Week 8 Sultanhini, Konya, Catalhoyuk, Beysihir, Konya

8^th week, Sultanhini, then Konya, Catalhoyuk, Beysihir and back to Konya

Monday, 20^th June 2011 Good night, morning came, young lad came to tell me breakfast was ready. 3 fellas and me. So, it was a flat omelet, some sliced tomatoes and cucumber. Some crumbly cheese, which I really didn't like, butter, tasted like Lurpak, black olives and loads of bread. Good tea, proper tea, no milk but with sugar. Smoking as usual, had to bite my tongue, promised I would email Reisemobil magazine and change the GPS sorry about the carpets, but how much was it. He said glass of wine with meal 50TL, well I think I paid for my breakfast as well, no glass of wine is worth an extra 10TL. So bit of a rip off that. I did manage to get from him that there was a Caravanserie in the town and also a crater Meke Lake out near Karapinar which I located on TT. Left quickly, bit miffed about the charge, not going to do that too often.

So it was 34113 only 120 miles yesterday. However 44.82 hrs, 32 mph. So did lot of hours again. Went to Caravanserie in town. Not many people there when I arrived. 3 TL to get in and it was amazing, especially when I went into the rear of the enclosed part. It was huge, you just didn't expect it. Took some photos but I don't think they'll come out, it was very dark. Along one wall, outside the enclosed space there were lots of rooms apparently hamans. Lots of tourists arrived, so time to go. Went to the shop opposite, felt their prices were very inflated and left to go towards the Meke Crater. The first bit of road turned out to be a rough track for many kilometres, then I eventually got to the tarmac road, and hoped it was the right one. Yes could actually see town of Besci on my rather inappropriate map. Then Karapinar, turn left for couple of K's to Meke Crater. N37-41-34 E33-38-17

It's was a shame but the photo they had shown me in Sultanhani, was and aerial photo, when the lake surrounding the plug was full. Well it's not now, one side rather pink in colour and the other a dirty greenish brown, which I certainly wouldn't have swum in as it was suggested at the breakfast table, and I could go there by taxi for 100 TL if I wanted. Well, no, I'd rather drive and then go on to Konya. So it was quite pleasant up here, bit windy, but that was nice, sun was very hot. Decided to try for other lake, which you could also swim in at Acigol, but couldn't find a tarmac road to get there, wasn't going down the dirt track, so onwards to Konya. Good road, bit windy, but had to have windows open because fan still hadn't come back into operation. Will do something about it soon.

When I arrived in Konya I looked for Melvana Museum, couldn't find a parking space, eventually did some way down the road, a dirt space with a Turkish motorhome parked there. Walked towards a very attractive building thinking it was the museum. It had shaped domes like the skirts of the Whirling Dervishes and lots of space around it. Decided to take the motorhome and park it there, just in case. However it turned out to be the Melvana Cultural Centre. N37-52-06 E32-30-54. I went into reception and a young man phoned for a young lady who came and spoke very good English to me. We established it was the Cultural Centre and I got to know that I could come at 2100 on Saturday and look at the Whirling Dervishes. I could leave my van in the car park and walk up to the proper Melvana Museum which she showed me with the green turret. Said goodbye and started to walk up towards it. Wrong shoes, but too late, half way there. I spied an Information Centre. Lovely people, had a good conversation about Turkish history and where to go and the piesta de resistance, a Caravan park, which was free just outside of town.

And, I was told it wasn't there, well, it is and I'm on it. Good space, bit noisy, free electric, water, drainage and toilets where you can empty your toilet. Great find. After last night! They gave me a map, a couple of tourists guides and sent me on my way to the museum. It was only up the road. 3 TL to get in and 3TL for a guide. Not the inflated prices of Istanbul and Ankara. These places are just as important, but don't cost so much. They aren't being greedy. N37-52-11 E32-33-01.

