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Week Two Chapter: 10 May ~ 16 May - Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan





"The path to our destination is not always a straight one. We go down the wrong road, we get lost, we turn back. Maybe it doesn't matter which road we embark on. Maybe what matters is that we embark." - Barbara Hall, Northern Exposure, Rosebud, 1993

Starting location for this week: Ürgüp, Turkey
Ending location for this week: Shekhi, Azerbaijan
Planned mileage for this week: 957 miles/1,531 kilometers


Gamardjobat ("Hi/Hello" in Georgian)!

In the seven riding days of this weeks' chapter, our group will leave Turkey behind them, transit through Georgia, and enter Azerbaijan. They'll spend the last of their Turkish Lira, switch to the Georgian Lari, and wind up with bulging pockets of Azerbaijani Manat. As they adjust to the rhythm of the road, the world of instant messaging, broadband internet, and the artificial reality of "reality TV" begins to slip away, displaced by a far more immersive reality, the reality of the Silk Road.

Here in Seattle, a cultural wormhole has appeared. A major event this week is the International Children's Festival, the largest event of its kind in North America. The Festival brings performing artists from all over the world to our city for a week-long celebration of song, music, juggling, acrobatics and dance. An excerpt from a news release on the event states:

"TURKEY - Mercan Dede and Secret Tribe. Turkish-born multi-instrumentalist and DJ Mercan Dede explores the mystical traditions of Sufi culture and, with mesmerizing, deep house grooves, brings them into the 21st century. The acclaimed master of the ney flute has assembled a brilliant band that, together with the Whirling Dervishes, brings the world of the 12th Century poet, Rumi onto the contemporary dance floor."

As our riders in Turkey were learning of the Sufi culture, entranced by the hypnotic dance of the Whirling Dervishes, the children and parents in our city, almost 7,000 miles away, were learning of Sufi culture, entranced by the hypnotic dance of the Whirling Dervishes. A cultural bridge banishes space and time, and brings the beauty and mysticism of an ancient poet and philosopher to children who have never seen a typewriter, but take the internet for granted. Maybe someday, they too will travel the Silk Road.


Mike, Your Webmeister

Whirling Dervishes


Unless otherwise noted, all photographic images on this page were taken by Helge Pedersen.


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To find out what time it is there (or anywhere!), visit The World Clock.


To see where they are now, visit the Navigation Technology Chapter.


For more information about the countries in this week's leg of the Silk Road, please visit the resources listed below:

- The World Factbook, maintained by the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States

- The Consular Information Sheets, provided by the Department of State of the United States

- The web-based, free-content encyclopedia entries at Wikipedia, maintained by "GlobeWriters" everywhere!




Hans Muellers (in the lead) and Jay Yanick motor through the villages.


Dining in the "cave hotel" Elkep Evi Pansiyon isn't exactly roughing it.

09 MAY 2005 - Cappadocia, Turkey

From: Hans Muellers

Sent: Monday, May 09, 2005 5:57 AM

To: Silk Road Live!Journal

Subject: Deep in Turkey


Hi

Today is Monday, we are just a few days into the trip but it seems like so much time has passed. I am sure it is because our days are filled with activities.

From Istanbul to Bursa was a wonderful trip over small roads and thru small Villages. I saw Turkish life and wanted to stop and have tea at almost every town. The world here is so different. Very friendly people and the only thing holding me back from enjoying it more is the language barrier. A good handshake and my smile break down cultural differences and soon everybody comes over and has questions. I stop as much as I can but I also must reach my goal by night. Bursa is the first Ottoman Capital and still has a great Silk Bazaar ( Kosa Han ) built in 1491 and still in full operation.

The next day already brought us to Safranbolu, a Turkish Village out of a story book. Small streets, chatty people and a much slower life than I am used to. Instead of TV at night, men sit in the outside cafe and play backgammon or some sort of tile game. Impressive to watch how fast they can play these games. Life is different here.

Ancient. Refined! 10,000 years of living has taught these people something. Sure they have TV and Internet but they choose to play the old board games. Very nice indeed.

Food is great! I had so many sorts of breads I lost count. Food is prepared in different ways, using new spices for me. Stew baked in real crock pots for example, the opening closed with a lump of dough so the stew can really simmer. Delicious!

Cappadocia, the place I am writing from has cave dwellings started even before the first Christians. The caves still have wall paintings in them from when the Catholic Church just started. 300 AD?

So much history at every corner. So much that my mind is already on overload and the trip has just started.

