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Destination Asie

September - December 2023
Follow us as we wend our way from Austria towards Turkey and the start of the East. Read more
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  • 73footprints
  • 10countries
  • 89days
  • 692photos
  • 19videos
  • 3.9kkilometers
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  • TravelerDestination Asie
    Day 235

    Le musée en plein air de Göreme

    April 26 in Turkey ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    Héritage mondial de l'UNESCO, ce musée nous fait traverser un complexe de bâtiments monastiques, creusés dans le tuf des cheminées de fées entre le 9ème et le 11ème sciècles. On peut admirer le travail d'architecture, voutes, transepts, colonnes... ou les éléments de mobilier taillés dans la roche: bancs, tables de travail ou de refectoire, étagères...

    On y trouve aussi les marques du mouvement iconoclaste du 8 et 9ème sciècles dans l'empire Byzantin, qui interdisait l'adoration des images de Dieu et des saints, ou même toute représentation de Dieu. C'est le cas des chapelles de Sainte Barbara et Saint Basile qui sont embellies de motifs naïfs.

    Les magnifiques fresques des sciècles suivants représentent la vie de Jésus avec des inscriptions en grec, c'est assez proche de la BD; il est fascinant de retrouver l'annonciation et la nativité, les évangélistes, comprendre ce qu'est l'anastasie, observer la représentation des pélerins d'Emmaüs.

    Après cette matinée liturgique, nous filons dans la natures dans les vallées avoisinantes.    Read more

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  • TravelerDestination Asie
    1
    Day 88

    Whirling home

    December 1, 2023 in Turkey ⋅ 🌙 3 °C

    Two days in Konya to prepare our bikes for the journey home and do a little sightseeing. Konya is the resting place of Rumi (also known as Mevlana), the 13th century poet and a leader of the Sufi branch of Islam. The Mevlana museum and mausoleum is an important place of pilgrimage which we of course visit. It contains the tomb of Rumi and many other Sufi stalwarts. It also houses the cells and kitchen of the dervishes (Sufi disciples). Sufism is known for its Whirling Dervishes. For our final evening we are lucky enough to attend a public, but religious, Whirling Dervish ceremony. Each part of the dance and ceremony has a particular meaning. It is serene, spiritual and beautiful to behold and a fitting way to end our trip.Read more

  • TravelerDestination Asie
    Day 86–89

    Cave city

    November 29, 2023 in Turkey ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C

    Lors du planning, nous apercevons sur la carte un site, situé un peu plus loin que Konya. Nous decidons de faire un dernier crochet pour aller voir cet endroit peu ordinaire.

    Çatalhöyük est une trouvaille archéologique qui vient expliquer la nature des collines aux sommets aplatis que l'on peut observer dans la plaine de Konya. Il s'agit d'une ancienne ville Néolithique, habitée de 8000 à 5000 ans AEC (Avant l'Ère Commune, autrefois avJC, BCE in English).

    La plus remarquable caractéristique de cet habitat est que les maisons n'avaient pas de portes: on y pénétrait par le toit (plus ou moins plat) et l'on passait ainsi d'une maison à l'autre! Pas de rue donc. Les maisons, d'un seul volume, étaient collées simplement les unes aux autres, ne laissant que des espaces limités pour rejeter les ordures. Chiens et vautours (apprivoisés?) devaient se charger de les faire disparaître. Disons que ces peuples avaient construit avec des briques des habitations qui ressemblaient à des petites cavernes pour une famille. Les maisons étaient a demi-démolies tous les 60 ans environs et de nouvelles reconstruites en utilisant les ruines de l'ancienne comme fondation. Au cours des siècles une colline se formait ainsi.

    De belles peintures murales representent cerf, chevreuil, sanglier et auroch, sans compter de nombreux humains et des ours, très mignons. Les fouilles révèlent outils, récipients de toutes tailles, bijoux et figurines; et bien sûr des squelettes de personnes de la famille enterrées dans un coin de la maison destiné à cet usage.

