Antakya 27/07/08

Sleeping in, I wake feeling in no hurry to do anything. Zeynep will call when she's ready to start her tour, and I'm happy to just wonder the streets, do some writing, get on the net then enjoy a wonderful Kanufe and orange juice breakfast :)

Zeynep's mother arrived from Istanbul this morning and invites me for brunch. Heading over to their house I'm treated to an amazing selection of goodies :) Thanks guys!!!

"So where do you want to go today?"

"The church of St Pierre is the only thing I really want to see, then I'm all yours"

"Do you know it's closed for renovations?"

Shit! "Are you sure?"

"Pretty sure"

"Let's go anyway, if it's closed I will just get some pictures out the front"

She doesn't look convinced but is kind enough to accompany me anyway. A thirty minute bus ride and ten minute walk later we arrive, and "yep", it's closed. What I failed to realize is the church of St Pierre, as well as being the oldest church in the world, is also built into a cliff and from the outside consists of nothing but a door :(

Oh, well...

Zeynep gives me a "told you so look" and we make our way back into town :) Next stop is a huge park built by the French and after being stunned by the size of the monkey's bum in the cage at the entrance we find a cafe to relax. Playing a couple of games of backgammon two of Zeynep's aunts make an appearance, a perfect number for a game of Dominoes. I've never played their version of Dominoes before in my life but being a simplified version of Mah Jong I soon get the hang of it, with a little help from Zeynep's younger cousin ;)

We play for hours and by the time we finish Zeynep has to go meet another cousin for coffee. Arranging to meet again for dinner I head back to the hotel for a rest.

Her choice of restaurant is great, and I have to laugh when she finds out she is related to the waiter but has never met him before....

"Yes, I have sixteen aunts and uncles living in Antakya. My family is huge!"

To top off a wonderful day we head back to last night's cafe, lie on our beanbags and kick back with another nagile. Life's perfect...

Pilgrimage from Gozeme to Yayladagi 26/07/08

Breakfast is waiting when I wake, a huge feast :) Agede is still sleeping but his mum insists I start. By the time everyone is awake it's 09:30 and Agede's father gives me a lift down to the taxi stop on his bike.

Just missing a shared taxi to Gozeme I have an hour to fill in to the next one. Stopping at a barbers for a shave they offer me the "string treatment" before they finish...

It's quite common for a barber to hold up a piece of string after finishing shaving and ask if I want it. I have never felt the need to take them up on their offer as I don't know what they want to do with it, but today I'm feeling adventurous :) One of the younger workers comes over and holds the skin on my cheeks tight while the string gets stuck in the barbers mouth for a good sucking. Looking back that's the point I should have bailed...

Removing the string the guy pulls it tight and proceeds to drag it back and forth across my skin, with the result of tangling in all the fine hairs on my cheeks and yanking them out by the roots. Sound painful? You'd be right! Any benefit my looks might have gained from my rosy red cheeks and super smooth skin is heavily outweighed by my puffy eyes filled with tears.

Well, lesson learnt. Don't have to ever do that again on my life. Now I'm sure all the girls out there are thinking that I'm just being a wuss and that it's only what they go through every day, but being a guy beauty treatments can only go so far. If it hurts, tastes bad or makes me look gay it isn't needed :) There are enough people on the planet who think I'm gay without encouraging them ;)

The journey up the mountain is much more enjoyable by car and it isn't long before I'm dropped at my starting point. Very pleased with myself that I got to the top of the mountain yesterday the walk ahead is pleasant with small rolling hills.

Antakya is such a fertile area with as many varieties of crops as you can name. The smell of drying tobacco fills the air with the locals sitting in their verandahs stringing it out to dry. I don't make it far before getting an invite for lunch and am happy to sit round and chat.

The walk is great and not so hot today. I was planning on heading to Antakya for a few hours to see the church avoid the heat but now I think I will walk the full 20kms to Yayladagi and give myself the night in Antakya.

The fields turn to pine and with the sound of the cicadas cheering me on I make my turnoff around five. I only have 4kms of Turkey to go! Trying to hitch into the center of Yayladagi I end up walking the one and a half kilometers but am happy when a minibus is there waiting for me.

Arriving in Antakya I find a great little hotel and head into town to check out the sights. The Gods must be smiling on me, I'm lucky enough to meet up with a gorgeous young woman by the name of Zaynep whom having just graduated from studying English literature in Istanbul is now back in her home town for a holiday. Her friends are all away and being extremely bored she offers to show me around town tomorrow :)

But first I convince her to come out for a drink :) Leading the way to a fabulous open air cafe we lay back on our bean bags, order some tea and kick back smoking nagile. A perfect way to spend the evening, thanks heaps :)

Pilgrimage from Karagol to Gozeme 25/07/08

Waking with the sun I give myself five minutes to sit and enjoy my surroundings. Magical! :)

Last night by moonlight I thought I could make out a big mountain in the distance. Thinking there was nothing but sea in that direction I thought it was just an illusion but this morning it's definitely a mountain. Then I realize I'm getting my first glimpse of Syria!!! What a feeling, Middle East here I come!

Making a move the 15km walk to Cevlik is wonderful. The only other souls on the road are the occasional fishermen and I'm loving the solitude...

By the time Cevlik comes into sight I'm starving. Praying there is a restaurant in town I work my way down the hill and am amazed at what I find. Cevlik consists of nothing but restaurants and pansiyons! Iskenderun and Arsus probably have a combined population over 100 000 yet Cevlik with a population of 200 appears to have more hotels than both combined! And yet no other facilities, not even an internet cafe! Very strange place :)

With only 9YTL to my name until I find a money exchange I start searching round for a cheap breakfast. The local surf lifesavers call me into a restaurant and I ask if they are serving food...

"Yes, what would you like?"

"Kebab, how much is it?"

"Yes, we have but you have to wait an hour. How about toast?"