Mevlana Museum. There were quite a lot of people here, but mostly devout muslins. They all prayed before the tombs with their hands held curved upwards and probably saying things from the Koran, I wish I could have asked them what it was. Most of the ladies wore scarves. ( I've just seen a lady all in black wearing an upturned cardboard box on her head, to keep the sun off, oops, it's just blown off. Now they are coming back for some reason. Two little children scuttling after them, at least they have hats on.) The Turkish women do their head scarves so attractively, not all in black but brightly coloured ones. I think I want one like that and some instruction as to how to do it. One little boy just couldn't resist saying Hello, every time he saw me, made me laugh along with his mother and relatives. I was in here for quite a long time and then visited the book shop. Found a book on the Dervishes for 13TL, a novel by Orhan Pamuk (The museum of Innocence, about an elite young man due to marry, who then fell in love with a flower seller and his world just wasn't right any more. Young girl tried to sell me it for 27TL and I said well, possibly I could get it free when I went home to England and got it from the local library, for free.) They had a big fan outside and someone was standing there throwing water over it so a fine mist got thrown everywhere, by the time I walked past they had stopped. Blast. It was hot. Back to the van, shopping on the way, fancied some meat couldn't get any, got some eggs for 1.5TL not bad. Bread 2 large rolls .5 TL and a walk with sore feet back to the van to find the caravan site.

I did find it, missed the sign at first then back tracked Hobi Bahceleri, Karatay Belediyesi. On the D330 Konya-Antaya road at N37-52-11 and E32-33-01. My trip yesterday was 132 miles, 48.86 hrs 32 mph. 29.9 mpg 34245 miles total.

Tuesday, 21st June 2011 Longest day. Worked out that I could go to Catalhoyuk, Alibeyhoyugu and Gokhoyut which were all archaeological sites south of Konya actually on my map, perhaps go tomorrow. Today, rest day and sorting out things. Fill in until Saturday, but I'm ok here, at least it's free.

Didn't have a good night, dogs were barking and the traffic was a bit noisy, got the ear plugs in the end. During the day the dog warden came, carted off one of the dogs, but couldn't catch the other one. The corporation workmen were building a gate house into the complex to my left. First he made all the posts the same size, then struts to hold them together and to balance two very long poles between the six poles. Then came the crane with the long poles and they got them in the right place, equidistant both ends. Then the carpenter went to work to lock everything in place.

Wednesday, 22nd June 2011 Next morning I saw the gates had been put in place, only one was open, and the guard, for me (the site) and the complex was nowhere to be seen, so I took my leave without saying goodbye. 

On the road to Catalhoyuk, I could have taken a short cut, but again the roadworks made it difficult to cross where TT wanted me to go. So I went towards Corum and then to my destination. There was a small car park, duly parked and went off to find the guard. A rather lovely young man greeted me and took me to the visitors centre to watch initially a video about the site. The original archaeologist was an English man James Mellaart 1958. The information charts on the walls were most interesting and gave a comprehensive history of the site. When I'd finished I started to walk towards the guard's house, and he met me half way. We walked up the hill and he told me that hoyuk, still can't pronounce it, meant mound and catal meant fork, but the whole thing meant two mounds, double mounds. The first building housing the diggings showed the top level of the diggings. In all the guard said there were 18 levels, that''s why the mounds are so tall. The buildings lasted about 50 years, then they made another house on top. The relatives were buried under the beds of the inhabitants. This was fascinating. We walked further over to the building containing the lower levels, absolutely stunning. You have to see it to understand the complex nature of the site. There are no streets, all dwellings are entered from above and also no windows, mainly for security. However, they found no weapons on the site, so the archaeologists didn't think they had problems with intruders. There was no charge, but I feel very thrilled to have been there, especially alone to be able to take it all in.

Back to the van I still felt a bit whoosy, so I slept for a couple of hours. Then I tried to find the next site. I found a mound but no diggings, never mind I'd seen the best. Then I tried for another, no diggings there either. So I decided to go across country and round towards Beysihir. A gust of wind caught my little map and out the window it went. Lovely little map showed all the tourist sites, and better than the big one. I tried to find it to no avail. On the journey going through the mountains, I got stopped by the local Jardarma, at the top of the mountain, guns out at the ready. "How was I", "Well thank you, and you", "I am at work!" "Where was I going?", "Beysihir", "Do I know the way", "Well, my SatNav does", "Have a good day", "and you, too". "Goodbye".

