10th Oct. Gt Yarmouth
Yes it was the last post as far as the rugby was concerned. Disappointing result for the All Blacks but they met a team that had been hurt with their Argentine defeat and wanted to make amends.
Still, it was a good excuse to make a memorable trip, have some unforgettable experiences and meet some wonderful people. For some reason my last blog didn't get posted but for the last almost 3 weeks we have been in the UK travelling through Scotland, England and Wales enjoying good weather and visiting out of the way areas. An example were the last two days spent on Dartmoor, just outside the little village of Widecombe in the Moor at a camp site located on the edge of a stream. We spent the day visiting villages, walking on the moor and generally enjoying the last two nights we will be spending in the van.
We have decided to store it at a friend's farm for 4 months then come back in March of next year and bring it back by way of East Africa travelling down as far as Durban then shipping it across to Fremantle. It's quite doable by the sound of it though Sudan sounds a little interesting.
This will be our last post. We fly back to AU onthe 21st Oct. We fly to Paris in a couple of days where we will spend three days before hiring a car for a week in Brittany. Then come back to London to meet up with Adam before catching the flight.
It has been a great experience and I hope any of you who have followed the blog and managed to last the distance, have enjoyed it. Travel is a wonderful thing no matter the preferred manner you feel more comfortable following. A trip like ours is really quite easy, just needs a bit of planning and being able to step outside your comfort zone.
The next post will be on a new blog site early in the new year.
Regards
Gary & Joan
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
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Lake District UK
2fth Sept. Lake District UK.
It's been three weeks since last writing the blog. In that time we have spent a week in Lyon with friends and visiting some of the memorable restaurants there: the bouchon which is a speciality restaurant of the area that serve mainly offal dishes, much to Joan's delight, Brasserie Georges that seats 500 guests and many others. The area around Lyon has fine countryside and medieval villages that are all worth visiting. The game we watched there was against Portugal and although the store was enormous in the All Blacks favour to watch the plucky Portugese play and the crowd roar when they scored a try made you realize having the also rans in the world cup is really worth it. It gives them something to aim for and an occasion to remember.
From there we travelled north to The Netherlands to visit friends we had met in Sumatra. A very welcoming family and we can thank Arnoud for getting our Western Europe map in the GPS working and saving our marriage.
After that it was on to Harwich ferry and a short drive up to Gt Yarmouth to stay with Neil & Jenni for a couple of nights. These are our friends I first met in Israel in 1966 and we keep on meeting up again in such exotic places as Marrakech, Petra in Jordan and Mamallapuram in southern India. It gave us a chance to arrange for some work to be done on the van, book some flights home, and do some planning for the return trip in the van.
The next game was in Edinburgh which meant a trip north. We stopped off at Tim's farm still in Norfolk where we were to leave the van until our return. People think of small farms in the UK, their farm was 900 acres while the neighbour next door had 10,000 acres of land. After that it was on into Scotland and a detour to the Mull of Kintyre way out in the western area. Paul McCartney has a couple of farms here and made it famous by his song. This area of Scotland is exquisitely beautiful helped by a sunny but cold day. We took two ferries to get to Skipness where Fiona & Tom live. It would be difficult to find Skipness on a map, there are 20 houses in the village, I think the whole area has a population of just sixty. The road to to the village is single lane with passing bays for the last 20 kms. There is an old castle on the promontory that guarded the deep stretch of water between the Mull and the Island of Arran to the west.
The Scotland game was better contested and would've even even better if the Scots had fielded their best team. We stopped at a large camp site on the outskirts of the city. It was full of New Zealanders there for the game, at the ground itself I think Kiwis would have outnumbered the locals 2:1. The main street of Edinburgh must rank as one of the most beautiful of thoroughfares. The castle standing like a sentinel above with colourful gardens below the southern footpath.
Yesterday we headed south to the Lake District where we are spending 4 days with Adam. The weather was atrocious, we hope it improves.
This part of the blog is nearing its end. Maybe one more before we fly home on the 21st October. We are looking at driving back through Eastern Africa early next year, we had planned to sell the van here but import duty and the VAT add 27% to the price. What we would have to ask to cover part of that would push the price too high.
It's been three weeks since last writing the blog. In that time we have spent a week in Lyon with friends and visiting some of the memorable restaurants there: the bouchon which is a speciality restaurant of the area that serve mainly offal dishes, much to Joan's delight, Brasserie Georges that seats 500 guests and many others. The area around Lyon has fine countryside and medieval villages that are all worth visiting. The game we watched there was against Portugal and although the store was enormous in the All Blacks favour to watch the plucky Portugese play and the crowd roar when they scored a try made you realize having the also rans in the world cup is really worth it. It gives them something to aim for and an occasion to remember.
From there we travelled north to The Netherlands to visit friends we had met in Sumatra. A very welcoming family and we can thank Arnoud for getting our Western Europe map in the GPS working and saving our marriage.
After that it was on to Harwich ferry and a short drive up to Gt Yarmouth to stay with Neil & Jenni for a couple of nights. These are our friends I first met in Israel in 1966 and we keep on meeting up again in such exotic places as Marrakech, Petra in Jordan and Mamallapuram in southern India. It gave us a chance to arrange for some work to be done on the van, book some flights home, and do some planning for the return trip in the van.