"Ok, toast. But how much is it?"

"3YTL"

Hmmmmm, a little expensive for toast but better than the other restaurants. "OK"

A guy calls out from the kitchen...

"Sorry, we don't have toast, how about bread and cheese?"

I was really craving something other than bread and cheese and also, there is not much point paying a restaurant for something I can go next door and buy myself. I decide to ask how much it will be anyway...

"3YTL"

"OK, sure" The thought of having a couple of cups of tea with breakfast changes my mind. The guys are entertaining and we have a good chat. When I go to pay they must have concluded that I am incredibly poor considering I am walking, camping and asking the price of everything...so they don't let me pay :)

The lifesavers head off to start work and with a small swell hitting the beach I can't resist. Plunging into the waves I realize it's been over a year since I was last playing in surf! It's amazing how time disappears, this is one of my favorite things to do on the whole planet and yet I manage to go a year without doing it :(

By the time I get going again it's the middle of the day and stinking hot. Every time I stop for a chat people make motions like I'm crazy, and I would have to agree ;) But it is only 8kms from Cevlik to Samandagi and I want to spend some time on the net.

Dragging myself into town I'm pleased to find a money exchange, then asking for directions at a restaurant one of the young workers leads me down some side streets to an internet cafe.

By the time I get moving again it's 5pm, the plan is to make another 7kms, hitch a ride into Antakya and check out the church of St Pierre. From what everyone has been telling me the last few days "the oldest church in the world!"...

Can't miss this one... ;)

Having a choice between the mountain road and the coast road to Yayladagi the decision is easy...coast road of course! But unfortunately God has other plans for me and doesn't mark the turn off. Before I know it I'm heading straight up! The road is super steep and with rivers of sweat pouring off me almost every car stops to offer me a lift. Once again, being in a position where I can hardly respond is a bit embarrassing...especially when I'm trying to let them know I'll be fine to make it to the top on my own :)

Reaching the summit absolutely exhausted I decide to call it a day, two kilometers short of my thirty but who's counting ;) Straight away a ute stops, I jump in the back lay down and drift off.

The guy was meant to drop me 6kms down the road but must have forgotten about me, by the time I notice I figure it will be easier to go the extra 20kms to his destination and catch a bus from there...

Shit!!! I left my cellphone charging at the internet cafe!

Should I go back today or wait till tomorrow when I have to go back anyway?

It's only 26kms so bugger it, I'll go back. Jumping out I start hitching the other way, slightly discouraged by the lack of traffic. And I can't believe the first two cars have exactly the same response...

"Where are you going?"

"Samandagi"

"Ooooooo. A long way, but there are no cars going to Samandagi from here. I can take you but how much will you give me?"

"How much do you want?"

"50" says the first car. "100" Replies the second!

Laughing "How about one?" I figure it sounds about as reasonable as their offers :)

"Nooo! It's 40kms" says the first car. "Nooo! It's 50kms" Replies the second!

I know it's only 26kms because there is a sign 500m down the road which says so, and for 50YTL I'm happy to hitch...

Then the locals start to turn up and just like when I was hitching back from Cappadocia a few weeks ago they start to shit me to tears...

"No, no cars going to Samandagi from here. You will have to go through Antakya"

Now, the trip through Antakya will be a total of 90kms so that's not an option, and I want to know why they all think there are no cars going to Samandagi along this road, it's only 26kms away!!!

After one ride on a scooter, two kilometers walking, a lift in a car and fifteen kilometers in a truck I'm starting to think the locals were right ;) It's now completely dark and I still have 7kms to go. I'm just praying the internet cafe will be open by the time I get there!

Feeling discouraged about hitching in the dark I finally get some respite when van pulls up going all the way to Samandagi. Thank God for that!

Arriving in the center of town I look around and realize I have no idea where the internet cafe was, one of the drawbacks of being shown the way. Relocating the restaurant where I asked for directions I'm not happy it's closed...

Looks like I'm on my own!

Slowly, slowly I retrace my steps and after fifteen minutes of searching arrive at the internet cafe. The guy working there is pretty happy to see me and straight away gives my the phone. Champion!!!

"What are you doing tonight? Where are you staying?"

"I have no idea. I was meant to go to Antakya but it's now getting late"

"Yes, no buses to Antakya now. Here have a seat..."

"No, thank you. I better get going. I need to work out what I'm doing"

"Yes, please, take a seat. Here take a seat"

"Sorry, it's already late. I have to go, but thank you very much..."

I really have no idea what I want to do. I don't feel like wondering the streets of this town looking for a hotel, I don't mind the idea of camping but I can't be bothered making my way out of town and there aren't really any more options. I'd love to stay and chat but I really do have to make a decision...

"If you want to wait twenty minutes until I shut you are more than welcome to stay at my house"

Now there's a better option!

"That would be awesome, cheers" :)

Agede finishes up and takes me back to his house. His mother and brother are still up when we arrive and seem to think it's great they have another addition to the household for the night. Turkey is such a wonderful place!!!

Agede cooks up a feed and I go for a shower. Bursts of pain shoot across my back as the hot water hits my skin. I did learn this lesson in Italy but it looks like I needed to learn it again...

DON'T GO SWIMMING IN THE OCEAN AND START WALKING WITHOUT HAVING A SHOWER FIRST!!!

Looking in the mirror my back is covered in a rash with little sores where my pack has rubbed too much. Beautiful! ;)

Dinner followed by a few games of backgammon and we are ready for bed...

Pilgrimage from Arsus to Karagol 24/07/08

Sleeping in I make a slow start and after checking out it's straight down to the beach for a swim. Finding a wonderful little cafe I set my self up for some writing, sit back, relax and enjoy the view over a coffee.

