Gobble Up Turkey

If I was Lucky the cat I think I have about 4 lives left based on todays trek – I can no longer be called a walk. What an adventure walking to, into and out of a Canyon can be.

The day started off perfectly with clear blue skies and a predicted 24 degrees and finished off in one of the best set up adventure parks in a magical location with a beer hut – the middle bits were slightly less idyllic.

Looking back from a flat road early in the piece showed just what perfect spot we stayed in overnight and all around were massive mountains and a deep valley with a hardly a discernible river from above. 

Like yesterday both sides of  roads were scarred with remnants of land slips with boulders half the size of a house in crazy positions figuring out their next position when they inevitable move again.

Road walking turned into some pleasant forest paths with the map promising a drop down onto a road. Drop was the operative word . It must have been somewhere between 10-15 metres down and with no real foot or handholds. After 15 minutes of looking for and dismissing alternatives there was only one option- throw the sticks down, along with the backpack and hope it acts as an airbag if the clay you are hanging onto gives way.

Landed inelegantly, but in one piece after dusting myself off noticed a sign from the previous nights camp – ‘ accommodation and taxi available- which suggested no need to take the earlier diversion and face this slip and slide.

Followed the road which started to give a great view of the ever widening boulder filled river. Not let my after we came across an abandoned car and that signalled the end of the road. 

We paused and read trip notes – ‘very tricky and dangerous crossings which should not be attempted in wet or windy conditions’. When we peeked at it we thought they should have added ‘at all’.

With a sheer cliff face and a 150 metre drop below there was a couple of poles arranged to get across a 5 metre gap. Jane led the way and made it safely. Height challenged me followed and somehow made it across after summoning the guts.

My relief and excitement was dampened within 20 seconds when Jane said ‘ and that’s not the hard part’. Think I might have uttered at least one expletive when looking at the next 20 or 30 metres of trail which was 8-12 inches wide on loose dirt, with same drop.

Made it across with more luck than technical execution and might have shed a tear looking back- and so I should have because somewhere in the two crossings my phone became dislodged. 

It’s a horrible feeling when you realise what is in your phone and the cover , with thought it’s now 150 metres down the cliff. You also kick yourself for not thinking to put it in your pack.

God bless Jane  she shimmied her way back to find it teetering on a ledge near the log. Doing one crossing was enough for me – she did 3. How people with huge packs do it is beyond comprehension coming from a 70 year old- perhaps it’s just youth, agility and fearlessness.

After some reflective moments we headed along a track before it came to the river and first of three what you might call challenging or exciting crossing.

First up it was some climbing through and then up and over huge boulders and sliding onto the next one- ticked that off with a few scratches. 

Bit more wending the way across more boulders in semi upright positions and it was a roughly made log bridge, which thankfully had a rock to steady you.

Next was a bit more challenging descent down  a log ladder for about 10 metres. It wasn’t your store bought ladder with the rungs irregular in step size. It was basically laying pretty flat and looking between your legs for the next step, all under guidance of GI Jane and our old mate the hare who had caught us up.

Another deep breath and time for regaining a regular heart beat, unclenching the scphincter and some happy snaps of we three.

Standing in the boulder filled river you ponder on how people manage when there is a decent flow of water.

Up onto the bank and ran into another Russian who raised spirits with news their was a cafe a kilometre along the track. Were not sure if it was a joke or reality.

Another bit of rocky track hopping for 30 odd minutes and there it was a cafe. We found out a few things.

• the abandoned car was cafe owners 
• He brings in all provisions from where we just walked
• He has the right to charge 10 times the local price for a can of Coke 
• we still had 4 kilometres up and 4 kilometres down before track ended

The track weaved it’s way up to 800 odd metres and there were plenty of breaks, including lunch,before any hint of a downslope. Plenty of wild roses along the track waiting to inflict another scratch and tough underfoot conditions tested the resolve.

About 100 square metres of flat stuff up the top provided a nice rough camping spot and a chance to regain composure for way down.

Just as we set off downhill a crew of 10 hikers – yes you guessed it they were Russian- huffed their way to the top. Looking at their faces several were already spent and dejected and they still had the trials and tribulations we had experienced. Can assure the conversation between Boris and Natasha who were pushing 60 would have been intriguing to interpret.

