Day 18; Belören (rest)

A real day off with nowhere to get to. Getting dressed I realise I have dropped a notch on my belt which is normal on walks as you spend alot of time walking which let's your body burn off fat. I am up at 900m and it is noticeably cooler because of the elevation and the pending storm which may break later today. Today would have seen me walking 9 hours into the mountains camping at around 1,500m and waking up in a storm so this change of plan is sound.

I have learnt my lessons on how to plan this trip and have used the guidebook and the accommodation list to firm up the remaining days including revising my journey time each day so I know when I need to start walking and any pinch points on food so I know when to pick up snacks for the days ahead. If any pensions (pansiyons) have no room then I have the tent as backup and I suspect they would allow me to sleep on a veranda or similar.

My 28 day Turkcell package will expire when I am between major towns around the 8th October and I am hoping to have WiFi access to do an online top-up assuming that is an option. 

I can't resist a 30 minute walk to a nearby Byzantine church. If the stonework looks like it has been shaken then remember we are in earthquake territory with Anatolia having two major fault lines. The 2023 Turkey-Syria earthquake was further east.
It does let me see a few more daily life images and every other car toots and waves hello. A social area and the water tap most settlements will have.
I can't resist farm machinery and I think this is a threshing machine. 

The mosque supporting a small hamlet. 
Despite it only being an 80 minute round trip my body has gone into a relaxed state and despite travelling light my legs feel like jelly.

With a day off I have time to talk about the rise in demand for what the Americans call through-hikes and how countries are supporting these to boost tourism. The Pekoe Trail in Sri Lanka is a good example. Sri Lanka has a good tourist industry and fantastic countryside. There are plenty of day hikes, you can cycle if you are brave enough and even hire a tuktuk and go exploring. What Sri Lanka doesn't have are any long distance trails, until 2024 that is. They have developed a trail using plantation tracks and will soon complete the signage; companies are already geared up to support you and will happily book budget friendly accommodation if you wish which helps your tourist rupee get to the working person and not the major hotel chains. For more information take a look here. 


Popular posts from this blog

Index

Image
At the foot of each page is a link to take you to this Index . Pre-start Ways to keep moving Orientation  Day 1 ; Faralya Day 2 ; Cennet Beach (Alinca)   Day 3 ; Sidyma  Day 4 ; Bel Day 5 ; Gavuragili Day 6 ; Letoon  Day 7 ; Üzümlü Day 8 ; Patara Day 9 ; Kalkan  Day 10 ; Saribelen  Day 11 ; Gökceören Day 12 ; Cukurbag Day 13 ; Liman Agizi (via Kaş) Day 14 ; Bogazcik Day 15 ; Üçagiz Day 16 ; Demre Day 17 ; Belören Day 18 ; Belören (rest) Day 19 ; Finike (transfer) Day 20 ; Karaöz Day 21 ; Adrasan Day 22 ; Çirali Day 23 ; Beycik Day 24 ; Yayla Kuzdere Day 25 ; Göynük Yaylasi Day 26 ; Göynük  Day 27 ; Elmayani Day 28 ; Hisarçandir  Day 29 ; Çitdibi (and beyond) Day 30 ; Geyikbayiri The End ; If Only I'd Known
Read more

The End; If only I'd known

Image
A summary of my Lycian Way experience which is intended as a list of questions to ask yourself.  The picture below is of Nasreddin Hodja (1208 - 1284) who was a philosopher, sage and master of humour from Anatolia. I imagine his advice on the Lycian Way would be along these lines, "if you are worried about being bitten by a dog, then let one bite you early in your journey then you can stop worrying." Any useful resources to get me started? Nice overview: https://www.ditchthemap.com/travel-blog/2019/6/15/-planning-guide-for-hiking-lycian-way-know-before-you-go Detailed practical information: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Lycian_Way The official site: https://cultureroutesinturkey.com/ Organised Tours https://cultureroutesinturkey.com/the-lycian-way/self-guided-tours/ The Kate Clow guidebook has all the historical information and the high-level maps for planning. You also get a short document on accommodation which looks pitiful but has the accommodation you need; ...
Read more

Day 7; Xanthos then Üzümlü

Image
Today we start with a picture of culture as I notice the last two headline photos were food related. The arrangement of seating and sensibly spaced steps for access is still used in theatres and stadia today. The first headline today is the Xanthos complex starting with the theatre. Here the Lycian tombs we saw back in Sidyma are sometimes raised on a pillar. Another tomb on a pillar and some cut into the rock. The shape and design of the coffin is an age old design; I suppose as with the theatre there is sometimes just one sensible approach. For part of today I follow or walk along an old aqueduct which is precarious at times. Space to camp is rare and I find a wild camping spot.  The second headline for today is just how hard the second half of today's walk is. It is either steep uphill, steep downhill, fighting through brush or just trying not to plummet off the ledge you...
Read more