28th August.
Very sad leaving the Prespa lakes and after a frustrating trip across from the motorway, that runs through the centre of former Yugoslavia, to the Dalmatian Coast we wondered if it would've been better staying an extra couple of days there and just sticking on the motorway up to Italy. But here we are, relaxing in a camp site once more overlooking the Mediterranean shaded by pine trees exuding their wonderful fragrance. Always think of the Mediterranean when I experience that smell.
Because of the break up of Yugoslavia there are now at least 5 countries you pass through where before there was just the one. We were unsure about visas as was the border control at the Macedonian crossing who had to ring to check the situation for New Zealanders. Not required. They had to check going into Serbia as well but again all okay. Then Bosnia Herzegovina and now we are in Croatia. All in two days.
The problem was the frustration in the driving across once we began to head to the coast. An 80 kph speed limit on the open road, 50 kph whenever there was a couple of houses, two lanes only with no passing areas, a preponderance of trucks who couldn't move over as there were no berms on the side of the road. It was slow, very slow. Bad enough but there were cops everywhere to enforce it with their bloody radars on any stretch where a bit of speed might be a possibility. Of course the Serbian treasury ended up with a contribution from me. Looking for a place to park for the night didn't help. There were no camp sites and it wasn't until after 6pm the first night did we find a bit of land near a river where we stopped. There were quit a few locals fishing when we arrived, it was very pleasant. Then after we'd gone to bed a group of locals came down, must've been about 11pm and decided to have a sing around a fire 20 metres from us. Yelling, whistling, breaking bottles, it was a bit scary. It was well after 2am before they took off. One of the things that you learn if you free camp is to assess the situation that may arise and be prepared for a quick exit. We didn't feel threatened but it may have become awkward. The next morning as we awoke two of the blokes come back down, threw the broken bottles further into the river then left the rest of the disgusting mess as it was.
In fact both Serbia and Bosnia Herzegovina are littered with rubbish. It's quite sad that they think so little of their country that they leave it in the state they do.
Before leaving Bosnia Herzegovina today we visited the Old Bridge at Mostar. The city was heavily affected from the fighting in the civil war and the old bridge became a symbol for the city. The fighting in the old city was terrible with most of the buildings demolished by the shelling. Yet the single arched bridge over the Neretva River resisted it all. It was hit a few times but still stood proudly. That was until someone planted explosives under it and blew it up. The Christians blame the muslims and vice versa. I don't think anyone has owned up. It shocked the city. The bridge has been rebuilt, they have used old marble pavers on the walkway but the construction of the bridge itself looks very new. Many of the buildings in the city are still ruins with shell holes and pock marks from the bullets.
This coastline would have to be one of the most spectacular anywhere. Thirty years ago it wasn't nearly as built up but even with more houses and apartments it is amazing. Barren mountains on the one side plunging down to the clear waters on the other side of the road with the villages and towns finding a foothold on the slopes. There are many islands off the coast as well. The camp site is only half full, it would have been a different story a month ago. The beach is gravel but that's a good thing as the sandy ones are still crowded. Anyone planning a trip to Europe but don't want to be here when all the Europeans take their 6 week holiday should aim to be here at the end of August. The weather is still sublime but the there is vacancies in all types of accommodation.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Prespa Lakes Greece
25th August.
Looking from our free camping spot on the larger of the Prespa Lakes we have a small peninsular running into the lake on our left that is Greece. A kilometre or so behind that is a mountain range that is in Albania, and on the far side of the lake in front of us is Macedonia. To our right Greece continues for a while before reaching the Macedonian border. It is a magical place, a national park co-operatively run by the three countries. For bird watchers it is a paradise with many water birds on the lakes as well as land birds in the thickets surrounding the water. On the smaller lake reeds cover most of the edge on three sides again making a haven for species who need that type of cover.
When we left Thessalonika I had worked out we had a few days up our sleeve and although we had passed close to the lakes on an earlier trip, had never been here. It would be one of the most serene and quiet places you could find. They catch trout in the lake as well as other types of fish. There are only a couple of small villages here, the closest big town is 60 kms away through heavily forested hills which, going by the warning signs along the road, are a home for bears as well as other animals. We were only going to stay a couple of nights but are so relaxed it has stretched to a third. I even managed to blow up my inflatable canoe and spend a few hours on the lake though didn't think it a good thing to stray into Albanian waters.
This area suffered considerably during the Greek civil war that occurred straight after the 2nd World War and some of the towns near the lake had most of their children taken away to Albania and Romania for indoctrination in the communist ideals. Some were away for ten years or more.
On our way here we visited the cave where the earliest European man was found, 700,000 years old and also Pella, the ancient capital of Macedonia where Alexander the Great originated. The mosaics are very impressive. Both in the museum and in situ.
This will be our last stop before crossing into the countries that were once Yugoslavia. I think we go through four if we travel along the Dalmatian Coast. You realize the difference in size of these European countries when it's only 400kms or so from the east of Greece to the western point where we are now.
Looking from our free camping spot on the larger of the Prespa Lakes we have a small peninsular running into the lake on our left that is Greece. A kilometre or so behind that is a mountain range that is in Albania, and on the far side of the lake in front of us is Macedonia. To our right Greece continues for a while before reaching the Macedonian border. It is a magical place, a national park co-operatively run by the three countries. For bird watchers it is a paradise with many water birds on the lakes as well as land birds in the thickets surrounding the water. On the smaller lake reeds cover most of the edge on three sides again making a haven for species who need that type of cover.
When we left Thessalonika I had worked out we had a few days up our sleeve and although we had passed close to the lakes on an earlier trip, had never been here. It would be one of the most serene and quiet places you could find. They catch trout in the lake as well as other types of fish. There are only a couple of small villages here, the closest big town is 60 kms away through heavily forested hills which, going by the warning signs along the road, are a home for bears as well as other animals. We were only going to stay a couple of nights but are so relaxed it has stretched to a third. I even managed to blow up my inflatable canoe and spend a few hours on the lake though didn't think it a good thing to stray into Albanian waters.
