burdur Golu. It looked shallow and was surrounded by a very wide marshland as if the lake flooded frequently. By the time we arrived at Isparta it had started raining again but there was a very large KIPA with a cafe so we stopped for lunch and experimented with the offerings. The selection was excellent and we tried various forms of aubergine, ground beef in a case about the size of golf balls. The casing was bread like and very tasty. If only we knew the names we could ask for them again. Perhaps we’ll have to stop at the next big KIPA.
A very nice employee of KIPA told us that he had been a truck driver and had driven allover Europe. He had also lived in Crewe for three years and was happy to tell us that British supermarkets were the best, especially Morrisons. He went to a lot of trouble to describe a drink called Salgam Suyu that was on sale in the booze area. The drink is made from black carrots that have been fermented for 3 months in wooden barrels. It is said to be good for digestion. We bought a small bottle and to be honest it is not distasteful but is actually a little salty.
Today the roads have been pretty good except for one mile that was not surfaced at all. It would be good if the road builders would repair roads instead of building new ones.
At Egirdir Golu we stopped in the harbour of Egirdir, at the beginning of the pretty peninsula. After settling in we walked around the peninsula along with many locals doing the same as it was Saturday. Even though people do not speak English they are very relaxed about coming to us and saying, “What is your name?” and “Where are you from?”. After that the conversation tends to go a bit flat, but it’s fun.
The next big lake was Burdur Golu. It looked shallow and was surrounded by a very wide marshland as if the lake flooded frequently. By the time we arrived at Isparta it had started raining again but there was a very large KIPA with a cafe so we stopped for lunch and experimented with the offerings. The selection was excellent and we tried various forms of aubergine, ground beef in a case about the size of golf balls. The casing was bread like and very tasty. If only we knew the names we could ask for them again. Perhaps we’ll have to stop at the next big KIPA.
A very nice employee of KIPA told us that he had been a truck driver and had driven allover Europe. He had also lived in Crewe for three years and was happy to tell us that British supermarkets were the best, especially Morrisons. He went to a lot of trouble to describe a drink called Salgam Suyu that was on sale in the booze area. The drink is made from black carrots that have been fermented for 3 months in wooden barrels. It is said to be good for digestion. We bought a small bottle and to be honest it is not distasteful but is actually a little salty.
Today the roads have been pretty good except for one mile that was not surfaced at all. It would be good if the road builders would repair roads instead of building new ones.
At Egirdir Golu we stopped in the harbour of Egirdir, at the beginning of the pretty peninsula. After settling in we walked around the peninsula along with many locals doing the same as it was Saturday. Even though people do not speak English they are very relaxed about coming to us and saying, “What is your name?” and “Where are you from?”. After that the conversation tends to go a bit flat, but it’s fun.
Sunday 12 May 2013
After a cool night and more rain we woke to clear skies and had a walk around the old town. It is amazing how many words we see that are the same in Hungarian. Today we went past a man selling wheat and grains. One grain was called arpa which is barley in English. It is arpa in Hungarian.
The road took us past many miles of apple orchards and we could see snowy mountains around us. We also had heavy rain, but when it stopped we also stopped for lunch near a small village called Gölkesi at the side of Beysehir Golu. A little further south down the lake we wanted some diesel and the cheapest in Beysehir is not on the by-pass but just off at the northern end of town. Naturally we were given cay and were also offered some of the staff’s food from a communal pan. That’s friendly, but on top of that we were given a box of paper tissues each. Along the edge of Beysehir Golu were several signs for camping, but they were down narrow roads to the water’s edge... probably not open in May.
The road took us past many miles of apple orchards and we could see snowy mountains around us. We also had heavy rain, but when it stopped we also stopped for lunch near a small village called Gölkesi at the side of Beysehir Golu. A little further south down the lake we wanted some diesel and the cheapest in Beysehir is not on the by-pass but just off at the northern end of town. Naturally we were given cay and were also offered some of the staff’s food from a communal pan. That’s friendly, but on top of that we were given a box of paper tissues each. Along the edge of Beysehir Golu were several signs for camping, but they were down narrow roads to the water’s edge... probably not open in May.
Konya
Konya Culture Centre.
Arriving at Konya was a shock. First of all the sky was absolutely black with thunderstorms and secondly the streets were wide! Amazing. Lonely planet mentions a stadium and camping. Don’t believe everything you read. We were definitely at the stadium because we could hear the football match in progress just 50 meters away. We stopped to ask some policemen and they had no idea of a camping place. Nor had a friendly local who spoke English. The advised us to go to the Cultural Centre and out came the man’s iPhone complete with maps and Google Earth to help us. (I want one.)
Once the route was agreed the drive was easy. The Culture Centre has a massive car park and we had no problem fitting in even though the place was buzzing. We had arrived on a Science Day for children. There were students from every scientific department of the university showing off with experiments to wow the kids and their parents.
It’s a pity we had not arrived on Saturday because the Culture Centre holds a Whirling Dervish “show” at 9-00pm every Saturday.
In the evening we were treated to the muezzin calling people to prayer. The local tall buildings made it echo for a good 6 or 7 seconds and sounded as if he switched reverb on.
We later concluded that there is a central muezzin and his call is piped to all the mosques at the same time, hence the apparent echo.
Incidentally the road from Egirdir to Konya has to avoid several mountain ranges and lakes. That means the 140 km as the crow flies becomes 245 Km on the ground.
Once the route was agreed the drive was easy. The Culture Centre has a massive car park and we had no problem fitting in even though the place was buzzing. We had arrived on a Science Day for children. There were students from every scientific department of the university showing off with experiments to wow the kids and their parents.
It’s a pity we had not arrived on Saturday because the Culture Centre holds a Whirling Dervish “show” at 9-00pm every Saturday.
In the evening we were treated to the muezzin calling people to prayer. The local tall buildings made it echo for a good 6 or 7 seconds and sounded as if he switched reverb on.
We later concluded that there is a central muezzin and his call is piped to all the mosques at the same time, hence the apparent echo.
Incidentally the road from Egirdir to Konya has to avoid several mountain ranges and lakes. That means the 140 km as the crow flies becomes 245 Km on the ground.
Mevlana
On Monday the 13th we had blue sky at last. It made the short walk into the city quite pleasant. First stop on the road was a War Memorial. They clearly encourage the children to think of the country before all else. There was a large room with models depicting famous Turkish battles including Gallipoli. Outside were two British 25 Pounder cannons. Were they captured or were they bought at some time?
The nearby Tourist Information Centre was open and very charming English speaking man gave us a great selection of well prepared literature about the area. He also told us where there is a free camping in the town.
Just a short walk past the cemetery we came to the Mevlana Museum. The crowd at the gates was impressive and people are clearly interested in the Dervish culture. The museum was very well presented in the grounds of the mosque and it is worth visiting.
One should note at this point that Konya is a conservative city. 90% of the women are covered in the traditional way, with headscarf and what looks like a gaberdine raincoat down to the shoes. During our stay in Konya we saw only three women in black burqa. You can see more than that in St Albans in a day. Clearly the majority of local muslims do not see it necessary to go to extremes.
The nearby Tourist Information Centre was open and very charming English speaking man gave us a great selection of well prepared literature about the area. He also told us where there is a free camping in the town.
Just a short walk past the cemetery we came to the Mevlana Museum. The crowd at the gates was impressive and people are clearly interested in the Dervish culture. The museum was very well presented in the grounds of the mosque and it is worth visiting.
One should note at this point that Konya is a conservative city. 90% of the women are covered in the traditional way, with headscarf and what looks like a gaberdine raincoat down to the shoes. During our stay in Konya we saw only three women in black burqa. You can see more than that in St Albans in a day. Clearly the majority of local muslims do not see it necessary to go to extremes.
Bazaar
In the city there are many banks and ATM machines where we could reload our wallets. Following the main street we came to Aladdin’s Hill in the centre of town. There we visited Alaettin’s mosque. It is very old and quite plain but full of atmosphere. Remember it is a place of worship and headscarves are essential for women. The slopes of the hill also contain a tea garden where we enjoyed yet another çay and planned our foray into the bazaar. Not too difficult to navigate through and very interesting. One area sold clothes, another dates, and another rope. Each trade to a certain area.
It was in the bazaar we found a herb and spice seller. We bought 200 gram of paprika, 100 gram of coriander and 200 gram of black pepper for only 7TL (about £2.50). That is not possible in a UK supermarket. He also told us where to eat the local dish called Firin Kebap. Running from the Mevlana museum is a street to the bazaar called Turbe Caddessi. On a corner you will find Damla Kebap restaurant. Our copy of Lonely Planet describes the place as a dark smoky room with the atmosphere of a tea house full of men. Far from it. Damla is an excellent smoke-free small restaurant with large windows yet clearly for the locals. The place is clean and tidy and everything is prepared fresh. The Firin Kebap is actually roast mutton. It came with two huge chunks of pide bread, some tomato/chile sauce, some greens and half a raw onion. The flavour was out of this world. Judit opted for Adana Kebap which is minced lamb mixed with hot pepper, squeezed on to a skewer.
We visited Damla restaurant twice for the good honest value for money food.
It was in the bazaar we found a herb and spice seller. We bought 200 gram of paprika, 100 gram of coriander and 200 gram of black pepper for only 7TL (about £2.50). That is not possible in a UK supermarket. He also told us where to eat the local dish called Firin Kebap. Running from the Mevlana museum is a street to the bazaar called Turbe Caddessi. On a corner you will find Damla Kebap restaurant. Our copy of Lonely Planet describes the place as a dark smoky room with the atmosphere of a tea house full of men. Far from it. Damla is an excellent smoke-free small restaurant with large windows yet clearly for the locals. The place is clean and tidy and everything is prepared fresh. The Firin Kebap is actually roast mutton. It came with two huge chunks of pide bread, some tomato/chile sauce, some greens and half a raw onion. The flavour was out of this world. Judit opted for Adana Kebap which is minced lamb mixed with hot pepper, squeezed on to a skewer.
We visited Damla restaurant twice for the good honest value for money food.
Sille
Back at the Culture Centre we picked up Bessy and drove to the free camping area. It is about 3 miles from the centre next to “hobby gardens”, which are perfect allotments. On the main road from the city there are signs for Caravan Park. Follow them, it’s easy. There is an armed guard at the gate and pitches for about 20 motorhomes. Maybe he guards the hobby gardens in case anyone tries to steal black carrots!
The good weather did not last and we suffered another thunderstorm. Is it better weather on the coast?
It is Judit’s intention to hang around until Saturday to see the Whirling Dervishes. Because of that we are now roaming around Konya. We made a trip to Sille, a small village to the North West of Konya. Driving through Konya is pretty good with big wide roads and underpasses. But we eventually got to the smaller roads to Sille. The village’s claim to fame is that it has been around since the 8th century BC in some form or another. St Paul visited it on his way to Konya. It was an important gateway for pilgrims between Constantinople and Jerusalem during the Roman period.
The authorities are tidying up the place with cobbled streets and special lighting for the churches carved into the cliff face across the stream from the village. Even the stream is getting a waterproof bottom and being channeled properly. One wonders if this is all too much.
The Greek Orthodox church of Aya Elenia has been renovated as a museum and looks good. During the exchange of minorities in 1923 about 80% of the inhabitants were moved to Greece.
One cafe/restaurant/hotel is rather nice in a 350 year old, originally Greek building: called Sille Konak. They have a lovely shaded courtyard with many artifacts from the local area. The owner and his wife were very courteous and friendly.
After a cay we went on a loop that would take us back to Konya. The road was in dire need of repair and in some sections it had happened. In others we were on loose gravel. However the scenery was fine and we had good views over Konya to the Anatolian plains.
Back at the Aire were two new arrivals from France. The day ended with thunderstorms again.
The good weather did not last and we suffered another thunderstorm. Is it better weather on the coast?
