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As we head back to the coast we decide to go to a campsite Oludeniz which has been recommended by an English couple we met on our first night in Turkey, not one of our better decisions. After a long day we arrive in a very ‘British’ tourist resort (beer, chips and football) to make matters worse the campsite is shabby and tired and as we discovered never seemed to have any hot water.
However, as we need some R&R and there are no other campsites in the area we decide to stay for 2 nights. The next day we cycle into town, have some lunch and Calum buys a lilo.
We are glad to leave and decide to avoid the beach holiday resorts as much as we can in future, we also decide not to continue all the way along the coast to Adana but head inland to Cappadocia as soon as possible. We head to Antalya inland over the mountains and I have my first drive of the beast! Stopping for fuel were are given tea while our van is washed (a frequent occurrence in Turkey) just a pity about the road works and dust 2km further
along the road.
After a long day, we eventually reach Antalya (population 1,000,000) and have some vague instructions regarding a campsite by the sea, close to the town centre. After consulting with local taxi drivers we find the campsite more by good luck than anything else. It’s not so much a campsite as a car park at a beach club which was undergoing major renovations and not quite open. It had a security guard on duty, toilets and hot showers but I don’t think they are going for the family market. It was good for us and had the advantage of being within walking distance of the centre.
Walked into the city centre to try and sort out an internet connection. The girl in the Vodafone shop didn’t speak English but she called her brother to translate so a couple of hours later we were sorted. Just in time to see the Antalya flower festival, which involved cars decorated with flowers, bands and participants giving away flowers and garlands, awesome. Got home late and had a noisy sleepless night with a night club in full swing until 4am and then the call to prayer at 5am. Up sharp
and off along the coast to Kizilot before heading inland.
The campsite at Kizilot is on the beach and is crowded due to a convoy of 18 Dutch campers and caravans touring Turkey toghther (thankfully in the opposite direction to us). After a visit to a local market for fruit and some more bartering (for a Rummikub game) there is time for a swim and a play on the lilo before tea.
We are parked beside a Dutch couple we met in Greece they have already been to Istanbul and Cappadocia so give us information on a car park in the centre of Old Istanbul where you can stay for 25 Turkish Lira per night and walk to the Blue Mosque, sounds like a plan!
Rick, Verena and the ‘bubble’ arrive at Kizilot out of the blue and after catching up on recent exploits, we decide to travel together through the mountains and steppes (old east /west silk route) to Cappadocia.
Up early and head off into the mountains towards the lake side town of Beysehir at a height of 1222m. It is an interesting journey up through the mountains and we are glad to have the
company of the bubble as it is quite remote in parts. As we climb we stop for morning tea at a road side shack and have some Turkish cay, stuffed vine leaves, steamed sweetcorn and freshly made spinach and feta pancake wonderful. After our stop the road gets narrower and narrower and we wonder if we have missed a turning but eventually we stop climbing at around 1450m and start our descent to the lake. The scenery is fantastic and we feel much more at home in the mountains than at a beach resort.
The town of Beysehir is large with a population of over 100,000, the campsite we were going to stay at is on the way into town and did not look to welcoming so we decided to give it a miss. We find somewhere to park in the campers and after a Kepab lunch we wander through the town and find ourselves at the lakeside, it is a lovely location and looks like just the place to park a couple of campervans for the night. We walk back, in the rain, collect the campers and drive to the lake side, after getting the ok to camp for the night from a local policeman we pick our spot right beside one of Anatolia’s best medieval mosques.
By the lake there are 4 or 5 people fishing so Calum gets his fishing rod out and we head to the lakeside with our ‘Greek’ style bread bait to see if anything is biting. Calum is invited to join 2 of the fishermen and they spend the next 2 hours helping him to fish, even giving him one of their rods to use. They use long extendable poles without reels and fresh bread for bait. As the sun goes down Calum catches 3 fish but they are too small so he throws them back, however in true Turkish fashion one of the men gives Calum 3 fish he has caught. What a wonderful experience, the Turkish people we have met warm and caring once again we have been overwhelmed by their generous nature. It is now dark and Brian and Calum gut and clean the fish for tomorrow’s tea.
Up early the next morning and have a quick walk to the mosque where Calum barters for some colourful socks. Long day ahead as we make 242km for Aksaray, stopping as we pass through Konya for a Kipa shop to get some Sut (not easy to get fresh cows milk in Turkey)! Arrive at Aksaray late afternoon but decide to head on to Goreme today (another 86km).
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