August 29, 2011
Going back down the mountain from Ayder was just as good. Soon I was heading west along the Black Sea coast road. This was the first time in over a month on my Turkey motorcycle tour I had gone west. I’d better get used to the sun in my eyes though. I have a couple of days going south after Uzungöl but then it’s pretty much west all the way back to London.
I stopped just before Of to take my last pictures of my travel companion. We first became acquainted in Romania and then again in Bulgaria and we’d been side by side in Turkey for the last 4 days. It will get much hotter from here without its cooling breeze. The temperature never really got over 30 degrees when it was with me.
Roadworks reappeared on the way to Uzungöl so this ride was not quite up to the standard of the earlier journey up the mountain to Ayder. When complete it will be an equal with more rugged scenery, again following a rocky stream up the mountain, with a couple of tight switchback turns thrown in just before Uzungöl (1,000m) for good measure.
I found a hotel for the night and took a walk around the lake. Great spot here and popular too. Here’s why.
It was cool here once the sun set. I expect it to be stinking hot tomorrow once I get down the mountain and further away from the coast.
Distance travelled today 277 miles (446km), cumulative 4,645 miles (7,475km).
