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Anatolia

Wɔatintim: 13.06.2023

At breakfast, I met the American motorcyclist again. He used to be a foreign language teacher before his retirement, which is probably why I could understand him quite well. He spoke simple and easily understandable English. The rest we communicated through a translation app.

Our conversation also turned political. He didn't understand how Erdogan became president again, and he was gleeful that Trump was being charged. I wasn't really comfortable with the whole discussion. You never know who is sitting at the next table and listening in when you're abroad. I try to avoid it, and I think he noticed and changed the topic.

It was time to start. We set off at a pleasant 19 degrees Celsius and an altitude of 2000 meters. A well-built road meandered through the Anatolian wilderness, sometimes very curvaceous. Occasionally, there were actually a few villages along the way.

I was stopped a total of 5 times at military and police checkpoints, as I am in the Kurdish region. Heavily armed personnel and spikes on the road were quite intimidating. But once they heard that I was from Germany, their stern faces turned into smiles, and they wished me a safe journey without inspecting me.

There were occasional parking spots along the road, often equipped with a covered seating area and table. I stopped to take a slightly longer break. Shortly after, a Kurdish family arrived, laid out a tablecloth, brewed tea, and quickly uncovered food. Suddenly, a cup of tea was placed in front of me, and I was invited to share the meal. Oh man, such hospitality. That would never happen in Germany. I gladly accepted the invitation. We couldn't communicate verbally at all, but it was still amazing.

The altitude decreased, and the temperatures rose. I arrived at the hotel at 34 degrees Celsius. I took off my motorcycle gear and turned on the air conditioning.

After a shower and replenishing fluids, I went into town to get some food. It was too expensive for me here at the hotel. I like strolling through these cities, I love this southern way of life. As soon as it gets cooler, people sit outside. Well, it's not really people, in these Muslim-influenced countries it's often just men. The women are at home taking care of things.

Tomorrow, I'll continue on. Let's see where it takes me.

Anoyie

Kurokuro
Akwantuo ho amanneɛbɔ Kurokuro