The two hour descent was rocky, but when you did get s chance to stop and take in the scenery it was breathtaking, with the canyon and high surrounding mountains.

At about 300 as we were getting lower it was getting quite dark and you wondered where the people we were just passing were spending the evening.

Came to an uncommon flat spot with the best view and three,dressed for partying not walking, Russians drinking a bottle of wine. We shared a bit of a chat and some photo opportunities before leaving and wondering what the last kilometre downhill for them might be like.

Thirty minutes later we heard more voices and a whirring noise and took the last steps off the hill onto a flat surface. 

We were in a wonderful setting on the river and whirring was two zip lines. There was also a rope bridge, we did not have to cross- much to my delight. Lots if people wandering around and coming up to a water crossing. 

At six inches deep I was not changing into reef shoes , so splashed the boots whilst Jane tried unduccessfully to use the Ill spacd stepping stones.

The other side was a bustling area full of people eating and drinking and heading off to engage in the various activities. We grabbed a beer and Gozleme and sat in one of the booths along the side of the river, watching people fly by on the zip line.

It was not the end for us as we had a 2km plod to our fabulous accommodation. It was best on tour and resembled an Aussie motel. Only slight problem was our luggage had not moved.

As we lingered over a couple of beers the various owners worked out the problem and it was about an hour and a half later when it arrived.

The best on tour theme continued with a great soup, salmon and baclava dinner, without the need for another drink as an extremely tough day finished on a really great note.

No walk tomorrow, we decided that another 1500 metre up over the mountain pass was for younger legs,. Instead we are heading for the beach and getting picked up later in the afternoon to head back into the mountains to ready ourselves for another mountain stretch on Monday.

What a great start to the first part of the walk when the steepest hill in the first 2 hours was coming up the driveway of the B and B

The walk was basically flat to slightly uphill on forest paths and rural roads, with an estimated timeframe of 3 hours.

We were always looking up at the huge mountains that were our costant left hand side buddies. Many were pock marked where huge faces had peeled off and created landslides that had badly damaged the road  in several spots only allowing foot or bike traffic. Several tree falls also blocked the way.

Coming to the end we came across 4 jeeps  full of hikers , obviously getting a head start for the day.  Just as we entered town there were 20-30 more at a huge hostel and who knows how many more at the old castle now converted into a camping ground.

We made incredible time reaching  our first stop off  point iin 2 hours- pretty slick for two old warriors.

Whilst resting and stocking up we were inundated with motor bikes of all shapes and sizes which we attributed to boys having a ride. Wrong – they were arriving for some racing on the hills and bends of the highway and we saw and or heard them for most of the next 3 hours.

Our fantastic race pace soon suffered a hit as we went up  about 600 metres on a very rocky track, with oower poles our only friends. That was other than our first wild boar, which thankfully lay dead and rotting on the side of the track. Not sure what bought about it’s demise.

Top of the hill allowed us to play chicken with a few of the riders before finding our first big flat spot of land under crops with no hothouses.

Flat ground did not last long and it was more ankle twisting stuff till we finally found a road, which although longer allowed safe and faster passage.

Another huge mosque for a town of about 10 houses and the best preserved road leading to it from all directions.

Reached what we thought was town only to be told our accommodation was down there.

A pretty apt description as we clambered over a stile with wonky holding on supports to start a down hill descent through rocks, creeks and muddy patches which was downright dangerous. In some spots a bum slide was the only option. 

Made it down to another road,with a couple of minor injuries, wichhad a sign Doga Camping 2kms. Was pretty annoying when we were already a kilometre into tomorrow’s trail and had been going neigh on 4 hours for second half of walk.

Next conundrum was whether to stay on track or follow the road. Unanswered  calls to owner and tour operator did not help,  so we took the road.

Then there it was the Rural Hilton, even had our baggage in the back of a tractor, along with smiling owner. Our 4×3 wooden bungalow wascosy to say the least and like a Chinese laundry trying to dry wet clothes 

We were soon joined by lots of weary travellers – mainly Russians, including a 50 something walking in socks and sandals for some reason. Reckon his Day 2 will be a challenge.

