Final week in Turkey

The week started with fab views on a 10 hour drive from Pamukkale to our 1^st bush camp where 6 locals joined us bringing beer.  We found ourselves just off a main road on a high plateau.  Could see the lights of various towns for miles, but it was freezing.

After the Bush Camp we arrived in the Cappadocia region of weird landscapes due to volcanic activity & erosion.  The locals had made homes in the rocks.  We stayed at a campsite in the town of Goreme.  Best hot showers so far.  It was hot & sunny during the days.  Staying here for 3 days we did walks, organized mini bus tour of the region involving viewpoints, Underground City, Turkish Delight shop & a pottery museum.

On Thur 25^th we were up at 4.45am to join the hundreds of hot air balloons across the town of Goreme.  Good experience.  Lunch was free at a local carpet shop-no one bought any of the silk carpets.  The shop did not realize we were backpacking to Singapore!  Spent the rest of the day sunbathing at the campsite.  In the evening went to a local restaurant & had a Turkish clay pot stew.

After this campsite, it was an 11 hour drive to a bush camp near the town of Giresun on the Black Sea Coast.  Even better views this day through snow-capped mountains.  Lovely & warm.  Like before, every town we drive through, we are the talk of the town we everyone staring at our truck & wanting to take a look when we stop.  It’s like living in a goldfish bowl.  As we drive along the open roads, truck drivers & coach passengers wave at us because we are on their level.

Today was the final full day in Turkey which involved a drive along the Black sea Coast then into the mountains to Sumela Monastery.  Very hot, very high, lovely scenic views.

It’s off to cross the boarder into Georgia tomorrow.

 

 

Mud

Sunday 21^st was spent having a mud bath in the town of Karahayit at a place called the red spring.  Spring water brought iron out the ground here, not calcium which was white in the town next door.

The sun is out

We left Istanbul about 9am on Tue 16^th April in the rain & it was cold.  First lunch set up was in the rain.  6 hours later we arrived at our first camping experience in a town called Eceabat-it was cold due to the wind being by the sea, but interesting as it was a main shipping channel with tankers going by.  We all huddled in the greenhouse type bar called Boomerang watching the sea & stray dogs.

Wed was bright & sunny.  Some of us went on a tour of the Gallipoli battlefields & beaches.

Thursday 18^th was a 9 hour drive to a tourist town called Kusadasi & our 2^nd campsite.  As I walked past EVERY shop selling the same thing (t-shirts & trainers), I was stopped by EVERY shop owner asking the same questions “What is your name?  Where you from”?

Sat 20^th onto a spa town called Pamukkale where the spring water has washed the calcium over the land-weird.

 

 

If you now log onto www.odysseyoverland.co.uk scroll to the bottom of the home page & select trip blogs, our official blog is now on, so you can see more photos.