Pilgrimage from Narlihan to Cayirhan 16/06/08

The cheap hotel also has cheap curtains and I wake with the Sun beaming in my window :( Eating more of the left over rice from yesterday's lunch I get straight into it.

On the way in to Narlihan the road was lined with restaurants and service stations so I figure the way out should be pretty much the same. I couldn't be more wrong! Luckily I filled up with water before leaving because from the first step out of town there is nothing. NOTHING!!!

Nothing that is except amazing views. It's one of those days where I walk for a couple of hundred meters, stop and take a photo, then walk a couple of hundred more before stopping again...Beautiful!

The reds in the soil I was seeing yesterday are now highlighted by the sun giving an awesome contrast with the rocks and trees. The mountains are rocky with steep cliffs in abundance. A truly magical landscape!

Ten kilometers out of Nalihan I finally stumble upon a little service station. Hoping for a restaurant I'm disappointed with their selection of food. Chocolate bars or biscuits...or chocolate bars :( Looks like this is lunch so two chocolate bars and a can of Pepsi later I'm ready to get back into it.

Making another 10kms I start feeling slightly worried with the lack of shelter, there is nothing out here offering any shade at all! Spotting a dry creek bed passing under the road I go and suss it out and find a great little cubby house to relax through the heat of the day.

Attempting to read, it isn't long before I pass out cold...

It's still bloody hot when I wake and I find it a bit hard getting going. My bread and cheese isn't looking so appealing so on an empty stomach I make a move. I'm really not feeling like walking anywhere, but there's not much else to do ;)

With only a slit in one eye open, following the white line on the side of the road I pretend I'm somewhere else and just focus on putting one foot in front of the other. Making five kilometers like this I turn on my mp3 player, this always makes the walking easier...

"This is the end...."

Nice choice God!!!

First song up is the Doors and really doesn't do much for my mood. Walking around in the desert listening to this seems a bit silly and I only manage to get half way through before searching for something a bit more upbeat :)

Passing the next rise my spirits get a lift anyway, finally I can see some civilization! It's still 7-8ks away but with it in sight the walk is all of a sudden a lot more enjoyable.

I had been told yesterday there was a bird sanctuary in this area but I wasn't expecting to pass it. I havn't seen a drop of water all day but rounding a bend I'm greeted with a huge lake. Spending five minutes getting some photos I'm too hungry to hang around any longer and keep going.

Suddenly the top of my tripod falls off and I watch in horror as my video camera bounces along the road. FUCK!!! In over 4500kms this is the first time I've dropped it!

Taking a deep breath I go and collect it...luckily it's still all OK, making a few funny noises now and again but still OK :)

A town comes into sight and I eagerly search for a restaurant...but no luck :( I try to think back on when I took my last break and realize it was 14kms ago! I must be hungry!!! Normally 10kms is the maximum I like to walk without stopping.

After a brief rest I keep going, knowing that Cayirhan should only be 6kms away.

Arriving around 8pm, as soon as I enter town I get an invite for tea, then another, then another! I find a restaurant, have dinner, then head out of town to camp. Remembering I still don't have any water I stop at a service station. Checking if they have wireless I get a pleasant surprise :)

So two hours later, about 23:00, I finally make a move and realize that even though I didn't start drinking tea until 8pm, I've still managed to consume five cups in the last three hours! None of which I ordered :)

And, as is always the way, I had 36kms of nothing all day, and now I want to find a camping spot I get 3kms of industrial area! But oh well, it's just kilometers I don't have to walk tomorrow...

The industrial area finishes and spotting another dry creek making a tunnel under the road I call it a night.