This area suffered considerably during the Greek civil war that occurred straight after the 2nd World War and some of the towns near the lake had most of their children taken away to Albania and Romania for indoctrination in the communist ideals. Some were away for ten years or more.
On our way here we visited the cave where the earliest European man was found, 700,000 years old and also Pella, the ancient capital of Macedonia where Alexander the Great originated. The mosaics are very impressive. Both in the museum and in situ.
This will be our last stop before crossing into the countries that were once Yugoslavia. I think we go through four if we travel along the Dalmatian Coast. You realize the difference in size of these European countries when it's only 400kms or so from the east of Greece to the western point where we are now.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Thessalonika
23rd August Near Thessalonika, Greece.
Had a devil of a time getting the last few articles posted on the blog. On Samothrace it seems we had an hour limit on the computer and by the time we had replied to all the emails the time was up. Now near Thessalonika and will make a concerted effort to post them tomorrow.
Samothrace was just what we needed. Four days of resting, going to the beaches, visiting some ancient sites, reading, and trying to get some articles written for the Caravan & Motorhome Magazine. It was idyllic. The place is old. The trees are gnarled with age, the scrub that covers the barren areas looks like it's been there for aeons and are almost fossilised. The rugged mountains are some of the oldest in the Aegean and the highlight of the ruins, the Sanctuary of the Greater Gods dates back to the 7th Century BC at least. It is a very reflective site. Our first visit was n the early morning when we had most of the place to ourselves. All we could hear was the distant sea and the clanging of the numerous goats on the hills around the site. The pathway between the 2 sections of the site was through old olive trees, the path littered with broken shards of pottery. Many still had the pattern made by the potters centuries ago. So different to Ephesus with its 4,000 visitors.
Its a heavily wooded island with plenty of shade on the lower slopes of the mountains. The last morning we walked up a gorge to see this waterfall we had been told about. The maple trees along the stream were starting to shed leaves. Many of the older ones at some time had had their hearts ripped out by floods but were existing from a thin layer of sap wood that held them together.
We came back over on the boat yesterday, the 21st, then made our way further west to Kavala, a large city perched between the mountains and the sea, then on to Thessalonika today where we were once more caught in the maelstrom of traffic jams and searching for non existent parking places.
Had a devil of a time getting the last few articles posted on the blog. On Samothrace it seems we had an hour limit on the computer and by the time we had replied to all the emails the time was up. Now near Thessalonika and will make a concerted effort to post them tomorrow.
Samothrace was just what we needed. Four days of resting, going to the beaches, visiting some ancient sites, reading, and trying to get some articles written for the Caravan & Motorhome Magazine. It was idyllic. The place is old. The trees are gnarled with age, the scrub that covers the barren areas looks like it's been there for aeons and are almost fossilised. The rugged mountains are some of the oldest in the Aegean and the highlight of the ruins, the Sanctuary of the Greater Gods dates back to the 7th Century BC at least. It is a very reflective site. Our first visit was n the early morning when we had most of the place to ourselves. All we could hear was the distant sea and the clanging of the numerous goats on the hills around the site. The pathway between the 2 sections of the site was through old olive trees, the path littered with broken shards of pottery. Many still had the pattern made by the potters centuries ago. So different to Ephesus with its 4,000 visitors.
Its a heavily wooded island with plenty of shade on the lower slopes of the mountains. The last morning we walked up a gorge to see this waterfall we had been told about. The maple trees along the stream were starting to shed leaves. Many of the older ones at some time had had their hearts ripped out by floods but were existing from a thin layer of sap wood that held them together.
We came back over on the boat yesterday, the 21st, then made our way further west to Kavala, a large city perched between the mountains and the sea, then on to Thessalonika today where we were once more caught in the maelstrom of traffic jams and searching for non existent parking places.
Island of Samothrace Greece
18th August Samothrace Greece (prn. Samothraakee with emphasis on the 'aa')
Didn't expect to be on a Greek Island when we left Gallipoli yesterday morning. It just worked out so well for us. After the night camped on the edge of the Dardanelles lulled to sleep by the deep throbs of the ships engines as they passed by, we had spent the morning at Anzac Cove and the various memorials and cemeteries in the area. There are so many more of them than when we last visited, the museum has also been built which is interesting. It was a bit disappointing though to see the maintenance of the Allied ones were a bit slack. The Turkish ones were well watered, grass was cut, flowers and shrubs were all healthy. The flowers in the Allied cemeteries and monuments were half dead, the grass was brown, not a pretty sight. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission maintain the Allied ones, Perhaps a letter to them wouldn't go astray.
The town of Gallipoli itself came as a surprise: we went in to try and find an internet place to post my blog and was surprised. It has a beautiful little harbour around which the town is centred. Unfortunately the internet was having a melt down so still no postings. The main road to the memorials bypass it now which is a shame.
We crossed the border in the early afternoon and made our way to Alexandropoulis where we were gong to spend the night then find out about taking the ferry to Samothrace for a couple of days. Turned out there was a sailing in 2 hours time, we could take the van but couldn't get back until Tuesday as all the Europeans were heading home now and bookings were full before that. Fantastic!
So here we are, listening to the waves break on the shore, on an island that has been on my wish list to visit for a long time. Something about Greece, I have been here eight times but still feel an affinity for it and the Greeks. They seem to enjoy life and get the most out of it. The art of conversation is not lost on them. When we came off the boat at 10 the tavernas were all chocker with people. By the time we had set ourselves up at the camp site and had a bite to eat it was midnight but even then there was no let up in the groups enjoying the balmy night. It's a bit quiet this morning though.
Samothrace is not popular with other Europeans,mainly as there are not many beaches to laze on. But it is a ruggedly beautiful island with some of the most evocative ruins in all of Greece. We are going to enjoy our four nights here.