Making a move I only get as far as an internet cafe before wasting another two hours :) By the time I finally leave Arsus it's after four. Finding a great little track off the main road I have a nice walk over the hills. The sea breeze stops me dying of heat exhaustion and an hour later I meet back up with road.

I was told there weren't going top be many restaurants along this way so the first one I spot I stop at for dinner. After a superb meal of fresh fish grilled to perfection I continue on my way.

The heat increases as the afternoon progresses and I'm not happy when my road slopes into a steep incline. All the locals are sitting on the street or their balconies so I receive constant offers for tea and food. The restaurants may be few and far between but really, it's not like I'm ever going to starve to death in Turkey :)

The only problem with all the attention is I'm too exhausted to respond, what is meant to come out as "Thank you so much but I must keep going" instead comes out as a muffled grunt with a grimace in leu of a smile :)

But whenever I need it a cup of tea is always waiting. It means the progress is slow but the people are great and I'm going to be walking half the night anyway so it doesn't really matter.

Darkness falls and the traffic thins out. I'm thoroughly enjoying the walk and slowly drift off into my own little world. My thoughts soon turn to death, which is common when walking on the roads at night, it's a bit hard not to when I get told four or five times a day that I'll get killed walking out here by myself ;) Luckily for me I'm quite comfortable with thoughts of death and am happy to let them run their course...

A cigarette packet appears before me and I go out of my way to step on it. Quite a violent reaction to an inanimate object and I take it as a bad sign. Not five seconds later a gust of wind blows through which chills me to my bones...

Where did that come from???

It must still be about 30˚ and that gust would have been lucky to be 15˚! Strange energy is out and about tonight and it leaves me cautious. Eyeing every passing car warily and spotlighting strange noises in the bush a jumpy pilgrim continues on...

Passing a house someone on the balcony yells out but I can't make out what they say...

"Hello" I call back...

More yelling comes my way but I'm in no mood to stop and see what they want...

"Hello" I yell again and continue down the road...

Suddenly I'm the one lit up in a super powerful torch beam and I have pictures in my mind of some crazed hillbilly standing up there with his shotgun aimed at me. Still in no mood to stop I continue on with the torch beam following me round the side of the mountain. Fantasizing about hitting him with my own torch beam I figure it's probably not the best idea and if it's important they will no doubt come and track me down :)

A small town is appears a kilometer down the hill and after two minutes a car starts up heading in my direction. A big black 4WD zooms past and screeches to a halt after spotting me. Doing a radical three point turn considering the drop off over the side of the mountain it returns to where I'm standing, with me slightly shell shocked...

Tonight is getting too strange! I grip my torch wondering "what now?" as the 4WD pulls up next to me...

A young guy is behind the wheel...

"Jump in, jump in!"

"Thanks, but I'm just walking"

"No, jump in, jump in!"

"I can't sorry, but thanks for the offer"

He doesn't look so happy and drives off back to town. Half the village is waiting for me when I make to the local shop and I realize they must have been able to see my torch light coming down the hill. I recognize a few of them from earlier in the evening when they tried to give me a lift and they think it is incredibly amusing that I've only just arrived when if I went with them I would have been here hours ago.

I'm grateful for the tea and a chance to rest but I have to laugh at their constant attempts to make me stay the night...

"Too dangerous that way! Stay here, you must stay here and walk in the morning!"

Everyone starts making motions like getting shot or having my throat cut, one guy is even acting like his limbs are getting sawn off! Don't now what that's all about ;)

I explain that walking in the evening is much nicer than during the day and that even though there offer is very generous I will keep moving. The sense of unease I was feeling earlier in the evening has worn off, if it hadn't I would happily accept but instead I will keep moving...

They try to scare me with stories of dogs and then in one last ditch effort explain that for the next 20kms there is nothing. No people, no cars, no phone reception...nothing. This actually makes me feel a lot better! I know I'm not likely to be shooting myself or chopping my limbs off so if there is noone else out there I have absolutely nothing to worry about ;)

Around 11pm I get back into it and the walk is wonderful. The road turns to dirt and I only pass two cars and one wild pig the whole way, for the majority it's just me, the rugged coastline and the sound of the waves...

A guy explained earlier in the day that there were heaps of pigs in this area and that I need to camp on the beach to avoid them. Having spotted one already I believe him and search for a suitable beach to call it a day. Around 1am a perfect beach appears and the first thing I spot when lighting it up with my torch is a big pig! So much for them not wondering the beaches :)

The pig scuttles up a nearby mountain and pleased they appear to be more scared of me than I am of them I decide to sleep under the stars. But just in case I keep a big stick and the torch handy... :)

Pilgrimage from Narduzu to Arsus 23/07/08

Waking up not knowing where the hell I am or how I got here, yesterday's antics slowly start to come back to me. I must have been trashed, here I am lying on the side of the road, two cameras lying on the ground next to me and my arms still in my backpack! :)

It's obviously the middle of the night and there is noone around so I figure if I slept this long without a problem another few hours shouldn't matter. Removing myself from my backpack and hiding the cameras under my jacket I curl up on the ground and go back to sleep...

A passing jogger draws me from my slumber and I can make out it's starting to get light. I should get moving. Sitting up I realize the house next to me is under construction and is empty inside. Perfect! :) Grabbing all my shit I move in and it isn't until 11:30 I finally feel well enough to walk :)

I have a huge hunger and the first restaurant to appear is a posh looking hotel. Finding a seat overlooking the pool and the Mediterranean I ask for a menu...

"Yes, we have a menu...but today we only serve a special meat dish"

Sounds to me like they are saying "If you want to eat you have to have the most expensive thing we serve" ;)

But I'm glad I decided to go with it. Absolutely divine!!!

The walk is hard today but with the sea breeze and beautiful views it's well worth it. Stopping regularly I make slow progress and even though I get offers to sit and drink beer I manage to resist ;) Finally, just on dark I hit Arsus. Two guys stop me for a chat and walk with me into town. Ali offered me a lift a couple of hours ago and has been waiting for me to arrive so he can buy me dinner. Champion!!! Arsus is a great little town, full of life and a wonderful feel...