It is Judit’s intention to hang around until Saturday to see the Whirling Dervishes. Because of that we are now roaming around Konya. We made a trip to Sille, a small village to the North West of Konya. Driving through Konya is pretty good with big wide roads and underpasses. But we eventually got to the smaller roads to Sille. The village’s claim to fame is that it has been around since the 8th century BC in some form or another. St Paul visited it on his way to Konya. It was an important gateway for pilgrims between Constantinople and Jerusalem during the Roman period.
The authorities are tidying up the place with cobbled streets and special lighting for the churches carved into the cliff face across the stream from the village. Even the stream is getting a waterproof bottom and being channeled properly. One wonders if this is all too much.
The Greek Orthodox church of Aya Elenia has been renovated as a museum and looks good. During the exchange of minorities in 1923 about 80% of the inhabitants were moved to Greece.
One cafe/restaurant/hotel is rather nice in a 350 year old, originally Greek building: called Sille Konak. They have a lovely shaded courtyard with many artifacts from the local area. The owner and his wife were very courteous and friendly.
After a cay we went on a loop that would take us back to Konya. The road was in dire need of repair and in some sections it had happened. In others we were on loose gravel. However the scenery was fine and we had good views over Konya to the Anatolian plains.
Back at the Aire were two new arrivals from France. The day ended with thunderstorms again.
Roland and Caludia's excellent Land Rover conversion.
On Wednesday the Information Centre allowed to use their internet to send a card to Gyongyi... it’s her birthday tomorrow. They also gave us a leaflet with the addresses of all the campsites in Turkey. Pity there were no coordinates.
We were told that there is no need to put a sign for WiFi in a cafe window because it is available everywhere... not true! We walked the length of the main street and asked in every cafe. Eventually we were directed to a place. We went through a darkened passage and up three flights of stairs and into a gloomy “Internet”. The man was very welcoming and charged us 2 Lira for one hour. At last Ian could download the Spanish Grand Prix and get up to date with emails.
From here we progressed around the big mound in an anti-clockwise direction to the tile museum. Tiles are pleasant but the patterns were fantastic.
Then to the big mosque where the noon service was just starting. We had a sneak peek inside. By now it was drizzling so we dived into the Kültür Park fast food joint. A bit like KFC but better. When we left it was chucking it down and so we made our way back to Bessy and back to the Aire to dry out.
We have had rain and thunderstorms for 10 consecutive days so far. Thank goodness we did not book a holiday!
In the evening we had new visitors to the Aire, Roland and Claudia from Germany in their modified Defender. What an absolute gem of a vehicle. They have a special roof added to the Defender which raised the interior by about 15 cm. The roof itself hinged upwards to make a rooftop tent. Perfect. We spent the evening chatting about Land Rovers and where we had been and where we planned to go.
We were told that there is no need to put a sign for WiFi in a cafe window because it is available everywhere... not true! We walked the length of the main street and asked in every cafe. Eventually we were directed to a place. We went through a darkened passage and up three flights of stairs and into a gloomy “Internet”. The man was very welcoming and charged us 2 Lira for one hour. At last Ian could download the Spanish Grand Prix and get up to date with emails.
From here we progressed around the big mound in an anti-clockwise direction to the tile museum. Tiles are pleasant but the patterns were fantastic.
Then to the big mosque where the noon service was just starting. We had a sneak peek inside. By now it was drizzling so we dived into the Kültür Park fast food joint. A bit like KFC but better. When we left it was chucking it down and so we made our way back to Bessy and back to the Aire to dry out.
We have had rain and thunderstorms for 10 consecutive days so far. Thank goodness we did not book a holiday!
In the evening we had new visitors to the Aire, Roland and Claudia from Germany in their modified Defender. What an absolute gem of a vehicle. They have a special roof added to the Defender which raised the interior by about 15 cm. The roof itself hinged upwards to make a rooftop tent. Perfect. We spent the evening chatting about Land Rovers and where we had been and where we planned to go.
Gold
Judit and Attila in the underground gold market.
Thursday was sunny at last. We were sorry to see Roland and Claudia leave in the morning.
Our day involved walking about 5 miles around Konya looking at various mosques and museums. But we diverted to the underground gold market and found Attila. This gentleman said he could repair Judit’s gold chain. Do we want to wait or come back in 30 minutes? That’s service and the repair and cleaning cost only 40TL (about £14).
Back at the Aire Ian had a haircut and spent about one hour trying to automate the flight from Boston to JFK in a Boeing 737. Why could he do it before and not today. He spilled a lot of gin tonics.
Our day involved walking about 5 miles around Konya looking at various mosques and museums. But we diverted to the underground gold market and found Attila. This gentleman said he could repair Judit’s gold chain. Do we want to wait or come back in 30 minutes? That’s service and the repair and cleaning cost only 40TL (about £14).
Back at the Aire Ian had a haircut and spent about one hour trying to automate the flight from Boston to JFK in a Boeing 737. Why could he do it before and not today. He spilled a lot of gin tonics.
Catalhoyuk
Inside one of the covered mounds at Catalhoyuk.
A lot of historical sites can be a bore. The captions on the displays demand that you have a full working knowledge of archeology, for example, a workshop produced “stone perirrhanteria that were exported to Panhelenic sanctuaries. Another workshop made Laconian akroteria adorned with apotropaic gorgoneia”.
What a delight it was to visit Catalhoyuk, South East of Konya. The site has a wonderful visitor centre with captions in English English describing the discovery of the site and the excavations done so far. The archeological techniques are outlined very clearly indeed. Then to two mounds in the flat countryside that must have attracted attention in the first place. The mounds were there because houses had been built on top of each other over the many years.
Catalhoyuk offers a direct glimpse of life in the neolithic period when humans began to live in towns. It is one of the oldest and largest Neolithic site found to date. Artwork found on the site is more than 9,000 years old. Every building had its own four walls which were separated by mere centimeters from its neighbour. Access for the occupier was through a hole in the roof!
The areas that are being worked upon are protected by two shelters that are open to the public. The whole place is a fascinating insight into history and how it is being brought to life. In other words; visit this site... it is free.
The car park would also make a good night stop if you were in the area.
On returning to Konya Ian decided he wanted some excellent Turkish beer, so we decided to find KIPA again. What a farce, we should have marked it on the SatNav first time. The farce was compounded when they had no beer. But we found, on the inner ring road, three “off-licences” selling only booze, phew!
After yesterday’s sun, we had a thunderstorm today, thankfully not at Catalhoyuk.
What a delight it was to visit Catalhoyuk, South East of Konya. The site has a wonderful visitor centre with captions in English English describing the discovery of the site and the excavations done so far. The archeological techniques are outlined very clearly indeed. Then to two mounds in the flat countryside that must have attracted attention in the first place. The mounds were there because houses had been built on top of each other over the many years.
Catalhoyuk offers a direct glimpse of life in the neolithic period when humans began to live in towns. It is one of the oldest and largest Neolithic site found to date. Artwork found on the site is more than 9,000 years old. Every building had its own four walls which were separated by mere centimeters from its neighbour. Access for the occupier was through a hole in the roof!
The areas that are being worked upon are protected by two shelters that are open to the public. The whole place is a fascinating insight into history and how it is being brought to life. In other words; visit this site... it is free.
The car park would also make a good night stop if you were in the area.
On returning to Konya Ian decided he wanted some excellent Turkish beer, so we decided to find KIPA again. What a farce, we should have marked it on the SatNav first time. The farce was compounded when they had no beer. But we found, on the inner ring road, three “off-licences” selling only booze, phew!
After yesterday’s sun, we had a thunderstorm today, thankfully not at Catalhoyuk.
Whirling
Saturday 18 May 2013
Sunny and warm (32°C) with the odd light shower. The morning was spent tidying up the motorhome and getting rid of the dust. The highlight of the day was to go, yet again, to the Cultural Centre to witness the Sema Ceremony. For some reason we call them Whirling Dervishes.
They are members of a Muslim religious order who have taken vows of poverty and austerity. Dervishes first appeared in the 12th century; they were noted for their wild or ecstatic rituals and were known as whirling dervishes. The order was banned by Ataturk but the ceremony is now permitted.
In brief the ceremony starts with the men entering the arena. The music then starts. The sound of a reed pipe is particularly striking. At the beat of a drum the men then greet each other in a formal way before starting to turn on their left heel. As they spin the long white skirts flare out, the head is tilted to one side, one arm is raised with the palm up and the other palm down. This spinning last for around 10 minutes. There is a short break and they repeat this four times. With the music and the motion it is easy to imagine the ecstatic state of the dancers.
Sunny and warm (32°C) with the odd light shower. The morning was spent tidying up the motorhome and getting rid of the dust. The highlight of the day was to go, yet again, to the Cultural Centre to witness the Sema Ceremony. For some reason we call them Whirling Dervishes.
They are members of a Muslim religious order who have taken vows of poverty and austerity. Dervishes first appeared in the 12th century; they were noted for their wild or ecstatic rituals and were known as whirling dervishes. The order was banned by Ataturk but the ceremony is now permitted.
In brief the ceremony starts with the men entering the arena. The music then starts. The sound of a reed pipe is particularly striking. At the beat of a drum the men then greet each other in a formal way before starting to turn on their left heel. As they spin the long white skirts flare out, the head is tilted to one side, one arm is raised with the palm up and the other palm down. This spinning last for around 10 minutes. There is a short break and they repeat this four times. With the music and the motion it is easy to imagine the ecstatic state of the dancers.
19 May 2013
Your carriage awaits.
We left Konya after 6 days in one place. Our next stop was at Sultanhani where there is a large and partly rebuilt caravanserai where travellers would be guaranteed a safe rest stop.The “inn” has a central courtyard containing a mosque and a closed area for the winter.
We camped at Kervan Camping in the small town. One of the staff was Kurdish and promised us that if we were in Van we could stay in his garden for free. We told him we are not sure of our plans and he looked very upset. Have we offended him? It would probably be more of an offence to promise to stay and not turn up.
The owner said that we could travel to the caravanserai in a carriage and visit his sister’s house for 10TL. When the time came our carriage was a cart pulled by a pony and driven by a 12 year old boy and a young girl. He certainly knew how to handle the pony and carriage.
The house of the sister was a typical old mud brick and very cool. The grandson was there and he spoke a little English; he wants to be a policeman.
In the evening we ate out on the terrace of the house. The food was delicious. The starter was a potato salad containing egg and lots of greens, especially parsley. This was followed by a lentil soup and then aubergines stuffed with meat and herbs. To finish we ate baklava, washed down with a couple of beers.
To be honest the cost of the night stay felt too much at 105TL (about £38) although it did include 10TL for washing machine, two beers and the evening meal.
We camped at Kervan Camping in the small town. One of the staff was Kurdish and promised us that if we were in Van we could stay in his garden for free. We told him we are not sure of our plans and he looked very upset. Have we offended him? It would probably be more of an offence to promise to stay and not turn up.
The owner said that we could travel to the caravanserai in a carriage and visit his sister’s house for 10TL. When the time came our carriage was a cart pulled by a pony and driven by a 12 year old boy and a young girl. He certainly knew how to handle the pony and carriage.
The house of the sister was a typical old mud brick and very cool. The grandson was there and he spoke a little English; he wants to be a policeman.
In the evening we ate out on the terrace of the house. The food was delicious. The starter was a potato salad containing egg and lots of greens, especially parsley. This was followed by a lentil soup and then aubergines stuffed with meat and herbs. To finish we ate baklava, washed down with a couple of beers.
To be honest the cost of the night stay felt too much at 105TL (about £38) although it did include 10TL for washing machine, two beers and the evening meal.
20 May 2013
Onward to Ihlara Gorge, but first a drive through Akseray to Agzikarahan where there is another caravanserai. This has not been renovated but still in good nick. The place was throbbing with Turkish school parties which brought the place alive.
