Gülyali, April 9, 2024 🇹🇷
Starting from Trabzon, today’s route takes us along the Black Sea to Gülyali. Our destination is a campsite that just opened last year—let’s see what it has in store for us. The route along the coast is very scenic; towns and villages are strung out at short intervals, and the winding road constantly offers new views of this beautiful region. Unfortunately, the weather is a bit overcast, and the Pontic Mountains, in particular, are only partially visible through the fog. At noon, we stop in Kesap, a small town about 50 km from today’s destination. We visit the local market and, of course, can’t resist the treats. In the end, we end up with cheese, bread, hazelnuts, hazelnut spread, and hazelnut pastries… because we’re in hazelnut country! The bread is really delicious, too—a lot of it is still baked in wood-fired ovens, as you can see from the large piles of wood in front of the bakeries.
In the afternoon, we arrive at our campsite, a brand-new spot that costs the equivalent of CHF 14.00 per night. Not bad for all the amenities—water, electricity, and hot showers.
We quickly check all the bolts on our Joey one more time, because we certainly don’t want to lose a wheel or a shock absorber. Afterward, we go for a short walk to stretch our legs. And what do we find… a really great coffee shop that also sells amazing chocolate… what more could you want?
When the sun goes down, it gets cold quickly, so we decide to spend the evening in the warm Joey. Tomorrow, another long leg of the journey is on the agenda.
Samsun, April 10, 2024 🇹🇷
From Gülyali, we’re heading 325 km today, almost all the way to Corum. First, we come across the city of Samsun, which we bypass, though. By chance, we spot the Bandirma, a replica of Atatürk’s steamship. The Bandırma (Bandırma Vapuru) is the ship that brought Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and his staff—as commander of the 9th Army—from Istanbul to Samsun. The replica of the ship is now a museum in Samsun. We don’t visit the museum, though, because we want to arrive at the campsite early…
Soon enough, though, we start craving a good cup of coffee—and lo and behold, we find a great restaurant. Well… we quickly realize that the staff and we can only communicate with hand gestures, so we end up with a “standard breakfast”….. The pictures tell the rest of the story, and unfortunately there wasn’t any room left for coffee. But it was really delicious—and it cost the equivalent of just over 15 francs for the two of us.
Today, people here are celebrating the end of Ramadan with Eid al-Fitr. We’re joining in the celebration, because starting now, the coffee shops are open again during the day…
With full stomachs, we continue on toward Corum, where we’ve picked out a parking spot by the highway. Not very idyllic, not very quiet, but convenient for our visit to Corum and Hattusa, which are on the agenda for tomorrow.
Corum, April 11, 2024 🇹🇷
We were actually planning to drive right past Corum, but Adriana wanted to see the city where her former coworker is from. So we park our Joey just outside the city at a park. And we’re surprised… Corum actually has quite a bit to offer. The park, as well as various shopping centers, are fairly new and ultra-modern. But our real goal is the museum. So off we go to the museum—all on an empty stomach… The museum, however, turns out to be a truly fascinating treasure trove of antiquity, and we learn a lot about Hattusa, which we’ll be visiting tomorrow. But then it’s off for coffee… no, not quite yet—we have a light lunch first… probably the biggest wrap we’ll ever have in our lives. Afterward, finally an espresso and a little relaxation. On the way back, we make a quick stop at Corum-Miniature and pick up some chickpeas, a local specialty, to take with us.
With all these great experiences under our belts, we’re heading straight on to Bogazkale, where we’ll visit the Hattusa archaeological site tomorrow.
Hattusa April 12, 2024 🇹🇷
Off to Hattusa… to look at stones. Our tour of the very impressive Hattusa archaeological site began just as it should: at the souvenir shop. There, we were persuaded by two elderly, retired, local, and very friendly gentlemen to buy a piece of stone with handmade engravings. Well, 10 euros is okay, and it’s a special price, after all.
But then things really got going… as they should, with the vehicle.
Ḫattuša or Hattuscha (also Hattusa, Turkish: Hattuşaş) was the capital of the Hittite Empire from the late 17th to the early 12th century B.C. Its ruins are located in the Turkish province of Çorum near the town of Boğazkale (formerly Boğazköy) in the Anatolian Highlands, about 180 kilometers east of Ankara. North of the ancient region of Cappadocia, in the bend of the Kızılırmak River (the ancient Halys Bend), lay the heart of the Hittite Empire in the 2nd millennium BCE, with Ḫattuša at its center.
Although we’ve seen quite a bit on our trip, this site is something special, and until around 11:00 a.m., we’re pretty much the only ones on the entire grounds.
At 12:00 p.m., we continue on our way, as we still want to make it to Ankara today. Apparently, we’re not the only ones with this plan, so the trip takes a little longer than expected. Nevertheless, we arrive in Ankara safely, and we already know our campsite. We’re parked in the same spot as on the way here—perfect for visiting the capital. In the evening, we head out for dinner, where we meet a few nice young people and chat with them about all sorts of things until late.
Ankara, April 13, 2024 🇹🇷
We treat ourselves to a day in Ankara, as the capital also has a lot to offer. We decide to visit the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations. The museum, also known as the Hittite Museum, is Turkey’s most important archaeological museum alongside the Arkeoloji Müzesi in Istanbul. It’s located in the Atpazarı district of Ankara’s Old City, below the citadel. There’s enough to see and read there to fill at least a day, and a visit is highly recommended. Although the climb up the hill is quite steep, you’ll be rewarded with a fantastic view. Afterward, following a short coffee break, we head up to the citadel, the highest point on the hill. Although it’s essentially a tourist spot with many small shops, the citadel is certainly a highlight of any visit to Ankara. The panoramic view is impressive; from here, you can see Ankara in every direction. Afterward, we “gnüegelets” with my husband, and then it’s back to the Joey, where my wife whips up a delicious lunch.
Refreshed and with our batteries recharged, we set out on another exploration tour. This time we head toward Kizilay, a somewhat more modern neighborhood with plenty of shops, restaurants, cafes, and crowds of people. There’s an endless selection of clothes there, and we get really tired from all the exploring. Hard to believe, but we’ve already covered more than 10 km again, so we’ve definitely earned another break.
For dinner, we agree that kebab is definitely out of the question—we’re slowly but surely getting tired of it. And lo and behold, we find a restaurant without kebabs! The restaurant is called Rumeli, and the menu has no pictures…. But the friendly staff shows us all the dishes at the buffet, and we decide on a simple lamb specialty. It’s a good thing we didn’t translate the menu—otherwise, we definitely wouldn’t have stayed…. For those interested in culture, the menu is attached as a photo—just a heads-up: most of it consists of offal.
After a good meal and a drink, we head back to the Joey and enjoy the rest of the evening with one (or more) rounds of Skip Bo.
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