Ali takes me to a kebab shop and after a great meal I leave to find a hotel. They were going to help me look around but when I told them I wanted a room for 20YTL they just laugh and tell me it isn't possible...

The first couple of hotels are full, I start to get a bit worried but then third time lucky, I find a perfect little pansiyon for 20YTL, now it's time for a beer ;)

Everyone has told me the nightclubs here are well worth a look so I figure I better go find out for myself. Turns out "everyone" is right, the nightclubs are great, but unfortunately for me I'm the only person out and about in them tonight... :(

Pilgrimage from Iskenderun to Narduzu 22/07/08

Mehmut is meeting me at 10am to take ensure I don't get ripped off by the glasses guys, or more likely to ensure he gets his commission ;) so I get to sleep in. At 09:57 the phone rings and Ahmets waiting down stairs. Punctual! :)

Turns out they can't order me new lenses anyway. Let's see if I can get some kilometers in before lunch...

Mehmut joins me for a great walk along the waterfront and manages 3kms before leaving me to it. I love walking next to the coast! It's wonderful!!!

In the heat of the day I have to stop every kilometer or two for a drink. Seven kilometers from Iskenderun I come across a great little restaurant on the waterfront with some young guys sitting around drinking and decide this is where I'll wait out the heat. After a coffee, a swim and some writing they finally convince me to have a beer...

"Do you have backgammon?"

One of the guys looks up in excitement and the challenge is on. I don't know how it happened but the day just completely disappears. We must have played for hours and by the time we finish the score is 13-11 to him. Standing up I realize I'm completely plastered! :) Checking one of the beer cans, sure enough the beer is 7.5%! Always a good idea to check before starting to drink if you don't know the beer but I never seem to learn ;)

Oh well, hopefully I can walk it off...

I don't make it 50m before two guys at the next bar call me over for a chat. It doesn't take much to convince me to sit down for another beer, one more couldn't hurt...

Famous last words as the world gets very blurry from then on. I get moving after dark and don't even make a kilometer before I realize I need to sit down and sober up a bit. Laying back to look at the starts that's it! I'm out cold right there on the side of the road... :)

Pilgrimage from Dortyol to Iskenderun 21/07/08

Greeted by the Mediterranean on waking it's the perfect way to start the day. I get moving by 6am and don't even make 3kms before receiving an invite for breakfast. :)

The walking is perfect but it isn't long before my wonderful little beach front road meets the highway and I emerge through a construction site. The security guys call me over for tea and make jokes because there is meant to be security down by the beach stopping trespassers like myself, we conclude he must be swimming :) And I have to admit I like relaxed countries...

We are sitting around drinking tea and a guy rides in on a scooter. Only moving at around 10kms/hr one of the security guards gets up to meet him. Pulling a face then speeding off with a big smile the guy leaves the security guard blowing his whistle, red faced and cursing loudly. All the other security guys think this is incredibly funny and have a laugh when the other guy returns to the table. Noone bothers to go after the scooter though... :)

Then 5kms down the road I see two cops trying to stop a couple of trucks. The trucks are one behind the other and one cop signals to the front one and the second cop signals to the other. The first truck pulls in but the second one just keeps driving with the cop standing in the middle of the road yelling after him. The cop just shrugs at his mate and takes a seat in the police car :)

According to the map I was only meant to have 20kms to Iskanderun so you can imagine my dismay when after walking for a couple of hours a sign appears "Iskanderun - 21". Not happy, it's now 9am and I am where I thought I was at 6am :(

Walking along a highway through industrial area is never much fun but then a company appears that brings a big smile to my face...

"Superkok!!!"

I'd like to go to a trade fair with those business cards :) And while we are on the subject of funny names many Turks find my name incredibly amusing!

"Ben" means "me" or "I" in Turkish so a normal conversation goes...

"What's your name?"

"Ben" ("Me?")

"Yes, you"

"My name is Ben" which they take to mean "My name is, me?"

"Yes you!'

It's quite frustrating and I've tried many different things but nothing makes it easier. I tried to call myself Benjamin but then they just call me Jarmin :)

Then my surname, Dale, when pronounced phonetically is the same as a Turkish song that has some relevance to being crazy. Whenever I ask people who speak English they tell me it doesn't have a meaning but I have enough people crack up laughing and start singing the same tune after seeing my business card that I know it has meaning to a large portion of the population. I think "Ben Dale" translates to them as "I'm crazy" which is even funnier because most of them think I am because I'm walking :)

Entering Iskenderun around 5pm I find a map and go to track down the information center. Before I can enter I'm accosted by two guys offering accommodation. Normally I don't pay much attention to these guys because they obviously get commission which means my bargaining power is greatly reduced, but I like the guy in front of me so I let him lead the way.

The first hotel is way over priced at 45YTL but to save wandering around all day I offer 25YTL, which I'm sure is still more than it was worth. After a bit of banter they accept and I make myself at home. Mehmut, my guide offers to show me around to the bars in the evening...

"No, that's fine mate. Thanks anyway"

"Yes, it's no problem. I will show you around. I know good bars"

"If you want to come for a drink you are more than welcome but I'm not going to pay you to show me around" Now, I don't mind paying for company but the least I expect is to get laid...and unfortunately Mehmut isn't my type ;)

"Of course, I don't want money. No problem, no problem"

"Ok, see you at eight" I always find it hard to trust these guys no matter how friendly or helpful they are. If they make a living showing me around I must be getting ripped of somewhere. But like I said before, this guy is OK so I'll let him stick around...

I have a shower, do some writing and right on 8pm Mehmut makes an appearance. The first stop is a glasses shop to fix my sunnies then it's off for dinner and a beer. All the bars are dead so even though I'm ready for a big night I'm in bed watching a movie by eleven...