At Ihlara we stopped in the main square and ate our lunch. Richard and Ian were here some years ago and the bar where they had a beer was still there. After lunch we found the large car park for the gorge and decided we would stay the night there before attacking the gorge the next day.
While enjoying the evening a couple of coaches pulled up and a crowd of young men disembarked. They descended on Ian and they all had a jolly time talking in Turglish about football clubs and so on. They were police cadets and in 15 days they would be on the streets; this was a celebration outing.
At Ihlara we stopped in the main square and ate our lunch. Richard and Ian were here some years ago and the bar where they had a beer was still there. After lunch we found the large car park for the gorge and decided we would stay the night there before attacking the gorge the next day.
While enjoying the evening a couple of coaches pulled up and a crowd of young men disembarked. They descended on Ian and they all had a jolly time talking in Turglish about football clubs and so on. They were police cadets and in 15 days they would be on the streets; this was a celebration outing.
Ihlara Gorge
Judit negotiates the track at Ihlara.
There are over 350 steps down into the gorge (also more than 350 back up!). The gorge is about 100 yards wide and around 16 kilometer long. Naturally we did not walk the full 16 kilometer because we would then have to walk back. However the more interesting parts are within a few kilometers of the entrance. The gorge was a retreat for Byzantine monks who carved many churches into the soft stone of the valley walls. Some of the painted ones are in good condition, but you can see where local louts have carved graffiti over the faces in some of the churches.
There is a tea garden in the gorge, bridges over the river and signposts everywhere. When Ian and Richard visited there was nothing. The tea garden had some ducks who really knew how to con a man out of a biscuit.
There is a tea garden in the gorge, bridges over the river and signposts everywhere. When Ian and Richard visited there was nothing. The tea garden had some ducks who really knew how to con a man out of a biscuit.
High Pass
Melindiz Pass.
We did think of spending another night here but decided to plod on towards the coast. It turned out to be an epic journey.
First of all the GPS stalled when told to find Nigde (halfway to the coast). A wiser man might have thought “Aha!”. But on we went, through Guzelyurt, which looked like an interesting place to stop. We drove over one mountain pass and down on an unmade road into the plain below. It was at a village called Ciftlik that we went wrong. Instead of trusting the SatNav we took what appeared to be a modern by-pass. It was not. But there were still signs for Nigde so we plodded on.
Then Ian got the cramp after the mornings climbing so we had to stop and walk about. A local guy seemed to want to help us and we said we were OK and were going to Nigde. After a lot of arm waving it became apparent HE wanted to get to Nigde, so we threw him in the back. We were now on a mountain pass that twisted and turned and took us into the snow line at 2,200 meters (7217 feet) before a long descent into the Nigde valley. Although the roads were rough the scenery was dramatic and worth seeing.
First of all the GPS stalled when told to find Nigde (halfway to the coast). A wiser man might have thought “Aha!”. But on we went, through Guzelyurt, which looked like an interesting place to stop. We drove over one mountain pass and down on an unmade road into the plain below. It was at a village called Ciftlik that we went wrong. Instead of trusting the SatNav we took what appeared to be a modern by-pass. It was not. But there were still signs for Nigde so we plodded on.
Then Ian got the cramp after the mornings climbing so we had to stop and walk about. A local guy seemed to want to help us and we said we were OK and were going to Nigde. After a lot of arm waving it became apparent HE wanted to get to Nigde, so we threw him in the back. We were now on a mountain pass that twisted and turned and took us into the snow line at 2,200 meters (7217 feet) before a long descent into the Nigde valley. Although the roads were rough the scenery was dramatic and worth seeing.
Motorway but no "ticket"
At last we dropped off our poor man, hoping he really did want a ride to Nigde. The road out of town looked very good and modern, and so it should because we found ourselves on the motorway with no means of turning around. You should have bought a special “ticket” to use motorways and we hadn’t... oops!
On we went hoping to find a motorway services we could stop at. We passed four that just had the car park, the buildings had not yet been built. At one of them we saw a couple of trucks parked up and thought they would make good company. Ian went to chat and they told him, in German, that it was not safe to stay there, we should continue 30 kilometers to a big area with parking, restaurants, etc.
They did not tell us that this is off the motorway at Pozanti. So on we went to eventually take the plunge and leave the motorway at Camalan. Ian went to chat up the man in charge (the only man) who told us not to worry and that we should buy a ticket tomorrow. He then invited us into his office for cay and a chat in Turglish before telling us we could stay the night at the small car park belonging to the toll operators. So we did and had a good nights sleep.
On we went hoping to find a motorway services we could stop at. We passed four that just had the car park, the buildings had not yet been built. At one of them we saw a couple of trucks parked up and thought they would make good company. Ian went to chat and they told him, in German, that it was not safe to stay there, we should continue 30 kilometers to a big area with parking, restaurants, etc.
They did not tell us that this is off the motorway at Pozanti. So on we went to eventually take the plunge and leave the motorway at Camalan. Ian went to chat up the man in charge (the only man) who told us not to worry and that we should buy a ticket tomorrow. He then invited us into his office for cay and a chat in Turglish before telling us we could stay the night at the small car park belonging to the toll operators. So we did and had a good nights sleep.
Paperwork!
Family on motorbike.
Following the directions of the morning shift man we headed for Tarsus where we could buy a “ticket”. Naturally we took the old road rather than the motorway. The old road and the motorway both wound through some magnificent mountain scenery.
Tarsus is quite a large town and was very busy. We managed to park, luckily opposite the PTT office which was our aim. Inside we took a number and waited for it to come up. After 30 minutes up came 341 at desk 5. The winner of this raffle was a pretty young lass who spoke no English. After filling in two forms and signing all eight pages, with passport details and car details, etc. we got a little sticker which we must place on the windscreen. We asked how long did it last as we had only paid 35TL (about £12.50). According to the girl it lasts “for all time”.
The bureaucracy probably cost twice that amount.
Fortunately there was a KIPA in Tarsus and they sold beer and other goodies before we headed West down the coast to a campsite we had heard of. It seemed to be the right time to have a break from travelling for a few days.
Tarsus is quite a large town and was very busy. We managed to park, luckily opposite the PTT office which was our aim. Inside we took a number and waited for it to come up. After 30 minutes up came 341 at desk 5. The winner of this raffle was a pretty young lass who spoke no English. After filling in two forms and signing all eight pages, with passport details and car details, etc. we got a little sticker which we must place on the windscreen. We asked how long did it last as we had only paid 35TL (about £12.50). According to the girl it lasts “for all time”.
The bureaucracy probably cost twice that amount.
Fortunately there was a KIPA in Tarsus and they sold beer and other goodies before we headed West down the coast to a campsite we had heard of. It seemed to be the right time to have a break from travelling for a few days.
A few day's rest!
Part of the 20-strong Dutch contingent.
And that’s how we found Camp Akcakil. Just off the highway, next to the sea with restaurant, WiFi and toilets... what more could a man want?
The amazing thing was that the place was packed with Dutch motorhomes... like sardines in a tin. Barely a meter between the twenty of them. We later found that they are on a guided tour arranged by the Dutch Camping Club. One guy showed us his itinerary; very comprehensive indeed. They are leaving in two day’s time to visit Konya and the Sema Ceremony as we did last week.
In the meantime we were sent off to the far end of camp; a lovely spot next to the water and very quiet indeed. The only bad thing is that the internet is quite weak at this distance. Later we tried it in the restaurant and it is quite fast, so we have to go for a walk to connect, even with our fancy antenna.
Until Monday we relaxed, swam, sunbathed and even went out to the local village to shop. We also had a neighbour, Darius. He is cycling from Nepal to the UK. But at the moment he is simply being with his Turkish girlfriend.
The evening before we left Camp Akcakil we met Jackie and Danny, who we last saw in Alexandropoulis. We spent some time comparing notes about possible stops along our respective routes, and other tales.
Later while waiting for the Monaco GP to start, Richard called on SKYPE. After just 5 minutes the electricity for the camp went down, so no chatting and no Grand Prix.
The amazing thing was that the place was packed with Dutch motorhomes... like sardines in a tin. Barely a meter between the twenty of them. We later found that they are on a guided tour arranged by the Dutch Camping Club. One guy showed us his itinerary; very comprehensive indeed. They are leaving in two day’s time to visit Konya and the Sema Ceremony as we did last week.
In the meantime we were sent off to the far end of camp; a lovely spot next to the water and very quiet indeed. The only bad thing is that the internet is quite weak at this distance. Later we tried it in the restaurant and it is quite fast, so we have to go for a walk to connect, even with our fancy antenna.
Until Monday we relaxed, swam, sunbathed and even went out to the local village to shop. We also had a neighbour, Darius. He is cycling from Nepal to the UK. But at the moment he is simply being with his Turkish girlfriend.
The evening before we left Camp Akcakil we met Jackie and Danny, who we last saw in Alexandropoulis. We spent some time comparing notes about possible stops along our respective routes, and other tales.
Later while waiting for the Monaco GP to start, Richard called on SKYPE. After just 5 minutes the electricity for the camp went down, so no chatting and no Grand Prix.
Monday 27 May 2013
Judit climbing in Yilanli Castle.
In the morning we drove to Silfke and looked at the castle ruins before heading for Erdemli. The castle on the island is quite spectacular from the coast, but we were hungry and treated ourselves to a Lahmacun "meat with dough", is a round, thin piece of dough topped with minced meat (most commonly beef and lamb) and minced vegetables and herbs including onions, tomatoes and parsley, then baked. Very tasty and good value. We had 5 pieces each, plus salad, chillies, sauce and water for about £7.00.
Walking back to the van we passed a kuyför (hairdresser and barber). Judit decided she needed a trim, but she got the works, inluding twisted cotton to remove the fluff, and a naked flame to finish the job off, plus a massage and only 25TL (about£9,00).
Onward to Tarsus where we know the KIPA to stock up on essentials before heading East. We bypassed Adena and arrived at Ceyhalik where we parked next to the big castle on the hill (Yilan Kale). The man in charge, Mehmet, said it would be OK to sleep there. The castle was built in the 12th Century by Crusaders (and others).
The car park looked peaceful but quite a few cars negotiated the VERY narrow single track road up the mountain for an evening drink. Later a tractor arrived with a large tanker of water for the restaurant.
Walking back to the van we passed a kuyför (hairdresser and barber). Judit decided she needed a trim, but she got the works, inluding twisted cotton to remove the fluff, and a naked flame to finish the job off, plus a massage and only 25TL (about£9,00).
Onward to Tarsus where we know the KIPA to stock up on essentials before heading East. We bypassed Adena and arrived at Ceyhalik where we parked next to the big castle on the hill (Yilan Kale). The man in charge, Mehmet, said it would be OK to sleep there. The castle was built in the 12th Century by Crusaders (and others).
The car park looked peaceful but quite a few cars negotiated the VERY narrow single track road up the mountain for an evening drink. Later a tractor arrived with a large tanker of water for the restaurant.
Tuesday 28 May 2013
Ian says goodbye to Toros at Yilanli Castle.
After a very peaceful night we climbed to the castle. “Climb” is the key word as access is very bad indeed. Inside the castle was even worse involving a lot of scrambling around on rocks. The other name for the castle is “Snake Castle” so we had to keep an eye out for them as well. But the views were wonderful.
We said goodbye to Mehmet and the dog, Toros, to find Anazarbus castle. On the way we stopped at Mercimer where we saw a market in progress. Lots of fruit, veg and tobacco. I was told that a kilo of ciggy baccy would cost around £20.00.... maybe the next market will make a sale.