The next game was in Edinburgh which meant a trip north. We stopped off at Tim's farm still in Norfolk where we were to leave the van until our return. People think of small farms in the UK, their farm was 900 acres while the neighbour next door had 10,000 acres of land. After that it was on into Scotland and a detour to the Mull of Kintyre way out in the western area. Paul McCartney has a couple of farms here and made it famous by his song. This area of Scotland is exquisitely beautiful helped by a sunny but cold day. We took two ferries to get to Skipness where Fiona & Tom live. It would be difficult to find Skipness on a map, there are 20 houses in the village, I think the whole area has a population of just sixty. The road to to the village is single lane with passing bays for the last 20 kms. There is an old castle on the promontory that guarded the deep stretch of water between the Mull and the Island of Arran to the west.
The Scotland game was better contested and would've even even better if the Scots had fielded their best team. We stopped at a large camp site on the outskirts of the city. It was full of New Zealanders there for the game, at the ground itself I think Kiwis would have outnumbered the locals 2:1. The main street of Edinburgh must rank as one of the most beautiful of thoroughfares. The castle standing like a sentinel above with colourful gardens below the southern footpath.
Yesterday we headed south to the Lake District where we are spending 4 days with Adam. The weather was atrocious, we hope it improves.
This part of the blog is nearing its end. Maybe one more before we fly home on the 21st October. We are looking at driving back through Eastern Africa early next year, we had planned to sell the van here but import duty and the VAT add 27% to the price. What we would have to ask to cover part of that would push the price too high.
Monday, September 10, 2007
Lyon, France
11th Sept.
Well, we've made it to Lyon where we will be spending a week firstly with friends from Bellingen then our English friends. It's a change sleeping in an ordinary bed.
After leaving Avignon on Sunday we headed south to the Camargue, a wild and partly untamed area of France where the Rhone River enters the sea. Famed for its white wild horses and bull fights it was very different to the rest of France with its Spanish flavour. From there we headed to Lyon via the bridge at Millau. Built a couple of years ago it is the most beautiful bridge I think you will ever find. It stretches 2.5 km, supported by 7 pencil thin legs the highest over 340 metres in length. The French sure have a flair in design though this one was actually designed by an Englishman.
We made a good decision basing ourselves in Avignon for the first game in Marseille. It took 30 minutes on the TGV, very fast train, to travel the 100 kms to Marseille, it was then a case on getting on the Metro down there to the stadium. The stadium was fantastic with the seating very close to the field. A pity Italy didn't put up more of an opposition.
Well, we've made it to Lyon where we will be spending a week firstly with friends from Bellingen then our English friends. It's a change sleeping in an ordinary bed.
After leaving Avignon on Sunday we headed south to the Camargue, a wild and partly untamed area of France where the Rhone River enters the sea. Famed for its white wild horses and bull fights it was very different to the rest of France with its Spanish flavour. From there we headed to Lyon via the bridge at Millau. Built a couple of years ago it is the most beautiful bridge I think you will ever find. It stretches 2.5 km, supported by 7 pencil thin legs the highest over 340 metres in length. The French sure have a flair in design though this one was actually designed by an Englishman.
We made a good decision basing ourselves in Avignon for the first game in Marseille. It took 30 minutes on the TGV, very fast train, to travel the 100 kms to Marseille, it was then a case on getting on the Metro down there to the stadium. The stadium was fantastic with the seating very close to the field. A pity Italy didn't put up more of an opposition.
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Joan's word 2
Prespa Lakes ,Greece
25th August 2007
Hello from Joan at last!
Here we are relaxing on the shores of these beautiful lakes which meet on the border of Greece. Macedonia and Albania.
Thought I'd better do an update now as when we leave here tomorrow will be on the move through Croatia Italy and Marseille for the first game on the 8th September. From there we have dates for the games and to catch up with Adam and other friends on so this may well be my last big contact.
Have had a very quick trip through Greece but have seen some worthwhile sights and stayed in some beautiful spots especially on the Mediterranean. Staying on the island of Samothrace was a very relaxing and reflective experience surrounded by a natural beauty and history going back to 7th Century B.C.
Found this spot by the lake ,not a camp site as nothing or noone here although evidence of locals coming for the day (nearest town 5km). It's shady and overlooks a lake which is full of birds. So decided to stay for 3 days and then drive quickly to France.
We are enjoying the different countries and experiences. Starting to meet other camper vans now mostly motor homes from Italy or Germany, no Aussies yet.
Food isn't as good as we remember and we are dying for a steak but think it will be a while.
Have cooked ourselves some good meals at times,we are going to drive over to the village shortly where we hope to have a long leisurely Greek meal with a Retsina of course.
There are periods times when feel a bit tired and fatigued as it is still quite hot here 37-40 degrees but cooler at night here by the lakes (there are 2) as it's up 800metres.
Gary has got his inflatable kayak out for the 1st time and we have had fun in that. There is even wild blackberries to pick and dessert last night was fresh peaches topped with yoghurt and blackberries (and I'm complaining about the food!)
I can't even imagine what it will be like to work or be at home these days. It becomes a way of life as we know from before but will be so good to have some time with Adam and all our other friends from Europe and Australia from next week.
14 weeks on the road and 8 left to go
Take care till we see you all back in Oz.
Joan
25th August 2007
Hello from Joan at last!
