Tuesday, 19th July 2011 Got up feeling funny again this morning, just foggy! As soon as I could I went to the Chemist, managed to forget the name of the salts I required. One phone call later and I was given some re-hydration salts. Forgot to ask what the directions were, except they couldn't speak English anyway, my efforts with the Turkish phrase book didn't get very far! Anyway came back immediately asked the Reception Manager to translate. He said I was to dissolve the salts in water, and after I had been to the toilet, I was to drink a glass. We all laughed at this, mainly me, because I was sweating more than going to the toilet! So today, I have drunk the water, and do feel better, it's still hot and humid and it's 9.30pm. Checked wifi and found that the weather in Greece is about 10degC less, which is good. Will have one more day resting, see how the salts go. I do feel better, my ankles and feet aren't quite so swollen, not really too worried about it if I feel better, must just get to somewhere cooler.
Wednesday, 20th July 2011 I do feel a lot better today, having taken the rehydration salts. Will look it up on the internet later. I haven't been in such heat for a long time and have been expecting myself to keep going. So this enforced rest has actually done me good.
Thursday, 21st July 2011 Didn't sleep too well last night, music till about 3am. Woke up found internet was still not working, so I decided to move on. Filled up with water, got some bottled water in the shop, more rehydration salts and headed off. I drove to Ephesus got there parked up and headed off around the ruins. Dutifully drinking my salted water on route. At 7.50TL for parking, dearest yet! 20TL for entry I expected to see something really different to all the rest, and yes it was, not better just different. The main street away from the library was a steep uphill climb, and lots of people with shiny soled footwear were having a great time slipping on the shiny marble paving slabs.
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| Shame about the crane! |
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| Ephesus Library |
After about 2 hours I'd had enough and couldn't get back to the van quickly enough. I had along nap, felt refreshed and decided to go to Sirine, another Greek village which had been left in the 1923 population switch. I couldn't see anywhere to turn round, so drove straight through the village, again anticipating a space, I saw one, turned left and for whatever reason, drove straight on. If anyone does this, don't! The road got really bad, rocks, loose sand, very narrow, bushes either side and uphill in the worst places, the ground plunging deeply into the valley on the passenger side. I met a woman in a 4 x 4 who wanted me to go up so she could get past. I explained and she understood my van was too long, that wouldn't work! So she did, went into a steep driveway to let me past. I asked if there was a turn around, she said maybe but she didn't think I could get up the hills in my van and looked quite disturbed actually. So I drove on, heart in my throat, but feeling quite in control. It was up to me to keep my head, make it up the hills, whoops, something hit the exhaust, now it's rattling like mad, what have I done. This felt like to went on for at least 2 kms, really don't know how far, I was just concentrating on keeping on the road and getting up the steep hills and keeping my wheels on the road! Eventually, yes, there was an olive grove with somewhere to turn round. I stopped turned off the engine, say “Thank you God” very loudly and looked to heaven. However, I think my driving skills and determination to get out of this situation had something to do with it. I didn't look at the sides of the van, I knew they would be completely scratched. So took a few breaths and went back again. I knew it wouldn't be so bad going back as it was nearly all down hill. But the exhaust kept on rattling as I went along. Just having overtaken the widely parked tractor a white car driven by a very irate Turk was telling me I had to go back, the tractor behind wasn't going to move either, so I had to do it. So OK, you think I can't you don't know what I've just driven through! So we all moved, then as I turned the corner a glass maintenance truck was parked, so I couldn't get through. However, he came out very quickly and thankfully moved it without any fuss whatsoever. Some Turkish men are very human. With that I just kept going straight through the village, just getting one picture of the whitewashed houses on the hill as I was coming down the most indescribable road I'd ever driven down.
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| Siriene
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| The amazing Theatre at Pergamon (Bergama) |
I got to Ephesus again,
parked in municipal car park and there was a café, so I treated
myself to chicken shish kebab, which was delicious, no peppers,
salad, onion, tomato and lovely pitta bread, yummy! 2 Fantas, 16TL,
well worth it. After this I decided to head out for Bergama, which
was quite a long way; thought I would stop off somewhere along the
route, but no I made it all the way to the Red Basilica and parked up
at N39-7-18.03 E27-11-3.81 donated by Barney G from Wildcamping.co.uk
Euro wild camping sites, Turkey. Did see the Camping Restaurant site
just before you hit the town, but it was so crowded and must have
been at least 10.30pm that's why I didn't stop. Parked right on the
roadside, could see there were 2 other motorhomes parked nearer the
trees, but I'd had enough for one day. So after the horrendous drive,
then adrenalin flowing, to be able to drive another who knows how
many miles, I slept very well thank you.
Friday,
22nd July 2011 Red Basilica Woke about 7am and drove nearer the
other vans, and went back to sleep for another two hours. Having had
some breakfast I decided to stay there for the day. However, a young
Turkish man knocked on my door from the 1975 VW parked next to me. He
said he had a Dutch girlfriend, and with that we talked for the next
two hours. He kept diving out of my van to check it. They were being
kept apart by the Dutch authorities who didn't think, although he'd
done a years' Dutch language training and instead of getting 500
points, only 495 points they wouldn't allow him to stay in Holland.
