18 August, by bus to Erzurum
Otel Emre 70TL
Our host’s son had agreed to drop his
French walkers, four young women who had been taking day hikes from Karahan Pension
for three days running, at the otogar (bus station) in Yusufeli. When he heard
we were headed that way too, he offered to drive us if we did not mind sitting
in the open back of his truck. We did not, of course, particularly as he
provided us with a wooden bench and some jar-resistant cushions on which to
make the 27km trip along the rough single-lane road. From Yusufeli a bus and
taxi reunited us with our bikes in the city. I have not mentioned the feral
youngsters encountered in eastern Turkey. On occasion in western and central
Turkey, children would shout “Money, money” as we passed. The further east we
travelled, the more frequent became the “Money, money” demands – on occasion
our refusal being followed by an act of aggression, more often than not
directed at me rather than at Charl. On a couple of occasions children grabbed
at my panniers; a small boy once wacked me with a small, lightweight branch; an
angry shepherd poked me in the back with his stick; and a boy in Doğubayazit
slapped at my face, intentionally missing. The fact of the possibility of
violence is of course disturbing; that it is directed at a woman rather than a man
is both disturbing and cowardly. We dined at a restaurant in the mall that
serves Italian pasta. I ordered spaghetti bolognaise, Charl penne alfredo. Both
sauces were in fact served on a bed of fettuccine, but both were delicious and
a welcome change from kebab.
Between Barhal and Erzurum
Between Barhal and Erzurum
Between Barhal and Erzurum
Between Barhal and Erzurum
Between Barhal and Erzurum