Here we are relaxing on the shores of these beautiful lakes which meet on the border of Greece. Macedonia and Albania.
Thought I'd better do an update now as when we leave here tomorrow will be on the move through Croatia Italy and Marseille for the first game on the 8th September. From there we have dates for the games and to catch up with Adam and other friends on so this may well be my last big contact.
Have had a very quick trip through Greece but have seen some worthwhile sights and stayed in some beautiful spots especially on the Mediterranean. Staying on the island of Samothrace was a very relaxing and reflective experience surrounded by a natural beauty and history going back to 7th Century B.C.
Found this spot by the lake ,not a camp site as nothing or noone here although evidence of locals coming for the day (nearest town 5km). It's shady and overlooks a lake which is full of birds. So decided to stay for 3 days and then drive quickly to France.
We are enjoying the different countries and experiences. Starting to meet other camper vans now mostly motor homes from Italy or Germany, no Aussies yet.
Food isn't as good as we remember and we are dying for a steak but think it will be a while.
Have cooked ourselves some good meals at times,we are going to drive over to the village shortly where we hope to have a long leisurely Greek meal with a Retsina of course.
There are periods times when feel a bit tired and fatigued as it is still quite hot here 37-40 degrees but cooler at night here by the lakes (there are 2) as it's up 800metres.
Gary has got his inflatable kayak out for the 1st time and we have had fun in that. There is even wild blackberries to pick and dessert last night was fresh peaches topped with yoghurt and blackberries (and I'm complaining about the food!)
I can't even imagine what it will be like to work or be at home these days. It becomes a way of life as we know from before but will be so good to have some time with Adam and all our other friends from Europe and Australia from next week.
14 weeks on the road and 8 left to go
Take care till we see you all back in Oz.
Joan
Avignon France
3rd Sept. Avignon
We came and went from Marseille. The camp sites were over 30 kms from the city and quite isolated. The city itself was a typical busy place and hard to find your way around. Avignon is an hours train trip away from Marseille, the station is a short walk from the camp site here, ideal to catch the train down on Saturday, watch the game then head back after. We are parked on the banks of the Rhone with the old city walls and pope's castle on the other side of the river. The famous bridge is to our left. Avignon is also well on the way to Lyon where we will be heading after the game.
Last night we stopped at a small village called Fontvieille, a short distance from Avignon. Five years ago we had two couples stay in one of the cottages, Very nice people who left the card of their restaurant in Fontvielle. I kept it and thought that if we are in the area we would call in. Marie and Thierry were so pleased to see us, they remembered Jelga from the chooks that busied themselves around the cottage and walking into their restaurant we could see they had a mania for poultry. There were plaster chooks in boxes chooks on the roof, chooks painted on the walls, They were everywhere. We had a delightful meal for Fathers Day, missed the closing time for the camp site but they insisted we park in the restaurant car park for the night. There are many restaurants in the small town but theirs has a very good reputation and a Michelin award. Thierry showed us the travelogue of his trip to AU & NZ and the photos he took at Jelga included one of the chooks of course.
We came and went from Marseille. The camp sites were over 30 kms from the city and quite isolated. The city itself was a typical busy place and hard to find your way around. Avignon is an hours train trip away from Marseille, the station is a short walk from the camp site here, ideal to catch the train down on Saturday, watch the game then head back after. We are parked on the banks of the Rhone with the old city walls and pope's castle on the other side of the river. The famous bridge is to our left. Avignon is also well on the way to Lyon where we will be heading after the game.
Last night we stopped at a small village called Fontvieille, a short distance from Avignon. Five years ago we had two couples stay in one of the cottages, Very nice people who left the card of their restaurant in Fontvielle. I kept it and thought that if we are in the area we would call in. Marie and Thierry were so pleased to see us, they remembered Jelga from the chooks that busied themselves around the cottage and walking into their restaurant we could see they had a mania for poultry. There were plaster chooks in boxes chooks on the roof, chooks painted on the walls, They were everywhere. We had a delightful meal for Fathers Day, missed the closing time for the camp site but they insisted we park in the restaurant car park for the night. There are many restaurants in the small town but theirs has a very good reputation and a Michelin award. Thierry showed us the travelogue of his trip to AU & NZ and the photos he took at Jelga included one of the chooks of course.
Pende France
1st Sept.
In France at last! Thought we would've made it to Marseille but the road we took from Torino in Italy went over a high pass with windy roads that slowed us down. Instead we're half way down from the pass at a beautiful camp site along side a flowing stream. It means we will hit Marseiile tomorrow about lunch time.
It has taken us three months one day since leaving Chennai. I had thought it would be about that long. Yesterday morning we woke up to strong gusty winds blowing off the mountains on the Croatian coast. We had decided to forego the motorway north for a 200 km drive along the coast before leaving this part of the Mediterranean. The wind became stronger as we headed north and became so bad barriers had been put up on the road stopping caravans and large motorhomes from continuing. The gusts came racing down the gullies over the road and down to the sea which was a mass of white horses and spraying foam. It was very impressive but my concentration was more on holding the van on the road. This stretch of coast was quite deserted apart from the odd old house near the waters edge. There were stone walls built alongside the road on the mountain side of many of the gullies to reduce the chance of overturning. The bloke at the servo laughed when I commented on their strength, reckoned they would only be about 100 kph, that during the winter they get up to 180 kph.
