Late start from Mersin and we rode east parallel to the Syrian border which was some seventy kilometres to the south. So close to a country where a human tragedy still has a way to go before being resolved. At the hotel last night I overheard two of the staff talking in Arabic. I guess being so close to an Arab country such as Syria there is bound to be some overlapping of cultures and language.
This region also has a large Kurdish population. The Van province is predominantly Kurdish.
There were a few army trucks in the region which is to be expected due to the tensions that arise from time to time. It was only a few months ago that a Turkish war plane was shot down by the Syrians.
Along the way we saw a large encampment of make shift tents. Both Jim and I have speculated that it may have been an Arab refugee camp. Aleppo, the Syrian city, which is not far from the border has been a fighting hotspot and who would blame families for getting out of there.
We turned north east toward the interior. The further we rode the more remote and less populated the countryside seemed to become. It felt as if we were getting to the equivalent of the Turkish 'outback' at last. It was a short lived feeling because there in front of us was another large city - Adiyaman. We rode past the university and the young men riding away from there showed a lot of interest in the bikes. Big bikes like ours are rare.
The towns can vary so much in terms of affluence and products on offer. Shops alongside one another can offer fashion, banking services or tractor tyres. No empty shops though.
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In the town of Kahta, where we are staying the night, I saw my first pair of' salvar' pants being worn. They are the low crotch pants that were everywhere back in the seventies when Shirley and I were in Turkey. You can just see below the guy wearing a pair in the left of the photo.
Fruit and vegetable stalls abound. Much of the produce would be considered spoiled in Australia and thrown away but not here where I suspect not to much is wasted. This stall was run by grandfather and grandson team.
Restaurants and eating places can also be so different. Small places that have a couple of chairs right through to the expensive polished wine glass eateries that can be found anywhere. The type of food I have seen on offer so far has been standard fare. Kebabs the favourite of everyone - Jim's chicken kebabs being cooked on the open coals.
This region also has a large Kurdish population. The Van province is predominantly Kurdish.
There were a few army trucks in the region which is to be expected due to the tensions that arise from time to time. It was only a few months ago that a Turkish war plane was shot down by the Syrians.
Along the way we saw a large encampment of make shift tents. Both Jim and I have speculated that it may have been an Arab refugee camp. Aleppo, the Syrian city, which is not far from the border has been a fighting hotspot and who would blame families for getting out of there.
We turned north east toward the interior. The further we rode the more remote and less populated the countryside seemed to become. It felt as if we were getting to the equivalent of the Turkish 'outback' at last. It was a short lived feeling because there in front of us was another large city - Adiyaman. We rode past the university and the young men riding away from there showed a lot of interest in the bikes. Big bikes like ours are rare.
The towns can vary so much in terms of affluence and products on offer. Shops alongside one another can offer fashion, banking services or tractor tyres. No empty shops though.
.JPG)
Fruit and vegetable stalls abound. Much of the produce would be considered spoiled in Australia and thrown away but not here where I suspect not to much is wasted. This stall was run by grandfather and grandson team.
Restaurants and eating places can also be so different. Small places that have a couple of chairs right through to the expensive polished wine glass eateries that can be found anywhere. The type of food I have seen on offer so far has been standard fare. Kebabs the favourite of everyone - Jim's chicken kebabs being cooked on the open coals.
We have a big ride tomorrow heading to Van on Lake Van. We have arranged to meet Jens there.
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