I will try to keep you up to date when and if I can.


Hans




09 MAY 2005 - Kapadokya, Turkey

From: Laura Seaver

Sent: Monday, May 09, 2005 6:03 AM

To: Silk Road Live!Journal

Subject: Capadoccıa


Greetings from Urgup in Kapadokya!!

Monday, May 9

Today's been a busy day! I was up at 4:20 a.m. this morning for an early morning balloon flight. It was spectacular! This region is known for its landforms -- all kinds of fantastical shapes worn by erosion, very much like the badlands.

This area was covered by layers of ash laid down by ancient volcanoes. Over time, wind and water have carved bizarre shapes. The rock is very soft, so over millennia, people have carved houses, churches, and even entire underground cities. Apparently, the last cave villages were vacated in the late 1950's after an earthquake caused some rock fall that killed some people. After that, the government made the people build more "traditional" houses.

We toured an underground city that was used for defense. It was a complete warren of caves and passageways. We went about 90 meters below the entrance through some passageways that were slightly more than shoulder width wide and only about four feet high. I was pretty proud of myself -- I managed to keep my borderline claustrophobia at bay. We also visited a monastic area that had many churches and chapels carved into the rock with frescos on the ceilings.

But anyway, back to the balloon ride. We headed out to the launch site, which was a little field surrounded by poplars in the bottom of one of the many small valleys carved by the wind and rain. There were two balloons-- both very large, holding about 13 people each.

The precision of these two pilots was amazing! We did what they call contour ballooning, up and down along the contours of the hills and valleys, skimming the tops of trees, dropping down over the lips of cliffs, climbing up and skimming a few feet above the rocks. Most impressive. At the end of the flight, both balloons were landed on the trailers!!! Okay, the ground crew helped a little with placement, but still damned impressive.

This is supposedly a "rest day" but after the ballooning, we did the tours. After I finish here, I think it will be back to the hotel for a nap. Our hotel is a "cave hotel", the rooms are carved out of the rock. It's quite luxurious. I think we are all convinced that we are in the best room, as each are different. As we are checking out each other's rooms, I think everyone has a case for being in the best one. The rooms certainly are quiet.

The night before we arrived here, we stayed in a restored caravanserai in Safronbolu. That was also very neat, although the rooms were much smaller than here. The dining room was the old stables. We caused a bit of a stir parking 18 bikes out front in the old town with narrow cobblestone streets.

The riding has been quite varied. Yesterday, for instance, we climbed up over a pass almost 5,000 feet through a forest, squeezed our way through a village market, and finished riding through high arid plains.

People here are very friendly and outgoing, so we are meeting people without having to make much effort. Everyone is willing to sit and have a cup of tea. I am drawing some extra attention by being a female rider. I really enjoy meeting women my age -- I certainly get a lot of encouragement from them. I had a nice visit yesterday with women at a gas station. We had very few words in common but still connected. I did, however, scare her three year old daughter!

I was hoping to be able to send some pictures, but the opportunity for internet came when I wasn't quite prepared. But check out www.globeriders.com for photos and a live update of our position. It's a great way to keep up with us and read reports from others in the group.

Turkey is wonderful for riding. It's hard to think we leave in three days. We have a long way to go, but I could spend months here too.

Until next time,


Laura


Centuries before the Flintstones, the people in Cappadocia lived in elaborate homes carved from "living" rock


Contour ballooning at its finest, right down in the nooks and crannies of the phantasmagorical landscape of Cappadocia.


Master balloonist Lars radiates pure competence as he flies his balloon.




09 MAY 2005 - Urgup, Turkey

From: David Ow

Sent: Monday, May 09, 2005 7:09 AM

To: Silk Road Live!Journal

Subject: Greetings from Urgup, Turkey


Greetings Family and Friends

Spent this Mon. morning on a tour of the unusual rock formations and the monasteries carved in the rocks.

Also went to the underground city which goes down 9 levels. Had to bend way down going thru the small tunnels. It was amazing that people lived here to escape the Crusaders.

Riding from Istanbul has been great fun. The back roads offer great views and not much traffic. In Bursa I went to the Silk Bazaar and could not resist buying some scarves. Had a delicious meat kebab dinner. Two sauces were poured over the meat, the last I recognized as hot butter! In Safranbolu we stayed at a remodeled 13th century caravansary. I imagined how many ancient travelers stayed in my room.

