Packed and setting off from the lake, I notice a flat. At least it is the front tyre. Difficult to resolve on the salt and sand, I push to the edge where I decided to try and inflate and see if it holds. It does. I set off along the only road through the lake. The wind pushes against me and it is tough going. I cycle past mounds of salt collected for sale. Its big business here and three trucks have already arrived for filling, it’s only 6am.
I’ve already made the decision I needed a shower and a rest day after the past few days. So I will stop in Aksaray, staying one night in a hotel and the next with a Warmshowers host. But first I had another 80km to get there. Trucks wizzed past, the undulating nature of the road and the heat made it tough going. 20km out from Aksaray I was hungry and tired and my front tyre punctured again! I stop and replace the inner tube with my spare. As I am inflating the inner tube explodes. I have no other spares and I now have to resort to trying to hitch a ride with a bike.
Rest, inner tubes and English
I stick my thumb out hoping a van or large car stops by. Actually, I see a red ford escort from the 80s coming towards me on the hard shoulder. I move out of its way thinking he was just using the hard shoulder to go slow. Nope. He was picking me up! His name was Mehmet (a different one). I started to wonder how we were going to fit the bike in. We place the rear of the bike with the bags on top in the boot, which has less space due to a LPG conversion. Then rope it to the boot bracket to stop it falling out. Mehmet was fine with this, I not so much. But I had no choice in the matter; you take help where you can.
We set off towards a friend of Mehmet who repairs lorry tyres. I’m pretty sure this wouldn’t work and I was hoping he just drives me to Aksaray. Mehmet doesn’t speak English so everything is through Google Translate. His friend can’t, so after a phone call and checking the size of my tyres we are off to another friend of his who has some old inner tubes. They need repairing first so they offer me some food and a coffee. It’s Nescafe, the good stuff. They fix two inner tubes and we replace one of mine. With the amount of repairs already on the inner tube I wasn’t convinced it would hold. But it did and I owe Mehmet and his friend the biggest thanks. Turkey is truly made by its people.
I get to the hotel, have food and a much needed shower and settle in for a night’s sleep. Rested I head to get my bike and some new inner tubes. I have a flat again! The replaced inner tube from yesterday. I find replacements and some new spares, better quality this time. I head to my Warmshowers host, Sebnem, and we have a quick meal and I am invited to attend their English practice club. It was a fun evening discussing the history of chess, the chosen topic of the night. We also discuss differences in our cultures.
Byzantine settlements
My first stop after my rest was the cathedral at Selime. Carved into the rock in Roman times after the move to Christianity. It is impressive in size and the detail they went into with a fully fledged kitchen, winery, 2 halls and basilica. The area also boasts many houses built into the rocks and as you move towards the Ihlara valley there are several more churches built into the rocks with many frescos still remaining.
I did consider stopping to stay in the Ihlara valley at a camp site but I realised when I got there it was far too touristy for my liking and quickly moved on. I just wish I knew that before descending 100m only to have to go back up!
Opting for a camping spot overlooking a reservoir, I had a relaxing evening. I also realised I had been on the road for 5 months and totalled over 7,000km! I’m shocked I’ve cycled this distance and still can’t quite realise it at the same time. I spend the rest of the evening reminiscing in all the memories of places and people I met. The next morning I have a slow breakfast and set off towards the Narligöl crater, an old volcano. Once there I realised it would be too early to set up camp but it would make a nice spot. I decided to hang around for a few çays and lunch.
From there I took the ‘high road’ to Derinkuyu. It was a mud trail, but I had company. Three dogs were following me from the crater in the hope of treats. They left me when it became apparent I wasn’t going to give them food. Derinkuyu has an underground city, complete with church and crypt. Like Selime it is quite amazing the depth it goes underground and the amount of work they put in. On exiting and getting ready to ride off the guards invite me in for çay and biscuits, they wanted to know about my trip and how I found Turkey.
From a friend’s profile I noticed he had camped at a park nearby, so I headed there and ended up chatting to the ground staff. Two were friends, Ahmed and Nehad, visiting from Germany. They offer me çay and they also bring out bread and grape molasses for dipping. We all sit around talking (mainly through Google Translate) and having food and çay. I ask about camping there and they said ‘to go ahead, many tourists camp here.’ Always nice to have a perfect pitch with toilet and WiFi!
Cappadocia and return to tourist central
In the morning, their lighter is broken so they ask me for help. You can’t start a day’s work without the morning çay. They offer me some and breakfast as well. I head off towards Cappadocia looking for areas where there are little to no tourists. This is not easy in this part of Turkey. But I do come across a small village with only locals, time for some cheap çay, only 2 lira (10 pence) each. Time to update the journal.
I head towards the town of Uchisar and prepare myself for the onslaught of tourists. There is a viewpoint overlooking the Pigeon valley and I can now see why people rave about this place. It is stunning with the rock formations and homes built into the rocks. I head up to the Uchisar castle which overlooks the area. There is a celebration inside to the movie Medea, which was made in Cappadocia. But the best bits are outside where you can overlook the area.
Going downhill towards Goreme there is a spot known to cycle tourers and I pitch my tent and prepare for the hot air balloons in the morning.