On in to Romania....

We returned to Nessebur in the evening via the old windmill and harbour before stopping to watch a children's music and dance competition which was supplemented by a dancing bear much to their delight. Held to promote Bulgarian/Ukrainian relations it was both heartening and poignant. We walked the streets on a very warm evening and looked at the illuminated ruins of various churches before stopping for a bowl of mussels at one of the numerous restaurants and returning to the shore front parking for a quiet night.

A couple of hours drive brought us to a huge area of open meadow surrounded by shady woodland where we tucked away out of the sun and later walked up a track in search of Kipilovo Castle which amounted to no more than a few ruined walls deep in the woodland. A metre long black snake added to the interest for one of us and back at the van we had a very peaceful night before heading off via a water point in a nearby village to Veliko Tarnovo where after a few blind alleys the sat nav gyided us to quiet parking beneath the impressive Assen Dynasty monument. We walked out to the extensive Tsarevets fortress complex stopping on the way for a much needed ice cold lemonade. The fort sits high above the meandering Yantra river and has at its highest point the Cathedral of the Holy Ascension which contains some striking modern murals. We walked along one of the oldest streets in the town which the sat nav had tried to send us down and we're glad we had ignored her guidance as it was narrow and had limited headroom. 

After cooling showers we walked across the pedestrian bridge to another part of town and found a good restaurant with friendly English speaking staff for a very decent meal. Our central park up was very peaceful and we moved on north to another tree edged meadow right on the banks of the Danube. Again we sought deep shade and sat enjoying watching the huge barges plying up and down, some guiding two or three other additional cargo carriers and many with the captain's car perched atop the crew quarters.

Tuesday saw us heading for the rock hewn churches of Ivanovo where one is accessible via a path through the valley and then up the side of the limestone gorge. Despite some collapses in the roof area there were some remarkable frescoes in both parts of the main church which the friendly guide was keen to point out. We noticed that the repurposed railway track used to strengthen the floor had been produced in Middlesbrough and was presumably originally in use somewhere on the Bulgarian railway system.

On a similar theme we hoped to visit the Bulgarian National Museum of Transport in Ruse but it was closed for the week so to console our (?) selves we dined well on the Crazy Fish floating restaurant which for now no longer cruises the Danube but offers a memorable dining experience from the sail shaded top deck with views of the active cruise vessels and merchant barges passing by.

To use up our Bulgarian currency we did a shop in Lidl but miscalculated the sub total so ended up paying by card, thus a top up of diesel hoovered up the last of the cash and before we knew it we were at a booth on the approach to the bridge over in to Romania. It turned out that this was nothing to do with border control any more, just the toll for the crossing. Extensive repairs on the other carriageway had reduced the road to a one way system and whilst we were lucky heading north the traffic in the other direction was subject to huge delays with drivers clearly suffering in the heat. We particularly felt for the HGV drivers as it would be adding hours to their day. At the first garage I stopped to buy the Romanian toll vignette, £15 for a month, and we drove on another half hour or so to a P4N where a bumpy track put us alongside woodland and a slow moving river. To our delight this contained thirty or so basking water buffalo which we were very much absorbed by. The river was a turgid mass of muck and manure so there was little temptation to join them but I was reminded of my time in India 40 years ago when I had ventured in to a much cleaner river with a similar herd.

Tucked away in the shade behind the van we played Scrabble and drank plenty of ice cold water before a salad tea and a warm night with not even a sheet required.

With Mandy's rebooked flight on Thursday from Bucharest looming we headed for the capital city but aware that it is a congestion nightmare circled out to the east and north before arriving rather abruptly at the Camper Hub, another P4N location just 10 minutes by bus from Otopeni airport and under half an hour from the centre to the south. Razvan operates a camper hire business from the location and had messaged me with the instructions to download a clever app that allowed guests to operate the electric gate remotely. The only shade was occupied by a UK plated van so we parked parallel to a line of hire vans that were being prepared to go out and plugged in to the 240v supply that was included in the €20/night fee.

An 800m walk on an unpleasantly busy road put us at the stop for the fast service  #100 bus in to the centre. I'd called at an ATM and taken out 300 RON (about £50) but the bus was just a tap and go fee of around 50p by bank card for any journey. The ten mile journey did indeed include heavy congestion but of course there were bus lanes so the air conditioned bendy bus soon had us down at University Square. Signs on the bus advertised a 24hr tourist pass for just £2.50 so we bought a pair as the sights of the capital are quite spread out. It is activated on first use so we also knew it would cover us out to the airport the following evening.

The city was seeing temperatures in the mid 30s so we stayed in the shade where possible, stopped regularly for cold drinks and walked through any of the misting pods available. The huge fountains in another square also kept things slightly cooler and at night are the setting for a sound and light performance. The second largest (after the Pentagon) public administrative building covers 82 acres of prime land in the city which was widely remodelled during the Soviet era and again by Ceausescu following the 1977 earthquake so contains a mix of ancient and modern buildings linked by tree lined avenues and boulevards. The beautiful Stavropoleus monastery and courtyard were a highlight easily overlooked by the few vest clad groups of Brits intent on a probably stag related drinking session.

 After a few hours we caught the bus back but stayed on right out to the airport so we could familiarise ourselves with the Departures area and then caught the next bus back to the van. It was very hot all night with little breeze and a few persistent mosquitos but we dozed off eventually only vaguely aware of the few overnight flights.