PS: Were disappointed at the supermarket to find no retsina on the shelves. It appears they have refined their white wines a lot and retsina is perhaps not part of the scheme now. Such memories of filling Fanta bottles from giant casks in some small village taverna and having your oesophagus call “help!” because of the harshness. Perhaps it's a good thing we can't get it.
Didn't expect to be on a Greek Island when we left Gallipoli yesterday morning. It just worked out so well for us. After the night camped on the edge of the Dardanelles lulled to sleep by the deep throbs of the ships engines as they passed by, we had spent the morning at Anzac Cove and the various memorials and cemeteries in the area. There are so many more of them than when we last visited, the museum has also been built which is interesting. It was a bit disappointing though to see the maintenance of the Allied ones were a bit slack. The Turkish ones were well watered, grass was cut, flowers and shrubs were all healthy. The flowers in the Allied cemeteries and monuments were half dead, the grass was brown, not a pretty sight. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission maintain the Allied ones, Perhaps a letter to them wouldn't go astray.
The town of Gallipoli itself came as a surprise: we went in to try and find an internet place to post my blog and was surprised. It has a beautiful little harbour around which the town is centred. Unfortunately the internet was having a melt down so still no postings. The main road to the memorials bypass it now which is a shame.
We crossed the border in the early afternoon and made our way to Alexandropoulis where we were gong to spend the night then find out about taking the ferry to Samothrace for a couple of days. Turned out there was a sailing in 2 hours time, we could take the van but couldn't get back until Tuesday as all the Europeans were heading home now and bookings were full before that. Fantastic!
So here we are, listening to the waves break on the shore, on an island that has been on my wish list to visit for a long time. Something about Greece, I have been here eight times but still feel an affinity for it and the Greeks. They seem to enjoy life and get the most out of it. The art of conversation is not lost on them. When we came off the boat at 10 the tavernas were all chocker with people. By the time we had set ourselves up at the camp site and had a bite to eat it was midnight but even then there was no let up in the groups enjoying the balmy night. It's a bit quiet this morning though.
Samothrace is not popular with other Europeans,mainly as there are not many beaches to laze on. But it is a ruggedly beautiful island with some of the most evocative ruins in all of Greece. We are going to enjoy our four nights here.
PS: Were disappointed at the supermarket to find no retsina on the shelves. It appears they have refined their white wines a lot and retsina is perhaps not part of the scheme now. Such memories of filling Fanta bottles from giant casks in some small village taverna and having your oesophagus call “help!” because of the harshness. Perhaps it's a good thing we can't get it.
Dakili & Ephesus
Dakili, Turkey
15th August
Thirty one years ago we drove past the entrance of Ephesus and didn't go in and I have regretted it ever since. I wasn't going to miss out this time. Unfortunately we picked the day when there were also 4,000 passengers off cruise ships berthed in nearby Izmir who happened to be visiting as well. It's not like Petra or Hampi where that number would be spread over a large area, Ephesus is pretty small. They drop you at the top of the ruins and walk down to the car park at the bottom. Perhaps the photo gives you an idea of the crowd. It was interesting but I am more attracted to Greek antiquity and most of what was on display was from the Roman era. The temple of Artemis used to be there, one of the 7 wonders of the world, but only the foundations are left. The statues of Artemis in the nearby museum were interesting though, she was the goddess of hunting and fertlity.
We travelled on to this place Dakili afterwards. The camp site is on the sea, it is a summer destination for lower and middle class Turks. Quite interesting really. The bedooms are enclosed inside but the living area is open to the rest of the camp area apart from a low wall. This building continues along the 2 sides of the site. We were the only foreigners there apart from a couple of French and Italian vans.
16th August. The Dardanelles
Our last day in Asia. Quite sad to leave really. We took the ferry to the Gallipoli Peninsula and are spending the night near the town of Gallipoli camped on the edge of the Sea of Marmaris. We will pay our homage at Anzac Cove before crossing into Northern Greece in the afternoon.
15th August
Thirty one years ago we drove past the entrance of Ephesus and didn't go in and I have regretted it ever since. I wasn't going to miss out this time. Unfortunately we picked the day when there were also 4,000 passengers off cruise ships berthed in nearby Izmir who happened to be visiting as well. It's not like Petra or Hampi where that number would be spread over a large area, Ephesus is pretty small. They drop you at the top of the ruins and walk down to the car park at the bottom. Perhaps the photo gives you an idea of the crowd. It was interesting but I am more attracted to Greek antiquity and most of what was on display was from the Roman era. The temple of Artemis used to be there, one of the 7 wonders of the world, but only the foundations are left. The statues of Artemis in the nearby museum were interesting though, she was the goddess of hunting and fertlity.
We travelled on to this place Dakili afterwards. The camp site is on the sea, it is a summer destination for lower and middle class Turks. Quite interesting really. The bedooms are enclosed inside but the living area is open to the rest of the camp area apart from a low wall. This building continues along the 2 sides of the site. We were the only foreigners there apart from a couple of French and Italian vans.
16th August. The Dardanelles
Our last day in Asia. Quite sad to leave really. We took the ferry to the Gallipoli Peninsula and are spending the night near the town of Gallipoli camped on the edge of the Sea of Marmaris. We will pay our homage at Anzac Cove before crossing into Northern Greece in the afternoon.
Monday, August 13, 2007
Pamukkale Turkey
13th August
That last camp site on the lake was quite amusing. It was large with plenty of shade, both gums and oak trees. The good thing was there was hardly any one there. What was amusing was the menagerie of poultry and other birds on hand. There would have been at least 5 different types of chooks, white and normal pea fowl, three types of pheasants, doves, pigeons, ducks, turkeys, guinea fowl as well as couple of rabbits and a dog or two. All loose to wander around apart from the pheasants. I loved the guinea fowl though. I was sitting out having a cup of tea yesterday morning when the 7 of them studiously walked past in line, the leader calling out something in guinea fowl language to its followers who seemed to chortle to each other as they walked past. Suddenly the last in line seemed to show an independent streak and took off in another direction. The others carried on then suddenly the last two peeled off, came tearing after the stray, seemed to say something to her, and off they tore to form the line once more. Don't know if the leader said something about getting Dopey back. It was all so funny to watch.
