Guys Run (Gizerun, Black Sea)

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  Gizerun, Turkey
Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Yo Yo. Well first things first - as something of a quizmaster Ive been known to pose the odd q now and again. So heres one for u. How many "yos" will i preface my next travel update with? And the prize is a special Wadirunner vouucher to run in the wadi at the back of the intercon hotel in al ain. What a prize!I will post it out to the lucky winner.

Anyway today i left trabzon but not before a delightfully simple yet pleasant bfast of chai and two pieces of bread eaten at the Ataturk Alani park set back in the throng of the city. Although TZ itself is never going to win any beauty contests it was great to be in a busy vibrant city for a few days. Although only about a third of the size of Sanilurfa (the biggest city Ive been in so far) its light years ahead in terms of pulse and buzz. İt even has a cinema!!

So after bfast it was time to put TİPO to work after his day off. His mission - should he choose to accept - well he didnt have too much of a choice - was to get me to Rize - some 75km away. Rize is the heart of Turkeys chai growing area and made a pleasant excursion despite the heavy rain that was with us on our one hour trıp. Although it didnt clear up for my Rize stay it did stop raining heavily and only spat down occassionly which was something anyway.

İt has a beautifully restored Post Office with two even more beautifully restored Ottoman houses directly behind and above it on either side - like some sort of architerctural sentinels. And the ubiquitous great big statue of Attaturk in front. The turks do like Mr. Attaturk!

But the first order of the day was to hike up - yep another uphill slog - this time only 1km - to the Ataturk Tea İnstitute. Had it of been a summers day, this place would have been perfect - set as it is in wonderfully relaxing and tranquıl gardens overlooking the town and the black sea. As it was with the clouds and drops of rain it was merely pleasant. However ı did get my long sought after cup of tea - complimentary - which ı had in the conservatory beside the garden - overlooking the grounds and town. Tremendous. I am a simple man.

Then back down to the post office and into the museum which is in one of those 2 ottoman houses. This musuem was especially good at depicting period piece ottoman costumes from the late 19C - all modelled by manequins in a sort of typical everyday pose. Interesting.

Then some lentil soup for lunch before heading back to TZ - as u may recall my plans to reach Rize first then go to TZ were thwarted by one of those nefarious mud tracks. Damn those mud tracks.

So now that Im in Giresu Ive offically left Far Eastern Anatolia. Despite its crappy roads and sometimes bitter weather - Ill miss it.

Some random images to ponder - loads of shoeshine chaps in every city - an old lady (70+) chopping wood in front of Ez Kale - boys playing soccer in a mosque courtyard - Ishak Pasa Mosque - potholes - mud tracks - alpıne mts - shimmering lakes - massive snowdrifts - ny hands too cold to open tipo - loads of bread but no butter (whats that about?) - oodles of chai .....

What will central Anatolia bring? Cappodica is next - land of the fairy chimneys and underground cave dwellings. Bring it on!

Cheers Wadirunner and TİPO.