So yesterday was another unpleasant walk down for the bus in to town with the construction of an underground line out to the airport adding to the melee but we were soon in the centre and jumped off a few stops early to enjoy walking through one of the tranquil parks and emerging at the huge Arcul de Triumf from where we took the underground back to University Square and visited the Bucharest Municipal Museum. A shady restaurant with a powerful fan tempted us in for a final excellent meal but we both felt for a deluded drop out sitting barefoot in the sun and yelling out at passers by who we had seen in exactly the same place the day before. As always cities in particular seem to highlight the huge disparity in wealth across populations as moments earlier we had seen a senior official from the National Bank arrive in a sleek limousine with two armed policemen.

Back at the van we had more welcome cold showers, assisted two French couples who were failing to master the gate app and then caught the bus out to OTP airport where Mandy was soon scurrying off through security as I returned to base and watched her flight's departure on Flight Radar. It was sobering to see a total lack of flights over Iran and Iraq given the current conflict with Israel.

So I now have 6-8 weeks to get back to the UK and have decided on a whim to head slightly further east and check out Moldova. Both Romania and Bulgaria will feature on a future return trip so this quirky corner is worth including. Before leaving I changed the fuel filter with no issues this time, ran a load through the included washing machine and dealt with both the loo, grey water and a tank full of fresh before heading away. En route I stocked up at Lidl, pulled over for a huge convoi exceptionel in the form of an enormous wind turbine base and am now back on the banks of the Danube where a sorry tidemark of plastic bottles rather takes the edge off the view. However it is peaceful enough and and a very welcome ten degrees cooler so now this blog is up to date it is time to do some research regarding onward travel......

Pics Plus

Final Days in Turkey and off to Bulgaria.

As we walked back through Foca after watching the sun set the council workers were busy with a tractor mounted scraper, JCB and dump truck clearing up all the market litter before jet washing the entire area and leaving us in peace for the night.

We headed off stopping north of Dikili where a short track saw us parked right on the beach with a calm and warm sea proving too much to resist. Later we cycled back in to the centre on a good cycle path for an excellent kebab in a cafe on the bustling main road through the town.

Market day in Ayvalik the following day made for an interesting couple of hours having walked down through the back streets from our parking up on the hill before we arrived at a secure paid parking in Geyikli Port. We were lucky enough to be able to park under the only tree and then walked over to the jetty to enquire about crossing over to Bozcaada the following day. £2 return each, free bike transit and hourly crossings gave flexibility to our plans so we walked along the long sandy beach noting that as well as private sections with umbrellas and loungers for hire there were free public areas as well. We took another dip and after cooling showers back at the van we enjoyed a couple of drinks in a beach bar as the sun set. Next morning we joined a surprising number of foot passengers and a full car deck for the half hour crossing to Turkey's second largest island.

On arrival we were away through the port village and following a circuit anti clockwise round the island with my 1:25,000 SatMap map making route finding easy. Out on the north coast a few turbines were spinning in the welcome breeze as we looked out across a blue Aegean with a few dozen cargo ships awaiting their turn through the Dardanelles. Further round a beach restaurant tempted us in for cold drinks and a superb mezze of various cold dishes served by very friendly staff. Swallows were nesting in the roof and seemed oblivious to the presence of the staff and guests. Another few miles with views across to the large Greek Island of Lesbos saw us approaching the port again but a sign outside a house tempted us in for fresh homemade lemonade in their shady garden. The two young girls were keen to try out their English and said they were on the island for the summer which would be a huge change from their home city, busy Izmir. 

The return ferry was fairly empty as most people stay on the island for a break and back at Geyikli the van was cool despite the temperature being in the low thirties. The friendly parking guy was happy for us to fill up with water as we left paying just £12 for the two nights and he was delighted when we gave him biscuits to accompany his cay.

Moving north on the toll road which we assumed would be covered by my as yet unused HGS RFID tag we crossed the 1915 Cannakale suspension bridge, opened in 2022 and currently the world's longest. It soared over the Dardanelles with the Gallipoli Peninsula away to the south which had been my first destination way back in March. Presumably the toll cameras weren't working as at the booth all traffic was stopping to pay manually which was no problem and before long we were at the spot I had stayed at on my first night. However it was of course much hotter and with little wind we decided to head further north to a small picnic place in the hills. It was a lovely spot with the possibility of tucking away under the trees but sadly as ever there was garbage everywhere. A couple of groups of local guys were having a beery picnic but were friendly enough and we were amused as the final three left, clearly well lubricated and perched on their tractor. We walked out to where a new concrete lined irrigation canal was being constructed and later watched as a herdsman brought his dozen or so cows back home. The lane was surprisingly busy during the evening but quiet overnight and we slept well before heading north again and stopping at Kirklareli which would be our final Turkish town. In the centre stood a statue commemorating Ataturk and a cool tree lined pedestrian avenue down to the old station which was now a cafe. Alongside was a substantial steam loco and nearby the old water tower and huge grain silos. We had lunch, bought cherries and made our way to the stopping point for the night reached by a short steep climb up a track to a stunning wildflower meadow with plenty of trees for shade. Ten minutes of litter picking transformed the idyllic location and we had another peaceful night ready to head the ten miles or so to the Bulgarian border the following day.