Pilgrimage from Osmaniye to Dortyol 20/07/08

Mildly cold mist wakes me from my slumber as the spray from the guy watering the concrete next to me sprinkles across my face...

I think they are trying to give me a hint ;) Opening one eye the worker greets me with a big smile. I manage a very strangled "good morning" before quickly disappearing back into dreamland.

Some noise next to me wakes me again, this time I make the effort to get up. The sun is quite high and I'm surprised when the clock shows it is still only 06:30. The owners make an appearance and calls me over for breakfast. What hospitality! Let me sleep on their couch and ensure that I leave with full belly. I love Turkey!

I set off to complete the last few kilometers to Osmaniye, walking through industrial area the streets are still reasonably quiet. A small group up ahead draws my attention, the guy siting looks like he has just had an accident or been in a fight. Two guys are standing over him, whack, one of them clips him over the head and starts yelling. Shit! He's waving a pistol at him! They have already noticed me coming up the road so there's nothing to to other than walk past acting like this is normal... :)

"Good morning"

"Good morning" The guy without the pistol points at the guy sitting "Guilty! Guilty!"

I smile and nod. You're not getting an argument out of me mate...

"Have a good day"

"Have a good day..." Their attention goes back to the poor sod sitting and they resume their yelling...

The other people on the street are paying very little attention as well. Some are curiously watching from a distance but most are just continuing what they are doing. I have to admit this is a pretty wild corner of the world ;)

Passing straight though Osmaniye it isn't long before I reach my turnoff to Erzin. The walk is nice over some small foothills but once again the Turkish haze that sits over everything dulls the surrounding view. Then I get a very pleasant surprise, ripe grapes!!! Yippee :) I knew they couldn't be too far away!

Unfortunately most of the vines still are a bit sour so spotting a store up ahead I go to see if they have any for sale. Now that I've had a taste I've got a craving ;) Instead of grapes there are huge piles of tomatoes everywhere, turns out they make home made tomato paste...

But the universe wasn't about to let me go without. Two kilometers down the road a woman sitting with her three kids spots me, runs inside and returns bearing two big bunches! Amazing how things like that work! The three young girls are extremely entertaining. The older one is super confident and has some great faces to pull at me when I don't understand her Turkish, a fun way to pass twenty minutes :)

Continuing onwards a young guy waiting for a ride to Erzin calls me over for a chat. Barak is a character as well. Deciding to join me walking he chats away constantly the whole 5kms, hardly even concerned that I probably only understand 5% of what he's saying. He takes me to the local internet cafe and after an hour on the net I'm just about falling asleep at the table...

It's incredibly hot but i figure I'll just walk to the edge of town, find a tree and crash out. The plan works and it isn't long before I'm away with the fairies.

I wake to dark clouds brewing in the mountain. Really looks and feels like rain but when I ask the locals they just all laugh and tell me it won't happen. There is a slight sprinkle but turns out they are right. I manage to get within 3kms of Dortyol, tonight's destination, before the clouds clear and a random guy on the side of the road invites me in for dinner...

Ali is typical of the Turkish populace. I stop for a chat, he finds out I'm from Australia then insists on feeding me. Maybe all the Australians that pass through Turkey are as skinny as I am and they think we don't have any food down there ;) But whatever the reason it's a wonderful way to travel!

It's getting dark by the time I leave but the walking is easy and it isn't long before I make Dortyol. There's not much around and hearing the beach is only 2kms away it sounds like a much better option for the night.

So for the fourth time this journey I cross a country to meet the Mediterranean! And what a wonderful sea it is to meet :)

I was dreaming of arriving, dropping my bag on the beach and crashing straight out on the sand but my fantasies are short lived. The high tide level comes within a meter of the road and with the restaurants, car parks and houses there's not much room for pilgrims :( Nothing else to do other than keep walking...

Going to buy a beer some young guys see me leaving and decide to follow. As soon as I find a nice quiet spot by myself they pull up next to me on their bikes :) It turns out to be a blessing, finding out I'm going to camp somewhere close by they point to the house behind us and tell me it's empty. Sure enough they are right and it's a perfect place to spend the night...

Pilgrimage from Karabacak to Osmaniye 19/07/08

Footsteps and the sounds that shepherds use to round up their flock wake me, after a quick listen I can't hear any goats and figure this a polite, or more likely impolite way of telling to piss off :)

Packing my stuff up guy is 100m away when I emerge from the tent...and no goats :) The watermelon farmer who's field I have lobbed in turns up as I finish and after a quick chat decides I need a watermelon breakfast. Running into his field he returns with arms full. The "shepherd" seeing this also comes over to join us...

After a few kilometers a restaurant appears, the guy is out the front getting things ready...

"Are you open?"

He indicates for me to take a seat...

"Do you serve food at the moment?

He indicates for me to be patient... :)

Ten minutes later he comes over with bread, cheese, olives, tomatoes and tea and joins me for breakfast. Then doesn't even let me pay! :)

I make 10kms before coming across a river and a perfect place to wait till afternoon. A few of the local kids adopt me and it isn't long before they convince me to go for a swim. They dive in as I pack all my stuff up. Heading over to where they jumped in the locals fishing start freaking out...

"No, stop! Danger! Danger!"

The way they are acting I think maybe this is the local crocodile farm, but it turns out they are just letting me know the water is deep...

I bloody hope so, I'm about to dive in! ;)

The water is great and after twenty minutes playing around, much to the kids amusement, I start doing my laundry. It's then over to the restaurant for lunch and I sit for a few hours doing some writing.

This part of Turkey is extremely densely populated and as soon as one town ends another starts. It means I have to continually turn down offers for tea and food or I wouldn't get anywhere...

