Ist & Bul

Navigating Istanbul - we busted through the first 800 kms from Goreme and then spent hours on the last few. There were a lot of cars and stuff.

















 Istanbul, city of cats.

 The Blue Mosque, we went on a huge walk on the first day, but were put off by the huge queues and didn't go in. Plus, we weren't dressed appropriately for a mosque visit (in spite of the clue being in the name)

 An obelisk. It is very old.

 We ate fish sandwiches near here. They were extremely fishy and we smelled like fish for a long time.

 In spite of having walked more in the first day in Istanbul than I have for the rest of the trip put together, I went out again in the afternoon for a walk. It was a grand walk, but I spent more time looking than taking photos.

I was a torn about the balloon ride because it is the most expensive thing I've done on the trip so far.

We got up at superearly in the morning (before the call to prayer).


















And it was cold.

But then we took off as the sun started to rise.

And I got a few important things done.

And we got a good look at Cappadocia (which means land of beautiful horses - I got a free onyx souvenir because I remembered that)

I like to call this one 'boy twister in the truck'.

And this one 'bromance'.

I like to pretend that I took this picture of a tractor for my uncle Rob but, actually, I really like tractors. And haystacks.

We come from a land down under

We are driving up out of Goreme with the rising sun, surrounded by hot air balloons, the Final Countdown blasting out of the newly fixed stereo. We are passing all the places Juan and I visited yesterday on the moped. The air is cool and tingly on our skin. And, far from feeling sad the trip ends tomorrow, I am 'splody with happiness. Time in these last few days has turned to warm golden caramel. Every moment is drawn-out and delicious. I'm not ready to leave Dragoman, but I'm going to enjoy every last damn minute left.

'Fairy Chimneys'

We are in Cappadocia. There is a distressingly short amount of time left before our little family breaks up and goes to all parts of the world.

Here are two Dragoman videos to celebrate the end of the trip. A Day in the Life and What is Overlanding? The two drivers in the videos are drivers I've had on this trip. Gaetano from Bangkok to Xi'an and Juan from Xi'an to Istanbul. They are both excellent.

Photos will follow when we stop running around being tourists for a minute. Leaving at 5am tomorrow morning for a balloon ride.

Friday 9th September

Asima in the morning.


















The town we stopped in on the way to the final bush camp. What is not to love about a town that has bouzouki shops and baklava shops right by each other.

 Some rocks.

 Final checking the dirt for final bushcamp and I missed every instance of pointing at the dirt, though in this case it may have been pointing at the prickles. I have never seen so many. And I accidentally squatted on a nasty one when I was trying to help put up a tent.

 The view from camp.

Thursday 8th Sept

 We went shopping before leaving Dogubayazit. There were many wasps and they are attracted to the sweet stuff.

















This is on the way up to the Stuffitupyourarse palace (so named because Al suggested we pop in after the seven hour border crossing and Handsome John, who had spent 119 days being sweet and mild mannered, told him to shove the palace up his arse).

Waiting outside the waiting room.

 They have chucked a new roof on the old palace, I kinda like it.

 This is Andrew taking a picture of me taking a picture of Jamie taking a picture of Steve (the donkey).

More scaffolding

Jess and the sheep.

A wee break

The town we stopped in before bushcamping for the night. I can't remember what it is called. It is about 500 kilometers west of Dogubayazit and there is icecream.

Second last chance to take a picture of the boys checking the dirt and they go behind that mound there on the left and thus the pointing and pondering is obscured. Very disappointing.

East is east

Eastern Turkey is just as enchanting as the rest of Central Asia. Flocks of sheep watched over by dark-haired children are lit up by the late summer sun. The road follows rivers through fertile valleys. Golden haystacks and giant piles of dung hint at the cold coming.

Minarets still call the faithful to prayer. The houses are low squares, built of the surrounding earth with flat sod rooves. Many of the women wear head scarves, but in brighter colours than Iran. And it seems to be choice. Girls who wear headscarves walk down the street arm in arm with girls who don't. There is no hair piled high in rebellion with the scarf hanging as far back on the head as gravity will allow.

And in the supermarket I felt like I was at home in Brunswick. I knew I could get labne, rose jam and cinnamon for breakfast. There was pasta sauce and Swiss muesli and real bread and Rexona deodorant. Xingjiang province was supposed to be East meets West, but I didn't start feeling it till here.

I feel much happier here. A series of events have led to there being only six passengers and the two drivers. Everyone is an experienced traveller, it is very laid back and nothing is a fuss. The weather is cool, but with glorious sunshine. As we stood outside the Shoveitupyourarse palace this morning with bare arms and no head scarves, we soaked in the sun and I felt an inexplicable sense of well being.

Also, I don't want to examine too closely the joy that access to unrestricted internet brings me.

Kandovan, Iran, Tuesday.