    Cette colonie qui atteignit une taille très importante, on parle de plusieurs milliers d'habitants, est le site de cette période le plus vaste connu au monde. Il est encore en préparations pour accueillir les visiteurs -- nous en profitons pour explorer gratis, sans depenser nos dernières livres turques.    Read more

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  • TravelerDestination Asie
    12
    Day 85

    Cold toes, warm hearts

    November 28, 2023 in Turkey ⋅ ⛅ -4 °C

    It’s a really chilly morning to be descending from the pass. Luckily its sunny, so hopefully that waterbottle will start to melt soon. Long narrow bands of distinctive rock formations line our route all morning.

    At lunchtime we divert to pick up provisions. Spending a euro on bread and fruit, somehow we end up being treated to a traditional local lunch with workers. A very nice and typically Turkish touch. Freshly baked flat breads, topped with meat, just out of the oven. And a refreshing yoghurt drink that we have taken to.

    As with almost all our turkish interactions, this is exclusively with turkish men. In rural areas women are very much in the background and do not interact much with us. We only ever see men driving tractors, the women are only ever passengers. Women work in the fields or are with children.

    Our night time pitch is on the next pass beside a good dirt road. We have views over the coming Konya valley and back to where we have come from. It’s just above zero and feels much easier than the night before.

    Overnight, the wind picks up considerably - we are exactly placed for maximally catching the wind. It has the perk that the tent is dry in the morning - the first time in weeks. As we battle the wind to take down the tent, a lorry driver arrives to deliver us two fresh sesame bread loops, and another then stops by to see what we are up to. It makes for a heart warming start to the day.    Read more

  • TravelerDestination Asie
    1
    Day 84

    Frost in Hitite land

    November 27, 2023 in Turkey ⋅ ⛅ 0 °C

    Our time in Türkiye is coming to an end. In three days, we should be in Konya to prepare for the flight home. We arrange to pay an overdue visit to the Hitites, who ruled Anatolia from 1500 to 1000 BCE, said to have been the first to develop iron tools and weapons. After a scenic and freezing ride along the lake, we find a very peaceful monument, assembled from individual sculptures carved in volcanic rock.

    Going east, we ride along a little road through villages, meadows and broad mountains. Sure enough, the road narrows, turns to dirt and then mud, and the mudgards fill up. By now, we know what to do and we sort ourselves out.

    The mountains are shining with snow. As we climb, the temperature drops, and we cycle amongst snow and ice. A gentle meadow welcomes us at 1650m. It is comfortable until sunset, then a serious cold sets in. Time to "dance the warm-up" and brace for a night of -8C in the tent. There is no wind, and we survive well. A lonesome mini-minaret provides a local retransmission of prayers and keeps us company.

    This is such a powerful experience, every moment of the night inspires peace and beauty.    Read more

  • TravelerDestination Asie
    11
    Day 83

    Beysehir

    November 26, 2023 in Turkey ⋅ 🌧 12 °C

    The weather forecast is wet and wild for the weekend and Alice now has no waterproofs other than Alain’s airy but trendy poncho. It seems a good moment for a pause.
    The 13th century Esrefoglu mosque is a must-see. Its a flat topped structure with amazing internal woodwork. It completely stands out from the other mosques we have visited. In middle is a 3 metre deep open snow-hole in which snow was stored to keep the mosque cool and the woodwork hydrated. The main cedar columns were prepared by soaking in the adjacent lake. The Mihrab (central prayer-direction niche) is especially beautiful.Read more

  • TravelerDestination Asie
    1
    Day 81

    The 1760m pass

    November 24, 2023 in Turkey ⋅ 🌩️ 10 °C

    We quit the St Paul hostel on a cold, sunny morning to attack the big pass -- except that we go down 300 wonderful meters to cross the main valley. We will have to climb 1000m.

    We first climb a charming and misty side valley, where plane trees grow in the wild. It clears up as we turn into a good quality dirt road; we never need to push the bicycles. The scenery is beautiful.

