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Istanbul looks very different when you are there to work. It may even be better! Stocking a truck kitchen here meant shopping in the freaking Grand Bazaar of Istanbul. My daily walk home brought me passed the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia. It really is a magical city. It looks unreal, a wild imagination come to life. Really beautiful, deep history and culture, outrageous food, love of cats!! (I apologize for only taking pictures of cats, but we had so many truck helpers!) Everybody has also been so wonderful and welcoming. Makes getting ready for a massive endeavor so much easier. It’s just awesome here. Now it’s time to meet a group and drive them across the entirety of Asia starting in Europe, in the city where East meets West. Istanbul to Beijing in one go. The ultimate Silk Road overland adventure visiting places I’ve only ever dreamed of and a return to places I never thought I would see again. How could I refuse!
ISTANBUL TO ECEABAT: It wouldn’t be overlanding without something going wrong so not an hour after departing Istanbul our mirror was side swiped but it did mean the detour to fix it brought us to the coastal road to Eceabat which is wildly beautiful. Eceabat is a small, but picturesque town that is the closest to the battlefields of Gallipoli. This World War I campaign over the Dardanelles needlessly resulted in the loss of 120,000 Australian, New Zealand, British, French and Turkish soldiers. Many flock here to memorialize and make peace with the past. The group went on a fantastic and meaningful tour of the battlefields with TJ of TJ tours that I unfortunately could not join as I had to accompany someone to a clinic and run several errands around town. Couldn’t be a more pleasant spot for errands which is in stark contrast to the horrors of the past.
ECEABAT TO ASSOS: We were spoiled in a hotel in Eceabat, but now it was time to head to our first bush camp! Our day started with a crossing of the Dardanelles Strait on a ferry offering outrageous views. The ancient city of Troy followed where we learned the mythology and history with our guide Mustafa who quite literally wrote the book on the place. The site itself is underwhelming, especially when compared to the other jewels of antiquity in the country, but it was really fantastic to experience it through Mustafa’s passion and knowledge. Next we continued towards Assos to visit the Temple of Athena, it’s ruins majestically perched above the Aegean Sea. What a fucking drive. (And how Al (the driver) made it through those impossibly narrow streets I’ll never know!) What a spot! Absolutely beautiful. What made it even more special was looking out at the island of Lesvos, the Greek island where my uncle was born and where my family still has a house. The bush camp was in a really beautiful location with Aegean and mountain views. The initial set up went surprisingly well for the first bush camp. The weather was less cold than I expected and the wind was calm. Remember this is overlanding so one must expect the unexpected and naturally the unexpected came. I awoke at 2am to wind howling violently, gusts so strong the truck was rocking. Fly sheets were stripped from tents leaving Al and I scrambling to save them in hurricane force winds that were so cold and so strong it felt like fighting through a sheet of ice. We did ultimately have to take down a whole tent in these conditions which I can assure you is no fun. Thankfully the wind calmed by 6am and everyone happily survived their first night of proper overlanding!
ASSOS TO SELCUK: It was a new day post wild bush camp. We headed to Selcuk via the Ancient Greek city of Pergamon. Cable cars, ruins, history, views. Ideal stop! Selcuk is the gateway to one of the greatest sites of antiquity in the world…Ephesus. The group was dropped off at the entrance to the ruins while Al and I went on truck missions, but I had to visit the newish museum that hadn’t existed when I visited years ago and it was well worth it. I was also lucky enough to be able to do food shopping for the group at the local Saturday market that brings vendors from all over the region and just incredible produce and products. The afternoon brought rain, but also a drive out to Sirince, a Greek village until the fall of the Ottoman Empire. (Please read about the population exchange and fate of many Greeks in Turkey) The town has turned into a cruise ship style tourist trap, but it still had it charms like an old Orthodox Church, lovely locally produced wines and beautiful views.
SELCUK TO LAKE ISPARTA: Early start to allow for proper exploration of the famous travertines of Pamukkale and the ancient Roman spa town of Hierapolis. Years ago I had a magical experience here as so much of the ruins are unexplored by tourists who prefer to clamor over the travertines leaving this incredible site virtually empty! Absolutely incredible driving and bush camp off Lake Isparta tonight. Jewel colored lake surrounded by snow capped mountains, a radiant moon and a sky full of stars. It was so beautiful one could even forget the actual freezing temperatures!
LAKE ISPARTA TO GOREME: Our first caravanserai! In case we forgot we were following the ancient Silk Road, today we stopped at the largest medieval caravanserai in Turkey. These inns were established for weary traders and are found everywhere between here and China. We were then hit with snow driving into Goreme, but cleared just in time to reveal the magic of Cappadocia. This place is like a child’s vivid imagination come to life, like a fairy tale that is hard to believe exists in the real world. As a result, it is extremely touristy, but that does not kill the magic of the area. It is so eccentrically formed, it is easy to forget the history of the place and the fact that people have worshiped in, inhabited and hidden in these caves for many centuries. Unfortunately my time in Goreme was not leisurely, but it turned out to be a spectacular visit for the group who were able to explore and balloon in perfect weather. Sun and shedding 1 or 2 layers was extremely welcome! An early departure was a gift because it meant walking the city as balloons took flight and there are few sights like it.
GOREME TO GUMUSHANE: Magical early morning in Goreme before a 600km drive to a bush camp. Like every other day the scenery was outrageous and made even more beautiful by blankets of snow. Even our bush camp was a snowy wonder!
GUMUSHANE TO KACHKAR MOUNTAINS: Glorious sunny day, perfect for a visit to Sumela Monastery. This Greek Orthodox monastery is carved into a Pontic Mountain cliff. In it’s present form, it dates back to the 13th century and has a very storied history. Pretty extraordinary place in an extraordinary mountain setting. The visit was also a somber one when thinking about why this monastery lay empty. From 1913-1923, half of the population of Pontic Greeks were killed and the rest forcibly removed in the population exchanges that began in 1923. On a happier note, we all got our first look at the Black Sea! We had extra time so we drove up to hill above Trabzon for sweeping views. The day ended at another beautiful bush camp deep in the Kachkar mountains and that is a wrap on Turkey!
Next stop, Georgia! Stay Tuned for the next blog!