Karadeniz

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Sinop

Accommodation and food Arriving from Samsun and catching the Metro Turizm servis shuttle to the town center, I was dropped off at the meydan Atatürk statue without any idea where I was or where I was going to stay. Another passenger was kind enough to help me find the tourist office by the dock that was only able to provide me a town map of dubious utility. When I asked about reservation assistance, all I got was a pointing in a general direction where hotels were purportedly located. I walked into the café of the first hotel I passed only to be denied while the next hotel was quite nice but asking 50 or 60TL and I thought I could find something cheaper. Plus, I did not want breakfast included (breakfast almost always part of the accommodation price in Turkey) as I was going to leave Sinop’s otogar on an 8:00 am dolmuş. This necessitated leaving my establishment by 7:00 am since there would be no complimentary shuttle to the ridiculously distant bus terminal and I would have to take an early public city bus (1.75TL fare) from the clandestinely located bus stop near the fire station. I eventually secured a room at Yıldız Aile Pansiyonu for 30TL (actually a 35 or 40TL double) without breakfast, AC, a private bathroom, or WiFi - basically without anything - although I did most importantly get a load of laundry done for free keeping intact my nearly 4 month streak of not yet having to pay to get my clothes cleaned. Many places in Eastern Europe and particularly Russia happily washed my clothes for free and if they didn’t, there were always alternatives to laundromats. Also still intact is my similar streak of not yet having to pay to use a toilet although the details of that strategy are best left to the imagination. It will be an interesting challenge to see how long both runs can be maintained. The pension was adjacent to Dolunay Pastenesi (1TL ice cream cones) and their WiFi could be pilfered as many guests had the password. Across the street from the pension is a fantastic, new restaurant called Çalıkuşu (bush bird) which served amazing food at rock bottom prices. I don’t think you can find lamahcun (crispy,baked flatbread with mince) with a small salad anywhere else in Turkey for 1TL. Also delicious was iskender (grilled lamb mixed with chunks of bread, tomato sauce, and a side of yogurt). Turkish coffee for 2TL can be sipped at the tea garden by the meydan.

Transport Amasya to Sinop was a mini epic but nothing like the painful, tortuous trip departing Sinop for Amasra. I left Amasya at 8 am on the single carriage rail bus to Havza (3.75TL) from where I was assured by the engineer there was a direct dolmuş to Sinop. In keeping with the Turkish transport disinformation campaign, there was nothing headed from Havza to Sinop so I would have to go via Samsun (10TL) on a Metro Turizm coach promptly leaving the otogar. There is surprisingly infrequent bus service from Samsun to Sinop and I had to wait an hour for the MiniMetro bus (whopping 25TL for the 3 hour trip) leaving at 11:30 am. Ate a cheap gözleme (Turkish pancake filled with cheese or other savory fillings) during the layover. Better from Amasya to Sinop would have been Metro’s 8:00 am bus to Samsun (15TL) followed by another company’s (Sinop Birilik?) bus from Samsun at 10:30 am. Nice ride along the windy road between Samsun and Sinop which will soon be nostalgia as the new coastal highway nears completion.

Kale Cezaevi (Fortress Prison) Close to the center with a 5TL entry fee. Didn't look like anything special. Can walk the city walls for free and use the 5TL for a one hour harbor cruise.

Sinop to Amasra Upon arrival in Sinop last Saturday I bought a ticket to İnebolu (22TL) departing Monday at 8 am from the otogar. When I got to the otogar a driver put my bag on a dolmuş going to Ayancık where I would apparently have to change for another dolmuş to İnebolu. This was the first sign that all was not going to go according to plan. No problem changing in Ayancık, 30 minute wait during which time I grabbed a Turkish coffee for 1TL at the adjacent cafe. Arrived at the İnebolu otogar at 11:30 am. The driver knew I was trying to get to Amasra and in fact in Ayancık I asked him if I could get there in the same day and he said no problem. Yet for some reason, in İnebolu he took me to an office at the otogar where they told me I could not get to Cide as there was only one dolmuş there from İnebolu in the morning. But I could get to Cide via Seydiler (inland) and then from Cide to Amasra, still all in one day. There was no other dolmuş or bus to any other destination at that time and for some stupid reason I believed them so I bought the ticket (9TL) for 12 pm to Seydiler.

Just as we were pulling out of İnebolu a dolmuş arrived and discharged passengers from Doğanyurt which is obviously where I should have been heading instead of Seydiler. Doğanyurt just wasn't registering with me as a place I should have gone but I still don't know why the driver from Ayancık neglected to tell me this as he must have known. We never did stop at an otogar in Seydiler. I tried to ask the driver what the deal was and with the help of an English speaking passenger was told I'd have to go to Kastamonu as the 2 pm Seydiler-Cide dolmuş was canceled (I'm dubious as to whether there ever was a scheduled Seydiler-Cide service). Upon hearing that I'd have to go even further inland to Kastamonu, I knew all hope was lost to get to Amasra in one day.