    Just before the last hairpins, we get to a water point, good place for elevenses (snack de 11h, NDLR); some food is pulled out of Alice's pannier (sacoche). The scenery is becoming dramatic!

    No joy is greater than reaching the pass and discovering another valley. Excitement also, as Alice calls, "Alain, come see!" -- TWO DOZEN WILD BOARS tumbling down the mountain. Did we scare them? or are they having fun?

    The descent consists of 20km of much more painful mountain road, and we complete our 85km adventure -- totally zonked (crevés) -- in Beyşehir. Mustafa, head of the local cycling club, greats us generously: he offers a free hotel night if we wear the club's cycling shirt :-).

    EPILOG As we unpack in our room at Paradise Suit Otel, Alice realizes with great upset that her waterproofs are missing. After consulting the photo collection, we diagnose unambiguously that they were last seen at the water point. In spite of a desperate rescue expedition the next day, they remain the largest lost item in "Destination Asie".    Read more

  • TravelerDestination Asie
    Day 80

    The glory of the Western Taurus

    November 23, 2023 in Turkey ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    Todays outstanding highlight comes in the afternoon. We have already enjoyed a morning of gorges and small mountain roads, the ruins of Adada and a remote mountain plain. And after the wet of yesterday, the warm drying sunshine is an especial pleasure. But it is as we turn a corner and ascend our final and biggest pass, that a high range of the Western Taurus mountains appear and capture our attention.

    For the next hour or more we have wonderful vistas, low warm sunlight, golden autumnal colours and dark threatening clouds. This has to be one of the most scenic roads we have ridden in the whole trip. And its hard to imagine the colours and lighting being any better.

    The experience is all the more striking as we will cross this range tomorrow on a high dirt road pass that we can see in the far distance.    Read more

  • TravelerDestination Asie
    Day 79

    Taurus in the mist

    November 22, 2023 in Turkey ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    Mardi soir. La météo prédit de sérieuses pluies samedi et dimanche prochain, ce qui fait que la dernière fenêtre est vendredi pour passer un grand col en chemin de terre situé à 150km d'ici. Deux belles étapes nous attendent donc mercredi et jeudi.

    Petit déjeuner servi specialement tôt, à 7h45, nous prenons la route avant 9h00. Il fait froid sur le plateau à 1200m et de plus en plus gris. Nous sortons de la grand-route pour suivre une petite rivière dans le brouillard, qui crée un jeu irréel de couleurs d'automne, de prairies et de roches. Soudain des falaises se dressent devant nous. La route se faufile. Émergent de la brume une profonde gorge, un capharnaüm de pics, de falaises, d'éboulis, de précipices. Émerveillement.

    Nous perdons plus de 700 mètres d'altitude dans cette gorge, qu'il faut regagner à pédales dans une belle forêt sur l'autre versant. Il pleuviote. Après quelques heures de ces merveilles mouillées, nous trouvons un coin pour camper. La 'Jandarma' nous fait un peu peur en passant par là, girophares allumés -- mais elle ne faisait que passer...

    Sur la carte il y un gros 'T' près de notre route. La premiere lettre du mot TOROSLAR. Nous somme dans les montagnes du Taurus....    Read more

  • TravelerDestination Asie
    1
    Day 78

    The sacred mountain

    November 21, 2023 in Turkey ⋅ ☀️ 9 °C

    If an ancient Alice was going to choose an ancient site to live in, Sagalassos would have to be it. Perched high on the edge of the Taurus mountains of Anatolia it commands wonderful views all around. It lies between 1400 and 1700m above sea-level so a visit comes at a certain cost to our intrepid cyclists.

    It originated as an Iron age settlement. The high placement gave a defensive advantage and was away from the swampier valley land. A good water supply and agriculture meant that the site was self sufficient. It was occupied until the 7th century when once more a massive earthquake struck. Temples were dedicated to ancient gods and the town was laid out in harmony with the setting. The several Nyphaea (water fountains), were aligned so they could appear as just one mega-fountain. Most of all we just love the beautiful setting on a wonderfully sunny day high in the mountains.    Read more

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