Some opted for the bungalows and others camped- it  would be a cold night in a tent , so small mercy in having our bungalow

Thunder and lightning, fortunately were not accompanied by rain as we have several tricky river crossings tomorrow, along with ladder climbs and rope bridges – sound like a SAS celebrity show. On top of that we are scheduled to stay in a place in the National Park Canyon not quite the equal of today.

700pm dinner was brought forward to 630 to cater for several sittings. Boy what a and soirée, alphabet soup, rice, salad fot for a Biafran refugee and 4 meatballs the size of a 50 cent piece – not what we needed after a cracker and tea lunch. Thankfully there was seconds on rice and Turkish tea.

Looimg forward to tomorrow’s now shortened day in what appears ideal temps.

Jane slept well after her pole dancing and I am getting used to the Nursing Home bed time of 830. With no television or newspapers and a general desire to disconnect from the world , it’s blogging and sleeping.

Today we had the most difficult walk to date. Even without spending a further 4 hours to go to and return from the absolute summit of the mountain, it’s still 1500 metres up and down and 7.5 hours of hiking.

Had thought about abandoning walk and going with luggage to take  a cable car ride, but instead put a tablespoon of cement in the tea to harden up and take on the mountain.

All the talk about cable car ended in a miscommunication and host arranged a driver. Rather than disappoint them we suggested a 3 km lift up the road. Suddenly she was too busy and the alternate driver took off without us. We found him at a watering hole we fell into after some of the toughest walking either of us had ever done. An hour and a half for 3 Kms was hardly greyhound like. The 20 or so Russians we passed going down hill had hardly raised a  sweat

Interesting water stop, when I went to fill  my water bottle out of a trough I managed to notice it had fish in it. Though it had not killed them I searched and found a more drinkable option.

Because this guy at the water stop had built over the track, we needed to scurry over a less than robust thing posing as a ladder to get back on the route. 

Route was hardly appropriate for a walk which went through, landslips, forests, creek beds and muddy slippery spots – predominantly uphill and in some spots around 30 degrees.

It was another episode of not being able to take in scenery, although the presence of the giant hill on our right was ever present. When we did stop it was fabulous, with views back to the coast and across the mountain range.

Passed a couple of Aussies and swapped notes and his comment about ‘your trip from here is still very interesting’ rang in my ears going up and down. 

Arrived at the top in 4 and a quarter hours and travelled less than 6 Kms. Must say it was spectacular and the view and thought of some downhill lifted the spirits.

Second part  of downward journey was on a road and finished in a hut erected by a local farmer as a camping spot or just somewhere to rest the weary bones.

After that lunch stop we looked forward to the downward journey of 6 Kms more. It was not much better than the up side, with similar terrain, but much wetter and slipperieru. Track marking were poor and we needed to be looking for pole marks made by other walkers to ensure we were on track.

The valleys and canyons we could see were magnificent with huge land slips and fabulous groves of Cyprus trees, some hanging precariously close to crumbling off a cliff face. we traversed at one stage.

A couple of hours later we hit a dirt rod which took us into our home base. Passed an aging Russian couple at about 400pm, hoping to make a campsite at the top of the hill. With fading light and a fog rolling in as well they were very ambitious plans.

Finished our day in just over 7.5 hours and celebrated with a beer and a great chat to our host who spoke perfect English.

Lovely accommodation and a shower to die for. The thought of 5 meatball meals n 7 days was in the back of our minds, but he surprised us with hearty soup and stuffed  eggplant , both welcome on a chilly evening in the mountains   Ironically at the same altitude we left this morning.

Tomorrow looks the same in walking time, but with half the elevation and a town in the middle, not the absolute isolation halfway bought today.

It was food and coffee for us at breakfast, but our Russian guests added a shot of Vodka. The Russian presence carried on for the entire day with groups of 6-10 passing us going in the opposite direction 

With all these fit young men here you wonder who is making up their military,

Needed an early star for a walk which essentially went from sea level to 1100 meters over an expected 7 hours of walking.

Early part saw the fit and healthy trend with lots of walkers and joggers. The other trend was non observance of the road rules. Firstly a Mum driving with a baby no older than 9 months tucked between her legs and then a granny with a jozzed up mobility scooter with three kids in a trailer arrangement – obviously the school bus.

Weather was very pleasant and we soon reached the national park where there are natural gas fires burning out of the rocks and have done so for 2000 years. 

