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... :)
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