The tiny nearby village seemed to have exactly the same old men sat at exactly the same tables I had seen on Street View as I had investigated the possibility of a gas cylinder outlet as our Turkish one had just run out. A couple of the guys were very helpful and disappeared off but could only source those with the wrong diameter thread so we thanked them and headed off through wooded hills to the quiet border crossing. Our vehicle documents were checked and passports stamped and that was it re Turkey. Fifty yards further on our passports were stamped again and the V5 inspected but as Bulgaria joined the EU in January of this year we did not require insurance but did have to buy a vignette which was €15 for a month, probably more than enough but it was €9 for just a week. The process was very simple using a multilingual ATM type machine that took the card payment, noted my vehicle details and triggered off an email confirming all was well. The final procedure was a €4 disinfectant bath that achieved nothing as none of the lateral or overhead jets were working, again payable by card at the small booth.

And that was it.....both our phones on O2 soon picked up the free roaming limited to a reasonably useful 25Gb per month and we followed a quiet road through wooded hills towards Burgas before turning off to coastal Sozopol where P4N indicated a place to stay on the headland between the two beaches and handy for the small town. Workmen by the barrier moved their tools so we could line up with camera and then the barrier lifted for us to park on the edge with a stunning view of the blue Black Sea. We walked round to the north bay and were tempted in to a simple restaurant by a friendly guy whose daughter studied at Portsmouth Uni and is now living in Fleetwood. We ate very well and walked back to the van via the port and main centre to chat to a German couple who had just arrived.

The following day we drove out and then back in again as the limit is 24 hours with the ANPR system working well, parked parallel to the coast for the best view and then set off on the bikes for a thirty mile ride passing through Primorsko where again we found a great place for lunch. On a quiet back road to Yasna Polyana we saw a variety of wildlife, mostly in 2D, including large snakes, small tortoises and a marten of some sort. In the village we stopped for water and watched adult storks feeding their young who were just about outgrowing their ramshackle nest and reached the van in time for a swim on the south beach. The following morning a steady breeze had stirred up the seas and the lifeguards were preventing swimmers from going in unfortunately. Thus after a paddle we packed up and decided to drive back to Yasna to fill the van with water under the inquisitive eyes of 3 local kids and then drove to a point on the coast we had seen during the bike ride that offered us an exceptional park up right above the beach. The waves were rolling in but with no lifeguards around we were soon out there enjoying the battering after which I fetched my mask and fins to do some snorkelling. It was a sublime spot enriched by a strawberry moon with just a couple of other vans a few hundred yards up the coast. 

Plenty of showers to rinse off the sand meant we returned to Yasna where the same boys were friendly and very excited when I returned from the shop with a choccy bar each and a packet of biscuits for the group of old ladies sat in the shade of a tree.

Burgas was on the list as a service stop with the first port of call being a basic little set up who were happy to refill my Turkish cylinder for £4, swiftly followed by a car wash where much foaming followed by a prolonged session with the power washer saw the van looking smarter than it had for months. A small and superficial patch of rust on the NS B pillar will be seen to in Brecon along with a bumper scuff caused by an over enthusiastic scooter rider in Bursa a few months back.

A town centre parking area had the same ANPR payment system so £5 saw us parked up for 24 hours just 5 minutes walk from a laundry. This turned out to be part of a hostel run by a friendly French guy, Michel, who moved here a decade ago from Normandy. He says it is busy for four months of the year after which he is free to travel for 8 months and regularly visits Morocco. Anyway he said our laundry would be ready in 90 minutes so we nipped back to the van for lunch, responded to his text that the wash was done (£5) and after draping it round the van set off to explore Burgas. There is a large park along the coastal strip with artworks and gardens plus access to a long pier with busy beaches either side and kite surfers out to sea. Large cargo vessels were awaiting their turn in the port area and a few yachts also passed by.

In an ice cream booth a young lad made coconut and then strawberry ice creams for us by first chopping up the relevant ingredient and then pouring over a helping of cream, all this taking place on effectively an ice cold aluminium dish. He spread the mixture thinly enough for it to freeze and then scraped it up in to tubs, remarkable and delicious. After a rest in the van we walked back to the main part of town and selected a pizza restaurant for the evening meal. It was fascinating watching people go by as everyone was dressed to their best and families were enjoying communal meals. Ours was excellent and as the sun set we returned to the van for a night slightly overshadowed by the local seagulls having an all night party.

Today we returned to a different gas man in error who was equally happy to fill a CG907 for a fiver so we now have more than enough gas to get me through to Germany and probably even France where exchanges are possible once more. In under an hour we stopped at Pomorie for a look round and are now parked up at Old Nessebur, a UNESCO World Heritage town sited on a peninsula where overnight parking on the north side has given us a cool breeze and peace and quiet. We walked in to the town for a look at some of the old churches and will return there later for the sunset.

Tomorrow we start to head west and north through Bulgaria and on in to Romania and Hungary before I look towards the Channel Ports. I have 5,000 miles left on my van insurance and as the direct route according to Google Maps is 2,000 miles I will have to stay more or less on track. I had considered ringing my insurance company as the 4,000 miles in Turkey, Georgia and Armenia where their cover didn't apply should perhaps be ignored but as I think I have enough and won't be going far in the UK before the September renewal I have left it for now.

