Fred and Charles with a storm approaching...

Fred and Charles with a storm approaching..., originally uploaded by CharlesFred.

On our way again, this time in a minibus (dolmus) from Inebolu to Abana and Turkeli, where we will change and catch another one onto Sinop, where we expect to spend a night or two before making the maraton journey to Trabzon, which may be an overnighter.

The road today, hugs the coastline, about 40 meters above where the grey rocks plunge into the calm blue-grey sea. It is a bit hazy today.

****

This turns out to be the very lazy Sunday morning ride along the coast and up to some inland villages. Very relaxed and we are in no rush. Sundays tend to be very quiet in Turkey anyway.

It is nice and cool, the bus is quiet and we have good seats at the front.

We rented a taxi for two hours yesterday to get to see some of the places just outside Inebolu with our friend Izzet whose friend Mesafa did the driving. We got taken past many of the old wooden houses (calling them Ottoman houses does not seem to be the done thing) which we had just walked up to, we ascended the hill behind the town up to the old monastery. It is now a ruin, about two meters high of building stones, surrounded by a grassy pinic area. Not so amazing, but the views down to the town, across the harbour towards the deep blue sea were amazing, well woth the trip. Just one fir tree needs to be clipped as it is obstructing the view a little...
Back the other way were views towards grassy meadows and folds of hills and mountains clad in the greenest of forests, a little bit like our stereotyped image of Switzerland.

*****

Getting a bit frustrating now as a journey of 143 kms which normally takes just over two hours looks like it might take at least six, as the direct buses on from turkeli were fully booked. Oh well, if this is the price for having a nice relaxing afternnon and evening with our friends in Inebolu, then so be it. The views are pretty enough. And we have just passed two donkeys, so it's not so bad. A holiday always has a day or two like this one.

*****

We made it to Sinop and it took less than five hours. An interesting detour inland through green valleys sided by old beech woods. At the end here it looked like Malaysia yet again with bufFalos at the side of the road backed by rice fields.

Found a beach front hotel with a spare room at the back, ha ha. Now sitting down at Kale restaurant and within five minutes I have a plate of delicious looking chicken legs cooked in vegetables, bulgur and white beans in tomato and chili sauce, served with ekmek and cola! Great!

*****

Lıfe ıs always enjoyable here. Time going by too quickly. Hope to load some more photos later today, just getting up from a short snooze here.

*****