Under Asia Skies

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On the bus to Safranbolu 10am August 16, 2014



We were heading to Ankara to collect visas. We needed to get this process going so left Sofia for Istanbul on an overnight bus from 10pm until 5.30am. We then got the 6am bus to Ankara, another 6 hours further on.



For the record the HAS bus from Sofia was cramped. The Metro bus to Ankara was much more spacious so we could catch up on the sleep we did not get on the first leg.



There is a great bussle in Ankara with a vibrancy and colour. The population of this modern city seems to live of the street.



We booked an appointment via the internet at the Indian Embassy for the following Tuesday to get visas.



Our first port of call was the Uzbekhistan embassy. All our papers and the LOI arranged by Stan Tours were in order. The consulate apologised that there was a problem because he needed us to pay in US dollars not in cash but via a Turkish bank and your needed Turkish ID! At this point two Australian lads, Scotty and Lucas, turned up looking to do like us. Amazingly, a Turkish guy, I think called 'Stevie' said he would help us. He took us all off to a nearby bank. We paid him in Turkish Lira (conserving our USD) and he transferred the dollar amount to the consulate account. Both of us tried to tip him and he refused. So with that problem solved our visas appeared.



In the mean time we had been swapping stories with the Aussies who were engineers the same age as our sons, Ian an Dan. They had bought a Polo in Berlin and were driving it to Mongolia, not as part of the famous rally but independently. They were off to Iran and then were being guided through Turkmenistan etc. Scotty was apparently heading on to both Koreas before meeting his girlfriend in Bali in December.



It was great to exchange experiences and Lucas taught us some google map tricks I am sure we will use in future. I think their best story was that they had inherited and been travelling with a pet hamster for a while. Things got a bit overwhelming when it suddenly produced four babies so they left in with a friend in Belgrade! We swapped links and I look forward to following their progress. We were happy to sign the roof of their car.



We had a sweltering walk to the Turkmenistan embassy only to find it now shuts at noon, contrary to the current internet information. We tried to get visa forms via the intercom and the chap just shouted 'Monday, Monday!' So be it. We are off to the Ottoman town of Safranbolu for the weekend.

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Photos

Chai in Ankara
We know what to do now the waiter has shown us.

Shop assistant gutting our trout supper on the street
It was excellent!