On hitting Italy it was our plan to get on the autostradas and head west in a hurry. That plan was dented by the stretch from Trieste just over the border to Venice which was only 2 lanes each way. It was bumper to bumper both lanes then the signs began flashing that there were congestion further on. Sure was. Took something like 15 minutes to go a kilometre, that made us decide to take the ordinary road, a bit slower but at least we moved. After Venice the autostrada became clearer and we made good time turning off to find a camp site for the night around lake di Garda, near Milan. A nice site overlooking the lake but at 29 euros ($47AU) perhaps giving us a taste of what to expect in France and the UK. Up to now the prices for camp sites have ranged from about $6 to $30 per night. They add a fair dollop for the use of electrcity but we haven't plugged in once the whole trip. The solar panels we installed the day before we left have worked a treat.
In France at last! Thought we would've made it to Marseille but the road we took from Torino in Italy went over a high pass with windy roads that slowed us down. Instead we're half way down from the pass at a beautiful camp site along side a flowing stream. It means we will hit Marseiile tomorrow about lunch time.
It has taken us three months one day since leaving Chennai. I had thought it would be about that long. Yesterday morning we woke up to strong gusty winds blowing off the mountains on the Croatian coast. We had decided to forego the motorway north for a 200 km drive along the coast before leaving this part of the Mediterranean. The wind became stronger as we headed north and became so bad barriers had been put up on the road stopping caravans and large motorhomes from continuing. The gusts came racing down the gullies over the road and down to the sea which was a mass of white horses and spraying foam. It was very impressive but my concentration was more on holding the van on the road. This stretch of coast was quite deserted apart from the odd old house near the waters edge. There were stone walls built alongside the road on the mountain side of many of the gullies to reduce the chance of overturning. The bloke at the servo laughed when I commented on their strength, reckoned they would only be about 100 kph, that during the winter they get up to 180 kph.
On hitting Italy it was our plan to get on the autostradas and head west in a hurry. That plan was dented by the stretch from Trieste just over the border to Venice which was only 2 lanes each way. It was bumper to bumper both lanes then the signs began flashing that there were congestion further on. Sure was. Took something like 15 minutes to go a kilometre, that made us decide to take the ordinary road, a bit slower but at least we moved. After Venice the autostrada became clearer and we made good time turning off to find a camp site for the night around lake di Garda, near Milan. A nice site overlooking the lake but at 29 euros ($47AU) perhaps giving us a taste of what to expect in France and the UK. Up to now the prices for camp sites have ranged from about $6 to $30 per night. They add a fair dollop for the use of electrcity but we haven't plugged in once the whole trip. The solar panels we installed the day before we left have worked a treat.
Starigrad. Croatia
Starigrad, Dalmatian Coast
30th August
Due to confusion of instructions as we passed through Split heading north along the coast we found ourselves heading inland. The road climbed over the mountains that follow the sea on to a plateau sparsely settled and for over half the 200 kilometres we went on this road not populated at all. The houses were there and villages but were shells that appeared to have been bombed or burnt. Not old stone houses but newly built and in some cases still n the process of being built but that process had come to a halt. There were no animals that you normally see in the countryside, no old men sitting outside cafes talking. It was all quite strange, spooky almost. I need to read up a bit on the break up of Yugoslavia.
The place we are at the moment is fairly north along the coast. Less villages and more laid back than the French Riviera style setting further south. More our style. From here we will cross into Italy and travel quickly to Marseille. The van needs servicing and Joan wants a hair cut, we thought Marseille might be the place.
30th August
Due to confusion of instructions as we passed through Split heading north along the coast we found ourselves heading inland. The road climbed over the mountains that follow the sea on to a plateau sparsely settled and for over half the 200 kilometres we went on this road not populated at all. The houses were there and villages but were shells that appeared to have been bombed or burnt. Not old stone houses but newly built and in some cases still n the process of being built but that process had come to a halt. There were no animals that you normally see in the countryside, no old men sitting outside cafes talking. It was all quite strange, spooky almost. I need to read up a bit on the break up of Yugoslavia.
The place we are at the moment is fairly north along the coast. Less villages and more laid back than the French Riviera style setting further south. More our style. From here we will cross into Italy and travel quickly to Marseille. The van needs servicing and Joan wants a hair cut, we thought Marseille might be the place.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Omis, Dalmatian Coast. Croatia
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.
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.
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.
Monday, July 30, 2007
OOps
On looking back at the blog I see the ones I posted in Lahore have doubled up. Sorry about that.
Gary
Gary
Delay in posting the latest blog
Hi there,
Sorry on the delay in getting the blog up to date. Mostly dialup here in Iran with very slow connections. Impossible to upload. You may have to go to 'old posts' but the trip to the border is quite an interesting read I think. Off to Turkey tomorrow, hope I can keepup to date there.
Take care.
Gary & Joan
Sorry on the delay in getting the blog up to date. Mostly dialup here in Iran with very slow connections. Impossible to upload. You may have to go to 'old posts' but the trip to the border is quite an interesting read I think. Off to Turkey tomorrow, hope I can keepup to date there.
Take care.