With 7kms to go to Osmaniye I stop for tea with a family, sure enough two minutes after sitting down they want to feed me :) With just over an hour of daylight left I want to try to make Osmaniye but trying to convince a Turkish family you don't want to eat is like trying to convince a Russian you don't want a drink of vodka! Doesn't matter how strong your resolve is or how long you argue they always end up winning ;) And the meal is absolutely superb! Cheers guys :)

Since I'm not going to make town before dark I take my time and it's not until 22:30 I finally hit the outskirts. Stopping for a drink at a service station a German guy comes over for a chat. He is here with his family and they have their campervan parked in the car park for the night. I turn to the service station worker...

"Can I camp here as well?"

"Of course!" he says with a big smile.

People keep telling me it's possible to camp at most service stations but this is the first time I have tried. He takes me out the back and points to a couch...

"If you want you can sleep here, otherwise camp where you want"

The couch looks perfect to me... :)

Pilgrimage from Cukurkopru to Karabacak 18/07/08

Tucked away behind the warehouse I get to sleep in, it's not until 8am I get moving. The heat is intense right from the start and I welcome the invites for tea that keep coming my way :)

Stopping for a kebab for breakfast I realize I haven't had to bargain for anything for ages. I don't even ask the price beforehand and still get charged a lot less than what I have been charged anywhere else in Turkey. This morning I get a kebab, ayran, salad and two cups of tea all for 6YTL! Awesome!!!

Passing a bus stop a kid calls out and stops me for a chat. He's intrigued by my mp3 player so I let him have a play and have to laugh as he bops away in front of the camera. I go to leave...

"No, no...sit for a while"

"Sorry, i have to keep moving" I indicate for him to return the mp3 player but his grip tightens.

"Come on, I'm going...please mp3, mp3"

His attention goes back to the new toy in his hands and he continues to ignore me :) Oh well, if that's the way he wants to play...

Dropping my backpack and cameras I come back over to where he's sitting, and ask a bit more firmly for him to give it back.

"No, it's mine"

I grab his wrist and tell him to hand it over and am amazed that he remains so confident. I try to force his hand open and the reason for his confidence becomes apparent when he stands up. Here I was thinking I was dealing with a 15 year old kid but the guy stands and I realize he's an inch or two taller than me! And the way he's looking down at me he is obviously use to being able to intimidate people with his hight, what started as the possibility of a fun little wrestle is now quickly escalating into a full scale brawl.

With eyes locked neither of us are backing down and even though the thought of having a punch up over a €50 mp3 player seems stupid it is more the principle. I'm not letting some smart arse little punk rob me without a fight, but I would still prefer it if he throws the first punch :)

In one last ditch effort to avoid further violence and to let him know I'm not fucking around every muscle in my body tenses as I pull him close and let out an almighty roar centimeters from his face...

Bang, just like that his confidence shatters, his muscles turn to jelly underneath my grip and the mp3 player falls from his hands. Collecting my stuff I'm pretty happy with the way it all worked out. If we had ended up hitting at each other I would have been paranoid that if he lost he would run home, grab his pistol (which even if he doesn't have one I'm certain his friends do) and come for revenge. Apart from a small cut from his fingernails we are both unharmed :)

Stopping for a rest at a service station I'm disappointed they don't have a shop, I'm dying for a fizzy drink! It must show on my face because the worker runs over to a tourist bus getting washed next door and asks them for some Coke :) Wonderful!

Going to leave the guy stops me...

"No, now we eat watermelon"

Laughing "Sorry, I should go but thank you very much"

"No! We eat watermelon!" He hurries off returning with some freshly cut goodness :)

It's a hard life being a pilgrim ;)

Making Kardili I find an internet cafe to wait out the heat of the day, with the plan being to get another 10kms this afternoon to Karatepe. I don't know what this is but everyone tells me it is beautiful. It will add a few kilometers to my journey so I decide to do a little research to see if it's worth my while. A quick look on googlemaps and I realize my road passes it by and I will have to hitch the last few kilometers and that it's just a dam. Considering the Mediterannean is only two days walk away I'll give it a miss...

Darkness has fallen by the time I finally get moving and I'm very happy my road has now turned south. From here it's due south all the way to Beirut! I'm getting close!!!

A passing car slam on it's brakes. A quick glance behind confirms the car has stopped and much to my dismay the reverse lights come on. Ignoring it in the hope it will go away, I realize it is pointless and turn to see who has taken an interest in me. Please be friendly! I have had enough excitement to last me for a while...

The window comes down and a big smiling face greets me "Hello". Gelen is great! he teaches English at the local University and is super keen to take me back to his house to stay the night. Unfortunately he lives back in Kardili so I have to turn him down but we end up having a good long chat. Cheers mate :)

Around midnight and feeling exhausted I find myself a watermelon field and call it a night...

Pilgrimage from Yuksekoren to Cukurkopru 17/07/08

The goats ensured I didn't get much sleep last night. Apart from their noise, whenever I did manage to drift off I would wake to find one nibbling at my sleeping bag, my backpack or sniffing my head...

Sure enough my first sight upon waking is goat nostrils bearly 3cms away :) Aberdeen and his mate are already up and about, busily collecting the morning milk.

"Ben, good morning! Come come..."

Aberdeen takes me into the throng and catching a goat gestures for me to milk it. Grabbing the teats I twist and squeeze but much to the goats disgust, and Aberdeen's amusement, nothing comes out.