Somehow we missed a turn for Anazarbus and found ourselves in Kadirli. The town was not too exciting but the road out was beautiful and “scenic” and we soon found ourselves at Karatepe National Park by the lake. Everywhere were signs of cultivation, with hardly a square meter going to waste. It’s worth noting that the wheat hardvest is in full swing, sunflowers are blooming and every farmer is busy.
Our stop was next to the artificial lake , Ceyhan Golu, where there is a fine museum, picnic places and lots of parking. The museum features Hittite remains with many reliefs and carvings and the notes were easy to understand.
We said goodbye to Mehmet and the dog, Toros, to find Anazarbus castle. On the way we stopped at Mercimer where we saw a market in progress. Lots of fruit, veg and tobacco. I was told that a kilo of ciggy baccy would cost around £20.00.... maybe the next market will make a sale.
Somehow we missed a turn for Anazarbus and found ourselves in Kadirli. The town was not too exciting but the road out was beautiful and “scenic” and we soon found ourselves at Karatepe National Park by the lake. Everywhere were signs of cultivation, with hardly a square meter going to waste. It’s worth noting that the wheat hardvest is in full swing, sunflowers are blooming and every farmer is busy.
Our stop was next to the artificial lake , Ceyhan Golu, where there is a fine museum, picnic places and lots of parking. The museum features Hittite remains with many reliefs and carvings and the notes were easy to understand.
Wednesday 29 May 2013
Bread for the kebap.
In the morning before the school parties arrived we made good use of the not too scruffy toilets to have a good wash. Our journey then took us South to the main West/East highway where we took the old non-toll road from Osmaniye. We had some excellent views over the plains before turning North at Nurdagi for Kahramanmaras. Once again the roads seem to be better in the East than the West.
Kahramanmaras is a very large modern city with wide boulevards, parks, ATMs, etc. But not many car parks. Luckily we found a dirt car park that served us well and allowed us to roam the town. We wanted two things from Kahramanmaras: 1) the local ice cream and 2) a lamb dish called sac kavurma.
We found the highly thickened ice cream. They use gum arabic and the ice cream really is hard to extract from the container to make a cone. It tastes just find. But after two hours of looking we did not find the lamb so settled for a kebap.
The lonely man in the tourist information office said there were no campsites around the town so we drove South for one hour to a lake at Pazarcik. There is a small park that the locals frequent. We checked with the security lady and she said it would be OK to stop. In the evening it was still hot and sticky (30°C at 2100) with noise from the kids and bites from the mozzies.
Kahramanmaras is a very large modern city with wide boulevards, parks, ATMs, etc. But not many car parks. Luckily we found a dirt car park that served us well and allowed us to roam the town. We wanted two things from Kahramanmaras: 1) the local ice cream and 2) a lamb dish called sac kavurma.
We found the highly thickened ice cream. They use gum arabic and the ice cream really is hard to extract from the container to make a cone. It tastes just find. But after two hours of looking we did not find the lamb so settled for a kebap.
The lonely man in the tourist information office said there were no campsites around the town so we drove South for one hour to a lake at Pazarcik. There is a small park that the locals frequent. We checked with the security lady and she said it would be OK to stop. In the evening it was still hot and sticky (30°C at 2100) with noise from the kids and bites from the mozzies.
Thursday 30 May 2013
The summit of Nemrut Dagi.
Once again a quiet night. Our plan is to reach Kahta and arrange to see Nemrut Dagi. It was a long drive via Golbasi and Adiyaman but we arrived at noon. Old travellers told us that the Zeus hotel had camping behind it. Not now because it has been rebuilt and there car park is about the size of half a tennis court. They said we could stay there for 40TL a night. Goodbye.
Down the road on the left is Kommagene Hotel and Camping. With water, wifi, electric, showers, toilets etc for only 30TL a night. The owner, Irfan, is quite a character and works very hard. He sold us on the idea of a 1400 trip to Nemrut.
So at 1400 we set off in a minbus with a nice Japanese stewardess from Swiss Air and a family of 3 from Canada. The trip was very good. We stopped at a tumulus not far from Kahta and then on to a castle. The castle is closed for renovation but in Ian’s opinion castles are best seen from outside!
Across the road in the village was a cafe and we tried Kurdish coffee. It is not to everyone’s taste. According to the internet it is made from a type of roast pistachio. The same nut is also used for making soap!
Another stop was at an ancient Roman bridge at the mouth of a gorge. The kids wanted to be photographed with Ian for some reason.
Then it was up and up on a pretty bad road to the car park on the mountain at about 7,000 feet. There is another, better, road.
From the car park it is a stiff walk to the summit to see the statues and heads in front of a massive mound of stone chippings. The views were worth the walk but sunset was not going to be dramatic with the haze present, so we headed back down. This time on the better road. Bessy could have made it but according to the driver it had been closed for 3 days and even now was very narrow past roadworks.
Down the road on the left is Kommagene Hotel and Camping. With water, wifi, electric, showers, toilets etc for only 30TL a night. The owner, Irfan, is quite a character and works very hard. He sold us on the idea of a 1400 trip to Nemrut.
So at 1400 we set off in a minbus with a nice Japanese stewardess from Swiss Air and a family of 3 from Canada. The trip was very good. We stopped at a tumulus not far from Kahta and then on to a castle. The castle is closed for renovation but in Ian’s opinion castles are best seen from outside!
Across the road in the village was a cafe and we tried Kurdish coffee. It is not to everyone’s taste. According to the internet it is made from a type of roast pistachio. The same nut is also used for making soap!
Another stop was at an ancient Roman bridge at the mouth of a gorge. The kids wanted to be photographed with Ian for some reason.
Then it was up and up on a pretty bad road to the car park on the mountain at about 7,000 feet. There is another, better, road.
From the car park it is a stiff walk to the summit to see the statues and heads in front of a massive mound of stone chippings. The views were worth the walk but sunset was not going to be dramatic with the haze present, so we headed back down. This time on the better road. Bessy could have made it but according to the driver it had been closed for 3 days and even now was very narrow past roadworks.
Friday 31 May 2013
Göbeklitepe. 12000 year old temple.
Another trip, this time to Sanliurfa (or Urfa as everyone calls it) stopping at the Eurphrates river and the Ataturk Dam. The Dam is certainly impressive and the retained water is around 50 kilometer long.
Urfa is another big modern city with an ancient centre. We bypassed Urfa to visit a very ancient site at Gobleklitepe. We drove several miles on a newly constructed, yet unfinished, road that was as dusty as any in Africa. The site is12,000 years old and contains the oldest temple in the world. History will have to be rewritten.
Back to Urfa to visit the pond with hundreds of grass carp. Abraham was set on fire and he was doused in the lake and the flames became fish. The pond is in a very attractive park where we ate lunch and drank cay before walking around to see Abraham’s birthplace and the medrassa. The old town is really very pleasant but the newer parts are awful; just tower block after tower block. Sadly the building boom seems to be buildings more apartments than there are people.
Urfa is another big modern city with an ancient centre. We bypassed Urfa to visit a very ancient site at Gobleklitepe. We drove several miles on a newly constructed, yet unfinished, road that was as dusty as any in Africa. The site is12,000 years old and contains the oldest temple in the world. History will have to be rewritten.
Back to Urfa to visit the pond with hundreds of grass carp. Abraham was set on fire and he was doused in the lake and the flames became fish. The pond is in a very attractive park where we ate lunch and drank cay before walking around to see Abraham’s birthplace and the medrassa. The old town is really very pleasant but the newer parts are awful; just tower block after tower block. Sadly the building boom seems to be buildings more apartments than there are people.
Saturday 1 June 2013
Bessy reversed onto the small ferry across Ataturk Dam.
We had a late start because Judit wanted to do her hair. The road to Diyarbakir was very interesting. The first part was scenic overlooking the Ataturk dam and the mountains. Then we came to the ferry. This was not a big ferry and the enrance and exit ramps were not to Dover standards, plus we had to reverse on. All told, Bessy and 6 cars made up a load. The trip was only about 20 minutes but made a nice cool break from driving.
We then started to climb and soon we were on a plateau where we saw many nomad camps and sheep. Plus many beehives. After a lunch stop Ian sat back in his seat and suddenly jumped forward as one bee had stung him on the shoulder blade.
It then started raining as we entered Diyarbakir. The locals are crazy drivers and it was chaos. We followed Lonely Planet and the SatNav to Touristik Hotel but could not find it so we decided to head for Mardin.
The SatNav took us on a very strange route as the road gave way to dirt for the last 200 yards before the main highway. After a few more miles we stopped at a picnic place next to the Euphrates. It was packed with Diyarbakir families cooking on barbecues and having a good time. We asked if we could stay the night but were refused as the place is locked at 20-00.
OK. Of we went to Mardin. It looks very impressive from the approach road. Irfan at the Kahta camp had told us to go to the Gazi Konagi Hotel in the old town. So up and up we went. The higher we got the narrower the road and the busier the traffic. It was like two football crowds trying to go in opposite directions down a country lane. The narrowness was made worse by parked weekend traffic, the odd donkey, the tooting of horns and the impatience of the drivers. But we made the last kilometer in 30 minutes with only one wing mirror bumped.
But the last 10 meters were worse as the road is being re-cobbled. At the time it was just rubble and sand downhill with a 90 right up a slope into the hotel dirt car park. That meant going down hill and reversing up into the car park. Lots of wheel spin and about 10 people pushing and “helping”. That meant we bellyed on the left against a hidden concrete manhole projecting up from the ground like a mole hill. That damaged the step so we’ll have to sort that one day soon.
But after all that we were made very welcome at the hotel by the owners and the staff. Immediately we were sent to the roof terrace to look at the view over the Syrian plain about 6 to 10 miles away. One of the staff, Abdulrahman, came from Syria and spoke very good English. We hope his country settles down to normality soon and he can get back to his business studies.
During the evening 2 JCBs and a Bobcat arrived to start work on the street. That meant more noise and dust.
We then started to climb and soon we were on a plateau where we saw many nomad camps and sheep. Plus many beehives. After a lunch stop Ian sat back in his seat and suddenly jumped forward as one bee had stung him on the shoulder blade.
It then started raining as we entered Diyarbakir. The locals are crazy drivers and it was chaos. We followed Lonely Planet and the SatNav to Touristik Hotel but could not find it so we decided to head for Mardin.
The SatNav took us on a very strange route as the road gave way to dirt for the last 200 yards before the main highway. After a few more miles we stopped at a picnic place next to the Euphrates. It was packed with Diyarbakir families cooking on barbecues and having a good time. We asked if we could stay the night but were refused as the place is locked at 20-00.
OK. Of we went to Mardin. It looks very impressive from the approach road. Irfan at the Kahta camp had told us to go to the Gazi Konagi Hotel in the old town. So up and up we went. The higher we got the narrower the road and the busier the traffic. It was like two football crowds trying to go in opposite directions down a country lane. The narrowness was made worse by parked weekend traffic, the odd donkey, the tooting of horns and the impatience of the drivers. But we made the last kilometer in 30 minutes with only one wing mirror bumped.
But the last 10 meters were worse as the road is being re-cobbled. At the time it was just rubble and sand downhill with a 90 right up a slope into the hotel dirt car park. That meant going down hill and reversing up into the car park. Lots of wheel spin and about 10 people pushing and “helping”. That meant we bellyed on the left against a hidden concrete manhole projecting up from the ground like a mole hill. That damaged the step so we’ll have to sort that one day soon.
But after all that we were made very welcome at the hotel by the owners and the staff. Immediately we were sent to the roof terrace to look at the view over the Syrian plain about 6 to 10 miles away. One of the staff, Abdulrahman, came from Syria and spoke very good English. We hope his country settles down to normality soon and he can get back to his business studies.
During the evening 2 JCBs and a Bobcat arrived to start work on the street. That meant more noise and dust.
Sunday 2 June 2013
Full Turkish at Gazi Konagi in Mardin. Visit this place.