I am doing fine and staying healthy. The BMW is running strong. Thanks to John Woo, Gabe and Tom D. for helping me get it ready for the trip. One surprise is that super gas is 8 US dollars a gallon!

Motorcycling On,


David




10 MAY 2005 - Seattle, Washington USA

Normally, I try to stay out of the GlobeRiders' stories.  But, the next one is special, and I'm going to publish it "raw", no editing, no spell-checking, nothing, because it's a great story (actually MANY stories) and it feels very real in the form as received.

A little explanation is required. A keyboard is not a keyboard is not a keyboard. Of course, most people grok that a foreign language keyboard may have different characters on the keycaps than the one they're used to.  And some understand that certain keys may be in different places. But not many know, unless they've used one, that certain keys, even though they may "look" the same, actually output something completely different, that may or may not be interpreted as intended.

For instance, a Turkish keyboard has fun with the Roman letter "i".  It can output something like "ı" to an English application (this is not technically correct, but you get the idea).

Hans Muellers sent email. His sentences looked like this through no fault of his own:

"...whıch ıs ın great condıtıton."

Using a word processor to do a search (ı) and replace (with the letter "i") magically reveals the following decoded text:

"...which is in great condition."

The author of the following is Rick Wetzel.  He managed to avoid the "ı" problem, but, worried about it, faced with an unfamiliar keyboard, with half of the key legends probably worn off, and with LOTS to say, he chooses his own form of encryption.  Rick is a great guy, funny, smart, with boundless enthusiasm and a huge heart.  It's because of this that I know I can get away with no editing. It's a very real story from the road.  Deal with it.  It's a fun read. . . .





Front gate of Elkep Evi Pansiyon cave hotel.


Rick Wetzel, tired of paying USD$8.00 ~ $9.00 for gas, tried an alternative fuel ride.


Would you buy a hand-made carpet from this man?


Courtyard scene at the hotel in Amasya.
09 MAY 2005 - Talkin' Turkey

From: Rick Wetzel

Sent: Monday, May 09, 2005 6:24 AM

To: Anyone But the Silk Road Live!Journal

Subject: Ricks crude hurried and pasted together email


Folks this is not a very good email but it is something I do apologize but it is the very best I can do right this second It is several emails to different people that know the people Im talking about so excuse the informality I wouldnt have enough time to do seperate ones and so I just glom them all together and this is what your gonna get I have been keeping a much better written journal that I fully intend to do some real writing from It is something I am very much looking foward to as well but right now too much is happening and I just cant take the time to do it At this point I want and need to be living this stuff and not stuck in an internet cafe as unique as some of them are here

