I'm seriously missing an Espresso or my Latte macchiato for breakfast. But it is healthier without them, so let's go on like that!
I left Iğdir direction Van and I could finally see the Ağri Daği (mount Ararat). It's amazing, a giant with the top covered with snow. Due to the snow and the position of the sun at that hour, I couldn't take any photo, but is going to stay in my mind forever.
Before Doğubayazit I've met the first military ckeck point: one lane was closed, there were 2 APC and some armored-armed cars. The soldier was like worried when I told him I was going to Van. He wished me good luck. I went to Ishak Pasha Palace and then to south, on the road along the Iranian border, along all mountains there were watchtowers on top and some bigger bases.
In Çetenli, the road was completely closed because it is passing on front of a military base. A soldier waved me to go back and then left, I went back and asked in the village, the persons tried to explain me the same thing with a lot of good luck, thank you and goodbye. They were very friendly. I found the new road and I was able to reach the D975 and ride to Van. The military base had some big artellery pointed torward Iran, very different the border here from the one I'm used to in Europe.
Along the road there were a lot of Check points without soldiers. This will be a constant in this part of Turkey and they occupy them randomly. The road was at some point along the Van lake, which is really huge!
In Van I stopped to tank and I was offered a Çay, I passed some times with the people that were drinking tea while their car was washed. All were surprised and happy that I was there. I left and the road passed along the huge lake and there were a lot of families and people having bbq and a bath. It is Sunday also here afterall.
I found a manual car washer and I was able to wash the bike my way and to oil the chain. A boy was curious and he was keeping asking questions in Turkish about my bike, I let him turn it on. The naughty boy revved it up to 10 k rpm (red zone starts at 8750 rpm). Un fermone di domani.
I rode the Karabek Geçidi, the highest motorable pass of Turkey, the top is around 2980 meters over the sea level. Awesome road and views on these spectacular rocky mountains.
Somwehere on the Bahçesaray Hizan Yolu
Then from Baçhesaray I took the road to Bitlis, it was under renewal, so most of it was unpaved. In the middle there was a pass about 2500 m.
Then here I realized why the temperatures were so low ( maximum around 35 degrees celsius): until now I was always above 1500 m!
Now I started descending and the temperature started rising and it hit a maximum of 45 degrees celsius with a mean around 43 deegres.
Please can somebody turn the world AC on?
I stopped some kilometers before Van in order to fill the tank and again they offered me a Çay. The men told me: Welcome in Kurdistan! We both laughed and we spoke a little bit, in the same way I did till now. In order to enter Diyarbakir I had to pass two polis/milit check points, in the center they were just letting in minibus and me. Diyarbakir is a small turkish town, more than 1 milion of people live here...it is the biggest kurdish city in Turkey!
I left Iğdir direction Van and I could finally see the Ağri Daği (mount Ararat). It's amazing, a giant with the top covered with snow. Due to the snow and the position of the sun at that hour, I couldn't take any photo, but is going to stay in my mind forever.
Ağrı Dağı(Mt. Ararat).
Before Doğubayazit I've met the first military ckeck point: one lane was closed, there were 2 APC and some armored-armed cars. The soldier was like worried when I told him I was going to Van. He wished me good luck. I went to Ishak Pasha Palace and then to south, on the road along the Iranian border, along all mountains there were watchtowers on top and some bigger bases.
İshak Paşa Sarayı.
In Çetenli, the road was completely closed because it is passing on front of a military base. A soldier waved me to go back and then left, I went back and asked in the village, the persons tried to explain me the same thing with a lot of good luck, thank you and goodbye. They were very friendly. I found the new road and I was able to reach the D975 and ride to Van. The military base had some big artellery pointed torward Iran, very different the border here from the one I'm used to in Europe.
Along the road there were a lot of Check points without soldiers. This will be a constant in this part of Turkey and they occupy them randomly. The road was at some point along the Van lake, which is really huge!
In Van I stopped to tank and I was offered a Çay, I passed some times with the people that were drinking tea while their car was washed. All were surprised and happy that I was there. I left and the road passed along the huge lake and there were a lot of families and people having bbq and a bath. It is Sunday also here afterall.
I found a manual car washer and I was able to wash the bike my way and to oil the chain. A boy was curious and he was keeping asking questions in Turkish about my bike, I let him turn it on. The naughty boy revved it up to 10 k rpm (red zone starts at 8750 rpm). Un fermone di domani.
Karabek Geçidi, Mütiullah Caddesi on google maps.
I rode the Karabek Geçidi, the highest motorable pass of Turkey, the top is around 2980 meters over the sea level. Awesome road and views on these spectacular rocky mountains.
Karabek Geçidi at 2985 meter over the sea level.
Karabek Geçidi.
Then from Baçhesaray I took the road to Bitlis, it was under renewal, so most of it was unpaved. In the middle there was a pass about 2500 m.
Then here I realized why the temperatures were so low ( maximum around 35 degrees celsius): until now I was always above 1500 m!
Now I started descending and the temperature started rising and it hit a maximum of 45 degrees celsius with a mean around 43 deegres.
Please can somebody turn the world AC on?
I stopped some kilometers before Van in order to fill the tank and again they offered me a Çay. The men told me: Welcome in Kurdistan! We both laughed and we spoke a little bit, in the same way I did till now. In order to enter Diyarbakir I had to pass two polis/milit check points, in the center they were just letting in minibus and me. Diyarbakir is a small turkish town, more than 1 milion of people live here...it is the biggest kurdish city in Turkey!
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