We just had to have a breakfast at the hotel because Irfan had said it was the best for many many kilometers. He was correct. Ian had the Full Turkish with omelette and chips. cheese jams, and so on. See the photo.
We were then fully stuffed for a walk though the town. We visited a couple of mosques and many kilometers of bazaar and back passages. Mardin is a fascinating place.
In the evening we enjoyed another beer on the roof watching hundreds of swifts zooming around our heads collecting insects for supper. Marvellous site.
The hotel staff are so hospitable, especially Sarif, Muhamed and Abdulrahman..
Down below the roadworkers started again. The Bobcat was being driven by a 12 year old boy, who was attempting to level off the hump we had negotiated on arrival. Just as things were beginning to work and the hump was disappearing there was a commotion from the street 20 meters up the hill. The locals indicated it was a fight and several went to have a look. The noise was intense and suddenly a pistol shot rang out. After that there was silence, but after another two minutes life returned to normal as if nothing had happened. We found out later that two cars had collided and the owners were arguing, then three other people joined in. The pistol shot was from a policeman who fired into the air. We lead such exciting lives!
We were then fully stuffed for a walk though the town. We visited a couple of mosques and many kilometers of bazaar and back passages. Mardin is a fascinating place.
In the evening we enjoyed another beer on the roof watching hundreds of swifts zooming around our heads collecting insects for supper. Marvellous site.
The hotel staff are so hospitable, especially Sarif, Muhamed and Abdulrahman..
Down below the roadworkers started again. The Bobcat was being driven by a 12 year old boy, who was attempting to level off the hump we had negotiated on arrival. Just as things were beginning to work and the hump was disappearing there was a commotion from the street 20 meters up the hill. The locals indicated it was a fight and several went to have a look. The noise was intense and suddenly a pistol shot rang out. After that there was silence, but after another two minutes life returned to normal as if nothing had happened. We found out later that two cars had collided and the owners were arguing, then three other people joined in. The pistol shot was from a policeman who fired into the air. We lead such exciting lives!
Monday 3 June 2013
Deyrulzafaran Monastery.
Still no chance of leaving so we took a taxi to Deyrulzafaran Süryani Manastırı, just a few kiometers away. It is a Syrian Christian Orthodox place that has been around for at least 1200 years. We were shown around by a young man, presumably a novice, who spoke excellent English. We saw the church of the virgin Mary and an old printing press from England. The “cellar” was roofed with dry stone and was absolutely flat. At one corner it was possible to see that the stones were “keyed” like a bridge but not arched. Quite amazing.
Our taxi driver then took us to Kasımiye Medresesi. There was not much to see but old carvings and a nice view over the plains. Strangely there was a model of an elephant with a very tall tower on its back. The mahout was on the elephants neck but another guy was on the tower. Why here?
Today is very hot at 35°C and not a breath of wind.
We should mention that the roadworkers were aware of our situation and worked very hard to enable us to leave. But being "trapped" had a positive side in that we got to know the locals and the area. Go to Mardin. The Kasimye Medressesi has plenty of parking outside if the thought of the old town high street is off putting.
Our taxi driver then took us to Kasımiye Medresesi. There was not much to see but old carvings and a nice view over the plains. Strangely there was a model of an elephant with a very tall tower on its back. The mahout was on the elephants neck but another guy was on the tower. Why here?
Today is very hot at 35°C and not a breath of wind.
We should mention that the roadworkers were aware of our situation and worked very hard to enable us to leave. But being "trapped" had a positive side in that we got to know the locals and the area. Go to Mardin. The Kasimye Medressesi has plenty of parking outside if the thought of the old town high street is off putting.
Tuesday 4 June 2013
Remains of ancient bridge at Hasankeyf.
The roadworks were now 99% finished and we were able to leave Mardin, but not before a quick shop in a local large supermarket. Our next stop was Midyat.
The entrance is much like any other Turkish town... too many 7 to 10 story high apartments. Quite a lot of them seem to be empty.
But the old town was a fascinating maze of back streets; quite wide enough for a small car but seemingly deserted because everyone lived behind a ten foot high wall. In places it was possible to see traditional “tahta” beds on the flat roofs... and they looked as if they were used on hot nights.
We then drove on to Hasankeyf. The first view is not tower blocks but military camps. They are everywhere in this part of Turkey but there Hasankeyf seemed to have more than its fair share. Our aim was to camp at Hasbace where Rose and Alf had such good memories. Sadly it seems to have gone downhill. The place was generally very scruffy and the toilets were far from clean. We had a surprise when we opened the shower door because it was full of old carpets and rubble... then the rat ran out!
It’s true that there is a view over the river to old cave dwellings and there is a trout pool but we were not impressed. On top of that they wanted 25TL a night when even the best camp we’ve been to only wanted 20TL.
The main feature of Hasankeyf is the cave dwellings dug into the cliffs of the Tigris bank. The photographs in the gallery show how beautiful it looks. After a good roam around we found a cay cafe on the banks of the Tigris with tables in the water. So we drank cay and cooled our feet. What bliss while watching boys using an unusual method of catching trout.
In the evening we chatted with a lovely couple from Batman, Hanife and Eyüp. Hana is a nurse in Batman and we had a nice long chat with them. Everyone is so kind to us.
The entrance is much like any other Turkish town... too many 7 to 10 story high apartments. Quite a lot of them seem to be empty.
But the old town was a fascinating maze of back streets; quite wide enough for a small car but seemingly deserted because everyone lived behind a ten foot high wall. In places it was possible to see traditional “tahta” beds on the flat roofs... and they looked as if they were used on hot nights.
We then drove on to Hasankeyf. The first view is not tower blocks but military camps. They are everywhere in this part of Turkey but there Hasankeyf seemed to have more than its fair share. Our aim was to camp at Hasbace where Rose and Alf had such good memories. Sadly it seems to have gone downhill. The place was generally very scruffy and the toilets were far from clean. We had a surprise when we opened the shower door because it was full of old carpets and rubble... then the rat ran out!
It’s true that there is a view over the river to old cave dwellings and there is a trout pool but we were not impressed. On top of that they wanted 25TL a night when even the best camp we’ve been to only wanted 20TL.
The main feature of Hasankeyf is the cave dwellings dug into the cliffs of the Tigris bank. The photographs in the gallery show how beautiful it looks. After a good roam around we found a cay cafe on the banks of the Tigris with tables in the water. So we drank cay and cooled our feet. What bliss while watching boys using an unusual method of catching trout.
In the evening we chatted with a lovely couple from Batman, Hanife and Eyüp. Hana is a nurse in Batman and we had a nice long chat with them. Everyone is so kind to us.
Wednesday 5 June 2013
Stione bridge built in 1146.
37 meter span.
Today we had a long drive to Tatvan. The first stage along the banks of the Tigris. For several miles we passed amazing wild gorges, cliffs and valleys. The first place to pass through was Batman. It is a large modern city built on the oil industry and doesn’t get a mention in our copy of Lonely Planet. It’s worth noting that although it is an oil town the cost of diesel is higher than anywhere we’ve been. We have generally been able to buy diesel for 3.75TL (about£1.30) but in Batman we saw diesel for sale at 4.75TL. That is 36p more expensive per liter.
Not far north of Batman we made a small diversion to view Batman Suyu, which is a beautiful stone bridge built in 1146. It is said to have the longest span of “this type of bridge” at 37 meters. Lonely Planet said, “Restoration in 1988 has returned it to much of its former stateliness”. Well, today it is surrounded by a fantastic web of scaffolding and many men were working away on it. But the bridge is still impressive.
Our map (now falling apart) shows the road to Tatvan to be “scenic”. In a couple of words, it is.
Tatvan has changed in the 10 years since we were last here. More of the terrible apartment blocks and busier streets. We drove direct to a hotel we knew and asked for advice. They said there are no campsites in town but we could try the harbour, so we did.
The man at the gate kindly let us in and we stopped the night on the entrance road to the harbour. Not very attractive but quiet. The night was also cold. But we are at 5,500 Ft above sea level surrounded by mountains with snow on top.
Not far north of Batman we made a small diversion to view Batman Suyu, which is a beautiful stone bridge built in 1146. It is said to have the longest span of “this type of bridge” at 37 meters. Lonely Planet said, “Restoration in 1988 has returned it to much of its former stateliness”. Well, today it is surrounded by a fantastic web of scaffolding and many men were working away on it. But the bridge is still impressive.
Our map (now falling apart) shows the road to Tatvan to be “scenic”. In a couple of words, it is.
Tatvan has changed in the 10 years since we were last here. More of the terrible apartment blocks and busier streets. We drove direct to a hotel we knew and asked for advice. They said there are no campsites in town but we could try the harbour, so we did.
The man at the gate kindly let us in and we stopped the night on the entrance road to the harbour. Not very attractive but quiet. The night was also cold. But we are at 5,500 Ft above sea level surrounded by mountains with snow on top.
Thursday 6 June 2013.
Akdamar Island, Lake Van.
After breakfast we headed for the car service area on the edge of town. One of those small lockups repaired the Defender 10 year ago. Sadly we could not recognise it or anyone working in the area, so we drove into “Kardesler Oto Elektrik ve Takograf”.
Our hope was that they could do something with the side step that got a clout in Mardin when Ian drove over a pile of sand that was hiding a block of concrete. They immediately started work and cleared out all the debris we have accumulated. There was no hope of making it level again but they did a lovely bodge job and we now have a working step for the cost of 10TL (about £3.50). People were once again very kind and we enjoyed a glass of cay while they worked.
We found a Carrefour in Tatvan and did a bit of shopping. Interestingly the selection of vegetables is limited to potatoes, onions, aubergines, courgettes with the rare carrot. Tinned food is different to the UK. Here they have veg but the tins are large family affairs. Anyway we bought a bottle of pomegranate sauce and found it very tasty.
We then made a choice to head East along the lake towards Van. We had heard there is a campsite. After about 90 kilometers we saw a sign for camping and internet. The place is no more than a picnic area really, but it is clean and the staff are kind. One guy went home to fetch an extension cable for us, plus we had several glasses of cay. The afternoon was spent trying to read while a group of local guys waffled on in Kurdish about the world’s problems no doubt. But we have a lovely view of Akdamar Island, complete with 10th Century Armenian church. The air is a pleasant 26°C.
Our hope was that they could do something with the side step that got a clout in Mardin when Ian drove over a pile of sand that was hiding a block of concrete. They immediately started work and cleared out all the debris we have accumulated. There was no hope of making it level again but they did a lovely bodge job and we now have a working step for the cost of 10TL (about £3.50). People were once again very kind and we enjoyed a glass of cay while they worked.
We found a Carrefour in Tatvan and did a bit of shopping. Interestingly the selection of vegetables is limited to potatoes, onions, aubergines, courgettes with the rare carrot. Tinned food is different to the UK. Here they have veg but the tins are large family affairs. Anyway we bought a bottle of pomegranate sauce and found it very tasty.
We then made a choice to head East along the lake towards Van. We had heard there is a campsite. After about 90 kilometers we saw a sign for camping and internet. The place is no more than a picnic area really, but it is clean and the staff are kind. One guy went home to fetch an extension cable for us, plus we had several glasses of cay. The afternoon was spent trying to read while a group of local guys waffled on in Kurdish about the world’s problems no doubt. But we have a lovely view of Akdamar Island, complete with 10th Century Armenian church. The air is a pleasant 26°C.
Friday 7 June 2103
Rough weather at Lake Van.
We thought we should go shopping and check out the other campsites with a view to doing some laundry. To be honest, we did not like them. One was on concrete in a small harbour with absolutely no shade and packed with German motorhomes. Were they an organised group? The other not much better so we went back to Ahtamara Camping and had a tidying up day. The weather changed today and we had high winds, a bit of drizzle and some big waves ion the lake.We also spent some time chatting with a German motorcyclist called Evo. He also thinks this is the best campsite on the south coast of Van Lake.