"Here, like this..." Aberdeen grabs a teat and shows me how it's done. With that quick lesson I manage to get a pin sized hole squirting milk into the bucket, far from the hose Aberdeen has in his hands but at least it's something :)

A fun morning is passed wrestling the goats and after collecting our quota of milk it's time for breakfast. Rock thrower makes an appearance and enthusiastically apologizes for last nights shenanigans. Aberdeen, looking slightly sheepish, then makes shooting motions at me, shrugs, and apologizes as well :)

"No problem, no problem" There was no harm done...and besides, he's now given me a good blog story ;)

The video camera is set up on the tripod doing some filming and must have made an out of line comment to one of the passing goats. Suddenly one of them charges in and lays it out with a headbut :) Bloody goats! It's like looking after a hundred little kids that refuse to learn anything. You can throw rocks at them, hit them with a stick, kick them up the bum but they will still come back two minutes later and continue doing exactly what it was they were in trouble for before...

A couple of hours with them is more than enough for me!

Setting off towards Kozan I have one of these mornings which feels like I'm in a time warp. Every time I ask how far Kozan is I get the same response..."Five or six kilometers"!

After an hours walking, and probably five or six kilometers, I stop for a Sprite. Once again when going to leave the owner comes rushing over and says I have to stay for breakfast... :)

And he still reckons there is five or six kilometers to go! :(

The people in this area are incredible! After waking with the sun I was expecting to be in Kozan by 8am at the latest. Instead I get stopped every few hundred meters for all sorts of goodies. And by the mornings effort I believe I have now ventured into watermelon country :)

Finally around noon I stagger into Kozan, convinced the mornings walk must have been 15kms, no matter what everyone was telling me!

I have three things I want to do here before leaving. Hamam, internet and get a barber to give me a shave. Not caring which order they get done in the internet is the first to appear. The place is chock a block with kids and a big crowd surrounds me constantly firing questions. It's fun at first but having been off line for almost a week there's lot's to be done. Trying in vain to shoo them away I finally have to concede defeat and go elsewhere :)

The kids decide to follow and I resign myself to being stuck with them for the day. Besides they are pretty cool, even all chipping in to buy me an icecream! Guiding me through the back streets we run into one of their big brothers, I get invited back to his house for tea and it isn't long before other family members make an appearance bearing food :)

"You have walked for 50 days in Turkey!?"

"Yes, from Ipsala"

"Do you carry a gun?"

Laughing "No"

I get asked this question a lot around here and most people look at me like I'm lying when I answer "No". This suits me fine :)

"We do..." The guy reaches under the couch and pulls out a pistol...

Great...

Shrugging "But we don't have any bullets..."

Can't say I'm sorry to hear that... :)

Well fed, it's now time for a bath. All the kids loose interest in me except Suayp who nominates himself as my official tour guide for the day and off we go to locate a Hamam.

After a few days in the mountains and a morning wrestling goats a scrub down in a hammam is the perfect way to remove the thick layer of crap encrusting my body. And lucky I did, underneath the dirt is a big fat tick! Bloody goats!

Suayp waits for me to finish and after getting a shave and eating a kebab I'm ready to leave. Suyap has one more place he wants to show me though, an old colonial house which is beautiful and about to be opened as a boutique hotel. With a great view overlooking Kozan and quaint little rooms it is a perfect place to stop for a rest if you are ever traveling through these parts.

With one more stop at an internet cafe on the way out of town it's starting to get dark by the time I leave. The walk is nice, flat, cool and I even get given some Ayran when passing an Ayran factory. Some time around 11pm, spotting what looks to be an empty warehouse I set my self up out the back and call it a day...

Pilgrimage from Comluk to Yuksekoren 16/07/08

Wow!!! What a place to camp. Perched in a small clearing a few meters from the road the hill drops off into a steep valley and the river below. With rocky mountains on all side Its a perfect place to wake and enjoy the morning...

Setting off, I only make a couple of kilometers before a family invites me in for breakfast :) These guys are awesome! Extremely entertaining people. The two girls take a liking to the video camera and we sit and laugh as they run around chasing the chickens, trying to catch them on film.

The trucks have thinned out and walking through this part of Turkey has become a pleasure...apart from the heat!!! It is still early but already stinking hot! Supposedly the temperature in Kozan, which I hope to make by this evening, was 40¡ yesterday.

Passing a little hut in Salmanli some kids run out and call me over. Happy for another rest I go for a chat. Turns out I just crashed the local religious education class but luckily the teacher doesn't mind, even ensuring that a minute after I sit I have a coffee in my hands...

The kids are great and are well impressed I can read their text books in Arabic. I don't understand any of it but it's good to know that my four months in syria wasn't completely wasted. At least I can impress someone, even if they are all under 12 ;) And from what I keep getting told, no-one in Turkey understands Arabic anyway, they only recite so my ignorance isn't discovered ;)

As I go to leave the teacher stops me...

"No no, you must stay for lunch..."

I don't need much convincing :) "Sure"

After learning some Islamic prayers the class ends and we retire to the back of the Mosque. The teacher's wife prepares an absolutely divine meal which leaves me feeling like curling up and going sleep. A few cups of tea fixes that and after a big "Thank you" I hit the road.

Fiver kilometers later I come across a restaurant and realize I've developed a bit of a celebrity status in these parts. I was wondering why the trucks had suddenly stopped asking me whether I wanted a lift...

It's great, every question I get asked is answered by another customer. Between them they already know everything about me. Name, age where I'm going, where I've been, what I had for dinner last night...It's wonderful being able to just sit and relax :)

When I start again it's the middle of the day and I realize I'm not getting far in this heat, spotting a beautiful spot next to the creek I set myself up to wait it out. Peacefully taking in my surroundings I get a shock when once again, just when I think I've found a place by myself another road sweeper spots me and comes for a chat :)

The evening walk is still hot but at least bearable, and the scenery is wonderful. Craving a Sprite I spot a little shop and go for a look. The next door neighbor informs me the owners gone to pray and comes out with some tea instead. There is a backgammon board inside so I challenge him to a game...

I end up spending a couple of hours playing away and it is well dark by the time I go to leave. They offer to let me stay but night walking is a pleasure at the moment...

