The Long Road Back to Istanbul Airport

Well, I can honestly say I didn't know too much about the geography of Turkey a little more than a year ago.  Then, I visited it for the first time on a cruise when I went to Alanya and Atalya.  Those two places peaked my interest in Turkey.  Then, in May, when I took a cruise from Istanbul to Athens, I had the chance to go to Cappadocia - seriously one of the most magical and interesting places I have seen.  So, somehow, I have become a bit hooked on visiting this country - and it doesn't hurt knowing a charming, intelligent and funny guide to help me explore it.  What I wasn't prepared for, however, is how huge this country is.  Okay, not on a scale of Canada but it is larger than I thought.  It is 42% larger than France and, believe me, France is deceptively large.  So, it was pretty clear as we gradually made our way east over 7 days on this trip, the two day return was going to be brutal in terms of driving - and it was!  It wasn't just because, as Ata kept reminding me, residents of the Black Sea region aren't the best drivers but also because of the long distance back.

So, we left Ayder way up in the hills on Tuesday after a serious rainstorm.  Of course, I didn't mind because I was going nowhere off that mountain until I had to!  The "goat path" down the trail lined with astro-turf wasn't nearly as difficult or treacherous as going up had been.  We'd had a great time there and when Ata had done a hike, he got caught in the rainstorm.  Not me, I was cosily ensconced in my room catching up on computer stuff.   Odd how the places where you think the WiFi would be the worst turns out to be the best.  Needless to day, the waterfall visible from our rooms which had been a bit of a trickle had turned very heavy after the rains.  You can see from the photos the change in the waterfall before and after the rain.

Again, for our last evening, we dined in the breakfast room as it seemed to be respectful as we wanted to drink wine (me) and Raki (him) and that would have been a bit frowned upon by other guests in the dining room.  There was another couple there who spoke English.  She was from the Ukraine and he was Russian.  Imagine what they are going through.  Thankfully, they are living in Alanya in southern Turkey and are safe together.  Both of us, in our own way, expressed our compassion for what they are enduring.  

In the morning, in spite of it raining, it was pretty easy to make our way down the hill to the car.  It also helped that our suitcases made the trip down on the little basket contraption so we didn't have to fuss about managing them.

Our hotel is the one furthest up behind the one with the turquoise sign

As we took the only road down from the mountain, it became evident the rainstorm was more severe than we thought.  At times there were rocks and mud on it and, at one curve, a big boulder was on the other side of the road.  If a car hit it, there would have been serious consequences.  When we stopped for gas at the next village, Ata reported it and the attendant said the police inspect the road every morning at 7 am because rock slides in this area are not uncommon.  Once we reached the coast, we started the journey west.  The first day would be an 8 1/2 hour drive to Sinop where we had stayed before.  The only positive was that now we were on the sea side of the road and saw the water much of the way.  Also, except for a few towns, the traffic wasn't as heavy as we'd thought but that didn't make it less chaotic or challenging.  Ata was right; the drivers here are nuts!

We made it to Sinop safely and, as we were staying at the same hotel, we knew how to find it and also we went back to the same restaurant so it all went smoothly.  

The following day, we were on the road just before 5:30 and, while the drive to Sile (the last stop on this road trip) was still 7 hours, it seemed to go quickly, partly because there was so little traffic on the road but also because some of it was a toll road which meant fewer "stops and starts" except when we wanted a break.  We reached Sile in the early afternoon and I was delighted to be back in a seaside town.  After we'd rested and sorted our stuff out, we went for dinner at a restaurant right on the water where we watched the sun set - not only in the sky but also on our 9 day adventure.  

I had learned a lot about Turkey and its culture; more importantly, had gained a friend.  Ata was a great companion on this trip - not only as a knowledgeable guide but super as we shared each others' personal challenges and provided advice and support to each other.  If things go according to plan, I may see him again later next year to see the south coast of this wonderful country.  The following day, I took a taxi to Istanbul airport and left Turkey.

Next up for me:  a road trip in Italy.