Heading away from the Black Sea means that the next coast will be the Channel so with lots to look forward to that will do for now......

Additional material here.

Anatolya and the Aegean

Heading west we stopped south of Konya at Catalhoyuk where archaeologists in the 1920s had noticed a low hill out on a plain that seemed out of place. Further investigations revealed a large city of homes and other structures dug down in to the ground. They worked out that over the years periodically entire homes were knocked in on themselves, including the bodies of the deceased and new structures placed on top, this action often being repeated. The mud walled houses were so tightly packed that streets were unnecessary with people just passing over the flat roofs, each with a ladder down in to the living accommodation. A very well presented Visitor Centre had excellent AV presentations and signage in English and as a torrential rainstorm was drenching outside we spent a couple of hours absorbing all the information before the downpour eased and we were able to walk across to the current excavations housed under a large curved building. Less than 10% of the hill has been excavated but being mainly built of mud bricks any further exposures would also have to be under cover for protection.

We moved on to the lake side at Beysehir and pulled up in a nice park and picnic area with one Turkish camper and a French van. We had a decent chat with the occupants of the latter before walking round to visit the Esrefoglu mosque famed for its beautiful wooden roof. We were allowed to enter after removing our shoes and were entertained by the prayers, chants and music of the devout worshippers.

Whilst walking back to the van we were called over by a group of students we had seen earlier to join them for tea which resulted in an enjoyable series of exchanges with one of the guys having good English and the girls talking to Mandy via Google Translate. They were all about to graduate in IT and were hopeful of getting good jobs in the near future. A big concern was the very high (30%+) inflation rate in Turkey that we had heard mentioned before. Anyway it was good to chat to them and back at the van we had a peaceful night.

South of Isparta in the limestone hills above Aglasun we parked up at the ancient city of Sagalassos which was spread across the hillside on a number of levels. The city dates from 1200BC but most of the existing structures are Roman. In an area prone to earthquakes apparently the site was largely abandoned after a big tremor in the 7th Century and has been the subject in recent years of a large scale excavation by Belgian and Turkish scientists. Where possible collapsed structures have been rebuilt and gave a sense of how the main streets would have been with the adjacent temples, civic buildings and Roman baths all sporting impressive marble columns, linked by squares and overlooked by a large amphitheatre further up the hill. A modern building contained a huge floor mosaic and again the site kept us entertained for several hours with few other visitors.

That night we parked up in a recreation area on the shore of Lake Burdur for a quiet night and the opportunity to fill with water the following morning before heading to Aphrodisias. Here we were able to overnight and found a good shaded spot under trees before heading in to the extensive site. There were numerous carved limestone sarcophagi surrounding the closed museum and then a huge wall of the carved stones featuring heads and chains of flowers that would have lined the streets. With a history dating back 7,000 years the site is extensive and in Roman times was a city of 15,000 people and even as late as the 12th century was a cathedral city until it too was largely abandoned. Alongside the tetrapylon, a magnificent gateway rebuilt as 85% of its structure survived, is the grave of Professor Erim who directed excavations from 1961 to 1990.

Elsewhere are temples, parks, meeting rooms, civic buildings, a huge baths complex, sculptors workshops and on the outer edge a 270m long oval stadium and amphitheatre that had a capacity of 30,000 and is one of the largest and best preserved in the classical world. A 7,000 seat theatre in the centre of town sits near a remarkable set of display boards that list over 1,400 goods and services available in Roman times and a decree from the Emperor as to the maximum price that could be charged in an attempt to control inflation. The detail was remarkable, distinguishing for example between a needle for embroidery and one for heavy sacking. We stayed until closing time and met an inspiring 88 year old German guy who is still travelling extensively in a venerable Fiat Ducato that he had even shipped to South America for a three year trip. He had sailed back with the containerised van from Buenos Aires to Hamburg over a month with 7 other passengers using Grimaldi Lines.

Moving in to our final week in Turkey we hit the Aegean Coast north of Kusadasi where beach tourism and development is it's usual horror IMHO. The Antique Lodge campsite was fortunately something of an oasis with spacious pitches shaded by olive trees and all with power and water. The facilities were good and a small pool looked very inviting as we arranged with the English speaking host to eat in their small restaurant so decided to take the bikes for a spin down to the beach. This and the adjacent park were busy on a sunny Sunday afternoon with families barbecuing and minibuses running people up to the two large aqua parks up in the hills. We dined well and had used the washing machine so hung things out to dry as the warm wind encouraged us to sit out well after sunset. Next morning we cycled down for a couple of hours on the much quieter beach before filling up with water, dealing with the loo and heading off with batteries fully charged. £40 was on the steep side for Turkey but we haven't spent much in a month and my accommodation costs over the last 6 have been minimal, probably under £300....

We passed through sprawling Izmir on what I think was a toll route so when we leave next Monday it will be interesting to see if my HGS sticker that I loaded up 3 months ago has taken the payment. If as planned we cross from Cannikale on the new suspension bridge it should cover that as well.

Turning west we have arrived at Foca on the coast which has been a great place to relax for 48 hours. Quiet parking under a tree has kept us cool and the town has two marinas, a small fishing port and a pleasant laid back atmosphere reminiscent of Palau back on Sardinia in February. We enjoyed walking round yesterday evening after a late lunch of grilled sardines and lamb kofta and today have been mesmerized by the colourful and vibrant market just over the wall behind us.

