The amazing hospitality continues and a huge breakfast is waiting for me upon waking. Spending the morning lounging around and chatting it's a relaxing way to start the day. Knowing I only have 25kms today I'm not concerned about leaving late and it's noon before I make a move.Omer takes me back down to the main road and leaves me to it. Nothing but highway today so plugging myself into my ipod I drift off.
A fresh gust of wind brings the scent of rain, but glancing around there isn't a cloud to be seen. A few minutes and a few gusts later I can't shake the feeling it's about to piss down...
I stop, look around, but still no sign of rain...strange??? Turning to face behind me I'm confronted by huge dark clouds brewing in the distance. Shit! I have to meet my next couchsurfing host at 5pm and I only just have enough time to make it. Stopping for a thunderstorm isn't in my plans :(
Upping my pace I try to outrun it but the effort is futile...and just my luck, as the first drops start falling I find military bases on either side and nowhere to hide!
With torrential rain bearing down I'm just about at a run when relief comes in the form of a BP. It couldn't have been better timed... even before the shop assistants can offer me tea the heavens let go. Awesome!!!
With thunder and lightning to boot I feel no need to torture myself and keep walking. I figure bugger it, if it doesn't stop soon I'll just bus it to the meeting spot. The BP has wireless and finding myself a little corner I set up camp to wait the storm out...
Forty-five minutes later the skies are blue once again but I think the damage is done. It's looking like I will be late...
Keeping a good pace I stop at a service station to ask how far I have to go..."Where are you going?"
"The 5M Migros, Ankamall..."
"5kms"
It's already 16:30 and there is no way I'll make it on time. Luckily for me a truck driver overhears our conversation and offers me a lift. Considering I'm only going to bus it back to Ankamall anyway when I restart in a couple of days (yep, thats right...tomorrow I'm having a break!!! yippee!!!) there is not much difference in starting 5kms before...or so I tell myself anyway :)
Meeting my new host, Zeynep, we head straight back to her apartment to relax. She works as a check-in agent at the airport and has just finished a split shift so is feeling pretty buggered herself. Much to her credit though she is still a perfect host :)
Zeynep has two friends up from her home town as well as her brother so after a wonderful dinner we all head out to have a quick look around the neighborhood. The last stop is a mosque with the first level being used as a shopping center. We need beer for the soccer game tonight so I ask Zeynep if she thinks they sell beer inside...
Shrugging "Maybe, they have a supermarket"
Maybe!!! The chance of finding a mosque selling beer is all a bit too exciting for me and I'm wishing I bought the video camera. But don't worry...if I find beer inside I will be back ;)
Unfortunately, as hard as we search we keep coming up empty handed, but we do get a laugh at the reaction of the supermarket staff when we ask :)
The game tonight is Turkey Vs Croatia in the Quarter Finals of the European Cup, so it's a pretty big deal. Once again Turkey starts off with an ordinary performance and is lucky with the 0-0 score after 90 minutes. They finally get it together and the game is great to watch over the next 29 minutes but then with one minute left on the clock Croatia score! It's a disaster!!! The Turkish fans are already crying before the game restarts and the mood is pretty miserable but with one second to go Turkey equalize!!! The Croatians are now the ones totally demoralized turning the penalty shootout into a complete non-event....
Then the celebrations start! The honking horns and fireworks carry on way after we all call it a night...
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