For our English-speaking friends - Turkey in a nutshell

Vulcano Erciyes

After a relaxing week with our campmates we leave Cappadocia and head towards the Volcano Erciyes which Elmar had spotted from Goereme and would love to climb. We find a room in a winter resort hotel where we are the only guests. Veysel, the manager, speeks German, as he had been working as ski instructor in Austria for some years. We have interesting discussions about politics and religion. And Elmar climbs the vulcano – all on his own - only accompanied by two dogs. They follow him all the 3926m up to the summit!

Nemrut Dag

The next day takes us to Nemrut Dag. On this mountain top an ancient king had put up huge stone figures which only were found about 100 years ago. Impressive! We take the northern road and have to manage with rough gravel for at least 1 km upwards. As the road does not lead to the southern entrance (as we had expected), we have to go back the same way. Just before it gets really dark, we happen to find a small hotel. The manager is also the cook and we have fresh trout that night.

Nemrut to Trabzon

We cross the Atatuerk water Reservoire by ferry and then head on in direction to Trabzon. At Pueluemuer River we find a lovely spot to put up the tents. When shopping in the nearby town of Tunceli Annette gets invited by German born Guelsuem. Two days later we go and visit her and her family at her home. Her son Soha would like to show us round his school and phones his headmaster. This is how we get invtited to have breakfast at the school cafeteria for the next morning. "Munzur College" is a privately run school. It is very good equipped and has a busy school life. We are shown around and the pupils ask us all sorts of questions. What most of them want to know is how we like Turkey so far. What a question!  Thank you again everybody!

Sumela Monastery

Just before Trabzon we stop for visiting the Monastery of Sumela. It ressembles those of Meteora in Greece. Some of the paintings are still in good condition.

Black Sea Coast

With its thousands of tea bushes the hills along the Black Sea Coast appear in a deep green. The coast road winds itself along the shore, sometimes in 4 lanes, mostly passing industrial areas. The tunnels are frightening long and with no light at all. This is not a ride to enjoy. 

Ayder

The scenery changes as soon as you go inland. The mountains get higher and higher and the landscape gets greener and greener. The small village of Ayder (1500m) will be our home for 4 nights. It is the perfect place if you like hiking. We call it our Turkish Switzerland! This is where we meet Karsten from Erfurt and Sagi, Avivit and their little son from Israel. Together we take the minibus and drive up to a lonley mountain village. From there we walk to a small lake. The mostly old people living up here during the summer get their supplies by this minibus: food, hardware, repaired watches, letters, money, medicine and more. The bus driver is their only connection to the world outside.

The Kackar Mountains

The road now takes us through the Kackkar Mountains. Lovely scenery wherever you look! But there are plans to flood most of these beautiful valleys with the waters of Coruh River. Another of these giant dam projects, that spoil the country and its Armenian heritage (churches). 

Kars and Ani

Coming down to Kars is a breathtaking experience. Once you leave the woods you find yourself in a place so wide as wide can be. Wide and empty. This is where we first see larger herds of beef. The poor villages are built from mud. In the courtyards farmers keep hey and large piles of turf to burn in winter. The town of Kars is lively and busy. From our window we have a good view onto the bazar street. The rushing, pulling, decorating, loading, selling, buying and talking starts early in the morning. Then there is a break from noon to around 4 o'clock when it all starts back again. In the evenings leftovers are being burnt on the roads.

We visit the ruins of the ancient town of Ani, once capital of Armenia and part of the silk road. The ruins are wide spread and we spent about three hours around. It's a great place with todays Armenian border just across the river! 

Patnos

Our first day traveling in the pouring rain leaves us trying to find a decent place to stay and dry our gear in Patnos. It's not the place you want to leave your motorbikes parked out on the road but at least we found a nice and clean guesthouse for ourselves. And the bikes were still there the next morning. It's here where we first take part of the breaking of the fast. Like all the men in the restaurant we don't start eating before the muezzin calls. 

Dogoubayazit

As the weather forecast shows more rain, we only pass the lake of Van and head on to Dogoubayazit. Lucky us, because the end of the ramadan is due the next day already (9 days of bank holiday!) and we have to change money for Iran and fill up on our stock. Here the weather is better and we can see Mount Ararat in its full beauty. We also walk up to the palace but it's being restored and therefore is closed for visits. 

On October 2nd, after 7 weeks of traveling a beautiful country, we leave Turkey and enter Iran.