During the night I woke up to a sound of a tinkling bell, couldn't for the life of me work out what it was, my curiosity got the better of me; a flock of long eared sheep were passing each side of the van, the tinkling was from the bells around their necks.
We stayed two nights there, Joan was not feeling the best. We are now at Pamukkale, famed for its white terraces formed by the silica in the thermal water flowing over the rocks. We visited it 31 years ago but remember it was blowing a howling gale and the water spilling over the terraces was been blown back up the slope. We couldn't even get out of the van.
Time is slipping by, just over 2 weeks before the first rugby game. We might go up via Serbia and Croatia to Italy instead of taking the ferry from Greece. It is still the high season and quite expensive by boat.
Been looking back at the trip the last few days. Apart from the trouble we had in Northern Pakistan which was something we could've bypassed, the trip has been quite simple and not too hard at all. Once we entered Iran on it was plain sailing and Turkey is so close to be coming part of the European Union it's like being in Europe already. Roads are generally good and the drivers also are usually pretty good. The trip up the KKH was an experience and hair raising at times but well worth it. After the polo at the Shandur Pass we should've, in hind sight, gone back to Gilgit then up to the Hunza Valey before driving back down the KKH. Easy to say these things afterwards of course. The trouble that erupted in Pakistan while we were there was unfortunate and caused uncertainty and some strain but we never felt in danger, it was what others make you feel. The embassies had extreme risk warnings about travel in the whole of Pakistan, they have to cover themselves but if you were to take heed of all those warnings you wouldn't even go to New Zealand where they have a warning for. It's a case of listen to the locals, don't take risks and keep a low profile when you are in these places.
That last camp site on the lake was quite amusing. It was large with plenty of shade, both gums and oak trees. The good thing was there was hardly any one there. What was amusing was the menagerie of poultry and other birds on hand. There would have been at least 5 different types of chooks, white and normal pea fowl, three types of pheasants, doves, pigeons, ducks, turkeys, guinea fowl as well as couple of rabbits and a dog or two. All loose to wander around apart from the pheasants. I loved the guinea fowl though. I was sitting out having a cup of tea yesterday morning when the 7 of them studiously walked past in line, the leader calling out something in guinea fowl language to its followers who seemed to chortle to each other as they walked past. Suddenly the last in line seemed to show an independent streak and took off in another direction. The others carried on then suddenly the last two peeled off, came tearing after the stray, seemed to say something to her, and off they tore to form the line once more. Don't know if the leader said something about getting Dopey back. It was all so funny to watch.
During the night I woke up to a sound of a tinkling bell, couldn't for the life of me work out what it was, my curiosity got the better of me; a flock of long eared sheep were passing each side of the van, the tinkling was from the bells around their necks.
We stayed two nights there, Joan was not feeling the best. We are now at Pamukkale, famed for its white terraces formed by the silica in the thermal water flowing over the rocks. We visited it 31 years ago but remember it was blowing a howling gale and the water spilling over the terraces was been blown back up the slope. We couldn't even get out of the van.
Time is slipping by, just over 2 weeks before the first rugby game. We might go up via Serbia and Croatia to Italy instead of taking the ferry from Greece. It is still the high season and quite expensive by boat.
Been looking back at the trip the last few days. Apart from the trouble we had in Northern Pakistan which was something we could've bypassed, the trip has been quite simple and not too hard at all. Once we entered Iran on it was plain sailing and Turkey is so close to be coming part of the European Union it's like being in Europe already. Roads are generally good and the drivers also are usually pretty good. The trip up the KKH was an experience and hair raising at times but well worth it. After the polo at the Shandur Pass we should've, in hind sight, gone back to Gilgit then up to the Hunza Valey before driving back down the KKH. Easy to say these things afterwards of course. The trouble that erupted in Pakistan while we were there was unfortunate and caused uncertainty and some strain but we never felt in danger, it was what others make you feel. The embassies had extreme risk warnings about travel in the whole of Pakistan, they have to cover themselves but if you were to take heed of all those warnings you wouldn't even go to New Zealand where they have a warning for. It's a case of listen to the locals, don't take risks and keep a low profile when you are in these places.
Antalya & Olimpos
9th August
Meant to be picking up the van today then will take off along the coast west of the city to visit some of the Greek and Roman ruins. Has been a good break in a very pleasant city though we have been made aware that from now on we are just a tourist to be ripped off whenever possible. Up to now we have been treated with a certain respect by the locals who want people to visit their country, now we are just a means of making money during the tourist season. We will have to be on our guard more.
There are gardens for most of the way along the cliff top above the clear Mediterranean. Well kept and relaxing to walk in. A tram runs for about 3kms alongside the gardens making it easy to check out different areas. The museum here is also excellent having been voted the best in Europe a few years back. There are so many ruins in the area for excavation to yield hidden treasures.
We have finally mastered the Turkish keyboard which doesn't have a dot above the i Plays havoc with web addresses until we were shown how to put it in.