We arrived in Kastamonu at 1:40 pm where a dolmuş driver to Cide was expecting me. At that point I was ready to bail on the coast and head directly to Bartin from where I figured I'd still be able to get to Amasra. Good idea in theory except that to get to Bartin I'd have to go to Cide first. We left for Cide at 2 pm (10TL) and arrived there at 4:30 pm. The last dolmuş to Bartin left at 3 pm and there was another at 8 pm which I was not the least bit interested in taking so I walked to the coastal road in ~20 minutes and proceeded to fruitlessly hitchhike for 3 hours and 15 minutes. Literally hundreds of cars passed by and exactly 2 stopped to offer me rides 10 and 5 km respectively. I politely declined. Ended up walking to the center of town and bunking down for the night at the Alkanlar Otel for 30TL (single, bathroom, WiFi, breakfast buffet with tons of sweet watermelon) and dining at the adjacent lokanta where rice, sebze, cacık, and ayran in a glass bottle was a paltry 10TL. Either the hotel was right next to a mosque that I did not notice prior or the imam had the speakers cranked way up. Not a big deal especially at that price.

In the morning the hotel manager proved extremely helpful in calling the otogar to reserve me a seat on the 11:45 am dolmuş (presumably to Amasra for 10TL) that would pick me up at the hotel. We picked up a few more passengers and were off. But to Bartin, not Amasra. That would require yet another change in Çakraz at 1:40 pm where I waited less than 5 minutes for the final dolmuş to Amasra (4TL and ~15 minute ride). Probably worked out somewhat for the best as Amasra was really packed and I may have had trouble finding a room had I arrived late at night.

Amasra

Accommodation and food Amasra was brimming with tourists when I arrived at the end of Eid al-Fitr celebrating the end of Ramadan deprivation. Took me a while to find a room for one night because most places had only double rooms and none wanted to lower the price for one guest even though it was after 3:00 pm on a Tuesday and there were probably not many potential guests headed their way. Finally settled on Türkili Hotel where I took a very nice double room with private bath, fan, balcony, breakfast buffet with plenty of kavun (super sweet Turkish honey melon), and WiFi for 70TL. No shortage of restaurants or kebap shacks. Ate dinner at one of the numerous, inexpensive restaurants and grabbed a balık ekmek (fish sandwich) for 5TL on the way to the bus stop for Safranbolu.

Transport Not many direct services from Amasra’s small otogar, more like a parking lot, by the museum. There seemed to be buses only to İstanbul or Ankara and a Metro Turizm dolmuş to Safranbolu 3 times/day at 9:30, 14:00, 19:30 taking ~2 hours and costing 18TL. Otherwise, take a dolmuş to Bartin from the center of town for 4TL leaving every few minutes and transfer there for other destinations.

Safranbolu

Nice town with many restored Ottoman houses but it was very spread out and I preferred Amasya.

Accommodation and food Hotels in Safranbolu’s old town (also called çarşı which literally means market) are pricey and mine was no exception. Although my single room at Yıldız Konak Pansiyon was only 40TL (on booking.com with bathroom, breakfast, and WiFi) and run by a very nice family, it was fairly run down and extremely basic but adequate for just one night. Better deals in Ottoman houses are available in the new part of town. It is walkable from new town to çarşı by crossing the river just below the museum in old town. Had the only bad meal of my entire Turkey trip at Meydan Café right in the center of the çarşı next to the hamam. The central çay bahçesi (tea garden) also has nargile (water pipe with apple flavored tobacco) for 10TL which lasts a couple of hours shared among 3 people much to the chagrin of the café owners who could not wait to leave at midnight after we finally finished our toking.

Transport Destinations served by direct buses from Safranbolu’s otogar include İstanbul, Ankara, İzmir and the associated intermediate stops. The otogar is very far from town but the bus offices are in new town from where the servis shuttles provide free transport to the terminal. More buses are available in Karabük. My bus to Balıkesir (for Bergama) was 50TL on Metro Turizm departing at 8:45 pm and arriving at 6:00 am.

Bulak Mencilis Mağarası Cengis at the pension arranged a taxi for the 3 of us for 24TL and one hour of waiting time at the cave (2.75TL entry fee) which was enough.

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Photos

Walls and Prison on Left
Sinop

Collapsing Wall
Sinop

Kale
Sinop's fortress

Black Sea Beach
Sinop

Meydan, Tea Garden, and Atatürk Statue
Sinop

Mosque
Sinop

Black Sea Coast
On the painfully long journey from Sinop to Amasra.

Black Sea Coast
Finally nearing Amasra.

Comments

[John]

Midnight toking?
... and then... Turkish munchies!!! Sorry. Couldn't pass this up.