Saturday 8 June 2013
Fellow guests at Tunceli Gorge Tesisleri.
After shopping again at Carrefour in Tatvan we headed for Mus. We must say that from Tatvan to Mus is probably the smoothest road in the whole of Turkey. Fantastic. But after that it went back to normal and in some places worse than normal. Luckily we filled up at Mus where we got motorin (diesel) for 3.75TL a Liter. After that prices shot up to around 4.20TL.
The road became progressively more scenic and although we drove a long way the views were enjoyable. At Tunceli we could see that Rose and Alf’s Night Stop was now surrounded by apartment blocks so we plodded on a few more kilometers and found a great place next to the river.
We asked for a cay and a beer and got both for free. People are too generous and we do our best to not take advantage. It’s difficult when people are so welcoming. The Foreign Office advises people not to travel to this area because of the terrorist threat!
The good news is that Jo and Charlie will be meeting us in Budapest in August. Hurrah.
The road became progressively more scenic and although we drove a long way the views were enjoyable. At Tunceli we could see that Rose and Alf’s Night Stop was now surrounded by apartment blocks so we plodded on a few more kilometers and found a great place next to the river.
We asked for a cay and a beer and got both for free. People are too generous and we do our best to not take advantage. It’s difficult when people are so welcoming. The Foreign Office advises people not to travel to this area because of the terrorist threat!
The good news is that Jo and Charlie will be meeting us in Budapest in August. Hurrah.
Sunday 9 June 2013
One of the 22 tunnels in Tunceli Gorge.
All morning we sat around doing nothing, except having a good read and watching the helicopter landing at the army post on top of the cliff.
After Lunch we left Plaj Koy Tesisleri and headed North through Tunceli Gorge. Once again it is marked as a scenic route; and it was. In fact it is probably the most scenic route we’ve taken in Turkey. It should be on the tourist trail. We passed several picnic places in the southern third of the gorge that would make good night stops.
As we left the Gorge and joined the main Erzincan road there was a massive tailback and we had to stand around for about 20 minutes. When we moved on it was clear that the road workers were forcing dangerous boulders down from a high cliff onto the road.
Erzincan is a strange place and the Sat Nav was confused. Rather than take us through the town along with all the traffic it sent us down a so-called by-pass. Eventually we found the coordinates for Rose and Alf’s “Flooded Camp”. Sadly it seems the road has been widened and there is absolutely no sign of a campsite; so we headed back to Erzincan. There were signs for a Shell Station that had lots of services. Again the SatNav took us to the wrong one.
We tried a hotel but they were too posh to allow campers so we made another effort to find the Shell station. We found it but we probably drove 20 or 30 miles looking for somewhere to stay. The Shell station is very new and is about 7 kilometers East on the main road from Erzincan. We’d passed it on the way there. In other words we had a sod of an end to the day. We also went over some really nasty potholes and one of the fixings for the wooden door cover to the fridge came loose. It looks like we will need a Z-bend type of screwdriver to fix it or take the fridge out all together.
The food in the restaurant was good and we had a chicken kebap, an Adena kebap, lots of bread, a large salad (with some very hot chillies in it). two soft drinks, two desserts and two cay. That cost us 44TL (about £15) but we felt we deserved it.
Interestingly, when we got to the Northern end of Tunceli Gorge the weather became overcast. When we arrived at Erzincan the weather became gloomy, damp, cold and very windy.
After Lunch we left Plaj Koy Tesisleri and headed North through Tunceli Gorge. Once again it is marked as a scenic route; and it was. In fact it is probably the most scenic route we’ve taken in Turkey. It should be on the tourist trail. We passed several picnic places in the southern third of the gorge that would make good night stops.
As we left the Gorge and joined the main Erzincan road there was a massive tailback and we had to stand around for about 20 minutes. When we moved on it was clear that the road workers were forcing dangerous boulders down from a high cliff onto the road.
Erzincan is a strange place and the Sat Nav was confused. Rather than take us through the town along with all the traffic it sent us down a so-called by-pass. Eventually we found the coordinates for Rose and Alf’s “Flooded Camp”. Sadly it seems the road has been widened and there is absolutely no sign of a campsite; so we headed back to Erzincan. There were signs for a Shell Station that had lots of services. Again the SatNav took us to the wrong one.
We tried a hotel but they were too posh to allow campers so we made another effort to find the Shell station. We found it but we probably drove 20 or 30 miles looking for somewhere to stay. The Shell station is very new and is about 7 kilometers East on the main road from Erzincan. We’d passed it on the way there. In other words we had a sod of an end to the day. We also went over some really nasty potholes and one of the fixings for the wooden door cover to the fridge came loose. It looks like we will need a Z-bend type of screwdriver to fix it or take the fridge out all together.
The food in the restaurant was good and we had a chicken kebap, an Adena kebap, lots of bread, a large salad (with some very hot chillies in it). two soft drinks, two desserts and two cay. That cost us 44TL (about £15) but we felt we deserved it.
Interestingly, when we got to the Northern end of Tunceli Gorge the weather became overcast. When we arrived at Erzincan the weather became gloomy, damp, cold and very windy.
Monday 10 June 2013
Ian doing his Shakespeare bit with the truck driver.
The drive North to the Black Sea is very interesting. It’s a steady climb out of Erzincan to about 5,500 Ft and then slowly down to Kelkit which appears to be low but is still 4,500 Ft.
At Kelkit the road was blocked and we had to divert East to get to Gumushane. But the views were worth it. Yet again the map was right in saying the route was scenic. Up and down from 3,000 Ft to 5,500 Ft. Sadly, here and there, the roads were unfinished and we had problems with the control panel. It can be “repaired” by unplugging a certain cable and re-inserting it. But it’s a faff.
As we neared Macka we were driving in cloud and/or rain and by the time we were in camp it absolutely poured down for the rest of the day. We tried to find our old campsite on the road to Sumela Monastery but could not recognise it... it was 10 years ago when we were last here!
But the Sumer Restaurant and camp is clean and tidy with pleasant staff. In fact we were given tea for free all the 2 days we were there. The evening before we left a Travelers Coach/Truck arrived with 6 passengers, all on a route to Beijing. What a fantastic journey. If you want the trip of a lifetime look at www.dragoman.com.
By the time we’d risen the truck was just leaving for Armenia. Good for them. But before leaving Judit wanted to try out the local breakfast delicacy called “kuymak”. It’s a mixture of cornmeal and cheese. Judit enjoyed it but Ian didn’t like the wallpaper paste texture.
We drove up to the Sumela monastery for a quick peep. We’ve been before and it’s amazing; clinging to the cliff face like a limpet. See the photo and then visit.
So it was then down to Trabzon on the Black Sea coast and turn left (West). The road is excellent quality but is not very picturesque as it passes town after town with tall appartment blocks. We stopped to look at the castle at Akcabat, but all you can see are the outer walls. There may be a way in but we could not find it so Westward Ho, finally arriving at Unye.
Before we forget, we have “westernized” all the Turkish spelling because they use some strange letters that take a while to understand. Most maps use our spellings.
The campsite at Unye is called “Cinarsuyu Turistlik Tesisleri” which is not very snappy and does not look like the word “camping”. However they had tents and a restaurant so we stopped. After getting organised Ian trundled off to see if there was internet. Luckily one man spoke excellent English. He should, he was an English teacher. It appears that the internet was broken!
The teacher and his colleagues were arranging a special graduation evening for the school children and it looked like they would have a good time. We spent the evening washing and then bringing the clothes back in because of the rain. Eventually the rain stopped and we left the clothes out all night. In the morning they were a little drier.
At Kelkit the road was blocked and we had to divert East to get to Gumushane. But the views were worth it. Yet again the map was right in saying the route was scenic. Up and down from 3,000 Ft to 5,500 Ft. Sadly, here and there, the roads were unfinished and we had problems with the control panel. It can be “repaired” by unplugging a certain cable and re-inserting it. But it’s a faff.
As we neared Macka we were driving in cloud and/or rain and by the time we were in camp it absolutely poured down for the rest of the day. We tried to find our old campsite on the road to Sumela Monastery but could not recognise it... it was 10 years ago when we were last here!
But the Sumer Restaurant and camp is clean and tidy with pleasant staff. In fact we were given tea for free all the 2 days we were there. The evening before we left a Travelers Coach/Truck arrived with 6 passengers, all on a route to Beijing. What a fantastic journey. If you want the trip of a lifetime look at www.dragoman.com.
By the time we’d risen the truck was just leaving for Armenia. Good for them. But before leaving Judit wanted to try out the local breakfast delicacy called “kuymak”. It’s a mixture of cornmeal and cheese. Judit enjoyed it but Ian didn’t like the wallpaper paste texture.
We drove up to the Sumela monastery for a quick peep. We’ve been before and it’s amazing; clinging to the cliff face like a limpet. See the photo and then visit.
So it was then down to Trabzon on the Black Sea coast and turn left (West). The road is excellent quality but is not very picturesque as it passes town after town with tall appartment blocks. We stopped to look at the castle at Akcabat, but all you can see are the outer walls. There may be a way in but we could not find it so Westward Ho, finally arriving at Unye.
Before we forget, we have “westernized” all the Turkish spelling because they use some strange letters that take a while to understand. Most maps use our spellings.
The campsite at Unye is called “Cinarsuyu Turistlik Tesisleri” which is not very snappy and does not look like the word “camping”. However they had tents and a restaurant so we stopped. After getting organised Ian trundled off to see if there was internet. Luckily one man spoke excellent English. He should, he was an English teacher. It appears that the internet was broken!
The teacher and his colleagues were arranging a special graduation evening for the school children and it looked like they would have a good time. We spent the evening washing and then bringing the clothes back in because of the rain. Eventually the rain stopped and we left the clothes out all night. In the morning they were a little drier.
Thursday 13 June 2013
Kubra and her colleague make us welcome at Almus Dam Tesisleri.
Back to Unye because Ian wanted some medicines. They cost 26.5TL (£9.50) for one pack of each. That makes them about half the price we paid in Greece, even with the discount. Better get some more for later use before leaving Turkey.
From Unye we headed South to see Tokat. The road from Unye to Niksar was awful. It looked good but had the washboard effect you find on African dirt roads. Our two hour journey took four hours.
The nice part was passing mile after mile of hazelnut plantations. It looks like the hazelnut capital of the world.
So by the time we reached Tokat area we wanted to find a Night Stop. A man in an Almus restaurant said there was a camp around the lake. We found one but it was very sloping and nothing special. The only level area was where the boss had parked his car and he would not take the hint to move it. When the guy wanted 50TL for one night Ian burst out laughing and we left. Luckily there is a picnic area in the National Park where we were told it would cost 25TL with electric. We felt that if we had not asked it would have cost nothing.
In the park was a group of students just celebrating the last day of their 4 year university courses. We had a lot of fun with them and like all Turks they were generous with cay and barbecued chicken. Hopefully we will meet a lovely girl called Kübra tomorrow in Tokat.
After the students left it was time to do some more washing before dark.
Over the last weeks we have been from 17 meters below sea level to 2,200 meters above sea level; the temperature has ranged between 14°C and 38°C and from Syrian dust to Black Sea humidity. Turkey is amazing.
From Unye we headed South to see Tokat. The road from Unye to Niksar was awful. It looked good but had the washboard effect you find on African dirt roads. Our two hour journey took four hours.
The nice part was passing mile after mile of hazelnut plantations. It looks like the hazelnut capital of the world.
So by the time we reached Tokat area we wanted to find a Night Stop. A man in an Almus restaurant said there was a camp around the lake. We found one but it was very sloping and nothing special. The only level area was where the boss had parked his car and he would not take the hint to move it. When the guy wanted 50TL for one night Ian burst out laughing and we left. Luckily there is a picnic area in the National Park where we were told it would cost 25TL with electric. We felt that if we had not asked it would have cost nothing.