Too early for ticket man, but soon punished with a kilometer uphill walk on a Roman road to the top. Interesting 100 meter distance markers – they were plastic garbages.

There were six or seven obvious chimneys and the heat was pretty intense.

That kilometer up started the trend for the day with our 3 hour walk leading up to lunch being 95% uphill on very challenging ground. Had a hare and tortoise chase with one young guy who we saw right throughout the day.

It was hot and humid and within 2 hours we were sweaty messes.

The only down part was pretty rugged, with lots of rockfalls and fallen trees  to negotiate, plus a creek crossing on slippery rocks- we both stayed dry.

Found a bit of relief with some dirt road walking into our half way point where we stopped for lunch at a trout hatchery  and naturally had a lamb shush. Main reason was the dead and ailing trout in the pool below our table not being very appealing.

Got ripped off for the first time with operator charging us different prices to what was on the menu and his inability, real or feigned, to speak English made arguing difficult.

Second part of trip was 9 kilometers and an expected completion time of 4.5 hours.

A couple of trail misadventures saw us lose some time early , but we picked it up on some good gravel local roads. Finally found a farmer picking the pomegranate crop. A couple of teams of four were busy transferring boxes from tractors onto transport trucks.

After a solid hour of road walking and scrambling we were both taking less photos, talking less and constantly checking the bearings.

The last hours were a blur as we weaved our way up the side of the mountain often trying to find a foothold. At one stage I think we both would have been happy to be consumed by a wolf. 

A bit of a second wind got us going and we finally broke out onto a main road, which like all trails today wound steeply into town. Our hotel, which also served as the grocery store, had definitely seen better days, but It had a dribble of hot water, clean sheets and prospects of a hearty dinner.

Jane’s bed had an interesting arrangement which was either holding up the ceiling or letting her practice her pole dancing. Her impromptu display after dinner suggests her best pole dancing days are behind her.

We are heading towards the summit at 7700 feet tomorrow, so it will be upwards and onwards again. With quite heavy rain starting just after we arrived it will add an element of challenge we could likely do withou should it continue.

No ride on the cable car for me as the road does not go to the top of the mountain to termination station. You can only gain access at bottom unless you add 4 hours hiking.

I was feeling sorry for our tortoise and hare mate camping out, but the vet yea he announced himself and said he was camping here under cover.

Dinner was a first, no animals hovering around our feet. 

Early to bed and most parts of body aching, already had a couple of cramps in the thigh and suspect a few more tonight. 

It seems the CTP goes a bit later up here in the mountains and it’s right outside our window. Jane and I have started putting our own interpretation to the words. 

Today was a road option rather than the steep and dangerous cliffs, even though it meant an extra couple of kilometres to track end. Then to our chagrin the accommodation was about 1.5km out of town.

Bade farewell to our new Yukon buddies , the cats, dogs, chocks  and forlorn boat captains, with no business,  to tread a busy rural road for about 5 Kms.

Rural is rural and wives and grandma’s still don’t merit a ride up front in truck or tractor, they are dispatched to the tray or the trailer while the male sits up front.

It is a real subsistence environment with many of the houses having little fruit displays they either man or leave an honesty box at.

Our road route was overlooked by the main track high in the rugged mountains and any glance upward cemented the view we made the right decision.

Walking was hot in 27 degree temperatures, with the occasional gust of wind. Air quality was terrible and haze like conditions  often spoilt picture quality or the view.

Even out here building new houses was a priority with order of importance the view, fence, gate, retaining wall- size of house- seemed irrelevant. One development was 5 or 6 tiers up the hillside.

Aside from farming there was a bit of forestry, with something like 7 million trees planted after the area near Olympos was  devestates by bushfires in 2016. There was a great memorial about  the fires with picnic tables, ironically we had sat on a pile of dirt 300 metres beforehand for a break after about 3 hours of walking.

Olympos village was another example of the enormous number of pensions (B and B’s) built in this part of the world. Many are cute bungalow types often with small cafes and bars on the roadside.

We stopped at one outside a camping ground with a gelato sign outside and tried to get a tasty treat. The guy had no idea of the flavours and when he did open the lid they were frozen solid. On reflection we think he may have been one of the campers trying to make a lira.