Gary & Joan
Caspian Sea & Tabriz
28th July
The Caspian Sea s is one of those areas below sea level, 30 metres approximately. We reached it yesterday after crossing the mountain range that separates it from Tehran. Luckily we were able to bypass the capital but the road over the pass came as a surprise: from the turnoff where we began to climb was a traffic jam that continued for about 10kms culminating in a bottle neck where 8 rows of cars had to reduce to just the one. We got through eventually but the rest of the 140kms over the mountains was a continuous row of cars and all along the way vehicles were peeling off to find camp sites along the flowing river. It was a Friday and we found out afterwards it was the start of a 3 day public holiday in the country. On the coast we managed to find a camp site occupied by well over 2,000 campers. We found a space and set up late in the afternoon and still they poured in. The next morning where we had had our table & chairs was now occupied by people sleeping. It was quite an experience.
30th July
On the 29th we travelled along the coast until finding a pleasant place near a beach where we spent the afternoon and night. These Irani women have it tough as far as what they wear goes; on the beach, here they were in their thick coats and head scarves in the heat while the men striped off to swim. If they wanted to take a dip and not many did, they had to still wear their heavy garb. See photo. On the other hand, apart from their dress restrictions, they have all the opportunities jobwise and in all other aspects as the men. We have spoken to quite a few women who are happy with their lot apart from the dress code but feel hard done by in how the west are treating Iran. Compared to Pakistan where the women are treated like chattels. In the 3 weeks we spent in Pakistan we only saw three lots of women working in an office. We would go through a whole city and not see one adult woman on the street.If Iran was to get another president and some more flexible mullahs, it would be a great country.
Yesterday we once more crossed over the mountains and made it to Tabriz, not far from the Turkish border. It was a pleasant drive with interesting scenery. Heavily wooded mountains on the Caspian sea side giving way to rolling hills where wheat had been harvested. Men were in fields scything the long grass and villages of adobe houses blended into the landscape. Along the way we encountered the worst road we have been on in Iran. Nothing like the Paki ones but we have become used to 4 lane highways for most of the journey. Because of the roads a lot of the time lost in Pakistan and India has been made up and we will be crossing into Turkey almost the day I thought we would be.
We ave decided to stay another night here, I am quite weary and there are some interesting villages 50kms out of Tabriz we would like to see. I also want to try and get this blog up to date even if it means sitting in front of the computer for a few hours. Iran only has dial up and is dreadfully slow. A haircut is necessary, cut off this full beard I grew to keep the mullahs happy.
The Caspian Sea s is one of those areas below sea level, 30 metres approximately. We reached it yesterday after crossing the mountain range that separates it from Tehran. Luckily we were able to bypass the capital but the road over the pass came as a surprise: from the turnoff where we began to climb was a traffic jam that continued for about 10kms culminating in a bottle neck where 8 rows of cars had to reduce to just the one. We got through eventually but the rest of the 140kms over the mountains was a continuous row of cars and all along the way vehicles were peeling off to find camp sites along the flowing river. It was a Friday and we found out afterwards it was the start of a 3 day public holiday in the country. On the coast we managed to find a camp site occupied by well over 2,000 campers. We found a space and set up late in the afternoon and still they poured in. The next morning where we had had our table & chairs was now occupied by people sleeping. It was quite an experience.
30th July
On the 29th we travelled along the coast until finding a pleasant place near a beach where we spent the afternoon and night. These Irani women have it tough as far as what they wear goes; on the beach, here they were in their thick coats and head scarves in the heat while the men striped off to swim. If they wanted to take a dip and not many did, they had to still wear their heavy garb. See photo. On the other hand, apart from their dress restrictions, they have all the opportunities jobwise and in all other aspects as the men. We have spoken to quite a few women who are happy with their lot apart from the dress code but feel hard done by in how the west are treating Iran. Compared to Pakistan where the women are treated like chattels. In the 3 weeks we spent in Pakistan we only saw three lots of women working in an office. We would go through a whole city and not see one adult woman on the street.If Iran was to get another president and some more flexible mullahs, it would be a great country.
Yesterday we once more crossed over the mountains and made it to Tabriz, not far from the Turkish border. It was a pleasant drive with interesting scenery. Heavily wooded mountains on the Caspian sea side giving way to rolling hills where wheat had been harvested. Men were in fields scything the long grass and villages of adobe houses blended into the landscape. Along the way we encountered the worst road we have been on in Iran. Nothing like the Paki ones but we have become used to 4 lane highways for most of the journey. Because of the roads a lot of the time lost in Pakistan and India has been made up and we will be crossing into Turkey almost the day I thought we would be.
We ave decided to stay another night here, I am quite weary and there are some interesting villages 50kms out of Tabriz we would like to see. I also want to try and get this blog up to date even if it means sitting in front of the computer for a few hours. Iran only has dial up and is dreadfully slow. A haircut is necessary, cut off this full beard I grew to keep the mullahs happy.
Isfahan
26th July
Having trouble accessing the blog to put latest posts on. The authorities do funny things here, it could possibly be their doing. If this continues I may not be able to post these until Turkey.
Had a wonderful day yesterday wandering around, looking at the most amazing shops with the handicrafts and artwork of such a superb standard. Met up with 'Ali' who took us to a cousin's carpet shop where we expected the hard sell and informed him as soon as we went in we weren't interested. No, we just had chai after which he came with us part of the way along the square then invited us home for coffee which eventually became an invitation for a Persian lunch that we went back for. It was delicious with pickled garlic, pickled aubergine, lamb, salads rice, washed down with a chopped mint, yoghurt and water drink.
