The Lycian Way

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 a...

The day starts with a lie-in as breakfast doesn't start until 8:30am. First on the agenda today is a church; the Greek Orthodox Saint Nicholas Church to be precise. It reminds me that I usually post far too many pictures of churches and that on this trip - in Turkey where the prime minister and his government is working to make Turkey more religious - I have been guilty of not taking many mosque photos though even small villages may have a new and impressive mosque. I am probably missing some subtlety on the dress code but the female Western tourists in this particular location near Saint Nicholas Church are all wearing newly bought head scarves while sporting skimpy shorts. It may have more to do with Greek Orthodoxy than Muslim dress code or just as likely a prank by the tour guides. Yesterday I mentioned I would think about how Lycia became rich and naturally it is the same way any state becomes rich; generating wealth from what you have, trading and raiding. Though in today...

It's my dad's 85th birthday today. Happy Birthday! And sorry I missed the birthday meal. First stop today is Theimussa Ancient City which lies just east of Üçağiz. With tombs raided and a culture and lifestyle overtaken by time and the Roman Empire, there is little hard evidence remaining to indicate the daily life of the Lycians. They had a written language and there are tomb inscriptions but any information on them is handed down by the Hittites and Egyptians. Leaving the Pansiyon and clouds are gathering, humidity rising and rain due in a few days. A tomb in a garden with a motorcycle propped up against it shows again how modern life sits alongside this ancient culture. Inscription.  The following BBC article provides some insight and reminds us that the US version of democracy was in part influenced by the Lycians; I suppose the Americans wanted to look far beyond the British they fought to...

I ate at 7pm last night and enjoyed a beer with my meal and then bottomless Turkish tea after I had eaten. Piles of salad, bulgar rice and beans with that tart fizzy yoghurt and honey for dessert. My hosts sensibly ate in the traditional manner at 8.30pm when it was cooler. The spotless 'table cloth' laid on the floor and a sharing platter raised 6 inches off the floor. At that point I gave them some privacy and reluctantly left the tea and retreated to my large but stuffy room. The dining area was a half-walled and pantile-roofed extension to the main house so open to any evening breeze. I have sampled a large range of accommodation and that has certainly enhanced the trip.  The Turkish landscape is 80% rugged mountains with 20% for agriculture and related activity. Perhaps because of the harshness of the environment and the weather extremes across the year the Turkish people are kind, warm and welcoming. If the walking environment doesn't make you feel safe th...

I wake feeling refreshed after a night in the tent. It had been a hot and airless evening so definitely no need for my sheet sleeping bag.  I awoke at midnight and heard rummaging over by the café. After transporting myself to the Apalacian Trail in America and thinking it was grizzly bears about to rip open my tent for biscuits I realised it was foxes by the noise they made. Phew! I had in mind a beer for breakfast and though I had a 5 minute opportunity by the time I was packed the café was closed again.  Yesterday's post may have published late as I was in a rare spot with no WiFi or mobile signal.  I usually say more about the wildlife. The goats stink as they do everywhere. April is a good time to do this walk as the April flowers are out. But at this time of year when everything is dry something magical happens, a bulb whose leaves have withered and died puts up a flower spike from the dry and stoney ground. They are about three to four feet tall and grow in abundan...

A shorter day today and I aim to have brunch in the coastal town of Kaş which is only 2 hours 30 minutes away by the book. Then it is another 2 hours to my final destination. The route summary for Kaş says "....across the Çukurbağ ova and over the edge of the cliffs...". I should say at this point that ova is Turkish for plain or flat land and that I'll be going over the edge onto a narrow cliff path, or that is the hope.  Today will be fine, but as I head out I realise I may need to adjust my plans and use some of the contingency days I have at the end. It appears that an 8 hour day according to my guidebook may take me 10 hours. The ova reveals some of the path choices that always present themselves.  The cliff has the usual stunning views but looks daunting. I start by slipping on the loose earth and take some skin off my hand on the sharp rocks; I have never done a walk that has drawn so much blood. Half way down and the...