The next day to Sogut I cycled through the cherry orchards. Many farmers were willing to indulge me with a sack of cherries. At the end of the day I had to refuse taking them because I already had eaten so many and still had a kg strapped to my bike. Out of courtesy I always ate a few. Apart for eating cherries many times I was called to the side of the road to drink some tea. I hardly missed any invitation. The invitations to eating cherries ended when I left the region, invitations to drink tea I got everywhere along the route in Turkey. Halfway during the day I took a live of a cat by riding over it, fortunately they seem to have nine and with its left over lives he managed to run away unharmed. The next morning, when I left my hotel I was invited to have breakfast at the opposite restaurant. When I was about to leave, because I was totally filled up, the people indicated I had to stay for a little longer as they had ordered a coffee for me at a shop nearby. The first part of the day was very nice over rolling hills and alongside a little river. I even saw a fox running in the distance. At my destination I managed to find an affordable hotel, but this one did not have, like the previous, any showers.
I got my first flat tire just outside of Kirka. With my spoon and the file on my leatherman I managed to get the tire of the front wheel. A burst at the base of the valve appeared to be the reason. It seemed not possible to repair, so I put on the tube I got from Sylvain. For this I had to take the wheel of the bike, but for a change I came prepared, I had bought a wrench to help me with it. Although it rained during the day it was nice cycling. Only when I had to cycle back for a couple of km to retrieve my forgotten road map at a lokanta, I had a little bit less fun in it. At my destination Afyon it really started raining and it was when I took cover in a little shop that sold only one kind of sandwich, that I finally met a Turk who spoke English very well. We decided that we would drink a few beers after he had finished working at the shop and his colleagues would join as well. The boss of the joint preferred to drink outside, so we (they did not allow me to pay for anything so it is actually they) bought a couple of cans of Efes and drove with the turkfiat to the station a favorite hangout of the boss. Unfortunately it was still raining, so we ended up with the five of us drinking in the small, soon foggy car. The beer tasted good though and the company was nice.From Afyon I cycled to Aksehir. It was not my intention to cycle that many km, but I did not see a suitable place to stay and I had the wind in the back. In the morning I had feared my cycling would be over for a while because a repairman had taken off the steering from my frame and in the process broken some parts. I just had wanted him to tighten a bolt on my steering, which actually did not properly fit. It was slightly to big, I had solved it by putting toilet paper in between the bolt and the steering bar and then had tightened it, but this was no sustainable solution, hence my visit to this guy. Fortunately my man was not put off by this small setback and sent some one to the market to fetch some parts. Although they did not part, he managed to grind them in such a way that they did. The end result was that the new bolt sat tight as a house. I paid him with a flacon of soap, I just got before from a traveling salesman who had stopped me on the highway to talk to me. The road to Kadinhani was tough as I had wind head on.
Every excuse to stop I took. First the invitation to join breakfast (it was quite well assorted: tea; bread; two sorts of cheese; melon; tomatoes; cucumber and olives) with four truckers at the road side and many tea breaks. After midday the wind could change every five minutes. One moment I was cruising nicely with wind in the back and the other moment I had to work hard because it came straight at me, without me changing directions.In Konya the first three people I spoke with answered me in Dutch. The first was a café owner I drank tea with. The second was working in a bicycle shop and the third I happen to sit opposite to in a Kebab joint. All three had worked in Holland for a couple of years but were made to leave. The next morning when I wanted to leave I could not find my bike any more. I feared it was stolen, but after inquiring with the hotel manager I learned that they had put it in a cupboard in the hotel to keep it safe. In Konya I made the mistake not to buy bread. Although I had many opportunities I delayed my purchase all the time until it was too late. Eventually I had to cycle 70 km before I finally could buy my lunch. I enjoyed my just purchased bread on a picnic place which I shared with to men who were shaving each others head with a blunt razor. They looked quite fierce afterwards with their bloody heads. They were very friendly though they came to offer me a couple of glasses of soda. I could not find a proper place to stay the night, so I ended up at Aksaray. Underway I had seen many little marmots running away from the road when I passed them. Unfortunately they always were to quick for me to take a picture of them.
An idyllic spot I had lunch. Some annoying kids disturbed the idyll and got me on my bike again. During this days' trip to Derinkuyu I got problems with the axel connecting my pedals again. I managed to tighten the bolt with the help of my spoon quite well and after that it did not bother me again that day and the next. As a sleeping place I chose a place in a row of trees. In the evening I had trouble falling a sleep because of the hundreds of starlings in them. What could be expected, but I did not think of beforehand, happened. The next morning when I woke up my sleeping bag was covered with bird shit. Except for the unwelcome bird gifts Cappadocia was a wonderful experience.
Beautifully shaped rocks, made inhabitable by early Christians, rough gorges and nice off road paths to see it all. In one of the gorges 3 churches were created in the eroded rocks!
I was cycling through a gorge (?) and had been told by a guide that I could exit it at the end. Probably I took a wrong turn again somewhere because I ended up on a hiking trail. Had to push my bike regularly as the inclination was round 50%. Even without bike it would have been difficult to go up. But I made it, although this opening was hardly wide enough for my handle bars to go through.
No comments:
Post a Comment