Day 23; Beycik
Today is the start of the mountains though mostly I'll be at a modest elevation of around 900m. I am looking forward to the next phase of the walk; I'm excited by the walking to come but somewhat weary, definitely apprehensive and have an eye on that last day. Including today it is 8 more days of walking with one of them a half day. Overall my distances have been well judged and the last 3 weeks of walking mean I should be fit enough for this mountain phase.
I am hungry this morning despite a very good meal last night. It was an evening meal I tried hard not to enjoy, sat outside on a plastic chair with a dog and cat quietly begging for scraps but it was very good food in an out of the way restaurant. Breakfast time had been a hard negotiation.
Is 9am OK?
No, I'll skip breakfast if it's that late.
OK, I can do 8.30am.
It would need to be 8am.
OK, I am up early anyway.
[Sometime later]
See you at 8.15am for breakfast!
Despite my misgivings I go to breakfast at 8am and everything is ready. In fact its the best breakfast so far and includes a fried egg, cheesy pastry, stuffed green pepper, excellent homemade jams and cake all in addition to the mandatory tomato, cucumber, cheeses and olives; this is normal for Turkey.
Today promises lots of interest so saddle up and lets get going!
I pass the chimaera where methane leaks out from the earth at various points over a football pitch sized area creating a bit of a whiff but also burning continuously. It's really something to see in the dark rather than bright sunshine. I am unsure when the football pitch became a standard unit of measure but given its variability it is a poor standard.
The story goes that it is here that Bellerophon (a hero in Greek Mythology) with some help from his winged horse Pegasus defeated the Chimaera in around 1200 BCE.
Up and up and up I go.
Shortly after taking the flower photo I hear a goat bleating then from nowhere "Merhaba", hello, from just behind a rock. A shepherd is eating his lunch and invites me to join him. I decline as there is a village up ahead and I have set my heart on a reasonably large bottle of pop.
I have enjoyed the rare sound of trickling water and finally cross over. At this point the water dissappears underground.
I get a view of a distant peak which I assume is Mount Olympus tinged with cloud. It is where I am headed.
At Ulupinar village it is clear that trout farms and the associated restaurants are a big thing and as it is 1pm I can't resist sitting down to eat though I still have plenty of walking to do and much of that uphill. Water flows down from pond to pond with fish on display.
That nip from a dog in Demre was just a nip and has healed quickly. Also note the white 'sock' and the beginnings of some muscle definition.
This is a reasonably good photo of Mount Olympus with the sun setting but the trouble is I am still walking. I am in my room for 6.20pm which is a little on the late side and I'll need to keep an eye on time.