They are engaged Kassandra 24 yrs old is doing a Masters Degree in
English Literature and Mustafa 27 yrs, although a diving instructor
is trying somehow to get on in life without any hope of getting back
at the present time to Holland. I have their email address and got on
so well with them, I'm about 10 years old than their parents, and
just hope something good comes along to help them stay together. We
drove up the steep hill to Pergamon, parked, we got two parking
permits for 17.50TL, a reduction apparently. Then it was 20TL for
myself and Kassandra to enter. Mustafa got in with his Turkish
student ticket for free. I've noticed out here the tourists really are
paying for themselves and the rest of the population! The entrance
fees really are incredible. As it was 8TL each to come up by lift
plus car parking, they've got to pay for the lift somehow! Apart from
telling me, the car park attendant said I just wouldn't get up the
hill to the top! Oh no! It was quite sad when we parted, they were
going down to Foca and me going north. Kisses all round, their
reverse gear had gone through an accident, they got so far, then 8
lads came and pushed them, the girls didn't have to bother any more.
Great to be young knowing that you can get help and not be
embarrassed to ask for it either.
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| Looking out to Kos from harbour at Assos, late evening |
Going down the hill was
somewhat complicated, because again it was narrow and people just had
to wait till I could manoeuvre out of their way. It was quite good
actually, people were quite patient for a change! It must have been
about 4pm when I decided not to stay another night at the Red
Basilica, I would again do some evening driving, as it was cooler and
I drove around some lovely coastlines, up mountains, overtook a lorry
who had gone off the road and damaged his steering somehow, but was
parked, in a nasty bit of narrow road virtually on a bend and it was
somewhat hairy trying I had decided to try for Behramkale, past
Ayvacik alongside the island of Lesbos and I'm looking out at it now.
The road was narrow again and down hill. Just got to the town itself
and a man came out and said “Camping”; five puppies darting
everywhere across the road. Well for 10TL I decided to cough up and
stop. Had a good nights sleep. 36840 Miles N39-29-08 E26-20-01
Behramkale/Assos.
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| Hotel Assos where I had dinner |
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| Aristotle's statue at dawn when leaving |
Saturday, 23rd July
2011 Woke pretty early again and decided to wash the windows so
see how badly they were scratched, Nasty. Had heard you can get rid
of the scratches with Brasso polishing pads of something, I'll find
out. At least no big holes anywhere! The rear fender on the Chausson
was looking pretty worse for wear, but it had started out that way
and as long as my lights were still functioning then I really wasn't
too worried. My nearside wing mirror was just holding together, so I
decided to renew all the tape holding everything together, at least I
felt it looked neater! Managed to clean the top Heiki window, after 3
months of dirt, got the steps out. Then the guardian came and said
could he have his 10TL as he was going home. I think he actually
stayed last night because I stayed on site, which he probably didn't
usually do. He said he was going home. I've decided to have a meal in
town tonight, early night and then go up the hill, hopefully without
a lot of traffic coming down in the morning, about 6 am would do it
and will pay him tonight.
I had a lovely meal in
the town, and I'm so glad that the guardian came out and stopped me
going any6 further down the hill. The whole road had parked cars down
the right hand side next to the drop to the ocean. They had been
roughly marked out with white spray. I didn't actually see this until
I walked back up later on. Had a little look at the usual tourist
shops,looked a bit more up market than usual to. Some of the
restaurants seemed a bit pricey so I plumbed for the Grand Assos
Hotel and had grilled meat balls, with a few very soggy cold chips!
but a really good green/carrot and tomato/gherkin salad. It was good.
Ordered an apple tea, one appeared beside me, the young lady opposite
said, "They've run out of apple tea, here is a glass of ordinary
tea". Thank you very much. I paid my bill 20 TL and realised
they probably had internet, and I proceeded to log on. I then
realised I hadn't paid for the tea, couldn't find the waiter who'd
provided it. The girl again said "don't worry, they didn't give
you what you asked for, don't worry, no problem". Well, the four
of them told me to go, no problem, so I did. Don't really like doing
that. So the Dolmus didn't leave till 10pm and it was only about 9
now. I walked back up the road, which wasn't that far really, I only
got on the bus because he stopped as I cross over the road and I
didn't know how far down the hill it was.
Sunday 24th July 2011 The guardian was still up, I paid him and said I would be leaving early because I didn't want to meet any traffic coming down. He said OK, no problem. Two mini coaches were now parked opposite me, but no one else had parked in the car park at all during the whole of the two days I was there. He didn't do much business. The puppies were marvellous, however, they really liked my long skirt, and their little teeth were locked into the fabric. The guardian brought out his big stick. They ran, but actually all he did was rub them somewhere with the stick and they totally submitted and rolled over for him to scratch them. A Dog Whisperer.
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| Dawn looking inland on journey to Troia |
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