In the park was a group of students just celebrating the last day of their 4 year university courses. We had a lot of fun with them and like all Turks they were generous with cay and barbecued chicken. Hopefully we will meet a lovely girl called Kübra tomorrow in Tokat.
After the students left it was time to do some more washing before dark.
Over the last weeks we have been from 17 meters below sea level to 2,200 meters above sea level; the temperature has ranged between 14°C and 38°C and from Syrian dust to Black Sea humidity. Turkey is amazing.
Friday 14 June 2013
Very welcoming Police at in Tokat. Thanks for the cay.
A really peaceful night alone in the forest. We retraced our steps to Tokat where we had a hell of a job finding a parking place. Parking in Turkish towns is not for the faint hearted.
Judit took us on a tour of the museum and a walk around town. The Ottoman house was interesting and on the main street than goodness.
In our efforts to find the places we asked a policeman at the Police Station. We were immediately taken onto the terrace and given cay. These guys have a bad press but they are just nice ordinary guys doing a difficult job.
Our lunch was interesting but we can’t recall the name. It was ground meat with lots of spices... almost a paste. This was flattened onto a very thin bread along with salad and pomegranate juice and then rolled tightly. It was very tasty.
After Tokat we headed for Amasya. It’s said to be one of the nicest towns in Turkey, but for the driver it was another 30 minutes of deep concentration. It may have been nice.
Out of town we found a truck stop and had a rest, but Judit didn’t like the place so we headed off and found another stop on the roadside at Kadirga Turistik Tesisleri.
Judit took us on a tour of the museum and a walk around town. The Ottoman house was interesting and on the main street than goodness.
In our efforts to find the places we asked a policeman at the Police Station. We were immediately taken onto the terrace and given cay. These guys have a bad press but they are just nice ordinary guys doing a difficult job.
Our lunch was interesting but we can’t recall the name. It was ground meat with lots of spices... almost a paste. This was flattened onto a very thin bread along with salad and pomegranate juice and then rolled tightly. It was very tasty.
After Tokat we headed for Amasya. It’s said to be one of the nicest towns in Turkey, but for the driver it was another 30 minutes of deep concentration. It may have been nice.
Out of town we found a truck stop and had a rest, but Judit didn’t like the place so we headed off and found another stop on the roadside at Kadirga Turistik Tesisleri.
Saturday 16 June 2013
What a nice place. Out of the wind and rain and lovely ladies making gozleme.
Filled up because diesel was cheap at 3.75TL a liter. Also topped up the LPG. Good roads West past lots of rice paddies. Very nice scenery. At Ilgaz we turned North to look for a stop. First we stopped in the town and did some shopping. A very busy little town. Meat is not cheap as we bought half a kilo of lamb chops for 25TL (£9.00) but other things are cheap. We ate in a small kebap place. Judit had a pide with eggs and sausage, Ian had a lahmacun, salad and two drinks, plus cay for about £3.00.
After the town we slowly climbed into the mountains to the National Park. It’s very lovely and we stopped at a Spa Hotel/Ski Resort to see if we could park there... No.
But we asked the gendarme guard and he told us to head North about 5 Km. Sure enough a great little cafe on the hillside where they were making bread of various sorts. It was warm and dry which we enjoyed because we were in the middle of a thunderstorm. We ate some of the bread with butter and honey. Very tasty.
Tomorrow we plan to eat there and Ian wants to have a go at making the gozleme.
While loitering we met up with a family. A man and woman spoke English and we chatted for ages and drank EFES Malt beer. This is a new type of EFES and tastes good. If we have problems in Istanbul he says we should contact him. Very nice family; we enjoyed meeting them.
After the town we slowly climbed into the mountains to the National Park. It’s very lovely and we stopped at a Spa Hotel/Ski Resort to see if we could park there... No.
But we asked the gendarme guard and he told us to head North about 5 Km. Sure enough a great little cafe on the hillside where they were making bread of various sorts. It was warm and dry which we enjoyed because we were in the middle of a thunderstorm. We ate some of the bread with butter and honey. Very tasty.
Tomorrow we plan to eat there and Ian wants to have a go at making the gozleme.
While loitering we met up with a family. A man and woman spoke English and we chatted for ages and drank EFES Malt beer. This is a new type of EFES and tastes good. If we have problems in Istanbul he says we should contact him. Very nice family; we enjoyed meeting them.
Sunday 16 June 2013
Steep cobbled road to Safranbolu museum.
We just had to visit the ladies in the mountain hut again so we had breakfast there. A very well cooked omlette with bread, olives, real butter and honey. Fantastic.
After breakfast we continued Northward to Kastamonu and then West towards Safranbolu. Generally the roads were good and we made good time, but it was raining. Everywhere was lush and green, very much like the Cotswolds if you ignored the surrounding mountains.
Safranbolu is now very touristy. It even costs a Lira to spend a penny, even in a restaurant. Everyone is out to make a few bob. Nevertheless the town is very attractive with ancient houses that deserve a photo. The museum is not really worth the walk up the steep cobbled hill, but the clock tower gives a good panorama of the town. The cobbles are not really cobbles but more like a bad dry stone wall on its side.
As you can imagine, the bazaar sells things you really can live without. But, again, there are one or two gems. We found a locksmith who actually makes locks for the restoration people. Beautiful works of art.
Judit was in her element visiting old houses and was especially thrilled at the house of Kaymakamlar. It was built in the early 1800s for the man in charge of Safranbolu barracks. In the garden is a restaurant serving the usual gozleme and cay. This time we had a potato and a cheese gozleme with salad and saffron tea. (about £4.50).
For those visiting Safranbolu DO NOT enter the town. As you approach from the South you climb a hill. Just as you crest the rise is a large car park on the left. It looks like a bus station, but drive through it and there is a wide open street. Also a Dornier 28 on a stick at a lovely viewpoint for the town. Walk into the town. It’s a puff walking back up the hill, but better than getting stuck down there.
We asked at the Tourist Information if there was a campsite for motorhomes. However her answer and the town tourist map were useless. We searched for her campsite without success so went back to the Dornier 28 on the hill.
After breakfast we continued Northward to Kastamonu and then West towards Safranbolu. Generally the roads were good and we made good time, but it was raining. Everywhere was lush and green, very much like the Cotswolds if you ignored the surrounding mountains.
Safranbolu is now very touristy. It even costs a Lira to spend a penny, even in a restaurant. Everyone is out to make a few bob. Nevertheless the town is very attractive with ancient houses that deserve a photo. The museum is not really worth the walk up the steep cobbled hill, but the clock tower gives a good panorama of the town. The cobbles are not really cobbles but more like a bad dry stone wall on its side.
As you can imagine, the bazaar sells things you really can live without. But, again, there are one or two gems. We found a locksmith who actually makes locks for the restoration people. Beautiful works of art.
Judit was in her element visiting old houses and was especially thrilled at the house of Kaymakamlar. It was built in the early 1800s for the man in charge of Safranbolu barracks. In the garden is a restaurant serving the usual gozleme and cay. This time we had a potato and a cheese gozleme with salad and saffron tea. (about £4.50).
For those visiting Safranbolu DO NOT enter the town. As you approach from the South you climb a hill. Just as you crest the rise is a large car park on the left. It looks like a bus station, but drive through it and there is a wide open street. Also a Dornier 28 on a stick at a lovely viewpoint for the town. Walk into the town. It’s a puff walking back up the hill, but better than getting stuck down there.
We asked at the Tourist Information if there was a campsite for motorhomes. However her answer and the town tourist map were useless. We searched for her campsite without success so went back to the Dornier 28 on the hill.
Monday 17 June 2013
Near the Black Sea and thousands of hazelnut trees.
Rain again. At least it’s not cold and it thankfully stopped by mid morning. We have found a list of Turkish Aires on the internet and decided to try and find one near Yenicaga. It’s on the main road going West towards Bolu. It was down a side street just past the football ground and looked quite reasonable. But we had the idea to find another Night Stop near Bolu itself.
What a mistake to make. Half the roads in Bolu were being worked upon and it was absolute chaos. At one point we were trying to turn right at a cross roads on a 30% slope. An idiot taxi driver reversed from the straight ahead road into the lane of the road I was going to take. That meant I could not move. But he wanted to go up the hill I was on. Well done for your forward thinking Mr Taxi Driver. We spent a good 20 minutes there while we had to wriggle around so that traffic could move and eventually so could we. Driving standards are bad, but we have only seen one accident so far. That was this morning when we saw a car in a ditch. He had clearly gone straight on a at a T-junction.
Anyway we abandoned the idea of camping at Bolu and headed North to the Black Sea coast at Akcakoca. This meant we travelled through the hazelnut belt. It really is amazing how many hazelnut trees there are in Turkey. It is said that Turkey is responsible for 75% of the World’s production of hazelnuts.
Campsites are difficult to find around here. Two were on the coast and about 20 meters wide and 50 long, with no shade and what looked like no facilities. Plus next to the road.
To the West of the town we found one down such a steep and bumpy road we just had to take a look. The road was so bad it would have taxed a Land Rover. At the bottom was a car park about the size of half a tennis court. The owner said we could camp there. There was no way we could have turned round for the uphill climb. On top of that 25TL for a night next to a building site with no facilities seemed a bit OTT. How could he call it a campsite?
Next stop we came across Hamburger Camping. As we pulled to a halt a man who looked like he had just been wading through a sewer came and told us we could stay on his site for 35TL. We moved on.
Nearby was Tuana Beach Hotel. They have a field next to the hotel pool. Electric, some shade, very clean, and had wifi for 25TL. We stopped.
What a mistake to make. Half the roads in Bolu were being worked upon and it was absolute chaos. At one point we were trying to turn right at a cross roads on a 30% slope. An idiot taxi driver reversed from the straight ahead road into the lane of the road I was going to take. That meant I could not move. But he wanted to go up the hill I was on. Well done for your forward thinking Mr Taxi Driver. We spent a good 20 minutes there while we had to wriggle around so that traffic could move and eventually so could we. Driving standards are bad, but we have only seen one accident so far. That was this morning when we saw a car in a ditch. He had clearly gone straight on a at a T-junction.
Anyway we abandoned the idea of camping at Bolu and headed North to the Black Sea coast at Akcakoca. This meant we travelled through the hazelnut belt. It really is amazing how many hazelnut trees there are in Turkey. It is said that Turkey is responsible for 75% of the World’s production of hazelnuts.
Campsites are difficult to find around here. Two were on the coast and about 20 meters wide and 50 long, with no shade and what looked like no facilities. Plus next to the road.
To the West of the town we found one down such a steep and bumpy road we just had to take a look. The road was so bad it would have taxed a Land Rover. At the bottom was a car park about the size of half a tennis court. The owner said we could camp there. There was no way we could have turned round for the uphill climb. On top of that 25TL for a night next to a building site with no facilities seemed a bit OTT. How could he call it a campsite?
Next stop we came across Hamburger Camping. As we pulled to a halt a man who looked like he had just been wading through a sewer came and told us we could stay on his site for 35TL. We moved on.
Nearby was Tuana Beach Hotel. They have a field next to the hotel pool. Electric, some shade, very clean, and had wifi for 25TL. We stopped.
Tuesday, Wednesday 18/19 June 2013
Our new cycling friends.
Tuana Beach Hotel is probably the cleanest place we have visited in Turkey. In addition the small field we are in has mown grass which has been raked away so we are quite comfortable. This meant that we really should give Bessy a thorough cleaning inside. Sadly the outside will have to wait. On Tuesday evening we walked into town to find an ATM and have a look at the harbour. The harbour was locked, unlike most Greek harbours. But we had a nice walk through a pleasant Turkish Holiday Resort.
