Turkey and crazy drivers

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Hello all.

Before I forget again I have to tell you about an incident that happened in Romania - pouring rain and bad roads = big puddles. Scott was driving along having fun splashing water about (Washing dukky), splashing a line of parked cars. He didnt see the poor lady in white trouses stood between the cars until it was too late. I dont know whos face was funnier Scotts, mine or the ladies. We did feel bad!(Once we stopped laughing)

Well back to where we left you. After the last update we spent two days up a mountian looking for a monument (Actually we drove pass it the first time because we where not bothered), its the Shipka pass. Only when we did find it, it was under thick low fog ( Thats understatement of the year) - couldnt even see the top of it! (Couldnt see the first floor and it had 5!!) Scott was so upset it was really funny. In the valley below that there were 40 tombs Thrician (I think that is how you spell it). They were only discovered about 40 years ago which confused us as they are massive mounds on an otherwise perfectly flat plain?!?! (Its not Rocket Surgery people) how could they not see them before!.

After that we went through an impressive gourge (Which they are planning to dam which is a shame) and had a night in a hotel. Not bad a double room en-suite (with hot water - although it was yellow to start with!) and breakfast for 20 Euros and a night out huge salad big pizzas and 50ml of spirts and a bottle of wine all for under 15 euros. I had my first bath in 20 weeks and we had our first wash in about 5 days and we needed it!. It was nice to have a night out of Ducky and in a hotel - kind of feel "normal" again. (HA take more than a bath to make you normal)

However after that we came down to earth with a bang as Ducky had to go to hospital. Scott heared a squeak - I fixed it by turning the radio up. Apparently that is not "fixing" it and as it got worse we pulled into a garage. It took three of them about 45 mins and three test drives (think they got a (excited) on driving a right hand drive) before the problem was identified - the drive shaft needed cleaning.(Well something like that) They put it on the ramps, did "stuff" (about another 30 mins, put him back together and another test drive to make sure = £10! I love Bulgaria. (also two guys wanted their photo with Scott - wired!) They born in Bulgaria their 7 grandfathers where born in Bulgaria but still considered themselves Turkish!!!!!.

We found a nice campsite just before the Turkish border and chilled out (got drunk with locals and talked to people who have bought homes in Bulgaria all in the name of research).

Crossing into Turkey was interesting. Had to go through about 17 check points - not sure what they were all for. Had to get out walk around and buy a visa, walk back and then drive through!. The best part was that Ducky got a stamp in my passport! (This is bullshit Caroline has more stamps than I do and we have travelled all over the bloody EU)

Unfortunately once through there we had about 3 hrs drive to Istanbul. (The co-pilot slept here......thank god TomTom is back in action) Thank god Scott was driving through Istanbul. Tom tom was a little off form on this day (too much the night before I think). We had a few wrong turns and ended up on the steepest road ever in a city (one of the steepest so far this trip!). We managed some how to find a camp site on the coast north of Istanbul. The next day it took 90 mins and 5 types of transport to make in into Istanbul.(On the way home had to wait for the bus to fill in accident forms before leaving back to camp). The tourist area is fine and manageable - even the bazzar was manageable. The blue mosque was amazing and really impressive on the sky line. But to be honest a little short on sights once you have done those. I think the spice market was better then the "grand bazzar".
One the way out of istanbul the next day (no way around it you have to drive through it and as it cost us 25 Euro we were getting out money worth!). My goodness the driving. ( The WHAT??? You sat in the co-pilot seat make rude comments about their driving and screamed) We saw about 5 accident, cars 5 abreast on a duel carrage way (they believe the white line is a lane even on an empty road!) and following police cars down the hard shoulder (once they had managed to clear it!).

Out of Istanbul the country returns to its rural pleasentness. (Like driving from Kal to Mt Magnet F**king dull) We made our way to the Phrygian Valley. The landscape here is amazing and is like something out of a sci-fi film - really dramatic. This is an area full of caves built into cliffs 2000 BC!. It is amazing to think they have been there so long. Some of them you can still see the shelves they had carved in and the frames around the windows. At one of the main sites "Midas tomb" we had just finished looking around and waved at an eldery couple in their garden they called us over and gave us a bag of little plums (about twice the size of a grape - lovely) and wouldnt take any money for them - how sweet. In another village we got pointed in the correct direction twice by the locals (one guy hanging off his balcony to show us the way) looked like everyone knew where we wanted to be except us!. (Personally save your money forget Petra in Jordan this place is the same). Caroline wont add this: While looking for some so tombs down a dirt track with fantastic coaching that wasnt heeded Caroline managed to the Duk bogged (English interpurtation: Stuck in the sand and having to dig or be towed out) once digging down to hard surface in the sand we retrieve Duk without a long walk back to the village to do the jibber to get a tow.

Ankara today was also a let down in terms of "sights" a lame citadel and a museum that was too expensive. However the market was very interesting. Shop windows showing brains (raw and whole), skulls - skinned and still with its teeth and pigs trotters (although I didnt think pigs were popular here?!). It was also a public holiday today so free and very full busses and EVERYONE in the enitre region had come to the capital. Having said that is was not too imposing. Quite interesting to see everyone in the holiday mood.

Generally the people in Turkey (outside Istanbul) are amazingly friendly - always a smile and a wave. However the campsites are few and far between. Before we finally found the campsite we are at now in Ankara we had gone 4 nights with out one. With have managed wild camping alright except for one night. We got a tap on the windows at about 3am. Scott opened the window to two men with big guns (he didnt tell me about the guns till the morning) and it wasnt until the morning that we discovered we had camped directly infront of a major attraction (Lions carved into the rock face). They told us to move on and after about 40 mins we found somewhere else.

Turkey is very expensive for fuel and as the distances are so large (even more so then we had thought) it will be tight on the budget. Although the lack of beers during the day should help (and help the weight). A lot of the drives are across dull (See above about Mt Magnet), flat, yellow grass plains. These can go on for hours at a time only broken up by crazy drivers driving ON the white line.

Over 18000 miles still using under 4ltrs of oil a month..........................and havent choked Caroline.................Yet

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