A few days in Göynük Part 2:

Friday, October 9th to Saturday, October 10th, 2020:

By now, I have settled into this small town on the southern coast of Turkey. I must contradict my initial euphoric impression. The people here are so friendly, the sea is pure bliss. I have a lot of peace here and I enjoy it. Sometimes, I get an inspiration and then it's time to do something, to challenge my body so that it doesn't lose its fitness. It draws me to the mountains, and it has to be today as well😣 It's already one o'clock in the afternoon, but that doesn't matter. I quickly search for a nearby tour of 4 hours in my Komoot app, pack my backpack with a bottle of water and a jacket for emergencies, and off I go. Following my route, I pass through a market here in the village, a true splendor, with fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices artfully arranged in colorful displays on the long tables.

The place is full of gardens with ripe pomegranate orchards and still green oranges and mandarins. It's unimaginable how delicious these fruits will taste.

I reach the entrance to the canyon. A man seems to have leased this natural paradise, as I later learn from a Turkish resident of the city. This apparently entitles every visitor to pay an admission fee of 15 TL (1.50 Euro) if they want to go further into the canyon.

At the old man who greets me in Russian, I pay the entrance fee. He is delighted when I reveal my country of origin to him. I have a freshly squeezed pomegranate juice and enjoy it before my planned hike. It's actually late for this route, but if it is, I'll just turn back earlier. The path is easy to find and marked with red paint. I decide to start my planned tour to the west soon and imagine how it will work with so much luggage. Well... we'll see😊 The impressions I get here from the beautiful landscape and nature simply make me happy.

It's getting late and I decide to turn back. At the entrance of the canyon, at the payment point, there are now at least 15 quads lined up in rows on both sides of the road. The sandy path is dusty and I imagine what I must look like when all the vehicles pass by me. But it also doesn't make sense to wait until all the vehicles have left, especially since not all the drivers have put on their helmets yet. Well... so be it. I walk between the two rows of vehicles and hike towards the city. A few hundred meters further, I can already hear the noise of the quads and I look for a "parking bay" for myself. The first group has passed... it's funny to see the different driving styles people develop on this sandy, rocky terrain. A second group follows, and I step off the sandy path onto a few small rocks. I watch the hustle and bustle with a friendly eye, thoroughly enjoying myself. The thought of trying it myself comes true after a few seconds🙉 I can hardly believe it. A driver stops and asks me if I want to ride with him. In a few seconds, I'm sitting behind him on the seat. And now we're off, through sand, over big rocks, and at one point even through water. My driver speaks broken German and is happy that I come from the "promised" land. His wife, whom he was married to for 26 years, was from Berlin, but unfortunately she passed away two years ago. His name is Cengiz Han. He asks me if I want to drive. Oh... I can't miss this opportunity🙏😇 We switch seats, and off we go. It somehow looks easier... I try to coordinate everything. Sometimes I worry that the thing will tip over🤔... but otherwise they wouldn't offer this tour... I calm myself down. In front of us, a couple is unsuccessfully trying to move their quad over large wet rocks. My driver jumps over to help them with a few hand movements. It's reassuring for me because I realize that I have a safe, experienced driver by my side🙏😇 It turns out that he owns the company. He drives this route every day, up to four times. Well then, what do I have to fear🤭

Cengiz Han clearly enjoys sitting behind me and holding on to me tightly. At one point, I have to correct the position of his hands🙉

The ride is totally crazy and feels like it never ends. A vehicle in front of us stops. Cengiz Han signals the driver to accelerate. Unfortunately, that is not possible because there is no more fuel in the tank. Without further ado, my driver takes a small dented plastic bottle from the trash heap next to us and fills it with a little fuel from the fuel line of our vehicle. Now he refuels the stranded quad. How it all fits together again... in the desert, I haven't seen a single garbage heap.

Grateful for this experience, I promise Cengiz Han to go out for dinner with him tonight. I learn a lot about life here in the country. I thank Cengiz Han for this beautiful experience.