Next day four cyclists arrived. Two were Swiss and two were Spanish living in Switzerland. We enjoyed chatting with them and getting some hints about another campsite further along the coast.
Next day four cyclists arrived. Two were Swiss and two were Spanish living in Switzerland. We enjoyed chatting with them and getting some hints about another campsite further along the coast.
Thursday 20 June 2013
Ayran, popular Turkish "yogurt" drink. Very refreshing.
We left the camp shortly after the cyclists and enjoyed the whole journey along the coast towards Agva. On the way we passed through the Hazelnut Belt again. It really is amazing to see so many bushes/trees. We stopped in Kaynarca to do a bit of shopping. We didn’t find a supermarket so did it the old way by walking down the high street and calling in various shops. We also called into each of five pharmacies for more prescription medicines. It’s very handy having them almost next door to each other. Ian’s Cholesterol tablets are hard to find; they don’t seem to take high cholesterol seriously in Turkey.
Agva is a very pleasant seaside holiday town. We drove through as directed by the cyclists and found two campsites. We called in Green Park first but left immediately he said the charge would be 50TL. So we retraced our steps to the camp with a long name “Seferogullari Kamping”. To be honest it’s just a field with fixed tents but it has shade, wifi and electricity. The beach is up and over a hill and the beach was great. We even enjoyed a cooling dip in the Black Sea before heading back to camp to sort out some emails.
Our evening was enhanced when two more cyclists arrived. They were from Germany, heading for Katmandu. Good luck to them.
Agva is a very pleasant seaside holiday town. We drove through as directed by the cyclists and found two campsites. We called in Green Park first but left immediately he said the charge would be 50TL. So we retraced our steps to the camp with a long name “Seferogullari Kamping”. To be honest it’s just a field with fixed tents but it has shade, wifi and electricity. The beach is up and over a hill and the beach was great. We even enjoyed a cooling dip in the Black Sea before heading back to camp to sort out some emails.
Our evening was enhanced when two more cyclists arrived. They were from Germany, heading for Katmandu. Good luck to them.
Friday 21 June 2013
One of the wonderful mosaics in Hagia Sophia.
Today’s drive was longer than it should have been. We should have been in the Istanbul Aire in about two hours... it took over four. The reason is simple. Istanbul is a very complicated city to drive around. We had to cross two bridges, the first from Asia to Europe and the Galata bridge across the Golden Horn. SatNavs are wonderful. Ours covers the whole of Europe, all the way to Syria and the Iran Iraq border. Every city and every backstreet is laid out in great detail. Sadly there is a white square on my SatNav that is Istanbul. It was quite a surprise to suddenly see nothing on the map except our cursor. At least we knew which direction we were heading. But then the one-way system took control, and then the road works. We won’t even bother mentioning the Istanbul driving habits. But with a bit of luck and some knowledge of the general layout of Istanbul from previous visits we arrived on Kennedy Caddesi.
There are two Aires. The oldest is merely a car park but the new one sounded promising. The problems are that driving from the North on Kennedy Caddesi you are on the wrong side of the road with no option to do a U-turn. That meant driving about a mile down the road to a sort of roundabout in slow moving traffic and then retracing our steps to the Aires. (We must add that a French MH driver said that from seeing the Aire to getting parked took one hour). This is where the newest Aire loses out because you have to turn into a sort of bus station 200 yards before the Aire. We missed that turn and we were not going to drive through all that traffic again. When we went past we saw two motorhomes parked. There is no shade.
We drove on to the old Aire and parked up against some trees. That proved a wise move because in the afternoon they provided excellent shade. A Turkish van was there with a gentleman who lives in the car park. He owns a pet shop nearby and has lived in the van for some years. A very charming man.
After lunch we headed for the tourist sites and visited the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia. The former we have seen before... it’s free. But Hagia Sophia cost 25 TL each. It was worth it. The building is magnificent and the contents are stunning, especially the mosaics. The detail is wonderful. Then back to the van for a nice long cool drink.
The evenings are also amazing, the muezzin was doing his thing, ships were hooting while thousands of people arrived to fish from the promenade, make barbecues in the park, sell pretzels and mussels in the car park. The atmosphere was really worth experiencing.
There are two Aires. The oldest is merely a car park but the new one sounded promising. The problems are that driving from the North on Kennedy Caddesi you are on the wrong side of the road with no option to do a U-turn. That meant driving about a mile down the road to a sort of roundabout in slow moving traffic and then retracing our steps to the Aires. (We must add that a French MH driver said that from seeing the Aire to getting parked took one hour). This is where the newest Aire loses out because you have to turn into a sort of bus station 200 yards before the Aire. We missed that turn and we were not going to drive through all that traffic again. When we went past we saw two motorhomes parked. There is no shade.
We drove on to the old Aire and parked up against some trees. That proved a wise move because in the afternoon they provided excellent shade. A Turkish van was there with a gentleman who lives in the car park. He owns a pet shop nearby and has lived in the van for some years. A very charming man.
After lunch we headed for the tourist sites and visited the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia. The former we have seen before... it’s free. But Hagia Sophia cost 25 TL each. It was worth it. The building is magnificent and the contents are stunning, especially the mosaics. The detail is wonderful. Then back to the van for a nice long cool drink.
The evenings are also amazing, the muezzin was doing his thing, ships were hooting while thousands of people arrived to fish from the promenade, make barbecues in the park, sell pretzels and mussels in the car park. The atmosphere was really worth experiencing.
Saturday 22 June 2013
Judit inspects carpets in the Grand Bazaar.
Topkapi needs a full day to appreciate it. But the crowds were enormous. Nevertheless we persisted and found that it was worth it. If you see a repeat of Peter Ustinov’s film “Topkapi” on TV you should watch it. We saw the 5th largest diamond in the world and the Emerald Dagger (in the film). Topkapi should be on your list of things to see in Istanbul. The next one should be the Grand Bazaar.
It is right grand, as we say in Yorkshire. It is a big covered market with areas selling carpets, another selling gold another leather, etc. All told 4,000 shops, several kilometers of passageways, police stations, mosques, clinic, restaurants, and so on. Just remember the Gate number where you entered.
Saturday evening was even more hectic than Friday. But all was good natured.
It is right grand, as we say in Yorkshire. It is a big covered market with areas selling carpets, another selling gold another leather, etc. All told 4,000 shops, several kilometers of passageways, police stations, mosques, clinic, restaurants, and so on. Just remember the Gate number where you entered.
Saturday evening was even more hectic than Friday. But all was good natured.
Sunday 23 June 2013
The Suleyman Mosque.
A chance to be a tourist again and visit Suleyman's Mosque. This is the biggest in Istanbul and a bit off the usual tourist track. Once again we saw a magnificent building. It was not highly decorated nor was it minimalist. Just the right balance. On our return leg we stopped for a decent lunch of kebap and chicken.To be honest we’ve had better.
As it was afternoon we decided to move on while the traffic was light. Once again the lack of GPS and maps was a problem but we aimed for the airport and soon we were in Florya Camp. Once again without the aid of the SatNav.
To be honest we should have gone further but we are here now and there is a football match just closing so we are stuck for a while.
As it was afternoon we decided to move on while the traffic was light. Once again the lack of GPS and maps was a problem but we aimed for the airport and soon we were in Florya Camp. Once again without the aid of the SatNav.
To be honest we should have gone further but we are here now and there is a football match just closing so we are stuck for a while.
24/25 June 2013
A creepy crawly thing on our table.
This place is not very nice at all, so we moved on to the next camp another 40 kilometers out of town. Once again the SatNav did not display the area around Istanbul so we had a couple of detours and backtracks before finally getting onto the correct road out of Istanbul. This campsite seems to have everything, except wifi. What a shame. It is in a really peaceful rural setting with perfectly groomed grass, clean toilets and so on. But why don’t they install wifi. We cannot recommend a campsite that does not have modern facilities. On the camp was one other MH. It is owned by Ian and Erika from Australia. We had a great time chatting with real English speaking folks. And Ian had some whisky... what a nice man!
Without anywhere to visit we hung around and did some washing and cleaning the next day. Basically, a lazy day.
Without anywhere to visit we hung around and did some washing and cleaning the next day. Basically, a lazy day.
Wednesday 26 June 2013
Same to you!
We had some fun today. After a reasonably early start we headed for the Bulgarian border. On the way we stopped at a cheapish filling station and topped up. The local lads also plied us with cay and did a free car wash with pressure washers, so Bessy looks a lot better, even if a bit of loose paint was removed.
Onward a few kilometers and there was a KIPA so we topped up with foodstuffs.
Then the long drive to the border. It took us 90 minutes to leave Turkey because we were hauled to one side and taken to the vehicle X-ray shed. First we had to remove all the foodstuff and then Ian had to drive into the shed. Luckily the officials stopped him because the ramp to climb was too steep and we would have damaged the underside and the tail of Bessy.
But that didn’t mean we were let off the X-ray. Ian was given an official gentleman who directed him to the truck X-ray shed. In he drove and walked out. Two minutes later he was told everything was OK and we could drive back to Judit and reload the foodstuff and then drive to Bulgaria. Good game. We were told later that the Americans are insisting that Turkey do these random checks to stop terrorists entering Europe. Whether this is true or not we do not know.
The Bulgarian side took just a couple of minutes, but we did have to pay €10 for a 7-day vignette for the window. This allows us to drive on Bulgarian roads which we have built for them. Come one, EU stop the buggers charging people who have already paid through local taxation. End of moan!
Next fun was to drive all the way to the bridge that crosses the river to Lyubimets only to find that the bridge was blocked by massive mounds of earth. That meant backtracking to Svilengrad, crossing the river there and driving NW again to the campsite at Biser.
We have to say that the campsite is lovely. Sadly no shade but other than that it is very clean and tidy with pleasant helpful owners. Matt showed us around and told us where we could get cash. This meant a 7 km ride to Harmanli where we also found a LIDL. How does LIDL do it? We bought quite a lot of foodstuffs we have not been able to find for months, plus 2 bottles of whisky and a bottle of Pina Collada for about 25 quid.
Back to camp for a good natter with Matt again before eating, watching TV and bedding down. All told, an interesting day.
Onward a few kilometers and there was a KIPA so we topped up with foodstuffs.
Then the long drive to the border. It took us 90 minutes to leave Turkey because we were hauled to one side and taken to the vehicle X-ray shed. First we had to remove all the foodstuff and then Ian had to drive into the shed. Luckily the officials stopped him because the ramp to climb was too steep and we would have damaged the underside and the tail of Bessy.
But that didn’t mean we were let off the X-ray. Ian was given an official gentleman who directed him to the truck X-ray shed. In he drove and walked out. Two minutes later he was told everything was OK and we could drive back to Judit and reload the foodstuff and then drive to Bulgaria. Good game. We were told later that the Americans are insisting that Turkey do these random checks to stop terrorists entering Europe. Whether this is true or not we do not know.
The Bulgarian side took just a couple of minutes, but we did have to pay €10 for a 7-day vignette for the window. This allows us to drive on Bulgarian roads which we have built for them. Come one, EU stop the buggers charging people who have already paid through local taxation. End of moan!
Next fun was to drive all the way to the bridge that crosses the river to Lyubimets only to find that the bridge was blocked by massive mounds of earth. That meant backtracking to Svilengrad, crossing the river there and driving NW again to the campsite at Biser.
We have to say that the campsite is lovely. Sadly no shade but other than that it is very clean and tidy with pleasant helpful owners. Matt showed us around and told us where we could get cash. This meant a 7 km ride to Harmanli where we also found a LIDL. How does LIDL do it? We bought quite a lot of foodstuffs we have not been able to find for months, plus 2 bottles of whisky and a bottle of Pina Collada for about 25 quid.
Back to camp for a good natter with Matt again before eating, watching TV and bedding down. All told, an interesting day.
