GENERAL INFO (Jump to Diary) The Republic of Turkey is an unitary parliamentary constitutional republic, covering 783.356 square kilometres, mainly in Asia. It is the home of 79.814.871 citizens, of which 96,5% are Muslims, 3,2% have no religion and 0,9% are Christians. The currency is Turkish Lira, worth 1,87 Danish Krone and €0,25. The GDP is US$861 billion. Due to the altitudes and two coast lines, the climate diverse from cold semi-arid, warm Mediterranean, humid subtropical, temperate continental and even a bit of alpine. The biodiversity is extensive, due to the diverse climate and the location in The flora is even more extensive with 9.300 species of vascular plants,
DIARY
Getting into Turkey turns
It is pretty much the same landscape as Bulgaria: Gentle hills with farming, hardly any farms and harvest season. The road is most of the way a smooth four lane highway - except for all the crossing traffic, where the speed limit is down to 50 - and the horse wagons.
It clears up, and the landscape turns more flat. If it
wasn't for the
I reach the sea, and turn into a narrow peninsular. It is significantly dryer down along the sea, but many fields are artificially irrigated. I stop at one beach, but besides from hand sized rocks, here are hardly anything to find. I finally come up with two shells and a conk, that is all. Well, I find a small kneeling mantis, but fail to get a sharp photo.
Here are several shipyards and ferry lines. I head all
the way down to the Eceabat - Canakkale ferry.
We pass I the large coastal Kiltbahir Fortress, and on the other side, Canakkale Fortress watch the narrow sea. I am now on the Asian Continent with my car - but not much have changed. Canakkale is a big town, but here are tractors and huge palms in the streets. A bit further down the road, I pass Troy, which explains all the odd-looking wooden horses I see.
The countryside is just as dry, or even more. Here are
olive trees,
On
my way to the camp, I pass another, and have a look. A bit too rural for
sure. Then it turns out the one I actually was looking for, only have wooden
bungalows at an ridiculous high price. A bit further down the beach, I see
another camp. €9 give a tent with madras. What I assumed was internet and
showers is neither- and assumptions is the mother of all fuck-ups. Here are no
internet, and no wall or curtain in the showers. Or hot water
I
eat some of my still fresh letish and pepper fruits, along with a couple of
eggs. Then I head over the road to the beach, but unless you are going to
swim or sun bath, here are nothing interesting. I do a long walk, and only
come up with three broken snail encasings. The pebble is a bit more
interesting; so many different types of marble. Some are real nice polished.
Back at camp, a strange looking beetle drops from the olive tree, I parked
under. I've seen some alike in Namibia, but here, the name is
Mediterranean Flathead Woodborer; Capnodis tenebrionis. 24/6. At five, I am so freezing, I give up sleeping. I could sleep in the car, but I have a long g drive ahead of me, and I rather heat up, using the cars heater. Within long, it is nice and warm in the car, and I eat my breakfast, then make a stroll in the coastal hills. A dash of sun would have been nice, but it is too early.
I reach
Bergama,
and the first I see is the huge Red Hall, a ancient temple for the Egyptian
goods. Next to it is the remains of a huge cathedral. I find some narrow
copplestone alleys, leading up to the ruins of Acropolis. It is a huge
area with Greek and Roman ruins, among them the large and rather impressive
Pergamon Where most ruins tend to look alike, this one have an impressive collection of slim, white marble columns. Besides from the piles of hand shaped rocks, here are some great views and both black, round beetles and some really shy Starred Agama; Laudakia stellio. I see it all before the first (other Asians) get here by the cable car.
I now have 350 kilometres to
next sight, and chooses the bigger roads, Despite the car have run more than 350.000 kilometres, and have a busted back wheel bearing, it manages to do 33 km/l on last tank, and 32,25 on this. In Turkey, it have to run on Motorin. It so much deserve to be spoiled by a good mechanic! But I haven't seen a single Lupo here in Turkey, and spare parts will not be available.
Here are a mountainside covered in the bright white deposit of calcite. And
I consider this to be the main Turkish sight, as the calcite forms shelves or travertines,
which are filled with blue water. Well, they do in the wet season. Now,
there are apparently only water enough for the swimming pools. Never the less, it
is still a real special natural sight, and I get to walk a lot
Above the calcite, another ancient towns ruins are found. It is Hierapolis, and I see most of it too. Here are shy Agamas as well. When I have seen it all, I head down to Pamukkale, and find a restaurant with falafel. The host offers me a cup of tea afterwards, and we watch the election results together.
Then
I find a little hotel. He want 100 Lira, but I am only willing to pay 50 -
and that is all right. I
do a short walk around town, and are fascinated by the storks on the mosque.
The chicks are fly-training by now. Then it is back to work, and again, it
is passed midnight before I'm done.
Coast road, Acropolis,
Pamukkale Calsite and Hierapolis.Konya 25/6. I had an odd though yesterday morning: "This is the bed to fall out off": Madras on the soft ground in the tent. Can't recall ever falling out of a bed, but this morning, I wake up, when my eyebrow meet the floor, falling out of a real tall bed. Wrong place to do a stunt like that!
I botanise a bit outside town, but fail to
find anything new. Then I follow a boulevard with a endless line of
palms, leading to a flamboyant city. The rest of the 225 kilometres to Egirdir does not really offer much new. I pass some overloaded trucks,
bringing hay back from the fields.
The
first of the huge lakes turns up, and it does look like the sea. A herdsman
have his little cottage and herd of sheep at the lake side, but most flat
land around here is already harvested wheat.
It does have an old ruin, but also a lot of
rather new ones. The peninsular
Despite the time I spend at the restaurant, the rain continues, and so do I. Another stint of 225 kilometres to Konya, which accordingly to a friend, should have some interesting nature. The last 25 kilometres is small mountains with mainly pine, but the rain prevents me from enjoying them. The rest is the usual yellow farmland.
Next sight is 250 kilometres further east,
and I hope to find a camp, hostel or hotel on the way. The "nature" on the
other side of Konya is an endless plain with agriculture. The rain stops
outside town, and the harvesters are busy.
I
head next door at a big restaurant, and ask for vegetarian. I end up with
some beaked beans, rice and a small salad. And the price is real high!
Should have eaten what I had in the car. Due to the rather dull and rainy
day, the work is at least over before midnight.
Egirdir and Konya. |