After a snooze we wandered along to the Si-o-Se Bridge where there is a tea house under the pillars. We sat and relaxed while the water gurgled by and boys fished from the water's edge. It has been such a recuperative day for us. Both needing a break, Isfahan with it's parks, trees, and river walks has been just the cure for us. In the evening everyone takes to the streets and parks along the river for their promenade. We bought ice creams and joined in and were even able to hold hands for the first time since India.
From what we have been told the Mullahs and the revolutionary council here in Iran are not popular and there is a longing for pre-revolution times. I was even told they wish the US would invade and change things, this from a bloke who had spent 20 years in the army including being involved in the Iran/Iraq war. It would be anther Iraq. The women at least can show their faces and are so much more outgoing than women in Pakistan. They are also very beautiful and not afraid to use makeup and dress more individually.
While in Isfahan we visited the cemetery of the over 30,000 young men from the Isfahan area killed in the horrible Iran/Iraq war. It was very touching to see the photos of all these young people killed above each grave. The US was on Iraq's side during that war.
Later:
Travelled on to Keshan, 200kms from Isfahan. A nice town with a great bazaar but what was the highlight were the Fin Gardens a few kms out of town. Built around natural springs some 3-400 years ago they are an area of flowing water channels, little fountains and cypress pines. There is a tea house there where one sits on these divan seats while the water flows from under you Another recuperative experience for us.
Had some of our ratatouille for tea last night. I had bought the vegies for it a few days back and being sick of throwing things out when they had gone off, was determined to make it up this time. Our van was parked right outside the front door of the hotel at Isfahan but I thought, if I pull the curtains, no one would know what I was doing. I had forgotten about the smell. Joan said she could smell it on the third floor. There were some strange looks when I walked back through the foyer. The ratatouille was delicious.
Having trouble accessing the blog to put latest posts on. The authorities do funny things here, it could possibly be their doing. If this continues I may not be able to post these until Turkey.
Had a wonderful day yesterday wandering around, looking at the most amazing shops with the handicrafts and artwork of such a superb standard. Met up with 'Ali' who took us to a cousin's carpet shop where we expected the hard sell and informed him as soon as we went in we weren't interested. No, we just had chai after which he came with us part of the way along the square then invited us home for coffee which eventually became an invitation for a Persian lunch that we went back for. It was delicious with pickled garlic, pickled aubergine, lamb, salads rice, washed down with a chopped mint, yoghurt and water drink.
After a snooze we wandered along to the Si-o-Se Bridge where there is a tea house under the pillars. We sat and relaxed while the water gurgled by and boys fished from the water's edge. It has been such a recuperative day for us. Both needing a break, Isfahan with it's parks, trees, and river walks has been just the cure for us. In the evening everyone takes to the streets and parks along the river for their promenade. We bought ice creams and joined in and were even able to hold hands for the first time since India.
From what we have been told the Mullahs and the revolutionary council here in Iran are not popular and there is a longing for pre-revolution times. I was even told they wish the US would invade and change things, this from a bloke who had spent 20 years in the army including being involved in the Iran/Iraq war. It would be anther Iraq. The women at least can show their faces and are so much more outgoing than women in Pakistan. They are also very beautiful and not afraid to use makeup and dress more individually.
While in Isfahan we visited the cemetery of the over 30,000 young men from the Isfahan area killed in the horrible Iran/Iraq war. It was very touching to see the photos of all these young people killed above each grave. The US was on Iraq's side during that war.
Later:
Travelled on to Keshan, 200kms from Isfahan. A nice town with a great bazaar but what was the highlight were the Fin Gardens a few kms out of town. Built around natural springs some 3-400 years ago they are an area of flowing water channels, little fountains and cypress pines. There is a tea house there where one sits on these divan seats while the water flows from under you Another recuperative experience for us.
Had some of our ratatouille for tea last night. I had bought the vegies for it a few days back and being sick of throwing things out when they had gone off, was determined to make it up this time. Our van was parked right outside the front door of the hotel at Isfahan but I thought, if I pull the curtains, no one would know what I was doing. I had forgotten about the smell. Joan said she could smell it on the third floor. There were some strange looks when I walked back through the foyer. The ratatouille was delicious.
Into Iran
23rd July
The Iran border is some 640kms from Quetta. Due to the flood damage we had decided to go as far as Dalbandin the first night then reach the border the next afternoon hoping to cross before it closed at 4pm. Dust haze had cut visibility to less than 1km in Quetta and continued for most of the day. We could occasionally make out mountain ranges either side of us.
The previous day two of the three car bombs that had shaken the country once again had occurred in the state of Baluchistan which Quetta is the capital. The hotel we were in insisted they call the police to enquire about an escort for us. Once again we were told it was essential. Proved a bloody farce as they met us at the hotel, drove 1km along the streets then stopped at an intersection and intimated we turn right onto the Iran road. That was the last we saw of any police escort. Expecting to run into another group waiting for us as was the case coming from Sukkur we drove along keeping an eye out until it dawned on us that there wasn't to be an escort. We were on our own which was a pleasant thought. For the whole distance the road follows the Afghan border getting to within 30kms of it at some points
After 20kms of roadworks the road descended to the usual pot holed secondary road we had become used to in Pakistan. Flood damage was evident for most of the distance to the border with a train stranded in the nearby track that had been washed away at one point. After almost 300kms the road improved to a fast 2 lane highway which meant we could cruise at 120km and reach the border the same day. Strong cross winds blew up a sand storm for the last couple of hours and at times we were reduced to a crawl, visibility was so bad. Soft drifts covered the road in places. We reached the border town of Taftan about 6pm.