It was not long after this that I met the tarred road. What a mess, I couldn't turn round to go back, no other way, so I just had to go through the tarred mess. Stones were there, but not enough to embed into the tar. Eventually met them doing the road. They let me through, but it wasn't until I found a place to park near the lake that I actually looked at my van. What a B mess! Oil in Morocco, Tar in Turkey! Slept well last night, decided to go early to the Mosque. Beysihir Lake roadside parking N37-40-09 E31-42-48

Thursday, 23rd June 2011 First to arrive for the wooden Esrefoglu mosque. Just follow the signs. I was met by a lady selling goods outside, she put a headscarf on me and draped my black shawl around my shoulders. She'd get me on the way out! The inside was beautiful, I was the only one there. The smell was magical, cedar wood. It was amazing. I actually preferred this type of mosque to the modern ones, something much more natural about the place and so peaceful. Hope the pictures come out well. Outside the lady took the scarf and proceeded to show me knitted gloves,  shoes, and lots of other things too. I plumbed for a purple and black pair of knitted shoes for the price of 10 TL which I coughed up but wasn't going to buy anything else. Across the way was the old bazaar with the most delightful display of tablecloths, serviettes, lace work, but the place smelt so much of cigarettes I made a hasty exit. There were some tumbledown Ottoman buildings behind the bazaar, what a shame. Again some things were very nicely done and others just sort of slapped together any old how! Back in the van I decided it was time to get some gas, they tried to give me diesel and I said No, Gas. When it only took about 8 litres I think I've got a faulty valve or something. That's the second time I thought I'd run out and then only about 8 litres had gone back in. Something not right. I asked for a can of petrol to clean off the tar. He indicated slit throat, why I don't know, however he gave me a can and charged me 2.29TL for 8.030 Lt gas 18.39TL about £9 and 4.180 ltrs of petrol at 3.610 15.09 TL I will have to check that gas bottle? Tomorrow I will get some diesel.

I decided to travel around the lake and see if I could stay put for one night I first went to the springs at Eflatunpinar N37-49-30 E31-40-28. It wasn't long before I spied the local lady come out with her goods. It really spoils it for me. However, I enjoyed the noise of the frogs at the spring, there weren't any signs telling you anything about it. What a pity. I bought an attractive belt, which I shall never wear, but it's quite decorative for 5TL.

The road back was amazing looking down on to the lake. The colour was magnificent a green, turquoise colour, it kept changing. I kept going and eventually came to a lay-by which was big enough for me. Had lunch, a nap, then decided it was time to have a go at the tar! It took two hours to do the front wheel arch, door and half way along the side. Thank goodness the other side isn't as bad. But doing it with the petrol has stained the paint work on the cab, so I'll have to T cut it later, when I get home. You never know when these Turks will have another go at tarring the road just before I go over it.

Friday, 24th June 2011 Didn't have a good night. Heard shotgun blasts about 10pm, thought there were hunters about, then I realised it was a bird scarer! Well, it went on all night, wasn't impressed. But finally got up about 6.50 am, had breakfast, sorted stuff and moved on round the lake back to Beysihir. They've stopped shooting that thing, finally at 730am, perhaps it was to deter any further motorhomes from stopping here!

I hadn't gone far, at around Yenisarbademli I followed the road, saw a Challenger van parked up on another road, waved and went through the village as I got to a junction it said road closed, no through road. Well, I wasn't even going to try it, who knew what lay ahead. I turned round didn't go through the village and met up with the French couple who I'd waved at earlier. They had apparently just come up the closed road! It was OK except that you had to go really slowly and the very low bits of the van like the water outlet and my exhaust could easily get knocked. I said I was going

back to Konya for the Whirling Dervishes. “Oh no” said the woman, “it only happens on Tuesdays and Thursdays”. Well I've been told it's Saturday at 2100. Other conversations took place, they had more or less followed the same route as myself, but hadn't been to Catalhoyuk though! Missed the best bit. So I decided to go back round the lake, possibly take the northern route into Konya. It was certainly different, more road building, cars getting impatient to get past. I stopped for a nap and was woken by noise outside. A car with a puncture had stopped not 5 ft from my van, couldn't they have gone a bit further up! The lay-by was long and wide, still humans will congregate in the same place, whatever.

Konya, Friday afternoon, enough to raise anybody's blood pressure and it did mine. Now I know what that fuzzy head denotes, after all these years. Got back to the lovely free site with electricity, two young campers with a tent, who also played the flute and drums parked their tent on the grass. I was just about to tell them about the sprinklers, when I saw they had moved. They, the sprinklers, came on about 45 minutes later. Toilets still not clean. Don't like to moan after being given a free site. However I did see a man armed with hosepipe, brush and rubber scraper descend on the toilets a little later on Saturday. Haven't been over there to see if it's a good job yet. Boy, it was hot today, hardly any wind, I nearly melted. Did some hand washing about 1100, didn't wring it out properly but it had all dried by 1600. Had another veggie meal, still hadn't found a butcher! Perhaps they are vegetarians and don't need butchers. Just about 1830 a Belgian couple arrived on site who were going to the Dervishes.