ahem

So remember to kind of imagine commas question marks semi colons and stuff like that You guys should just see what Im trying to work with here The keyboard is a bit um foreign lets just say so excuse the no punctuation thing that is happening Or not happening actually At least its in English though that too will change shortly This trip so far is better than either the world trip or the africa trip well better isnt the exact right word but it is very different I have met many more locals than both of those trips combined and we are only in the very beginning stages of the trip Everybody is very approachable and curious Also it is amazing how many people speak English maybe a quater of the people and that makes it nice Even the people that dont though seem easier to communicate with then others on other trips We are now in the Cappadocia region of turkey it is where Mike Paull sent me those utterly fantastic photographs from 2 years ago that I have never forgot about I cant believe that I am here now too Its worth your while to do a search or dig out an old National Geographic to see what I mean you will soon see It is much like Moab but much more of a lunar type landscape Youll see when I show you the pictures some day Today I bought a green turban and wore it most of the day Hans here what a comedian made me get on a tourist camel for a photo op Smelly mo fo Ill tell you what You oughta smell my crotch No maybe not You wont believe what I did this morning Everybody well most everybody went hot air ballooning at the crack of dawn for the sunrise I was starting to regret I didnt sign up for it but then sterling asked if he could film me trying to chase it on my motorcycle riding through the lunar landscape I said sure thing There were 3 of us Hans I love that guy and another fine gent he gave me a spare diode board for my beemer anyhow we had to take a mainroad to a less mainroad to a dirt road to a wide trail to a narrow trail then they decided enough is enough But thats when the good stuff started you would have LOVED it it was very much like the radical sick riding we manage to do on the Moab slickrock every year Do you know what I was able to ride some just insane sick slickrock and sand and I popped out on a road and went down it then there was the landrover waiting witha trailer to go and chase the balloon There are 1000s of square miles of this landscape but somehow I popped out of the trail and right into their laps It was beyond one in a million They were blown away and couldnt believe it either and kept asking me how I did it I certainly couldnt do it again I know that Anyhow since they were in radio contact with the balloon we all chased it and I ended up riding right UNDER neath both ballons and along side them for a while Sterling got just what he was wanting and was quite happy I should mention that the way they flew these balloons is called countour flying as they were skimming the peaks of the rock formations by mere feet and dipping down to the valley floors within feet as well The pilots were so good that they landed them on trailers These were large balloons too each holding a dozen people When they deflated it there was a champaigne breakfast and I caught a great buzz out in the middle of the most amazing rocks Ive ever seen with a gallon of adrenaline and happiness coursing through my veins and with my beemer in the middle of it all Of course the happiness of everybody around me was contagious too as they were all on cloud 9as well A truly unforgetable day The rest of the day we toured around with our guides in the cave churchs and houses that were carved out of the rocks that are over 1000 years old To think of all that has happened in these caves over the millenium all the loves deaths births and everthing else OH shit that reminds me we are actually staying in a cave now Its like a 5 star place and its a cave They are all different and you wouldnt believe how neat they are People have lived in them for a thousand years they are made out of sandstone and entirely hand carved and they are elaborate They have these fancy designs and ornate stuff all carved out of the rock in both the inside and on the outside Its hard to describe but we were all walking around with our jaws dropped still are actually Long ass day almost everybody got up at 430 and its been go go go tonight we have a whirling dirvishes show at 9 We will be past beddy time by that point but thats ok We just hit downtown and a bunch of us went to a place our guide recommended It was very impressive we all ordered different meals but all that were baked in a ceramic jug in an oven When they brought it out they broke off the top and poured the meat out it was served with rice and it had melted cheese Everyone was quite impressed It only cost about 6 dollars us too but it was a white lining tablecloth kind of place Also I have to tell you about YESTERDAY we stayed at a camal caravan What that means is it was a rode house for camal travelers IT used to be free believe it or not but now is a 4 or 5 star place I know it sounds like Im bragging I dont mean it to sound like that Helge and our gude Caz have definetly put in an extraordinary amount of effort making sure we go to all these amazing places Anyhow so we stayed at this impressive camal caravan It was built only in1645 and so is a newwer one but it is of the same style as the ones that were built much earlier It was something straight out of mirage fantasy or something only it was the real deal One really cool part of it was the archatecture as it was entirely built from large stone blocks and had arches for all the doors windows etc That middle eastern type stereotypical theme stuff I kept expecting a flying carpet or jeanie to appear out of nowhere It was definitely surreal and nobody wanted to leave The other waaaaaaaaaaaaay cool thing was since it was a camal caravan and there were 400 year old steel rings connected to all the rock work for the tying up of camels we figured our modern day steel camels shoudl be parked in the courtyard as well Only problem was that there were 2 flights of steps one little one and one big one Even the little ones stopped all but 5 guys of course I was NOT one of those guys Did I have to tell you that We had a huge crowd well maybe 100 people all checking us out and so I put on a show by riding down the stairs for them all The next morning we were all like how the HELL are we going to get these bikes up those rock and sharp edged stairs We all helped each other the 5 of us that is and when I did it I rode up it so well I got applause but I dont know who was clapping I was to busy not crashing Sterling got that on tape too What we wont do for to be on film The bikes looked incredible parked in this courtyard though youll see sometime Ahhh I would have done it anyway Gotta I mean its a camal caravan for heavens sakes That was the beginning of the best riding day yet so far Chris Poland myself and David Ow rode together as Laura wanted to ride with Perry and David Allen We rode over 300 miles of curvey mountain roads and logging roads up over several 5000 foot passes and in the afternoon the rest was flat farming land that appeared to be all being planted that very day I had a couple wonderful things happen to me thats why it was the best day of riding and probably the best day of the trip as well although thats actually kind of difficult to decide I stopped at a bakery to ask for directions as we couldnt decide where the road was we were looking for Well this one baker took a liking to me and let me stick my head in the oven and take pictures of hundreds of loaves that he was pulling out It was a very large oven Next thing I know he filled up a large sack with 5 loaves of large italian style bread A bunch of the group showed up lucky for them soon after this the bread was still HOT Helge went next door and bought some cheese and we had a feast in the parking lot It was so wonderful the people here are so generous and nice and they almost all have an awsome sense of humor too The other cool thing was that later on that afternoon I passed 3 or 4 older women shaking out sheep fleeces and I rode by but decided to go back for a photo or two I turned around and went back but was only going to spend a minute or two since I didnt want anybody to worry or come looking for me They let me take lots of photos while they worked and then a man was pointing to his cow and did the fingers on the head kind of thing to imitate the cow I was like uhhhh yeaaaaa thats a cow Next thing I know I have a glass of strange looking milk in my hands I knew it wasnt quite right right from the beginning and it wasnt Our guide later explained to me what it was I wrote it down but forget right this second Its a mix of cows milk salt water and yogurt and it is SOUR and a little CHUNKY Much like soured bad milk but not quite as bad I kinda didnt want to drink the entire glass even bieng the milk drinker that I am but one lady in particular was motioning me to drink drink drink I sipped it but decided I didnt want to be sipping this thing all damn day and so finally decided to chug it I didnt gag but I was afraid I might They looked quite pleased For a short second or two I wondered if it was a practacle joke No but it wasnt Caz our guide says it is an aquired taste and is actually quite refreshing I would try it again I guess now that I know Today I finally found the traditional Turkish kind of icecream that is thick and folded like taffy It pretty much tasted just like regular ice cream if a tiny bit less rich good though The food is VERY good most of it is very rich They are super big on fresh bread every day we have several different kinds that we hadnt had yet Butter is not seen but apparantly available if you ask for it I have been eating a lot of Kabobs spelled kabop and they are all different and all very good Lamb and beef mainly Sorry again for the no puctuation thing Id be at this computer literally all day and night if I had to do that Weve ridden almost 800miles and gas still remains hovering inbetween the 8 and 9 dollar a gallon mark we are all looking foward to less expensive gas doiwn the road If I was to completely fill up my 42 liter tank plus my spare jerry can which is actually for motor oil I could hit 100 us dollars so no bitching about prices of gasoline there Silk is cheap though and getting cheaper everyday which is nice Food is very cheap too which I can appreciate Gotta go for now Sorry again for the lousy letter better than nothing now though Ill make up for it I just wanted to let you know whats up a little and let you know Im alive and kicking