Down the road was a museum of American collectibles including a gas station. Snapped my first 2 pictures of the place, to be reminded by owner to read the sign ‘no photography’. Hard to think it was very enforceable and the place wasn’t open anyway.

The closer we got to Olympos  ruins the more dense the accommodation and cafes became. Many sat on the edge of a dry river, directly below the towering cliffs. One even had treehouse accommodation.

End of season is pretty obvious with 90% closed and most traffic heading to the ruins. The mountains directly above provided great opportunities for a couple of rock climbers.

The ruins dated back to 300BC and were in pretty good condition. It was an interesting hour climbing through them. Olympos was certainly a major riverside town in its day with access to the sea as well. 

At the end of the ruins it was another world as you popped out onto an amazing beach with torquoise water and a dumping shore break.

The pebbly beach was actually packed with a whole lot of body beautiful’s and it was a much younger demographic than other places. Interestingly water on the edge was full of rubbish so not many swimmers.

Trod the river bed into Corali and there was a local market . In Cirali there was not a bit of spare room on each side of the road. It was a true ‘build and they will come’with accommodation and food. The  place was buzzing with people in cars and on bicycles and a lot of restaurants had good custom.

We enjoyed lunch and then played find the accommodation. You would think the Plaj or Beach Hotel would be right there within touching distance of the water. After at least 5 different sets of directions we walked for 1.5 kilometres without a sign. We even thought about asking police but they and ambulance crew were tied up with a drama on the beach. One last attempt and believe it or not we were 50 metres from home. Not going to be a good starting point for tomorrow with track well to the North.

Found host and it was a 200 metre walk to a very impressive ground floor unit. The whole complex was well populated with about 30 turning up for dinner including another guided group of 7 Russians walking trail in the opposite direction.

Another great shower, but a defective hair dryer which was a slight problem for Jane which turned a little worse when I returned from shopping excursion and mentioned mine host was fanning the coals of his BBQ with one which worked perfectly.

A visit to local shop confirmed the demographic, with me being only one over 30 on both outward and return trip, passing many running or cycling- I was the one hobbling,.

We topped off our vegetarian dinner guest list with one cat and beli be it ot not a hedgehog- the wolf or wild boar must still be coming. Cow and pig are long .odds to turn up.

Our hopes of a cable car ride the day after next were dashed in a discussion with a local guide who politely said that our knees would not make the walk back down.

Tomorrow has a couple of sizable, but manageable, uphills and there is no ‘take the road’ bailout.

Before we did get up Jane mentioned being attacked by mozzies or the like all night. Eagle eye me spotted the likely offender and swatted it with a towel. Bloody tough creature didn’t move – but I guess a screw protruding from the wall was never likely to. Off to Dpecsabets for me on returning.

Today was a planned test day and the knees and feet sure did appreciate it.

Todays breakfast partners were without the crooks,  but they were well replaced by the dogs, who outnumbered the cats.ot does not seem to bother the locals. 

The animals are on a constant trail up and down the road pestering people anywhere food is about.

Spent most of the morning walking up and down the beach and  the main thoroughfare, which were basically deserted except for walkers and local Council guys. Many of the businesses have closed down for the season.

Pebbly beach had two swimmers and a lot of the cruise boats came out of protected moorings and tied up 5 metres from the beach.

Not sure what is happening in the world with wars, but a frigate and destroyer moored in our bay for most of the morning and then headed West.

Managed to revisit the coffee shop for another proper coffee, but deferred to the local food for lunch.

Had a quick swim in refreshing , but murky water caused by the brown sand. Lay upon the Council owned deckchairs waiting for a tap on the shoulder from the fee collector, but managed to avoid the 30 lira charge.

Finalised planning and shopping for tomorrow before repacking our bags to the best of some very heavy rain. Hopefully it disappears tomorrow which starts the last week of our walk.

Have not posted blood here as weak internet won’t upload pictures.

Last night’s big storm , with an amazing lightnig show offshore, played havoc with the sleep. It also dented the confidence regarding handling the state of the track with its steep gradients, scree walking and boulder scrambling.

At our 700 am confab with mine host he suggested to be wary of the slippery conditions. Thankfully , there was an alternate forest walk, which although steep we took.

After breakfast the host walked us up the hill and onto the track which meandered up to about 600 metres, taking up the first hour and a bit of the walk.

