Time's up: Goodbye Antalya!

The night before I leave I'm joining Aziz and his couchsurfer (whose name I could not remember but it sounds like "Olisha") for dinner. Upon leaving, he hands me a key and a note: "Since you're going East, would you want to drop this key in Manavgat?".

Apparently a previous cycling guest of his, coming from the East, had stayed at a mosque/prayer room in Manavgat over night and forgotten to return the key for the "femal prayer room" upon leaving.

And since it's practically on the way, a 10 km detour at most, I'm happy to help.

When I hand the key to the gas station employee the next day after a 5 hours ride, he is not too impressed (he probably didn't even know/notice the key was missing and didn't understand What I told him). But at least he seems to know What to do with the key.

Now... that was rather unspectacular.

Bananas make up the majority of crops along the way towards Anamur. Actually I stand corrected: They are miniature bananas, maybe a third of the "regular" banana size we know and consume in Western Europe.

Anyhow it's harvesting time now and while the roads are not very busy, there is plenty of small fruit stands along the way selling bananas and other fruits or vegetables.

One morning, I had just spent the worst night of my trip at an awful camp spot, I stop at a banana stand to buy my breakfast: 1 kg of bananas for 6TL.

The salesman invites me for a Cay inside the hut, where some construction workers are having breakfast and tea. After a few minutes of chitchat and explaining my travel plans to the astonished Turkish men I go back to my bike, ready to leave, when I see another touring cyclist speeding down the hill from the opposite direction.

Martin (who by his English accent is easy to identify as Dutch) is in his 50s and has toured to Turkey from Holland. Now he's on his way back home. When I tell him I'm going to Mersin, he pulls a key out of his pocket: it's a room key of a hotel in Anamur, which is just on my way...

The previous day and night had left me exhausted: over 1000 m in elevation over only 42 km and a night where I barely slept. I've only been cycling for 3 full days by now, but I definitely need to rest already. The almost 3 months long break from cycling did not benefit my legs!

Still contemplating whether to look for a hotel in Anamur or send some very short notice couch surfing requests, Martin's hotel key (that he--you may have guessed it--forgot to return on checkout) comes just at the right moment. And he tells me they have a buffet-style breakfast. All you can eat! What more could I wish for...!?

And so I go my merry way again, pushing (yes: pushing) my bike towards Anamur--the head wind is too strong to cycle in, let alone cycle uphill 😠

Luckily that tough bit lasts only for a few more minutes until I finally get to the descent to Anamur. I reach the hotel around noon and will spend the rest of this and also the next day eating, sleeping, repeating...

Oh, and about that terrible camping spot: Camping on a hilltop is the #1 worst possible spot for a tent, as described in that one outdoor survival handbook that I've bought (but not actually read until... well... now).

Sure, I had realized it was a bit windy when I arrived just before sunset and set up my tent accordingly just underneath the top, on the only someWhat flat surface to be found.

Yet I wasn't prepared for the overall increase in strength and the gusts that would arise later and continue through the night, barring me from sleep most of the time.

At last when the wind turned in to rain around 6am, I could find a bit of rest.

That was the first serious test for my Hubba Hubba NX.