11th August
Lake Koysegiz
Van looks great after the panel beating. There were the sliding door and one side panel to fix. Seems a very professional job. We headed off 100km's south of Antalya to Olimpos, an ancient Greek and Roman city built on the coast which boasts a beautiful beach as well. This was our first experience at a popular Turkish beach. It was an 8km drop from the main road to the town of Olimpos then a further 3 kms on to the ruins and beach. Those last 3 kms were almost a continuous row of pensions, tree houses and restaurants. But not much in the way of camping nearer to the ruins and beach. We asked at one of the restaurants if it was ok to auto camp in the orange grove next door, You'd better go next door to the Saban Pension the English speaking owner said. Ask for Merle Merle appeared out of the kitchen where she was preparing the evening meal. A very laid back character who had a casual way with her English, she came with us to sort out a place. How much? I asked. A million Lira. Was her reply. She didn't charge us of course. We thought it only right to patronise her place for a drink and the evening meal. The meal was quite an experience. It was a line up help yourself arrangement with soup, beautiful salad, rice risotto, a type of ratatouille, and tender chicken cooked in a stew with roasted potatoes cut lengthways. Help yourself to seconds. Merle did it all herself with a different menu each night. There must have been 60-70 people lined up the night we were there. The food was delicious, the best since leaving India. All for $9 each, wine extra. Merle restored our faith in Turkey after the bad experiences in Antalya. A lovely person.
Yesterday morning we visited the ruins, went for a swim in the Mediterranean then headed to the next bay to climb up to the Chimaera. A mythological creature who's firey breath still rages out of the ground. Homer mentions it in the Odyssey. In his day it could be seen from the sea but the intensity of the flame is much subdued. But worth the climb. We then headed along the coast to Kas, a wonderful town with a camp site perched over the sea. The Turkish coastline is very impressive, very rocky with the odd pebble or sandy beach. Islands break the sea scape while yachts sail between them. Tonight we have found a shady camping ground on the shores of a fresh water lake. Very relaxing.
Meant to be picking up the van today then will take off along the coast west of the city to visit some of the Greek and Roman ruins. Has been a good break in a very pleasant city though we have been made aware that from now on we are just a tourist to be ripped off whenever possible. Up to now we have been treated with a certain respect by the locals who want people to visit their country, now we are just a means of making money during the tourist season. We will have to be on our guard more.
There are gardens for most of the way along the cliff top above the clear Mediterranean. Well kept and relaxing to walk in. A tram runs for about 3kms alongside the gardens making it easy to check out different areas. The museum here is also excellent having been voted the best in Europe a few years back. There are so many ruins in the area for excavation to yield hidden treasures.
We have finally mastered the Turkish keyboard which doesn't have a dot above the i Plays havoc with web addresses until we were shown how to put it in.
11th August
Lake Koysegiz
Van looks great after the panel beating. There were the sliding door and one side panel to fix. Seems a very professional job. We headed off 100km's south of Antalya to Olimpos, an ancient Greek and Roman city built on the coast which boasts a beautiful beach as well. This was our first experience at a popular Turkish beach. It was an 8km drop from the main road to the town of Olimpos then a further 3 kms on to the ruins and beach. Those last 3 kms were almost a continuous row of pensions, tree houses and restaurants. But not much in the way of camping nearer to the ruins and beach. We asked at one of the restaurants if it was ok to auto camp in the orange grove next door, You'd better go next door to the Saban Pension the English speaking owner said. Ask for Merle Merle appeared out of the kitchen where she was preparing the evening meal. A very laid back character who had a casual way with her English, she came with us to sort out a place. How much? I asked. A million Lira. Was her reply. She didn't charge us of course. We thought it only right to patronise her place for a drink and the evening meal. The meal was quite an experience. It was a line up help yourself arrangement with soup, beautiful salad, rice risotto, a type of ratatouille, and tender chicken cooked in a stew with roasted potatoes cut lengthways. Help yourself to seconds. Merle did it all herself with a different menu each night. There must have been 60-70 people lined up the night we were there. The food was delicious, the best since leaving India. All for $9 each, wine extra. Merle restored our faith in Turkey after the bad experiences in Antalya. A lovely person.
Yesterday morning we visited the ruins, went for a swim in the Mediterranean then headed to the next bay to climb up to the Chimaera. A mythological creature who's firey breath still rages out of the ground. Homer mentions it in the Odyssey. In his day it could be seen from the sea but the intensity of the flame is much subdued. But worth the climb. We then headed along the coast to Kas, a wonderful town with a camp site perched over the sea. The Turkish coastline is very impressive, very rocky with the odd pebble or sandy beach. Islands break the sea scape while yachts sail between them. Tonight we have found a shady camping ground on the shores of a fresh water lake. Very relaxing.
Monday, August 6, 2007
Up to date
Hı.
Fınally worked out the blog ın Turkısh and are more or less up to date.Thank you all for the thoughts and concerned messages whıle we were ıncommunıcado through part of the trıp.
Take care.
Joan and Gary
Fınally worked out the blog ın Turkısh and are more or less up to date.Thank you all for the thoughts and concerned messages whıle we were ıncommunıcado through part of the trıp.
Take care.
Joan and Gary
Antalya. Turkey
6th August.
We had decided on getting the panel beating done in Antalya. The Lonely Planet called it a pleasant city with a nice marina and good beaches either side of the town. The drive from Konya was on a good road through fir and pine clad slopes of barren mountains. During winter the drive would be majestic though the snow height guides on the side of the road would give you an idea how cold and treacherous it could be at times.
Coming into the city we passed all the automobile agencies except VW but came upon a service and panel beater specializing in VW. Didn't speak English but worked out it would take 3-4 days at a price of 200 Euro. He took us to a hotel where we are now ensconced. We have a supply of snack biscuits, black olives and feta cheese and there is a corner shop opposite selling $3 bottles of drinkable Turkish wine. Should be able to enjoy the enforced stay over and will take in a bit of sight seeing the next 2 days.
I have had difficulty accessing the blog site and even then have had trouble uploading images, hence the mistakes. The instructions on the main page of the blog are all in Turkish which makes it difficult as well.
We are enjoying the more relaxed style of travel but even then it is not a good idea to let your guard down too much for that is when accidents happen. The Turkish drivers are pretty good, similar to what we experienced in Iran. In Pakistan I was dreading the combative style of the truckies there but surprisingly they were great and quite happy to move over etc. Very different to last time. Of course the Indian truckies are another story. Quite dangerous.