I said I was going at 1900 to get a space in the car park. I might see them there. Plenty of space, people going in through a metal detector, everybody sitting down at the café tables, then about 2030 we were allowed to go through to Block A main hall. Well, never seen anything like it. Just like the Sales in London, everybody rushing in order to get a seat. I knew it held 3000 people. The Belgian lady, Sabine and I exchanged glances, couldn't believe the nature of the rush. Everybody was in there, young kiddies screaming, didn't go down well this was supposed to be a respectful performance of the Dervishes ritual dance or sema as they called it. There was an introduction and then a gentleman came on and I think giving a sermon, he went on for a considerable time. Then the ritual started. Firstly the orchestra came in and they were on my right and I couldn't see very well. They all bowed to the East presumably and all the Dervishes came in, bowed and walked slowly in their black cloaks towards some sheepskin rugs on the ground. There were two red mats for the main men at the top. I didn't count all of them but I would say there were 25 men, of different shapes and sizes, even young men about 10 yrs, which I didn't think was possible. At first there was a very slow walking ritual where the first 8 men walked towards the Head men, bowed, didn't turn their backs to them and started to walk in a circle. When they reached opposite the Head men, again they bowed and carried on. They did this circle three times and then went back to the other seated men. Then they all stood up and took off their black cloaks to reveal their white tunics and skirts, also white tights, trousers underneath with very soft black shoes and of course their conical shaped hats.

They bowed to the Head Men, and started to twirl with their hands crossed on their shoulders. Their heads in some of the men leaned to the right and they twirled to the right. Right hand upwards towards God, left hand downwards towards the earth. I always thought they twirled on the spot, but they kept the circle going until everybody was whirling, and that's when they seemed to stop in one spot. It was interesting to see the way each individual man twirled. There was only one man who seemed to hold his head straight up and not to the side. Very interesting from an Alexander Technique point of view. As soon as the music and singing stopped, the men stepped away from the centre in little groups of three, standing practically on top of one another with their arms crossed again and their arms crossed, hands on their shoulders. That dance was in the red lights, it went on to blue, green and finally white. Each time the same ritual. The 3rd man in black, probably a teacher walked round during the dance to check I suppose that everybody was OK.

Finally, they all went back to their places, knelt down whilst the 2 Head Men chanted and prayed, as well as most of the congregation. At this point I felt quite upset that people started to get up and go, they couldn't even wait till it was all over. As the Head Men walked and bowed towards the East on their way out, most of the audience/followers got up and went. It was mostly the tourists who sat in their places until it was all finished. Funny way to behave when it was all supposed to be about respect and God. I sat with the Belgian couple, the man's name was Derek, and they asked if I could take them back to came, Well I said, you'll have to wait while I sort a few things out, the seat belts aren't out. No problem they said. Anyway, all cosy we set off back to camp it was now about 10.30pm the guard opened the gate for us, thank you's all round, “goodnight see you in the morning”.

Sunday 26th June 2011 And here is morning. New ritual, whilst eating breakfast slowly, type daily diary. Well, that didn't even get off the ground. Left Konya after swapping names etc., with the Belgian motor homers and the Japanese campers, who were hitch-hiking down to Antalya the next day. The Belgians were on their way home and back to work and had their boat booked from Igoumestista.

I was heading down towards the Syrian border to Samandag. I started out along the road past Keke Crater, stopped for diesel and was offered a drink which turned out to be very peppery and more of a emetic as I found out the next day. He also offered me sort of pancake with that strong cheese in it. Hmm! not good. Drink grew on me and he gave me a bottle of it. After it's affects the next day I decided to keep it in the fridge, for others to taste! I decided to go by motorway most of the way and of course got there quite quickly really. The best past was coming through a town called Helen and then looking over a vast plain as we drove down the mountain side with a huge wind gusting towards the valley. I got really blown a couple of times. It was a very wide road, places to stop and have a look.

After this the road was not good. I got to Samandag just as the sun was setting, it must have been a festival or something, everywhere was teeming with people, cars and honking horns. You could tell you were in a different place there were hardly any scarves being worn by the women and the youngsters were very scantily clad, different atmosphere. Found a place to park along the wide sea road, because I'd had enough driving and settled in for the night. I found that the roads, sea front were full of rubbish and looked thoroughly disgusting, DK said it was scruffy, and it was. The town was Cevlik.