9-15 July 2008

From swimming in the Aegean Sea to exploring the magic of Capadoccia, it was a week of transforming landscapes, sightseeing and meeting new friends. Di had her first hamam (men with moustaches and loin cloths scrubbing her down was unexpected). A rider and his band of merry mutts caused a commotion as they passed through the town of Goreme at dusk. Robert’s moustache continued to glint in the sunshine. 17 drops of rain was enough for the wet weathers to enthusiastically be dug out from the depths of a pannier.

Yenifoca rest day
Some bad news for the team. The Roller was third time unlucky when he dropped the Asus laptop with which we have been writing this comprehensive blog. The difference this time was that the computer slid off his lap and in an attempt to stall it on his right foot he kicked it and sent it into a sharp corner of a bench – smashing the screen. He was devastated but impressed with the Stick’s reaction (who really loved the wee computer) ‘oh well, I guess it was going to happen at some point’ – particularly after the Roller was very angry that the Stick only one day prior had torn his map of Turkey. So the Roller has been in a state of depression since this occurred and only spoke three words (to himself) in16 and a half hours. He is no longer allowed to handle small electrical items or children under the age of 18 months.

It’s not worth fixing our little friend but we somehow can’t bring ourselves to throw him away so its weight is going to accompany us on the next leg of our journey until we can bear to bid it farewell. The blog and the photos may no longer have such detail (some readers may be relieved…).

Yenifoca – Izmir (60km)
A typical day of cycling for the team in Turkey.

We had an early rise and ever efficient pack up of the campsite – eating cereal and fruit, packing the panniers, and dismantling the Macpac Olympus (aka the tent of romance) then hitting the road. Ten to 15 minutes riding and the first attack from a refreshed mutt lying on the roadside was quickly quashed by the Roller and his new Turkish Mutt Basher. Another five minutes down the road and the second mutt attack (3 mutts this occasion): result = see above.

We cycled for two and a half hours (approx 30km) then parked up for a cup of Nescafe and a few biscuits to refuel. Continued cycling until hitting the outskirts of our destination.

Lost, the team were at a halt at a major motorway spaghetti junction when a happy Turk riding knees-out on a tinsel covered mountain bike pulled up and was a smiley, speedy personal escort (PE) for the next 10km. After being dropped at the feribot terminal by the PE, we tried to converse but as we know five Turkish words and the PE knew three English words we had another session of nodding, smiling and pointing at the map.

A second Turk who had a greater comprehension of English approached the semi circle and joined in asking where we were going. After a quick run down he purchased our feribot tickets, wouldn’t accept reimbursement, showed us the way to the ferry and waved goodbye.

We arrived in Izmir with no map and searched out the tourist info. A little stuck we ended up at the five-star Swiss Otel and met Tuğay, a hotel manager who gladly provided us with a map, loads of guidance and phoned around trying to find us a room within budget. His advice has shaped the next leg of our trip, and he’s given us details of friends in places we’ll visit and his phone number for if we are stuck and need assistance at anytime while in Turkey.

Not such a typical end to a typical day in Turkey.
The team entered Izmir’s bazaar, ended up in a carpet shop, drank a number of cups of apple tea, viewed hundreds of carpets, end up with a Kayseri silk on silk – say no more. Thanks very much to the Spencers as this was our engagement present from them. No pictures are available as it is now on its way to NZ.

Izmir – Ilhara (overnight bus to Aksaray, 53km)
It was with extreme reluctance and flinch-inducing force that the bus conductor loaded our trusty cycles onto the overnight bus to Konya. We wanted to get straight to sleep when we boarded but there was too much of interest going on to nod off straight away. The bus driver’s side-kick earnestly got to work distributing drinks and cakes to the passengers and moved up and down the aisles with the efficiency of an attendant on a short haul flight. This was luxury inter-city travel. We managed to prise our eyes open at the one stop at motorway services and muster enough energy to eat the half bun a lady across the aisle handed to us before waking up again to a completely new, lunar and striking landscape in Konya. From Konya it was a couple of hours on another bus to Aksaray.

We had intended to camp near Aksaray but instead started cycling out of the town… it was hard going up big hills with a strong head wind and driving dust and the Stick loudly expressed her dissatisfaction. However we pushed on into the Ilhara Valley where there are a number of churches and homes carved into the canyon walls dating from the 11th Century and where the green of the trees and the winding river is a refreshing relief in an otherwise beige landscape. It would be much better to walk the valley rather than cycle! The Roller picked up a few pals along the way and ended up adding five kms doubling/backy-ing local minors who were intrigued by our loaded bikes.

Ilhara – Goreme (95km)
We cycled through countryside that was more fertile due to historic volcanic activity in the area with fields and fields of potatoes (enough to keep an Irish family satisfied for a week). We stopped at Derinkuyu, one of the 36 underground cities in the region that is thought to have had a population of 20,000. With eight levels and at 60 metres deep it comprised stables, churches, living areas, ventilation and was used as a hideaway from invaders.

Further along the road and the Roller displayed extraordinary skill defending his lady from a pack of mutts. These were more determined mutts than any previously encountered and the Roller was feeling naked after leaving his Mutt Basher on Platform 17 of the Konya bus station. With renewed appreciation for his weapon he found Mutt Basher v.2, put to use just 10km down the road outside a prison (on dogs).

We arrived at Goreme to a welcome cup of apple tea from the campsite proprietor and a flaming sunset over the conical rock formations of Capadoccia. Our campsite shop meal of pasta mixed into maggi mushroom soup was improved by the donation of a piece of chicken from some kind fellow campers. We crashed and enjoyed four nights of exploration and relaxation before heading to Ankara to continue our quest for visas for onward travel.