A few dogs come to chase me out of town but even with my mp3 player on I get plenty of warning. Generally dogs start barking as soon as they smell me, at a distance of around 2kms, so I have lots of time to prepare ;)

The road turns straight and flat and I drift away in my thoughts...

Some time after midnight dogs start barking all around and I realize there are hundreds of goats in the paddock next to me. Grabbing my torch I ensure all the dogs are behaving. The road is a good 1-2m higher than the paddock and most of the dogs are happy running around below, only one makes the effort to come up and challenge me...

My adrenaline is pumping, with this many sheep dogs around things can turn ugly very quickly, but as long as I only have one directly challenging me I know I will be fine. Keeping him in the torch beam I'm surprised at how confident he is. Most dogs wont get within five meters with the full force of the torch directed their way but at times this one gets within a meter...

Yelling starts up around and I figure the shepherds are trying to get their dogs back under control, a rock lands between me and my attacker then all of a sudden things start getting slightly surreal...

A gunshot rings out and the next rock almost hits me...

Are they aiming at me???

With the gunshot the dog retreats so I swing the torch beam to the rock thrower. Sure enough this freaks him out immensely and the barrage intensifies. All my hard learned Turkish disappears in a flash as something comes out of my mouth that I'm sure is incomprehensible to all...

I can see by the moonlight the guy who fired the shot is running my way. Hitting him with the torch beam I make out he is carrying a pistol but my action causes him to stop dead, I watch in horror as the pistol gets raised in my direction and he braces himself to let off another shot...

Holly crap!!! He's not firing warning shots, these fuckers are actually trying to kill me!!!

My initial reaction is to drop to my belly, with the road higher than the ground below he won't have a shot, but this will do very little to defuse the situation. The good thing with pistols is I know most people would have trouble hitting an elephant from 30m, especially with adrenaline pumping through their veins. The chance of him hitting me is slim...I just pray he's not on the Turkish pistol team! Taking a deep breath I stand up straight, arms above my head and light myself up with the torch...

"Tourist! Tourist!!!"

The rock thrower stops immediately and even though I stalled the other guy's shot he doesn't look convinced. With the weapon still aimed at me he runs forward, getting within 5m before finally confirming I am what I claim to be. The pistol gets hidden behind his back as he comes over to start his interrogation...

I thought I remained quite calm but suddenly realize I am covered head to toe in sweat! My interrogator has a freaked out look in his eye which does little for my nerves, slowly my wits start to return and I can make out small pieces of what the he's saying. Managing to explain what I'm up to he finally extends his free hand to introduce himself...

"I'm Aberdeen. Come stay the night with us, it is dangerous out here by yourself"

Fuck! No kidding!?! "Thanks, but I want to get a bit closer to Kozan..."

"No come, stay! We can have tea and breakfast in the morning"

"How far is Kozan?"

"Five or six kilometers"

Wow, I covered a bit more distance than I thought...and I think that's enough excitement for one night anyway...

"OK, sure"

The rock thrower goes his own way and Aberdeen leads me to the spot he shares with another guy. They sleep under the stars and I'm happy to join them. I never realized how noisy goats are but get a few hundred of them together and they make a racket. Burping, coughing, farting, pissing. Combined with the adrenaline still racing through my veins it's a while before I finally drift off...

Pilgrimage from Burhaniye to Comluk 15/07/08

Gale force winds are whipping at my walls as the alarm goes off. There wasn't enough flat ground to erect the tent last night so I'm just using it as a mosquito net, because of all the loose material it is making a racket! Grabbing the cameras I start my way up the hill...

Every step I take makes the peak look two steps farther away. I started at a jog and by the time I reach the top I'm just about crawling! I missed the sun rise by 10-15 minutes but it doesn't matter anyway, my view is blocked by another mountain and I still can't see the sun :( The winds are even stronger up here and it's not so enjoyable, I'm just lucky I thought to bring my jacket. Five minutes rest and I'm ready to make my way back down.

The walk up the valley is great and it isn't long before I reach Burhaniye. The town is tiny and my dreams of a morning cup of tea soon disappear. Making my way East I'm pleased when a sign to Kozan points me in the right direction, let's just hope it's not the last one...

The distance to Kozan is a bit of a mystery, varying from 60-95 kilometers depending on who I ask. My map soon becomes useless as villages start appearing that aren't marked and no-one has heard of the ones that are :) I am meant to be following the river but it isn't long before the road has me climbing ridge after ridge and in the heat of the day it's bloody hard work!

To top it off I have a constant stream of mining trucks whizzing by. The ground here is super dry and the dust is so fine that even when I walk I send up little clouds around my feet. The clouds the trucks leave behind are something else, often I can't see more than a meter and as for breathing... :(

So what should be an extremely peaceful stroll through the mountains is a nightmare, with the only conciliation being the view...when I can see it. With no idea how much distance I'm covering I keep at it, the only thing driving me on being the thought of a restaurant up ahead which people keep telling me exists...

Stopping for a break in the middle of nowhere I drift off, to be greeted on waking by a guy walking up the street...

"Salam alayikum"

"Wa alayikum essalam"

I have to rub my eyes to ensure I'm not still dreaming...He is walking along raking the road!!! What the...!?!

"What for?" you may be asking yourself, which is exactly what I'm still asking now! :)

Around 5pm my restaurant comes into sight and after demolishing a big bowl of stew, rice and a Coke I'm in much better spirits. The restaurant is set up for the trucks and many of the guys, recognizing me from the road, think I'm completely mad as I turned down their offers for a lift...but they make good company. I sit and chat, write some blogs, play some backgammon, eat more stew and by the time I'm ready to move again it's 9pm!

The moon is almost full and the rugged mountains, steep cliffs and deep valleys are are magical by moonlight! Out of the heat the walk is great and I consider walking all night. The only thing stopping me are my feet, even though I had a big rest at the restaurant it has been 17 hours since I started this morning! Time to stop...