A major Turkish holiday starts later in the week but we will be within reach of the border with Greece by Sunday and hope to exit smoothly.

Extras

Cappadocia

 Our meal was delicious and Osman very friendly and attentive, he prefers living in the mountains even though they get heavy snowfalls and are unable to move around other than very locally during the winter months. I hope the hotel plans work out and we left wishing them well to climb the final few steep miles to the visitor centre and ticket office for Nemrut Dagi. There is a 15 day pass valid for most of Turkey's museums that gives a substantial discount but would mean rushing around, something we fortunately do not have to do. It is possible to stay at the VC which has fantastic panoramic views but it is usually very windy. Luckily for us it was a sunny morning with little wind and we were the first up the long flight of steps that splits in to two around the huge conical mound that was built by hand from stone chippings. 

We rounded a corner on to the eastern terrace and were both completely overawed by the sight of several huge stone heads lying at the base of the huge torsos on which they had once sat. They included images of Zeus, Heracles and Apollo with lions and eagles either side and date from over 2000 years ago forming part of a huge tomb that lies within the mound of stone which was part of a temple complex commanded by Antiochus who is also represented by a stone head and torso. The east facing Fire Altar has been reinstalled and we sat on its various levels soaking up the amazing views and remarkable statues. A friendly Chilean girl arrived so we left her to also enjoy the setting alone and walked round to the West terrace where the same gods were replicated with again the heads lying on the floor having been toppled by an earthquake.

It was one of the most impressive sights I have seen and we were reluctant to head away but as tour groups were arriving we felt very privileged to have had the place to ourselves and had a good look in the VC at the archive of photos covering the archaeological investigations of the site and surrounding area.

Dropping down a beautiful gorge we reached the river at Cendere and decided to park up under the new bridge for shade and walk over to the beautiful old Cendere Roman bridge originally flanked by four columns of which three remain. It was very hot and families were picnicking on the sand and shingle banks with 3 young Turkish women bathing fully clothed in the clear waters. We decided to stay for the rest of the day but moved from under the bridge to a spot alongside a fighter jet shaped shelter which would give us shade.

 Later on families came to say hello and one offered us fried sardines with salad in baguettes and tea which despite feeling a bit under the weather I enjoyed. Yet again we were humbled by the generosity of strangers in this remarkable country. Mandy braved a swim before the sun set  but just as we were turning in for the night a pick up turned up and the two friendly guys said staying overnight on the banks was not permitted but we could park up on the approaches to the old bridge where a small campsite provided a cafe and places for tents. A couple from the Czech Republic were travelling with an old caravan and were very friendly but said the road down from Malatya was quite challenging. A friendly dog that had been following us around all afternoon rather blotted his copy book by barking most of the night and with the very high temperature (18 +) and me still feeling odd neither of us slept particularly well.

The road to Malatya was indeed a steep and twisty challenge, even without a caravan, but as we dropped down to the town we noticed that extensive work had been done to bank up some of the corners and widen the route in places. Soon after we discovered the reason why as we came across an HGV with an adjustable trailer and rear wheel steering transporting a huge wind turbine blade. He was struggling on a still rather tight hairpin bend and further on we saw the other two blades awaiting their attempt.

Malatya was badly damaged in the Feb 23 earthquake to the extent that razing the centre and starting again was the easier option. Thus along the approach road there were huge mounds of broken concrete sprouting rebar, architrave, sanitary fittings, doors and window frames followed by lines of temporary housing before the skeletal infrastructure of the new city began to appear with roads, trams and civic buildings already in place. Whilst checking out a possible overnight spot we passed crumbled houses whose occupants had set up tented accommodation alongside and continued to farm their land as they waited for rebuilding to commence in their area.

We decided to stop near Gurun at a small hotel/restaurant that offered camping on its shaded terraces and access to a washing machine so pulled up mid afternoon for some RnR. Shortly afterwards a motorbiker pulled in bearing Chilean plates - the young rider was profoundly deaf but with persistence we were able to understand him and were amazed by the trip he was undertaking having travelled through Mongolia and being en route to the Nordkapp.

I had detected a slight misfire on the long hot pull up to Nemrut Dagi the other day so decided to change the fuel filter which was, according to my records, due in a few thousand miles anyway. It's a simple enough job but requires the filter to be prefilled with diesel so I tipped the contents of the old in to the new and installed it. Then despite turning over happily the engine refused to start so I removed the new filter and managed to siphon out some diesel from the tank to add more. I gave the petrol from my fuel can (usually used in the genny) to the biker but after reinstalling the now full filter the engine still wouldn't start. As it was now getting dark I decided to leave it all overnight but plugged the van in to a socket in the loo block so I could connect my battery charger to reinvigorate the starter battery. The following morning things were no better so in need of fuel as more siphoning wasn't possible I set off on the 2km walk to the nearest garage. This was shut for refurbishment and the nearest alternative was 10km in the other direction back past the campsite so I figured using the bike would be the best option.

As I walked back I stuck my fuel can out and before long a guy stopped and gave me a lift in to Gurun. He had a few errands to run but said he would then drop me back so before long we had got my fuel and a small funnel which he insisted on buying and I was back at the van. I removed the new filter, made sure it was absolutely full of fuel, reinstalled it and again no joy. Finally I removed it once more, filled the old one up, replaced it and bingo first click. Clearly the new MAN filter had a fault so there is a lesson to learn there... carry a spare spare!

