Mt Ararat.............maybe!!

[Dicky]

Burkhard had conjured up a fiendishly cunning plan. He had two mates in Germany who wanted to do a walking tour of Mt Ararat followed by a bike tour from Van to Kas. In order for that to happen we needed to get three bikes from Kas to Van. Burkhard would be on his BMW, Klaus would take Burkhard's XT660R and I would take my XT660R. Klaus and I would hand over the bikes and fly back from Van to Antalya. We had 6 days to cover 2250kms.





Better get going then






Burkhard's trusty R100GS




Wasn't long before Burkhard was re-arranging the luggage that hadn't fallen off





Klaus was concered. Was this a taste of things to come? It was





We stopped for a break at the roadside. Break over, we started up the bikes or at least the Jap bikes. Burkhard's Bavarian classic was having none of it. There was no spark at the plugs so.............





it was a tow to the nearest garage. After much telephonic activity a lift to a local mechanic was arranged





The mechanic turned out to be fairly clueless. Burkhard legged it back to Kas to pick up his XT600 and promised to meet up the following day. Klaus and I went to Koprullu Canyon and slept on a floating raft. Twas nice





Day 1 and 2.





Burkhard caught up with us the following night.





We had lost one and a half days so the stroll in the park took a walk as did our schedule. It was now a race to Van with, hopefully, a bit of sightseeing on the way. Better head over the pass to Beysehir then


Day 3.








past the goatherders





past Derebucak where the grandeur of the town mosque





puts to shame the humbler dwellings




From Beysehir it was a slog to Konya onwards to Aksaray








with only the old caravansary at Sultanhani offering a distraction from the heat and dust of the endless highway





Built between 1229 and 1236 the caravansaray offered travelling merchants lodging, stabling and food free of charge.





Early evening saw us in Goreme in Cappadocia





where the view from our hotel terrace was somewhat sublime