Cappadoccia Day 6

---

Day 6, Cappadoccia: We rent our mountain bikes from Osman and Mad-Kadir, two fun loving Turkish guys. Before we head out we have the mandatory teas, and then we hit the climb to Eskeshir before it gets too hot. It’s a nice climb, and we get a few shouts of encouragement as we get close to the castle. The castle is OK, a little rough.
We stop and see the green Willys wagon on the way down, ‘cuz Joe has a similar old Jeep back home.
Then we head out to the Rose Valley, which is best seen by Mtn. Bike! It is beautiful, unspoiled, and very scenic. As we get to the small village by the earthquake-ruined dwelling, who do we meet up with but Mad-Kadir on a dirt bike! He has been touring some ATV riders around. It’s pretty cool to run into a friend out here in the middle of nowhere. Robin wants to ride back up to the top of the Zimi valley, but it’s getting really hot, so after 4 hours of riding we turn the bikes in. Time for more tea, and motorcycle talk.
We shower up, load up on snacks, and take the 12 hour bus ride to Izmir. This time the bus is a Metro, and is a bit nicer, and all the bus stations are excellent. But it has a problem with the headlights, in that they are aimed too high. All oncoming cars think we have our brights on, and they give us a flash. But the big cross-country Pan-Europe trucks take the flashing to a higher level, and switch on their aircraft landing lights mounted on the roof, blinding even those sleeping. And to add insult to injury, they blast their airhorn as they pass us. I pity our poor bus driver….8 hours of this.
Leaving Cappadoccia is tough…we could have spent more time here.

---