21. Rize (Turkey)

28.08.21-01.09.21

This time we are driving 560 km further to Rize and it's 8 hours on the road. Unfortunately, the road does not only run along the Black Sea, but also through hectic, small cities with a million traffic lights..

Rize is located at the foot of the Kaçkar Mountains and only 100 km from the Georgian border.

The residents of Rize are very religious, we are stared at with every movement, as if we were aliens 👽 Woman driving, tattoos, piercings, shaved hair - you didn't know where to look first. But Ronny was also stared at by the men with his mouth wide open - the women, on the other hand, are all veiled and don't look at Ronny at all, Katha very dismissively!

The day before our departure, we had to take a PCR test for the first time to enter Georgia - so far we have always been spared and the proof of vaccination was enough.

Once again it is time to say goodbye, a new country, a new culture and a new adventure awaits us! Thank you Turkey, it was an exciting and interesting trip!

In conclusion:

Turkey Katha's conclusion: 'It was super interesting to get to know the area on the Black Sea, especially the city of Amasra is beautiful, a real insider tip! Due to the communication problem (we unfortunately don't speak Turkish and most Turks here don't speak a word of English), we could hardly talk to the people, always only the bare minimum using Google Translate! The rituals associated with faith are interesting, but for me, who doesn't have much interest in religion in general, they are just too extreme! I'm glad to have experienced the other part of Turkey, away from the tourist cities in the south, and I'm extremely excited about Georgia - it's amazing that we have made it so far with our car!'

Turkey Ronny's conclusion: 'I was already pretty excited about Turkey in advance because there is so much to discover in terms of size, history, and culture of the country. The Hellenic, Roman, and Ottoman influences make the country so special and it is also exciting to observe the balancing act between European opening and Islamic culture. I particularly liked how economical everything is here, as an old bargain hunter, whether it's clothes, sewing supplies, or groceries (except for alcohol, of course). Teşekkürler Turkey!'