Not surprisingly people were building houses high up into the hills, with magnificent views out to the coast. It was a similar trend on the way down over the other side. It’s interesting that they spend so much time having the best external walls, gates and fences yet make internal rooms so small.

Those farming up the valley have a mixture of crops. The persimmon crop must have been poor quality given the number left on the trees.

Shepherds continually moved the goats around with the help of what appeared to be fierce barking dogs. One attacked me and almost slobbered me to death.

It was a more pleasant experience than that a little further down the hill,  when two horse sized dogs made frenzied attempts to get over a 6 foot high fence and prove their worth. The sign on their fence said it all and if they are looking for stars in Kujo 2 – I know where they live. 

The mountain sides were scarred with rockfalls, including the one we are likely to walk in two days time, if we take the high route-13 Kms are scheduled to take 8 hours and hopefully it’s not raining. 

Worked our way off the mountain and the track went through a persimmon orchard, full with fruit and with deep clay soil that soon clogged the boots. Scaling 3 foot high electrified fences with slippery boots made protecting the private parts a priority.

One of the orchards was protected by a 3 legged dog- if you were going to pilfer anywhere, that was the one.

Down on the flat we came to a pretty river with restaurants having dining tables in the river itself. The town also sits right on a long sandy beach which even had a shore break.

Along with countless cafes and restaurants the place is obviously a holiday haven with multiple camping, hotel and B and B facilities. Being end of season it’s not particularly crowded.

The locals also operate offshore boat cruises, but strangely all, or at least most, of the boats are stored on shore on trailers and tractored  down to the beach.

There were five separate swimming beaches, each with a lookout tower, but not a lifesaver to be seen. Swimming at the beach means observance of a list of rules as long as your arm and the local gendarmes appear to police them, traffic movement and locals burning off rubbish.

Beach fishing is also popular, but sometimes it means crossing the narrow river inlet to find a better spot. One local fully dressed tried to do an Olympic medal winning long jump and failed miserably. Not sure a wet and bedraggled fisherman appreciated our whistling and clapping.

One cafe in particular caught our attention with a sign saying it sold “proper” coffee, which saw us immediately detour for a coffee , snack and dessert lunch.

Found our hotel, which essentially consisted of converted storage containers. It was spacious, well appointed and even had a proper bathroom configuration.

Spent more time investigating tomorrow’s route and there is a possiblity of taking a lower, but longer route , around the the mountains which we will investigate.

Went for a walk around the town and realised just how lomg this beach is, with 7 not 5 official swimming enclosures. Followed a couple of unlikely fisherprople to the end  of the seawall and luckily missed having our eye plucked out by a misguided cast of the fishing line.

Spent a lovely  2 hours in a beachside bar rehydrating while the rain poured down outside. Interesting time when a major traffic jam occurred when the local juice selling celebrity’s trailer laden with rocks snapped off the back of his traler. Most people were too busy laughing to help and we were 3 gins into our pre- dinner drinks- basically incapable of providing assistance. 

Being good customers bar owner offered us a ride home – but who would decline the opportunity to side step their way along the path for 300 metres to make home.

Dinner was an alcohol free one of stuffed aubergine and the usual plethora of salads and a foot long loaf of bread.

Suffice to say we slept well with no reason to get up early on a rest day.

Today was supposed to be 30 Kms, with the first 10 on a path between the highway and the beach – as the book put it ‘pretty forgettable’.

Mine host suggested he could drop us off where that part finished and he got no resistance from either of us.

So it was the usual breakfast and a fast and furious run to the drop off point.

The entire route for the day was on varying types of road and our finishing point was the last place on the road, other than the lighthouse 5 kilometres further onward.. 

We were soon into hothouse territory and houses, in most cases , were attached to them. The standard of living could only be described as extremely basic and many had piles of rubbish out the front. One owner was burning a pile and within minutes of smoke rising a pair of gendarmes arrived and supervised him dousing it. 

On the beach side of the road 100 metres away there were much more lavish apartment styled buildings- what a paradox.

Despite the apparent poor living conditions we passed a brand new Mercedes parked beside one hothouse and in the next few minutes two more drove by – must be money in vegetables.

Usual fill of sad dogs and it seems the ones tethered and looking scrawny are the most savage- the others either lay idly or walk over for a pat.

