Friendly Turkey

6fartsinacart
Jun 18, 2017
3 min read

10 June 2017, Saturday: We wake up reluctantly to one of the best sleeps we’ve had in ages. I totally forgot what sleep was supposed to be like... continuous sleep with no interruptions. After a late lie-in we leave. Today we don’t plan to visit any interesting ancient sites, but the route we take, snakes through lush green mountains and we admire the spectacular scenery. The mountain sides are covered with fig orchards. We stop in Nazilli to buy food for lunch, then move on to a quieter spot outside town to eat. At Gӧlcük next to the lake, 1 300 meters above sea level, we come upon an encamped area and ask the family (mother, father and son) of a small shop if we can stay at their place for the night. We order and share 4 Turkish sandwiches and finish it off with (another!) watermelon. The father shows us a HUGE catfish that he caught 3 days before which he keeps on a line in the water... still alive. It is quite magnificent, weighing 31 kilos and approximately 1,2m long. 11 June 2017, Sunday: We are thankful to our hosts for the lovely spot last night. After some Turkish tea, talking and taking photographs, we are on our way. We do a lot of driving and along the way stop at Sardis, a town that received a letter recorded in the book of Revelation in the Bible. There are ancient ruins in Sardis and some parts are still being excavated. Around 4.30pm we pull off on another small road and stop next to a river. Emile tries to catch a fish while Dad BBQ’s chicken drumsticks and braai-brood for us. We go to bed with a frog symphony in full swing. 12 June 2017, Monday: 10am we leave our frog-inhabited river. Not long after we stop at a mountain-fountain to fill up with water. We stop for a lunch break at 2.00pm and as we leave, we're surprised when an old couple pulls off in front of us, blocking our exit to give us a bag full of strawberries. For free! At Ҫavdarhisar we do a quick walk around the Aezani Archaeological Site before continuing to Kayaboğazi Lake. We reach the lake at 5pm and with the strawberries, some spanspek (sweet melon) and a can of peaches Genève makes us a nice fruit salad to go with our supper. Dad and Mum need to send an important email, but there is no reception at our stop, so Emile, and later Dad and Genève, cycle to see if they can find reception. They return unsuccessful. We have a stunning view across the lake and a beautiful sunset as the clouds start teaming.