Distance: 9.0km (154.4km), time spent: 6:13 (64:07).
Altitude (start / end / highest): 66m / 736m / 792m.
Weather: Overcast, then a sudden deluge and calm again, before partly nice in the afternoon and evening.
The nights sees most of the actions here apparently, yet again there were some incredible thunderclaps outside, like something tore or broke apart at the same time. It is raining heavily in the morning, so I sleep long. At the breakfast, Melike, who I met yesterday, does not share the same optimism as I do. I have a belief that the weather will turn towards the better, but decides that the walk for today will be a short one. The equipment I left behind in Kalkan is now back in my backpack, so it has returned to its normal weight.
In the morning, when leaving Gül Pansiyon in Kalkan. Rain clouds over the town and bay. In the horizon Çatal Adalar.
On the way out of Kalkan, I meet two German girls, Lisa and Hanna, who has travelled down here to walk for some days on the Lycian Way. This is their first day and we keep company in the uncertainty of where the trail goes. Fortunately, we are able to locate the new path after it has been rerouted, and hence do not have to walk for the two kilometres along a busy road as it did before. Instead, we are treated with a more pleasant walk in the hills above Kalkan, passing by cultivated and now dry plains, and a fenced in tennis court of all things (that obvious belongs to a fancy house high above us).
Hanna and Lisa with her broken shoe. It is not funny to have to stop on the first day, but the German girls took it by a smile.
The clouds are grey and heavy above us and we are expecting it to start raining any time, but it keeps being on hold. Instead, the sole on Lisa's right shoe breaks loose and it is game over for them for now. And on the first day of their walk as well. What is it with Germans and broken shoes? They will have to return to Kalkan to find a new pair of shoes for Lisa; we are fortunately not far away from where the path crosses the Kalkan-Elmalı road. We say farewell at a bus stop in Sarnıçbası. It was a short, but pleasant acquaintance.
Deluge on the climb up to Bezirgan. The rain came abruptly. Sarnıçbası below.
After Sarnıçbası, the real fun of the walk begin, from here on and up I walk on an old mule path that winds up along the mountainside. Where the path goes is clear and I can see two other hikers higher up. Not long after I begin the ascent, the rain comes at last, abruptly and in amounts. So much and so quickly that there is no point in stopping to put on my waterproofs, the shorts I am walking in is soaked in an instance. Though my pants are soaked, the climb up is enjoyable.
A soaked hiker on the old kaldirim going up into the mountains from Sarnıçbası after the deluge. Despite the rain and walking in a soaked pants, the ascent was enjoyable.
The old mule path winding up along the mountainside.
The rain does not last long, it was as if the clouds let go of all the water they contained at the same time. I overtake the two other hikers, which turns out to be a German couple that also stayed at the guesthouse in Gelemiş, Sasha and Alice. In the view, there are now everything from rain, to clouds and blue sky. From further up on the old kaldirim, I can again see the Patara beach; you almost never becomes done with it. Kalkan is barely visible.
View over Kalkan, Çatal Adalar, Eren Tepe and the ocean from the climb to Bezirgan. On the small plain below there was a small and dilapidated farm that has seen its better days.
Above, the mountain disappears into the clouds and the trail follows its lead. The climb up has been quite steep, but it has been rewarding and on the top the clouds leaves me behind on a moor that seems desolate. The truth is entirely different, but I enjoy the small time I spend with the sensation that it is so. Beneath a dispersing layer of clouds, I walk down to the huge and open plain that houses the village of Bezirgan.
Clouds lying like a veil over the mountain, with the path disappearing into it, passing by an old cistern.
At the entrance to the village there are several ambars standing in rows and lines, these are small houses used to store corn and harvested food. Just like the horreos in Spain, only different culture different looks. Calling Bezirgan a village is at first sight a little moot, the houses are spread out on the large plain.
Ambars in Bezirgan, these are used to store corn and other harvests.
This was where I had in mind walking to today, but where I can find a place to stay among the scattered houses I am unsure of. It is also tempting to continue walking. Why stop? Today was a nice walk, it is still time left of the day and the weather is relatively fine. To Saribelen there are seven kilometres. From the mosque, the call for prayer is sounded, I sit outside and relax, the villagers are gathering inside the walls.
A lonely house in Bezirgan.
I do not get further than Bezirgan though, I choose to check out the accommodations here before I eventually decide upon continue walking or not. Due to the size of the area the village are scattered about, I spend so much time finding a place that I grew tired. I find a place that looks nice, Owlsland, but the price for the stay was 200 Turkish lira (it was a hotel according to the hostess, it did not resemble anything like one). Instead, I get a room in the home of one of the locals.
Dinner in Bezirgan, vegetarian, but tasty never the less.
My unofficial guesthouse is untidy, filthy, it smells of plaster in my room and the shower is ice cold. I kind of doubt that they have many visitors, even though the people living here are nice. On the other hand, the dinner they serve is very good. There are also no beer to be had here, since this is a conservative village, but I manage well without. I slowly hurry onwards on The Lycian Way.
<- KalkanGökçeören ->
No comments:
Post a Comment