Well looks like the message got through yesterday.

After a breakfast , the same ilk

 as dinner, we were surprised that our other guest was the driver to take us up 9 Kms to the top of the mountain.

We think he was equally surprised by the role on a very narrow, rough and winding road where passing would have been difficult which he would not have done previously.

 His cautious progress did not stop him regularly checking the GPS  ( why I don’t know) , taking in the view and looking for potential rockfalls. It took almost 30 minutes to get to the top and that included a stop to let the only 3 cows we have seen in Turkey cross the road. 

At the top we were greeted by two older folks trying to sell us some provisions- ‘no thanks’  doesn’t cut the mustard up here and we had to walk away with one in pursuit.

Todays walk down on a road  was probably the first time we were able to walk lazily and soak in the amazing scenery. The mountains over here ate huge, rugged and scarred with slips and their craggy outline gives an eerie appearance. 

We could see the town we were going to walk to high on the horizon and were happy with the call to give it a miss, despite the amazing position at the top of the pass.

The hillsides were dotted with the  occasional farm and what looked like holiday houses. On top of the highest mountain behind us stood an ever present mosque.

Still an amazing shortage of animal life and the mountain streams have no water running. Mountain springs must be well disguised but at the same time well used with lots of pipes with running water heading down the hillside.

Came across an unusual garden setting perched on some fenced land on a hairpin bend  – how anybody got to them was the question.

Not too many hikers out today coming up or down the hill, with cars outnumbering them. Car drivers obviously knew the road and went up at a veritable breakneck speed compared to our first timer. That said I think I would have been the same and probably took a bit of wear out of the brakes going down.

Landslips were evident all the way down and in many places protective fencing had been built, but not sure chain wire would stop some of the huge hanging boulders we saw.

Our three hour dawdle down the hill finished near the middle of town, just in time to be serenaded by the CTP which I think I can now recite by rote. I even gave an impromptu rendition on the roadside.

About 20 metres down the road an old local ran to the fence yelling out and Jane thought he was berating me for my singing, it just turned out to be an act of kindness to give us  a pomegranate.

janebstopped for a little contemplation and I found a piece of equipment which would have been helpful days earlier.

Just up the road a car  pulled ip in the middle of the road on a curve and driver had a fine chat about how the walk was- even as traffic flew by.

Headed towards the local market but came across what looked like a cafe. Got greeted like old friends (no wonder after what he ended up charging us) and shown to a table overlooking the rubbish heap.

When asked what was on the menu. He shook his head and opened a huge refrigerator with a side of something in it.

We nodded, not knowing what we were getting, and he carved off a slab and sliced it up before disappearing into perhaps a kitchen area. We could not see because of the three empty refrigerators that were between him and us.

Ten minutes later, it was a bowl of salad and followed by something in a pan concealed under a pile of bread. The voila moment revealed a delicious looking meat concoction. Before eating we asked if it was lamb and received a ‘baa’ replied. Although a little tough it was very tasty.

Halfway through he produced ced a soup  which was basically inedible.

His profit was probably tastier when he charged us 250 Lira. 

Headed home and started the preparing and packing for the final day of the walk tomorrow, when we will finish and ask the one short question – Why?