We said goodbye to the Chilean guy and settled up with the owner who spoke good French as he had worked in North and West Africa and drove on the hundred and fifty or so miles to Cappadocia with no issues. 

We decided to stay at the Kaya Campsite as we wanted to explore the area on foot so felt the van would be more secure and were squeezed on to the terrace between a Turkish couple sleeping in their Berlingo van and a German couple in a 4WD T5 with a pop top. It turned out that they were part of an organised group crossing the Stans and on in to Mongolia and China and would be away until October. The mostly Swiss and German couples had all made their way here for the trip proper to start: a quick look at the organising company's website indicated that they were paying over £20k each which would presumably exclude food, fuel and accommodation! Later a large group of Italian vans arrived on another organised but less ambitious trip and a few Turkish families also arrived, mostly with tents. We walked out across the flat terrain in front of the site and looked down in to Goreme with its dozens of remarkable rock towers formed of tuff, most topped with a block of basalt and many forming part of cave hotels and houses. Back at the site we made good use of the excellent showers, chatted to neighbours of varying nationalities and then after a good sunset retired to bed.

Along with most other guests we were up at 5am to witness the remarkable spectacle of around 200 hot air balloons lifting off as the sun rose under a clear blue sky. It was a superb show with the gas burners roaring and the baskets containing up to 28 people dwarfed by the colourful fabrics of the balloons. Some rose high whilst others aimed to hover over and around some of the towers and rock formations. Most flights ended after an hour with graceful descents on to the flat land with ground crew arriving in 4x4s with trailers and minibuses to ferry the guests back to base. At around £250 per person it is not a cheap experience and having checked a couple of websites it looked like most opportunities were booked well in advance so this is another activity to add to my next time list.

We went back to bed for an hour and then after breakfast walked out and across towards Goreme, partly to check out the wild camping options to actually be beneath the balloons. We dropped down to walk amongst a number of the amazing houses and churches carved out of the numerous rock pillars and enjoyed a welcome but overpriced fresh orange juice in a small cafe. As seems to be increasingly the case quad bike and 4x4 tours seem vital to many of the modern and generally younger tourists so their noise and dust was an unwelcome intrusion. As their leaders want to get back ASAP to get the next group out they didn't even have time to fully explore and appreciate the remarkable structures we were able to enter. A walk back through the Red Valley was in welcome shade and passed many more cave houses where a distinctive feature were the many carved ledges that had encouraged pigeons to nest so that manure and eggs could be harvested. 

After a few tunnels we reached the beautiful Valley Cafe, a simple rustic affair offering fresh orange at a reasonable price and a shaded area to sit. Embarrassingly after he had produced the drinks I realised I didn't have enough cash left and down in the valley he had no connection for a card reader. As is the way he was fine about this and just took what I had with me promising to return the following day. A final walk round to the site finished off a rewarding day and we made full use of the 5 star washing facilities. 

After another dawn viewing of the balloons we walked out of the site to nearby rocks to be above some of the craft and then out on to the plain where we were amazed to see that the balloons try and land directly on the trailer and are then driven along the tracks to an area large enough for the canopy to be deflated and folded away by the ground team as the customers get a glass of champagne.

 We then walked down another valley to reach the entrance to the Goreme Open Air Museum which is a collection of numerous churches cut in to the rock faces, many still retaining ancient frescoes. However it is a major stop on the tourist circuit and we joined the hundreds of people milling around, most of whom seemed more keen on the ubiquitous selfie than actually looking in detail at the history before them. The way people buzzed in and out of the various rooms giving them barely a glance reminded me of the streams of ants we had been watching previously.

We returned to the van and settled up before driving over to the large town of Nevsehir as I wanted to arrange for an oil and filter change some time soon. In a busy area of the town dedicated to all things automotive with endless garages and workshops we found the independent VW outfit that I had found online. They had clearly cut and pasted images of a surgically clean VW main dealer workshop in to their Google listing as theirs was as chaotic and workaday as you could imagine. However they said if we waited for another car to be finished they could do the job there and then and before long the owner was driving us around the side of the main building to their inspection pit. 

They were happy to use my oil and filter and two young lads set to, both fascinated by RHD and the camper set up. Before long the job was done for £20 and we were back above Goreme having also stopped to get a spare fuel filter and parked up above the town, arriving in a heavy downpour as a thunderstorm moved away. We walked back to the Valley cafe for more juice and settled our debts much, I think, to the guy's surprise and he was proud to show us his other seating areas and vegetable garden hidden away out the back. We spoke to a young couple heading they hoped through the Stans and on to Pakistan and India and talked with the owner's friend about the areas of Turkey we had enjoyed.

Back at the van a young couple had turned up and set up a trellis arch, a table and two chairs, pots, flowers and some signs as if for a photo shoot but later a young couple turned up for what had obviously been planned as a sunset meal and marriage proposal but unfortunately the skies were cloudy from the storm and the air had turned chilly. The couple organising things had come over with home made pizzas and were enthusiastic about their business proposition but from what we could see margins would be tight. Also to our surprise a motorbike rolled up and it was the Chilean guy with a pillion passenger who turned out to be a young Russian/Ukrainian woman he had met in St Petersburg a few years previously and by chance saw again in Goreme. He was glad to see we had resolved the filter issue and I wouldn't be surprised to see him again some time.

