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Published: October 24th 2010
Day 5 30th September 2010
Breakfast outside and then away to the Steppes for more headwinds and a puncture in my front tyre caused by those wicked prickly roadside plants. Furhter down the road I repaired a puncture for Kristine. which was the fourth puncture of the group.
We eventually arrived in Sultanhani after a hard day today. Total mileage 44miles, 40 of which were into a serious head wind. We were also travelling on a very busy road inundated with lorries going to and from a nearby sugar beat factory. We travelled across the steppes, a prairie which was as flat as the eye could see in any direction. Stopped for lunch of chai and biscuits near Aksaray for some of group who did not get lost (Julia).
By mid-afternoon some really dark clouds gathered and a whirlwind blew up which created a sandstorm, it felt as though we were being pebble dashed and we had to dismount and seek shelter until it passed. After that it rained!
As we pedalled along the journey to the distant town seemed endless. We had travelled at just 9/10mph most of the day because of the head wind. Part of
the ride today was once part of the Silk route.
Visited a caravansary today, which was a meeting and resting place for trading caravans of camels. These caravansaries were located about 20 miles apart, which is how far the caravan travelled in one day.
There are lots of workshops making carpets here. The hotelier was giving the group the hard sell, but to no avail, our paniers would not accommodate a carpet!!
French and German are spoken by the people and being a bit of a French speaker I can understand roughly what is being said an can make myself understood.
70+ miles tomorrow to Konya so off to bed for a well earned rest!
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