This started as a personal email response to a friend from my NZ trampıng club (hi Dave) but became more involved as I typed so decided I'd contınue to add stuff and send it to the group. I've had a few comments and queries about the heat so...
Mmm. The guy in the net cafe just turned on a fan - the one and only one i've seen or felt anywhere... Why???
Yes, heat is a very obvious issue, to me at least. Summer has always been my least favorite season - so why I'd choose to go to Turkey is almost beyond my reasoning - it just had to be to tie in with seasons in Iran. I really do long for a cold spell - but it just aint gonna happen (my favorıte tıme of the day is not normally 4:30am - but it is now). With Iran, India, and S.E. Asia still to come, then Northern and Central Australia - I'll be waıtıng a long time.
I may hopefully get a bit of relief in the higher altitudes - which is why I've decided NOT to go to the coast as I suggested I may in my last group mail (its just full of tourtists anyway and not my scene. I'd rather spend time ın the hills). I'll spend my extra tıme at 1000m plus, so will contınue on my planned route to Erzincan & Erzurum - both of which are above 1000m. It would take 3 days to get there if i continued doing 80km per day - but I may take one or two extra days by limiting my riding to only a few hours each morning - so as not to have too much time to fill in when I get closer to the border.
Yesterday I found a lovely shady place to rest the afternoon - having done my planned 70km by 11:30 am (6am on the road is a good starting time - could even go a bit earlier really.) The problem was, as I lay in the shade i could feel the sweat pouring out the pores of my skin.
I had thought i may camp in that same spot, but after being continually harrassed by three lıttle kids I felt i had to move on. Which was great because I ended up at the home of a fruit and veg street-sıde seller wıth genuine turkish hospıtality and cuisine for my 'second dınner' (one at 6 then another wıth them at 10:30). Staying wıth them for breakfast meant missing my early start but to my favour there were a few clouds in the sky early this morning, and a short day to correspond with the increasıngly sparse townships with supplies available - giving relief from the sun and heat until the clouds cleared about 9am.
I'm now ın Resadiye , have just restocked my bags and sent off a few photo prints to people I've promised photos too in the past few days - and will now attempt to fınd a place to spend my day beside the river. Unfortunately way too wild for swimming - its a white water river..
Jeff
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www.whereonearthisjeff.com
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