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It has been a long time we keeps you informed but here is than finally the second newsletter. In de mean time a lot of things happens.
The test drive was perfect in 8 days of driving we put 2.500 km on the teller we have visit some friends of us in Chech-Republik, Austria en Germany. No problems at all with us or the machines.
We game back after 14 days and it was a good idea because a few days later Ellen (the sister off Jolanda) got here first baby and off course it is the most nice looking girl in the whole world. They called her Florine. We stayed in the mean time on a camping in Arnhem, the wonderful girls that let us stayed in there house for 3 months has other visitors but it was a good solution.
The moment to start the trip came closer and closer we have to arrange the visa for Iran , Pakistan and India and than we can go on the road to our choosing countries. We start the trip on august 23. We turned on the gas handle and drove as soon as possible trough Germany, Austria and Italy We took the ferryboat in Brindisie (Italy) to Greece and were there in 5 days.
In Greece we got the feeling of traveling. It looked as we never went a way. There are still old man sitting outside drinking coffee or tea. And we also did. Then on the road again here it was baptism of fire 95 km off hairpin roads trough the mountains on smooth slippery roads. Jolanda didn't liked that at all. But we succeed nothings happens. We found a campsite in Ionina on the lake include lot of mosquitoes and they loved us very much. On this place we met two Danish men, on the same bikes we have ,they want to go to India as well. It was really nice talking to them.
We have left Greece and past the border of Turkey on Sept 5 it was real a fun to pass the border we have to go to several different small offices to collect stamps fill out papers pay some money and go to the next office al they have to pas in a sequence and don't dare to do it in a other way because you can start al over again.
Turkey is a beautiful country the scenery is often so completely different than ten minutes before but also pay attention to the traffic and the road, it happens that the road is perfect and than suddenly a pothole shows up. So you have to look every where and makes the driving nice but also strenuous. We drove via Truva too Bergama and saw that Truva was more explored than 15 years ago, so it was wonderful to be back here at the same place. Now they have rebuild the Odeon and several other nice places so check it out by yourself I would say.
In Bergama we visit the Asklepion (a ancient medical centre) here Galen added considerably to knowledge circulatory and nervous systems, and also systematized medical there. His work was the basis for all western medicine well into the 16 century. From Bergama we drove a secondary road to Ankara and we passed Usak here we slapped near a gas station they also have a restaurant so it was a perfect place to stay for just one day.
Ankara was for use a place to skip we found out later The place missed al the things we where looking for, it is a planned city by Ata Turk. With long wide boulevards full off crowded traffic.
But just under Ankara we found in a small town, Golbasi a nearly perfect place for the tent it was close to a restaurant and they have a small garden to set up the tent. The things we missed were: no mosquitoes, a shower and a little bit more heat during the night. We stayed there or tree nights and the people off the restaurant were so friendly to heat up the stove during the night. So we good heat up before entering the tent.
On the road we have seen such tremendous kinds of vehicles donkey carrying people and harvest. Motorbikes with a sidecar carrying al kinds of stuff. And off course the stinky smelling diesel trucks.
The next goal was Cappadocia we stayed in the magical place Goreme set among towering tuva cones and honeycomb cliffs, surrounded by vineyards. Life is odd mixture off the modern and ultra-conservative, with veiled women in the traditional baggy salver trousers rubbing shoulders with scantily clad tourist throughout the summer. The tuva stone houses has been occupy for many years There where also several churches and monastery's build in.
From there we made a trip to the underground city, the Ihlara valley and we visit the caravanserai.
4000 years ago the Hittite build several houses. In times off peace the people of this region lived and farmed above ground, but when invaders threatened it they took to there troglodyte dwellings where they good live safely. When the first Christians run before the Romans and came to the valleys and saw this houses where a good solution for them they stayed in the valley and they rebuild this houses to real cities off twelve floors they where used till 1500 after this period the local people used tree floors as stables and storage's rooms.
Ihlara is a remote valley with was ones a favorite retreat of Byzantine monks. Dozes off painted churches, carved from the rock are build from the local stone, have survived.
The silk route was a imported trading route between the east and the west The seljuk build the caravanserai. The caravanserai was a rest and trading point for the camels and the camel drivers. They have to pay for this kind off insurance.
In Goreme we met a Swiss couple Barbara and Martin they has same idea as we and we decide to travel together to Nemrutdagi.
But more off this later You will read than the exciting story to Nemrut Dagi and more !
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Greetings from Jolanda and Leon.