We had decided on getting the panel beating done in Antalya. The Lonely Planet called it a pleasant city with a nice marina and good beaches either side of the town. The drive from Konya was on a good road through fir and pine clad slopes of barren mountains. During winter the drive would be majestic though the snow height guides on the side of the road would give you an idea how cold and treacherous it could be at times.
Coming into the city we passed all the automobile agencies except VW but came upon a service and panel beater specializing in VW. Didn't speak English but worked out it would take 3-4 days at a price of 200 Euro. He took us to a hotel where we are now ensconced. We have a supply of snack biscuits, black olives and feta cheese and there is a corner shop opposite selling $3 bottles of drinkable Turkish wine. Should be able to enjoy the enforced stay over and will take in a bit of sight seeing the next 2 days.
I have had difficulty accessing the blog site and even then have had trouble uploading images, hence the mistakes. The instructions on the main page of the blog are all in Turkish which makes it difficult as well.
We are enjoying the more relaxed style of travel but even then it is not a good idea to let your guard down too much for that is when accidents happen. The Turkish drivers are pretty good, similar to what we experienced in Iran. In Pakistan I was dreading the combative style of the truckies there but surprisingly they were great and quite happy to move over etc. Very different to last time. Of course the Indian truckies are another story. Quite dangerous.
Goreme Cappadocıa
3rd August
I guess this is the point of our trip where the adventure becomes just a tourist trip. You will know Cappadaocia for its weird rock formations in which houses were built as well as underground cities. We arrived here yesterday and experienced tourism for the first time on the trip really. Bus loads of tourists being ferried around, people sitting in cafes speaking strange languages ignoring other foreigners. Up to now if you saw another traveller you would at least acknowledge them and more than likely engage in conversation, find out where they're heading etc, not now, now we are one of them.
On the other hand there are things here that we have missed like opening a bottle of wine that we have purchased for the first time since leaving home, having a choice of restaurants, being in a proper camp site for the 2nd time where we have a shower toilet and power. We will spend three nights here and have even organised a guide to take us around tomorrow. It is a fascinating landscape which we will enjoy visiting. I was awoken this morning by the “wooshing” noise of 3 hot air balloons lifting off right next to us, might even take that in later.
I should have mentioned in the last post how Joan is enjoying not wearing the scarf over her head and having to cover up which was the case in Iran. It was hot there and having to wear all those clothes gave her almost a continuous headache the last week. Many women dress the same way in Turkey but here you are not forced into it. There are just as many in tight jeans and t shirts.
I was a bit out with the distance we would travel on this trip. Before leaving home I thought we would cover 12-15000 kilometres, here we are in the middle of Turkey and we have already notched up over 13400kms. We could be getting up towards 20,000 before we fly home. Still haven't decided on what to do with the van but it sounds like we could get a good price in the UK for it but we have to find out if we need to pay VAT etc.
5th August
Konya
The most of yesterday was spent sightseeing in the Goreme area with an Italian couple, Teresa and Felciano. A lovely couple from Salerno who's camper makes ours look very pecillo. As they are travelling the same route as us we should be running into each other the next couple of weeks.
This part of Cappadocia is really quite fascinating with its fairy chimneys, rock churches and underground cities. The landscape is just covered with these weird rock shapes. It's a tourist dive for sure but one of these places that you have to forget that and just enjoy what you are seeing. By taking a full day tour we were able to go to a couple of out of the way places and one of these, the Keshleck Monastery and St Stephano Chrch stood out. Off the beaten track, to get there we walked 100 metres or so along an apricot tree lined path until we came upon this shaded garden, both vegie and flower in which stood a table and chairs from where the attendant collected the 2.5 Turkish Lira per person. He then came with us to the monastery with his torch and proceeded to point out the frescoes on the walls and ceiling. Soot and time had darkened many of them and without his help they would have meant nothing to us. While we visited St Stephano's church his Mother made us a cup of apple tea which we relaxed and enjoyed. No money was involved and it wasn't part of his job. He was the third generation of caretaking the ruins and tending his garden. It was one of those moments that just come along unexpectedly out of the blue
The lower frescoes in almost all of the churches have been ruined by graffiti and the faces of the figures have all been gouged out. It is a crying shame and appears to have happened in the past by muslim Turks perhaps in the '20s when the Greeks were thrown out of Turkey. But not all blame can be with the muslims as the graffiti in some of the places was in Greek writing. There is a dire need of restoration as you get sick of seeing frescoes with faces missing. All these churches we visited have been carved out solid rock, there are none built in the style we are used to.
The underground city was another fascinating place. Built on 15 levels it could hold up to 10,000 people in time of crisis. We visited the top 7 crawling along narrow pathways. No the place for claustrophobics.
Today we travelled to Konya, the birthplace of the poet Mevlana Rumi. We visited his mausoleum, a place filled with Turks revering his name. We are starting to find proper camp sites now which is a nice change. Didn't think there was one here at Konya until we saw a sign. Turns out it is a free one with power and toilet laid on. Something travellers really appreciate.
I guess this is the point of our trip where the adventure becomes just a tourist trip. You will know Cappadaocia for its weird rock formations in which houses were built as well as underground cities. We arrived here yesterday and experienced tourism for the first time on the trip really. Bus loads of tourists being ferried around, people sitting in cafes speaking strange languages ignoring other foreigners. Up to now if you saw another traveller you would at least acknowledge them and more than likely engage in conversation, find out where they're heading etc, not now, now we are one of them.
On the other hand there are things here that we have missed like opening a bottle of wine that we have purchased for the first time since leaving home, having a choice of restaurants, being in a proper camp site for the 2nd time where we have a shower toilet and power. We will spend three nights here and have even organised a guide to take us around tomorrow. It is a fascinating landscape which we will enjoy visiting. I was awoken this morning by the “wooshing” noise of 3 hot air balloons lifting off right next to us, might even take that in later.