rick




11 MAY 2005 - Trabzon, Turkey

From: Jeff and Ann Roberg

Sent: Wednesday, May 11, 2005 9:55 AM

To: Silk Road Live!Journal

Subject: RE: Turkey May 5, 2005


Just a quick note that we are at our last stop in Turkey. Trabzon.

The whole group had a long ride today. We went through 100 miles of pot holes going over the mountains. It's 8 pm and most of the group isn't here yet. There were too many hard miles for one day.

Overall, we and the motorcycle are doing well. We are pulling together all of our past experiences to keep us pointed in the right direction. Had some serious speeding issues with the police today. We were supposedly doing 105km in a 70. We hear that others had similar experiences. We're sure that it is all bogus charges and that we are just supporting the local economy, but that is part of the ride.


Jeff and Ann Roberg






11 MAY 2005 - Trabzon, Turkey

From: Hans Muellers

Sent: Wednesday, May 11, 2005 10:21 AM

To: Silk Road Live!Journal

Subject: Last Night in Turkey


So far everybody made it thru the traffic patterns of Turkey. Some took the high road and some the low road.

Most of us rode in groups of 2, 3, or 4. Many ways to get from spot A to B and that is the fun of it. You can not get lost because the GPS always shows you were you are. Today for example I took a short cut that took 1 1/2 hours standing on the foot pegs. The road was bad! Yes, it was a short cut but was it worth the agony of standing?

YES!

I could have taken the paved road, which is in great condition but..... Well you know, GS riders like some challenges once in a while.

All is well, everybody is doing just fine. Some sore muscles from riding but that is what it takes. The area is stunningly beautiful. The history is mind boggling. So much to do, so much to see. The most friendly people you want to meet. Yes, I can NOT talk to them but so what? They talk away and somehow the message gets across. Turkey is worth the trip alone.

Tomorrow we will enter Georgia and, God willing, a new step on our journey begins. Wouldn’t it be great if we all could finish this trip without major incident? Sure some of us got some speeding tickets or let the bike fall down, but everybody is just smiling and happy like clams.

Sterling is filming away; he has already so much material that Fox TV should pay him a ransom. Great shots. Hot air balloons, Gypsy festivals, monasteries, cave dwellings from 300 AD, ruins from 1300 BC and much more. This will be some DVD.

All the best.