Border formalities went off pretty smoothly the next morning. This crossing is part of the Trans International Route (TIR) and used by truckies taking goods mainly into Pakistan. Whereas the Indian/Paki border where we had problems hardly sees a vehicle apart from travellers, this one sees up to 100 trucks a day. They know the drill and everything is checked. The same on the Iran side, all documents were double checked to make sure they were correct. We wanted to push on to at least Bam but were once again held up by security as it seems we needed an escort as far as Zahedan some 90kms on. This time the army came in the van as well as a young Japanese traveller who had also just crossed. We reached Zahedan eventually on an excellent highway and after grabbing a bite to eat then arguing with the army that we didn't need another escort we took off covering the 370kms in just over 3 hours.
You may have heard of the price of diesel here in Iran, just how cheap it is. We filled up the tank along the way, 35 litres which cost us 6,000 rials. There are about 8,000 rials to a AU$. That's 2 cents a litre by my reckoning. We had bought a couple of jerry cans in Quetta as we were told the only fuel you could get going to the border was stuff smuggled in from Iran of a very dubious quality. I think we will keep them for when we leave the country as I believe diesel is expensive in Turkey.
We remember visiting Bam 31 years ago. It is famous for its citadel, an ancient mud brick town built on a fortified hill. Work was being done at the time in restoring it. Then came the 2004 earthquake that wiped out the modern town killing thousands as well as turning the citadel once more to rubble. The town is a construction site with massive steel framework being erected around which the houses are built. Mud brick is out. The place is a mess but that's to be expected. We will visit the Citadel today before heading on to Yazd.
We are pleased to be out of Pakistan. We love the people but the country is so screwed up. We never felt threatened at any time but then it might only take some fanatic to take his displeasure out on us to change all that. I always said I thought Pakistan would be the difficult one and that seemed to be the case.
The Iran border is some 640kms from Quetta. Due to the flood damage we had decided to go as far as Dalbandin the first night then reach the border the next afternoon hoping to cross before it closed at 4pm. Dust haze had cut visibility to less than 1km in Quetta and continued for most of the day. We could occasionally make out mountain ranges either side of us.
The previous day two of the three car bombs that had shaken the country once again had occurred in the state of Baluchistan which Quetta is the capital. The hotel we were in insisted they call the police to enquire about an escort for us. Once again we were told it was essential. Proved a bloody farce as they met us at the hotel, drove 1km along the streets then stopped at an intersection and intimated we turn right onto the Iran road. That was the last we saw of any police escort. Expecting to run into another group waiting for us as was the case coming from Sukkur we drove along keeping an eye out until it dawned on us that there wasn't to be an escort. We were on our own which was a pleasant thought. For the whole distance the road follows the Afghan border getting to within 30kms of it at some points
After 20kms of roadworks the road descended to the usual pot holed secondary road we had become used to in Pakistan. Flood damage was evident for most of the distance to the border with a train stranded in the nearby track that had been washed away at one point. After almost 300kms the road improved to a fast 2 lane highway which meant we could cruise at 120km and reach the border the same day. Strong cross winds blew up a sand storm for the last couple of hours and at times we were reduced to a crawl, visibility was so bad. Soft drifts covered the road in places. We reached the border town of Taftan about 6pm.
Border formalities went off pretty smoothly the next morning. This crossing is part of the Trans International Route (TIR) and used by truckies taking goods mainly into Pakistan. Whereas the Indian/Paki border where we had problems hardly sees a vehicle apart from travellers, this one sees up to 100 trucks a day. They know the drill and everything is checked. The same on the Iran side, all documents were double checked to make sure they were correct. We wanted to push on to at least Bam but were once again held up by security as it seems we needed an escort as far as Zahedan some 90kms on. This time the army came in the van as well as a young Japanese traveller who had also just crossed. We reached Zahedan eventually on an excellent highway and after grabbing a bite to eat then arguing with the army that we didn't need another escort we took off covering the 370kms in just over 3 hours.
You may have heard of the price of diesel here in Iran, just how cheap it is. We filled up the tank along the way, 35 litres which cost us 6,000 rials. There are about 8,000 rials to a AU$. That's 2 cents a litre by my reckoning. We had bought a couple of jerry cans in Quetta as we were told the only fuel you could get going to the border was stuff smuggled in from Iran of a very dubious quality. I think we will keep them for when we leave the country as I believe diesel is expensive in Turkey.
We remember visiting Bam 31 years ago. It is famous for its citadel, an ancient mud brick town built on a fortified hill. Work was being done at the time in restoring it. Then came the 2004 earthquake that wiped out the modern town killing thousands as well as turning the citadel once more to rubble. The town is a construction site with massive steel framework being erected around which the houses are built. Mud brick is out. The place is a mess but that's to be expected. We will visit the Citadel today before heading on to Yazd.