The weather conditions put paid to balloon flights the following morning so we decided to explore another of the valleys starting down at Goreme. There would have been a few thousand disappointed customers to refund as most would be unable to defer their booking as their tours run to a tight schedule.

Love Valley was another collection of huge rock towers that loomed over us and made for a fascinating couple of hours exploration before we climbed out over the ridge for a Turkish breakfast in Goreme itself. The town has dozens of cave houses and hotels and in recent years a project has been underway to remove unsightly additions and ensure that future extensions are in keeping with traditional styles and use materials that blend in. Where this has happened the result is far more acceptable.

We drove the few miles to explore the old cave village of Cavusin which is above the existing village and has churches and houses carved in to the rock faces. As there had been collapses the old village was abandoned in 1982 but it made for a good climb up to the top plateau followed by a walk down past more 'fairy chimneys'. Back in the village we had a look inside one of the remaining houses that had a display of the locally made ceramics.

Pasabag was another collection of towers popular with the coach trips but as it was late afternoon most had departed so we largely had it to ourselves.

Back on the plateau for the night another group turned up for a photo shoot, this time two young girls in long flowing dresses were being photographed against the setting sun which was again largely absent.

No flights the following morning or for the next few days decided us to move on, stopping initially at Uchisar where we climbed up inside the castle, walked down through the village  and then couldn't resist tea on the 2nd floor balcony of a stunning cave house. 

The family were moved in to the village when the area was declared a national park and rent their original home back as a cafe and handicrafts stall. The guy's parents had raised him there and many of the rooms reflected how families had lived - it was just the sort of place I could have happily occupied and there was a lovely veg garden hidden away between the various towers.

Derinkuyu has a whole underground town that descends 8 floors down with thousands of rooms linked by tunnels and shafts. People lived almost their whole lives down there with shops, mosques, store rooms, bakeries, animal pens and burial chambers all clearly identifiable. The occupants could seal off or isolate relevant areas or levels by rolling round stones the size of millstones across the tunnels: fascinating.

Heading south we stopped at Guzelyurt to visit Monastery Valley a striking collection of 17 different monasteries and churches carved in to both sides of the beautiful green valley. Near the entrance the first old church was lit with an LED light tape that disappeared in to the ground. I followed it in to a very low tunnel and emerged unexpectedly after a short climb in to another part of the room.

Nearby a former church had been repurposed as a mosque and various texts described the intertwining of the Muslim and Christian faiths, something we had seen at the Mesquite in Cordoba and possibly a sign of hope for a more tolerant interfaith future.

The other churches were quietly remarkable and moving, many containing 1000 year old frescoes.

After a busy day we were glad to pull in behind the large mosque in the small village of Ihlara, where P4N indicated that it was OK to use the large parking area. Later on a woman came round trying to explain something, followed by a guy, we didn't really understand but they seemed friendly enough.

Later when we walked round to the front of the mosque they were sat there beside their own van and had obviously wanted us to join them. We found a pleasant riverside terrace for an evening meal and walked back to the van after sunset as the call to prayer echoed round the village.

Ihlara sits at one end of an eponymous gorge so the following morning we were away early with plenty of water to drop down to the river for a day exploring the many paths and tracks that led to 50 or so carved churches and chapels. It was cool, calm and peaceful and after about 5 miles we reached the half way point at Belisirma for a caff break. Returning along other paths we couldn't resist lunch at a riverside spot where raised shaded decking areas were furnished with comfy cushions above the clear flowing water. A simple lunch of flatbreads filled with cheese and spinach was enough to set us on our way back to the van for another quiet night. At a small cafe in the village a young lad was excited to serve us and his uncle was dressed exquisitely as the maitre de service.

So with our time in Turkey drawing to a close and a fair few miles to go to the Greek border we set off west with a few showery days in the forecast. Cappadocia had been even more beautiful than we had expected and a return visit is something to look forward to....

More pics...

Tip Top Turkiye

Leaving Georgia after photographing an old railway carriage repurposed as a bridge we headed south on twenty miles of badly eroded road with even the trucks taking it slowly as we crossed at the Kartsakhi border point. We realised we could pass most of the trucks that were queuing and before long were stamped out of Georgia and in to Turkey from where the road improved instantly. South of Cildir we stopped by the lake for lunch and decided it was too early to stop for the night so after a good run in to Kars we parked up near a couple of overlander trucks alongside the cheese museum. The town is famous for a Gruyere type cheese made with Swiss knowledge, staff and equipment with the huge round wheels weighing 20kg.

We found a Vodafone shop that put 25Gb of data on for a few pounds and had a look round the shops and markets before returning to base. The following morning the cheese museum proved to be excellent and after a thorough look round we bought a kilogram of their hard cheese and set off for a visit to Ani, the abandoned former capital of Armenia. However torrential rain forecast to last all day persuaded us to put this on the next time list and we decided to drive south where the weather was forecast to improve. Stunning roads through snow capped mountains and past remote and simple villages and the small town of Agri brought us to a pass from where the vast expanse of Lake Van (1500 square miles) lay beneath us. We dropped down and eventually found the way off the dual carriageway on to a track that led us to the shore where we pitched up in glorious isolation. The poor weather saw itself out in a dramatic thunderstorm in the Iran/Turkey border mountains which fortunately stayed well away and we woke the following morning to cloudless skies so decided a day in the sun was justified. I tried out the awning to give us extra shade and we walked along the shore of this lake that has no outflow and therefore has a high level of soda which gives the water an almost soapy feel.

