12 August, Diyadin to Ağri, 59km
Otel Kiliçaslan 90TL (breakfast included) (negotiated down from 120TL)

A near perfect ride with more coasting than climbing, cycling a valley bracketed by two parallel ranges of mountains, the Aras Gϋneyi to the north, the Ala to the south. Doğubayazit was our easternmost destination. Now we are headed west/northwest toward the Black Sea. This puts the morning sun on our backs instead of in our faces, a real pleasure. Today we also had a strong following wind, cooling us down and adding a little voomah to our speed. Charl and I lost each other shortly after entering Ağri, a city of 111,000. We had talked about what to do in such an event and had decided it was best not to have such an event! Charl was ahead of me, turned off the fast-paced main road to do one of his periodic U-turns to check on my whereabouts, and missed my calling to him as I went on by. I thought he was behind me; he thought I was behind him... In addition, unbeknownst to me, his tyre burst shortly thereafter, making for limited mobility. It took us just over 90 anxious minutes to find each other. We both went back initially to the point at which we had last seen each other – unfortunately a different point though on the same road. We both decided to head for the local Öğretmenevi. Charl got a ride on the back of a horse cart and did a lot of walking, so had not reached the hotel by the time I did so. My next port of call was the police. Two policeman directing traffic on a busy corner called their colleagues at the main station, three of whom came in a car to lead me through the city streets to the station. Having taken a description of Charl, they put it out on the radio and immediately traced him. He was walking toward the Öğretmenevi and was seen and accosted by two policemen. My guys led me again through the busy roads, and reunited us, all smiles.

Between Diyadin and Ağri

Between Diyadin and Ağri