I should have mentioned in the last post how Joan is enjoying not wearing the scarf over her head and having to cover up which was the case in Iran. It was hot there and having to wear all those clothes gave her almost a continuous headache the last week. Many women dress the same way in Turkey but here you are not forced into it. There are just as many in tight jeans and t shirts.
I was a bit out with the distance we would travel on this trip. Before leaving home I thought we would cover 12-15000 kilometres, here we are in the middle of Turkey and we have already notched up over 13400kms. We could be getting up towards 20,000 before we fly home. Still haven't decided on what to do with the van but it sounds like we could get a good price in the UK for it but we have to find out if we need to pay VAT etc.
5th August
Konya
The most of yesterday was spent sightseeing in the Goreme area with an Italian couple, Teresa and Felciano. A lovely couple from Salerno who's camper makes ours look very pecillo. As they are travelling the same route as us we should be running into each other the next couple of weeks.
This part of Cappadocia is really quite fascinating with its fairy chimneys, rock churches and underground cities. The landscape is just covered with these weird rock shapes. It's a tourist dive for sure but one of these places that you have to forget that and just enjoy what you are seeing. By taking a full day tour we were able to go to a couple of out of the way places and one of these, the Keshleck Monastery and St Stephano Chrch stood out. Off the beaten track, to get there we walked 100 metres or so along an apricot tree lined path until we came upon this shaded garden, both vegie and flower in which stood a table and chairs from where the attendant collected the 2.5 Turkish Lira per person. He then came with us to the monastery with his torch and proceeded to point out the frescoes on the walls and ceiling. Soot and time had darkened many of them and without his help they would have meant nothing to us. While we visited St Stephano's church his Mother made us a cup of apple tea which we relaxed and enjoyed. No money was involved and it wasn't part of his job. He was the third generation of caretaking the ruins and tending his garden. It was one of those moments that just come along unexpectedly out of the blue
The lower frescoes in almost all of the churches have been ruined by graffiti and the faces of the figures have all been gouged out. It is a crying shame and appears to have happened in the past by muslim Turks perhaps in the '20s when the Greeks were thrown out of Turkey. But not all blame can be with the muslims as the graffiti in some of the places was in Greek writing. There is a dire need of restoration as you get sick of seeing frescoes with faces missing. All these churches we visited have been carved out solid rock, there are none built in the style we are used to.
The underground city was another fascinating place. Built on 15 levels it could hold up to 10,000 people in time of crisis. We visited the top 7 crawling along narrow pathways. No the place for claustrophobics.
Today we travelled to Konya, the birthplace of the poet Mevlana Rumi. We visited his mausoleum, a place filled with Turks revering his name. We are starting to find proper camp sites now which is a nice change. Didn't think there was one here at Konya until we saw a sign. Turns out it is a free one with power and toilet laid on. Something travellers really appreciate.
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Erzurum, Turkey
1st August.
Travelled almost 600kms yesterday, 300 on either side of the border. The formalities took less than an hour thanks to a couple of helpful 'officials' that we realized to out cost were just hangers on after their cut. They were a help though as none of the offices were marked and the paperwork for the van can often entail visiting a half dozen different officers and buildings.
The Turkish roads are inferior to what we had travelled on in Iran. Of the 300kms, 180 kilometres entailed roadworks. Most of the rest was patched up pot holes and a very uneven surface.
We stopped at Agri, a town 110kms into Turkey to draw some money out. This is the town 31 years ago we ended up after our accident. I took a photo of the hotel where the police had rushed us to once we had hit town, the radiator bars are still in the foyer where Adam & Emma were huddled against to warm up. The temps at the time was -40C we were told and I had skidded on the ice into a truck, tearing off the roof rack I had built over the front bumper. It gouged across the windscreen but hadn't broken it which may have saved or lives. In the 20 minutes I stopped to hack saw off the roof rack the radiator froze even with 90% anti freeze. By the time we reached Agri the water around the engine block was boiling while the radiator stayed frozen. The Anatolian Plateau is 10,000 feet high and experiences severe winters.
Even diesel froze and when we finally left Agri all that time ago we were in a surreal landscape of TIR trucks parked along the highway to Iran with fires under their fuel lines to try and defrost the diesel. There were also many trucks that had skidded on the ice and were now lying on their sides where they would stay until the spring thaw. All around us was snow and ice, you could even see the ice crystals in the air.
The visit this time around was on a warm summer's day, the town is bigger of course and the main road bypasses the town.
It's good to once more see women in jeans and t shirts and no scarves on, plenty of eating places to chose from and the opportunity to have a beer or a wine though we didn't find an outlet last night.
Later.
Travelled on to Malatya today and will reach Cappadocia tomorrow. Before leaving Iran we filled up the two 20 litre containers with diesel that I had bought for the desert crossing to the Paki/Iran border. Pleased I did because from 2 cents a litre (AU) in Iran it is AU$2.20 a litre here in Turkey. Saved ourselves quite a bit and the downside was a bit of diesel smell in the van that should dissipate.
We travelled through the Kurdish sector of Turkey today. There were many army check points along the way and were advised against sleeping in the open tonight.
Travelled almost 600kms yesterday, 300 on either side of the border. The formalities took less than an hour thanks to a couple of helpful 'officials' that we realized to out cost were just hangers on after their cut. They were a help though as none of the offices were marked and the paperwork for the van can often entail visiting a half dozen different officers and buildings.
The Turkish roads are inferior to what we had travelled on in Iran. Of the 300kms, 180 kilometres entailed roadworks. Most of the rest was patched up pot holes and a very uneven surface.
We stopped at Agri, a town 110kms into Turkey to draw some money out. This is the town 31 years ago we ended up after our accident. I took a photo of the hotel where the police had rushed us to once we had hit town, the radiator bars are still in the foyer where Adam & Emma were huddled against to warm up. The temps at the time was -40C we were told and I had skidded on the ice into a truck, tearing off the roof rack I had built over the front bumper. It gouged across the windscreen but hadn't broken it which may have saved or lives. In the 20 minutes I stopped to hack saw off the roof rack the radiator froze even with 90% anti freeze. By the time we reached Agri the water around the engine block was boiling while the radiator stayed frozen. The Anatolian Plateau is 10,000 feet high and experiences severe winters.
