Day 27; Elmayani
I will be staying up at an altitude of 500m to 1,500m for the next four days and I have four end of day accommodation needs. During my earlier planning the last night - Night 30 - was booked online leaving just three nights still to fill. Last night I stayed up to do some administration which suddenly felt quite pressing.
Night 27 (tonight) I would turn-up and hope for the best. Closer inspection reveals I would be in a room in the house of a shepherd and his wife being overcharged so I changed that to camping and have bought a quantity of biscuits to see me through.
Night 28 was to turn-up and hope but again closer examination shows I need to book. A quick text and that is done. It is in a village with a shop so I can buy provisions if required.
Night 29 I planned to turn up at a properly run campsite with cabins but again I see I need to notify them. A speedy text and reply shows the campsite at that location has closed down. Another night of camping as there is nothing else and I can get provisions the day before.
Talking to someone at a Pide restaurant (think pizza) last night he said the Turkish summer had lasted longer which explains the 30 degree heat that caught me out in the first 3 weeks though my camp at altitude will be down to around 13 degrees.
Coming down into Göynük Canyon yesterday I was on a high path as I missed the turn to drop down so this morning I explore the canyon a bit more. It is beautiful though the series of pools appear mostly man made and the area is dominated by food stalls and a zip wire. You can also do body-rafting which from the advertising looks like rafting, but without the raft. Yes, it had me baffled too. I imagine the canyon is more beautiful further up but I have hills to climb. I should have checked the composition of this photo as it's wrong in so many ways.
I get off the tourist superhighway and on to the trail which climbs up a side valley. I see natural pools of crystal clear water and hear frogs go plopping into the water then see them swim. Later on I hear the sound of a large frog playing a didgeridoo though it turns out to be a spring pipe making exactly the same sound as a large frog playing a didgeridoo. Later I see a small snake slither off the path; it looked much like a slow worm, one foot long, brown and wormlike.
The walk follows forest trails winding up-hill and all set between two vertical cliffs which feels quite intimidating.
It is 3pm and I am at an elevation of 1,000 metres with another 500 to my planned campsite. The only information I have is "Camping" marked on the map so at this point in time I don't know what to expect.
It is 6.30pm and I am there though the going has been painfully slow. Ignoring the 3km to get back on the route from my hotel, today's walk has been around 10km in 8.5 hours and that is with the minimum of breaks to eat, drink and catch my breath. I was careless in not starting earlier.
Tonight's pitch with just enough time before sunset. You can't put in tent pegs on these platforms so I use carefully selected stones to hold everything up.
7.30pm and time to wrap up as the night chill is creeping into the tent.