Hans




11 MAY 2005 - Amasya, Turkey

From: David Ow

Sent: Wednesday, May 11, 2005 1:27 PM

To: Silk Road Live!Journal

Subject: Greetings from Trabzon, Turkey


Greetings Family and Friends,

Getting used to the keyboards here in Turkey. They have some extra letters and others are at other locations. Rode for 375 miles today thru the high mountains. It is comparable to the Swiss Alps with high snow-capped peaks, picturesque villages and 180 degree turns. The roads are good except for the many pot holes and gravel in the turns. Got to pay attention.

When we stop for a break we get a lot of attention from the young people. Some speak English and ask us all kinds of questions. One was ''Are all Californians rich? I heard that they all have lots of gold''. I tried to tell him it was not true.

Two nights ago we stayed in a cave hotel, last night in a historic old hotel on the banks of the Iris River. Tonight we are in a 5-star hotel that is very nice. A draft beer cost 10 US dollars. I could only afford one. Tomorrow we cross into the Republic of Georgia. Yesterday we stopped at Hattusas, site of the Hittites that built their city almost 5,000 years ago. It was amazing to see the ruins and how massive and extensive it was.

Got to go my computer time is up. The hotel only has one computer to use.

Motorcycling On


David


GlobeRiders bikes parked at Hattusas.


Tunnel inside the fotifications of Hattusas.






13 MAY 2005 - Trabzon, Turkey

From: Sterling Noren

Sent: Friday, May 13, 2005 11:59 AM

To: Silk Road Live!Journal

Subject: live journal cappadocia


Cappadocia TURKEY


The beginning of the week found me getting out of bed before 5am, which sadly, hasn’t been the first time on this trip. But this time was different. We were going contour ballooning. There probably isn’t a better place on the planet to experience this type of ballooning than in the wild valleys of Cappadocia. Our sunrise departure quickly became a fantastic flight over the bizarre landscape of rock formations - spires and valleys almost as far as the eye could see...smoothly ascending and descending, the formations almost within reach...


Equally remarkable were our accommodations in Cappadocia. Living in a cave isn’t what I imagined although the sages of the past probably never had the deluxe quarters we had for our two nights in the rock. There are literally thousands of holes carved out of the rocks - homes and habitations from ages past. Many of them were religious in nature with exotic cave paintings in various states of preservation.


This is turning into an amazing assignment in terms of filming. The opportunities for subject matter are endless. We took a ride in the afternoon to film the sunset and were beat to our location by a team of mountain bikers who had the same idea. It was a Frenchman who "discovered" the place in the mid nineteenth century. Now the word is out. I hear the price of caves is going up.


More later...



Sterling





Amasya TURKEY


The ride in the van across the central Anatolia plateau was hot. My companions, Geri, Judy and our Turkish driver have been very enjoyable to travel with. We spend our days talking and reading, taking naps and watching the scenery go by for hours on end. I have devised a system of filming through the front window using a tripod set up in the front seat. I found that I can get some amazing point of view shots this way and it is working out very nicely. Thank god because sometimes we don’t see any of our riding companions for hours at end and it would be hard to make a "motorcycle movie" without any motorcycles! My hope is that I will be able to add some bike motor sounds behind this POV footage and fake it a little bit to give the experience of riding. I think it will work. The real challenge is keeping the window clean. I take advantage of every opportunity to make it squeaky clean every time we stop for gas or a stretching-out break.


Amasya was a one night town. The world’s first geographer lived there. Imagine what he would have thought about the GPS technology we are using today.


The town is set on the banks of Turkey’s largest river, the Yesilirmak, and the north shore has a great collection of tottering old Ottoman house ready to fall over into the river. Our hotel was one of these and some of the group had real window seats overlooking the river.


I hiked up the hillside behind town to get some high shots of the city and mountains around sundown. Later, these same hills were lit up with crazy multicolored lights and people came out of the woodwork to walk down the boardwalk next to the river. It was like a Latin American or Spanish city late in the evening, everybody lost in time, strolling by the water.


And then it was time for bed because the journey doesn’t stop here and tomorrow is another day of riding.


From the road, your humble filmmaker who is having the time of his life and hopefully getting the shots he needs to tell the story...


Sterling




Photo Scrapbook from Week Two . . . .

Jay Yanick enjoys a traditional tea service. . .



. . . while David Ow, Rick Wetzel, and Laura Seaver enjoy Turkish coffee.



A hillside monastery in Sumele.



The left, our ever affable, brilliant guide, and fellow BMW GS rider Kazim "Kaz" Uzunoglu, and driver Juneyt to the right.


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