Even diesel froze and when we finally left Agri all that time ago we were in a surreal landscape of TIR trucks parked along the highway to Iran with fires under their fuel lines to try and defrost the diesel. There were also many trucks that had skidded on the ice and were now lying on their sides where they would stay until the spring thaw. All around us was snow and ice, you could even see the ice crystals in the air.
The visit this time around was on a warm summer's day, the town is bigger of course and the main road bypasses the town.
It's good to once more see women in jeans and t shirts and no scarves on, plenty of eating places to chose from and the opportunity to have a beer or a wine though we didn't find an outlet last night.
Later.
Travelled on to Malatya today and will reach Cappadocia tomorrow. Before leaving Iran we filled up the two 20 litre containers with diesel that I had bought for the desert crossing to the Paki/Iran border. Pleased I did because from 2 cents a litre (AU) in Iran it is AU$2.20 a litre here in Turkey. Saved ourselves quite a bit and the downside was a bit of diesel smell in the van that should dissipate.
We travelled through the Kurdish sector of Turkey today. There were many army check points along the way and were advised against sleeping in the open tonight.
Erzurum Turkey
1st August.
Travelled almost 600kms yesterday, 300 on either side of the border. The formalities took less than an hour thanks to a couple of helpful 'officials' that we realized to out cost were just hangers on after their cut. They were a help though as none of the offices were marked and the paperwork for the van can often entail visiting a half dozen different officers and buildings.
The Turkish roads are inferior to what we had travelled on in Iran. Of the 300kms, 180 kilometres entailed roadworks. Most of the rest was patched up pot holes and a very uneven surface.
We stopped at Agri, a town 110kms into Turkey to draw some money out. This is the town 31 years ago we ended up after our accident. I took a photo of the hotel where the police had rushed us to once we had hit town, the radiator bars are still in the foyer where Adam & Emma were huddled against to warm up. The temps at the time was -40C we were told and I had skidded on the ice into a truck, tearing off the roof rack I had built over the front bumper. It gouged across the windscreen but hadn't broken it which may have saved or lives. In the 20 minutes I stopped to hack saw off the roof rack the radiator froze even with 90% anti freeze. By the time we reached Agri the water around the engine block was boiling while the radiator stayed frozen. The Anatolian Plateau is 10,000 feet high and experiences severe winters.
Even diesel froze and when we finally left Agri all that time ago we were in a surreal landscape of TIR trucks parked along the highway to Iran with fires under their fuel lines to try and defrost the diesel. There were also many trucks that had skidded on the ice and were now lying on their sides where they would stay until the spring thaw. All around us was snow and ice, you could even see the ice crystals in the air.
The visit this time around was on a warm summer's day, the town is bigger of course and the main road bypasses the town.
It's good to once more see women in jeans and t shirts and no scarves on, plenty of eating places to chose from and the opportunity to have a beer or a wine though we didn't find an outlet last night.
Later.
Travelled on to Malatya today and will reach Cappadocia tomorrow. Before leaving Iran we filled up the two 20 litre containers with diesel that I had bought for the desert crossing to the Paki/Iran border. Pleased I did because from 2 cents a litre (AU) in Iran it is AU$2.20 a litre here in Turkey. Saved ourselves quite a bit and the downside was a bit of diesel smell in the van that should dissipate.
We travelled through the Kurdish sector of Turkey today. There were many army check points along the way and were advised against sleeping in the open tonight.
Travelled almost 600kms yesterday, 300 on either side of the border. The formalities took less than an hour thanks to a couple of helpful 'officials' that we realized to out cost were just hangers on after their cut. They were a help though as none of the offices were marked and the paperwork for the van can often entail visiting a half dozen different officers and buildings.
The Turkish roads are inferior to what we had travelled on in Iran. Of the 300kms, 180 kilometres entailed roadworks. Most of the rest was patched up pot holes and a very uneven surface.
We stopped at Agri, a town 110kms into Turkey to draw some money out. This is the town 31 years ago we ended up after our accident. I took a photo of the hotel where the police had rushed us to once we had hit town, the radiator bars are still in the foyer where Adam & Emma were huddled against to warm up. The temps at the time was -40C we were told and I had skidded on the ice into a truck, tearing off the roof rack I had built over the front bumper. It gouged across the windscreen but hadn't broken it which may have saved or lives. In the 20 minutes I stopped to hack saw off the roof rack the radiator froze even with 90% anti freeze. By the time we reached Agri the water around the engine block was boiling while the radiator stayed frozen. The Anatolian Plateau is 10,000 feet high and experiences severe winters.
Even diesel froze and when we finally left Agri all that time ago we were in a surreal landscape of TIR trucks parked along the highway to Iran with fires under their fuel lines to try and defrost the diesel. There were also many trucks that had skidded on the ice and were now lying on their sides where they would stay until the spring thaw. All around us was snow and ice, you could even see the ice crystals in the air.
The visit this time around was on a warm summer's day, the town is bigger of course and the main road bypasses the town.
It's good to once more see women in jeans and t shirts and no scarves on, plenty of eating places to chose from and the opportunity to have a beer or a wine though we didn't find an outlet last night.
Later.
Travelled on to Malatya today and will reach Cappadocia tomorrow. Before leaving Iran we filled up the two 20 litre containers with diesel that I had bought for the desert crossing to the Paki/Iran border. Pleased I did because from 2 cents a litre (AU) in Iran it is AU$2.20 a litre here in Turkey. Saved ourselves quite a bit and the downside was a bit of diesel smell in the van that should dissipate.
We travelled through the Kurdish sector of Turkey today. There were many army check points along the way and were advised against sleeping in the open tonight.
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