We are pleased to be out of Pakistan. We love the people but the country is so screwed up. We never felt threatened at any time but then it might only take some fanatic to take his displeasure out on us to change all that. I always said I thought Pakistan would be the difficult one and that seemed to be the case.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Quetta
17th July
The armed escort arrangement was usually a Toyota ute with a driver and officer in the front and at least one but up to four armed police commandos in the back. Usually with one standing, legs straddled, and rifle resting on the cab. Once it sunk to an underpowered motor bike with a bloke riding shotgun on the back (see photo). This happened in the desert with an excellent road when we were forced to cruise along at 70kph. Quite frustrating.
They would take us a prearranged distance where the next escort would be waiting. It usually went smoothly with us not even having to stop. We hardly had time to wave to the departing group. The speed of the escort varied considerably: from a sedate 80kph to a hair raising 120kph along a good road that eventually deteriorated a little but the speed didn't. The road surface was good most of the way though the signs of the flooding were evident later in the day. Piles of debris and rocks had been dozed off the road just before the Bolan Pass and up the pass. At least here the clearing was taken down to the asphalt.
The Bolan Pass is a very famous one historically with many invaders entering the Sub Continent this way. A gradual climb on a good road, we enjoyed it and the barren scenery. Traffic was heavy, truckies making up on time for when it was closed.
We must have had well over 20 different escorts. Was it all overkill? Normally I would've said yes but with the Red Mosque killings and the attacks on the armed forces in the north west we think it was a good idea. We were only to have a break down or be stopped by a landslide and staying in some areas all night on our own wouldn't be appealing. We are not permitted to go out after dark here in Quetta.
Our 2nd hiccup. The hotel we are staying at noticed that we didn't have an entry stamp for Pakistan in our passports. This is the 9th hotel we've stayed at and it hasn't been picked up before. It appears when we came over from India we somehow missed immigration and there was nobody there to check. This has caused a problem but luckily it was picked up here rather than for us go to the border 600kms of nothingness further on and be turned back as would have happened.
18th July
After spending hours in the office of the Deputy Director of Immigration and security yesterday we find we have to fly back to Lahore, go out to the border with India and get our passports correctly stamped. The first flight we can get on is Thursday, back Friday and head on to the border on Saturday. It is a bloody expensive and time wasting nuisance. Both we are to blame as well as the inept formality procedure put in place at the Paki side of the border. Anybody could've walked through. We were waved on by the customs bloke, we therefore thought he had completed all the formalities, not just the customs. I couldn't see why the bloke here in Quetta couldn't stamp our Passports with a cover note but no, that is not possible.
20th July.
In Lahore with Broadband to catch up on emails. Stamps in passport and fly back to Quetta this afternoon.
Gary
15th July
After leaving the luxury of the Marriott at Islamabad we have headed south covering over 1,000kms in two days. Some of it on motorway and quite good roads for the rest of it. We are now in Sukkur and heading to Quetta tomorrow.
We have been aware of things hotting up but it was brought home to us when we said to the receptionist at our hotel here that we were going up town, only to be told we would have to wait for our escort who turned up as a member of the constabulary with his rifle slung over his shoulder. Our main reason for going was to see if we needed an escort to go to Quetta and it appears we do need one for part of the way. They seem to have done this many times. I will post this when we get to Quetta.
We have both had stomach problems the last couple of days, Joan seems to be over hers but mine is hanging on. To make us feel really peeved off yesterday, I put the first dent in the van. Not by being hit by one of the local drivers but trying to squeeze into a car park underneath the hotel we were staying in. Needs a bit of panel beating which I will get done before we get to Europe.
Joan was given a cake and a nice bunch of flowers by the Marriott, had our photos taken as we sang 'Happy Birthday' to her. It was all very nice. Unfortunately I couldn't eat much of the delicious cake, I was feeling so off. Not the height of health with my sun burnt scabby nose and burnt lips from the polo. Have lost 8kg the last couple of weeks. Need a few Greek salads and mouzaka to put it back on. The Paki food is so unappealing. I think the strain of that driving in the north took more out of me that I realized.
Police Escort 5 officers in back
15th July
After leaving the luxury of the Marriott at Islamabad we have headed south covering over 1,000kms in two days. Some of it on motorway and quite good roads for the rest of it. We are now in Sukkur and heading to Quetta tomorrow.
We have been aware of things hotting up but it was brought home to us when we said to the receptionist at our hotel here that we were going up town, only to be told we would have to wait for our escort who turned up as a member of the constabulary with his rifle slung over his shoulder. Our main reason for going was to see if we needed an escort to go to Quetta and it appears we do need one for part of the way. They seem to have done this many times. I will post this when we get to Quetta.
We have both had stomach problems the last couple of days, Joan seems to be over hers but mine is hanging on. To make us feel really peeved off yesterday, I put the first dent in the van. Not by being hit by one of the local drivers but trying to squeeze into a car park underneath the hotel we were staying in. Needs a bit of panel beating which I will get done before we get to Europe.
Joan was given a cake and a nice bunch of flowers by the Marriott, had our photos taken as we sang 'Happy Birthday' to her. It was all very nice. Unfortunately I couldn't eat much of the delicious cake, I was feeling so off. Not the height of health with my sun burnt scabby nose and burnt lips from the polo. Have lost 8kg the last couple of weeks. Need a few Greek salads and mouzaka to put it back on. The Paki food is so unappealing. I think the strain of that driving in the north took more out of me that I realized.
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