Two friendly soldiers walked by and asked for a selfie but otherwise we saw no one and were treated to a cracking sunset before a quiet night. Heading west, as will be the plan for several weeks, we turned off up to a small volcanic crater lake, Aygir Golu, on the slopes of Sulphan, an inactive volcano, before getting water in Tatvan with some local kids as fascinated as ever by our set up. A road climbed north to a vantage point from where we could look out over Lake Van and down in to one of the world's largest volcanic craters, the remarkable Nemrut Golu with snow lying on the shaded slopes of the crater rim. A road snaked down to the crater lake but just before the final section a friendly guy waved us over offering tea. We stopped and greeted Faisal and his friend who it transpired live up here for 6 months of the year in a simple shack with water from the lake and a wood fired hearth to boil up a brew. He said it was fine to stay there for the night so we walked down to the surprisingly busy road end and then returned to talk with an Austrian couple who also decided to stay. They were travelling with another couple all rather bundled up in leathers on a pair of KTMs who headed back out for a hotel in town leaving us to enjoy a quiet night keeping an ear out for the bears that still live in the area. As the Austrians were heading to Georgia I gave them my Silknet SIM and the useful insurance leaflet.

After walking out to the main lake once more we left Faisal a few pounds as a thank you - he hadn't even wanted to charge us for the tea, before climbing out of this remarkable place and refiling with water plus a tank of BP Ultimate for the van at 93p/litre as only basic diesel had been available in Georgia and Armenia.

En route to Diyarbakir via Silvan we turned off on a hot Sunday afternoon to the remarkable Malabadi bridge where families were enjoying picnics and finding shade where they could. 

My Garmin Sat Nav had been freezing up increasingly frequently in Georgia and Armenia so I had dug out my old Aguri device which covered Turkey but not G and A but bang on the outskirts of busy Kayapinar it too gave up the ghost leaving us to revert to Google maps, unfamiliar in sat nav mode to both of us, and slow to react in the narrow streets as we entered Diyarbakir. However we reached the parking lot outside the city walls at the southern gate, Mardin Kapi, and pulled in tight under the only tree as the temperature was in the mid thirties. The town walls are almost intact and amount to around five miles with numerous towers, four main gates and a castle that contains a mosque, museum and extensive public gardens. Elsewhere within the walls a colourful and vibrant town is jammed in, bisected by two main thoroughfares and comprising of a fascinating network of narrow streets, markets stalls, small workshops, cafes, restaurants and some tightly packed in housing. Everyone was friendly and welcoming with no persistent hassling from the vendors, inquisitive, excited but polite children and shy women who wanted to say hello. Soberingly a few, probably homeless, migrant women were sat begging on the pavements with small children who clearly faced a very difficult future and reminded us of our great good fortune. This is very much a Kurdish settled part of Turkey and the people dream one day of an independent homeland to call their own after persecution by the likes of such characters as Saddam Hussein and more recently Assad of Syria. Yet again as I saw in Armenia and Georgia conflict most deeply affects some of the most vulnerable in society.

After a good walk round we dropped in to a smart restaurant for a delicious meal on their cool terrace before returning to the van on a sweltering evening so left all the windows and roof vents open and reduced the bedding to just a covering sheet. Monday saw us walking more of the walls and stopping for home made ice cold lemonade in a lovely cool courtyard. After visiting the very excellent museum within the fort complex and grabbing a kebab in a cool fast food joint we dropped back to the van where I made a good impression on the group of boys kicking a partially deflated football around our parking area as I had the right adapter and a pump to hand.

Adjacent to the van was a shady park where the small cafes had rugs laid out with comfy cushions to sit on so we ordered the small glasses of black tea and planned our onward journey. Later we returned to town, looked around the grand mosque and walked the last section of walls where a woman asked us to stop for tea at her simple set up. 

Again she wouldn't take anything and we were as humbled as ever by people's friendliness and generosity. In town we saw a courtyard restaurant serving a variety of Turkish dishes and were soon settled on comfy benches as the young waiters tried out their best English. As the night before salads, spicy dishes, pickles and onions arrived with water and soon after our delicious chicken and lamb kebabs. Walking back we met a talented calligrapher who produced a souvenir and asked for a selfie, as had the restaurant owner, as English tourists are a rare sight this far east. We looked in again at the remarkable caravanserai that now contains stalls and cafes and absorbed the colourful street atmosphere as we headed home Back at the van I remembered the Eber had a ventilation setting that just moves air around which made a difference as we took cool showers and settled down after walking almost ten miles.

Today we have moved on west again and up in to the slightly cooler mountains and are parked up for a service stop with access to a washing machine at the Nemrut Dagi hotel and restaurant where we will be dining outside this evening. They are building an ambitious 24 room hotel so the yard is a bit of a construction site but Omar and his family are very friendly and welcoming. We got water in Diyarbakir and exchanged a gas bottle locally so are good to go for another week.

Extras, extras...