The local Mayor had his face plastered all over the place. Two large new schools, a forest come nature reserve that must have covered 100 acres, plus the only grassed football field we have seen in all our travels. It was in the middle of nowhere and was home of the roosters – literally speaking – as a bunch were pecking there way across the field.

In the farming stakes a whole lot of farmers had gaggles of geese to complement the usual chickens, goats and sheep. Still no live cows visible and of course absolutely no pigs.

Came across another standalone derelict farmhouse occupied by gypsies. Three little rag tag kids came running over to say hello. You heart felt for them living in such squalor.

Whilst building is on the surge  we passed three interesting construction sites. One was a three storey unit complex where they only fully fitted out those occupied- the remainder were at lockup stage and sprinkled around the building.

Closer to the end of the day a three storey unfinished building looked as though it had been abandoned long ago.

The coup de grace was in the finishing town which is probably the equivalent of a lot of South Coast beach towns with lots of holiday homes and units, with a small local community and lots of tourists in holiday times. 

The first floor balcony on the huge two storey duplex had completely collapsed pulling away the sides of house and part of roof. It’s definitely a knockdown and rebuild, probably with a different builder. That said our B and B host told us at dinner it was an legal build and the builders have not been seen since.

Just before a beach stop

we passed a ramshackle old house whose prized front veranda possession was a popcorn machine. Perhaps he was a Turkish Daryl Kerrigan and could not let a bargain slip by.

 We stopped above a small rocky outcrop on the beach, which from reading the sign was spawning grounds for the sea turtles. It probably explained the 15 or so camper vans parked on the beach – perhaps hoping for a sighting.

The coastal road twisted and turned beneath gnarly cliffs , with many loose rocks by the roadside- we had a watchful ear and eye out for any falling ones. The beachside had huge rocks along the shoreline perhaps a sign of previous slips. 

About 5 Kim’s from home got honked and it was our baggage carrier, checking progress and giving some assurance liggage would arrive safely.

In the seaside distance we could see the peninsula we would travel along tomorrow on an 8-9 hour trip with 1000 metres of ascents and descents – just hoping the forecast of 2.2 inches of rain does not eventuate.

The closer we got to Karaoz the more beautiful the beaches got, with the rocky ones with sparkling water beckoning us for a swim.

A little boat harbour and public beach appeared about 4 Kim’s from town. It had the best public facilities and even a mini mosque.

At the 2 km marker old mate the luggage carrier stopped to say a final goodbye on his way back. Ironically,  about 15 minutes later  a car pulled over and it appeared he was touting for business. It was not the case it was our next host seeing if we wanted a ride – we declined and enjoyed the last bit of the walk in on a zig zagging route.

Arrived at the beachside cafe for lunch, called OzLycian. How could two Aussies doing the Lycian Way not respond to that omen.

Restaurant was mainly full of Russians. Jane voted her fish as ‘best on your’ and my chicken was pretty good. It was as a battle with crooks and cats to sit around our feet and scrounge.

Wandered up through town  and at every cafe there were groups of up to 30 guys having a Saturday  afternoon game, the equivalent of gin rummy, but with tiles. They called it OKEY.

Found our B and B with a sea view and a great sized room. The young man who greeted us gave us a wonderful rundown on tomorrow’s walk and even suggested a 5 km short cut opportunity with a ride to lighthouse – we were all ears.

Bathroom continued the weird arrangement of recent times where the shower and toilet are in the same cubicle. Add the bum washing toilet tap and it sure does make ablutions an interesting ecercise.

Went for a swim in the afternoon and beach was a mix of sand and pebbles. Water not quite crystal clear but refreshing.

A bit of shopping for tomorrow and it was home to get cleaned up for another terrace dinner.

If you ever saw the Fawlty Towers episode with the rat our dinner time was equally hilarious. After serving us host was running laps of the terrace with a fly swatter shooing away cats, even managed to give us a few flicks on the way through. With about 5 different cats it was cats a clear winners over the exhausted owner.

More chatting with him and tomorrow’s walk is dependent ion weather as there are many steep ups and downs which are slippery and dangerous. Rather than 30 km, less shortcut, walk it might be a 11 km walk on the road.

We will know at 700am after a weather review in the morning.