Article Twelve
Black Sea Coast
Left a little bit later this morning because we had some sausages, bought yesterday, to cook for breakfast. That done and cleaned up I tried to change some US$ at reception…no money until the Manager returns at 1600…OK but we only have about a quarter of a tank of juice and only TNL75.00…Undaunted, we headed off and arrived at Kastamanu in good time then tried to find the road to Inebolu our coastal target. After the third time going back the way we entered Kastamanu yesterday (from Arac) we finally were about to give in and there was the turn-off! 20km west of where the map showed the road going straight through Kastamanu.
After much swearing and asking God what the devil was going on, we found ourselves entering Kastamanu AGAIN this time from a totally different direction. We persevered and found that this road only side-swiped the northern side of Kastamanu where we had entered from the Southern autobahn and then had been directed west away from the city to the by-pass road. Most confusing.
It is astonishing how much road building is going on. We haven’t travelled along a single road without having to weave our way through massive road-works, It would appear that Turkey has gone Autobahn mad!
Finally on our correct road we remarked that thank God there were no more switch backs. We spoke too soon, Kastamanu is built on a very high (2000 metres) Plateau and all of a sudden we were switch backing down hill on hair-pin bends for about thirty km. Then, we had to climb up again over the coastal range to get to the Black Sea. On this road, the drop-offs are much higher than any other we have been on. We stopped at one point but the camera does not do justice to the actual steepness or severity of the drops…all it shows is a very rugged valley, with hill tops towering above us and a drop to the valley floor of about 4000 feet below our road position.
All along this section of the road way we were followed and overtaken time and time again by a huge overhead bucket conveyor cable-way. It was stationary with broken buckets hanging at odd angles from the cables at various spots. We were wondering what it could possibly be for when we came around the corner at the top of a hill and there in front of us was one of the largest iron-ore mines I have ever seen. The mine has already cut away half a mountain and the processing plant (which feeds the bucket-conveyor cable-way) occupies about three miles of the adjacent mountain top. Huge and very ugly and multi coloured with all the tailings heaps rusting in the weather. The name of the town is Kure…Madam Cure’ herself would also be disgusted at the environmental pollution.
Finally down to the little port town of Inebolu and by this time we really needed fuel. Fortunately, there was a service station, which also offered a WC and a parking place all in the one spot! However, the cost per litre was equivalent to AUD$2.98…it cost us AUD$70.00 to load on just over 25 litres of fuel! We definitely will not be extending our touring much further at this cost!
We suddenly realised that with all our lost time we had taken over three hours to reach the coast. So, with a quick Pee (in the shadow of an overhanging bush) and a paddle we wished the black Sea goodbye and collected a few sample rocks to bring home. The Black Sea is Quite Blue as a matter of interest and the water pristine clean and, it didn’t stain my feet any colour at all…rather disappointing really, I expected something special this being Turkey with Djinns and Dervishes and all that ancient magic!
Away with a rush to get back to the Resort before the afternoon traffic of overloaded trucks and tourist busses clogged the mountain(s) switchbacks. Back with no trouble to Kastamanu only to find that somehow, God knows how, we were entering that city by yet another series of unfamiliar roads. Much screaming of abuse, ‘your-going-the-wrong-way’; ‘where are the bloody signs’; ‘we are on the other side of the hills which divide the city’ and much tooting and honking of horns from irate drivers as we finally force our way onto a road which says “Ankara” with an arrow showing direction. Again much argument but finally settled by agreement that the road to Ankara also meant the road to Ilgas which joins it and therefore the resort! A full hour and much expensive fuel wasted. The road signage is abysmal. Firstly the road signs indicate the most distant town or city down that road, then the closest (not on the map, series of villages) and finally, ten klicks down the road IF you are on the RIGHT road your target town just may get a mention!
Finally, back at the resort at1630, and the Manager still has not returned so I cannot change any money. Not to worry, we spent the remainder of the afternoon on the internet sorting out the journal entries, uploading more photographs. Tomorrow, we plan to drive up to the top of ‘our’ mountain (our Resort was constructed on a spur about halfway up the mountain) and further towards the top are some very big hotels and other Ski Resorts. The view from up there must be fantastic…’up there’ is the highest point in the Northern Turkey Mountains. With the help of binoculars, we should be able see right down to Ankara and all points 360 degrees around. The weather today was absolutely perfect, cloudless sky, low 20s C and NO wind at all. Wonderful!…Visibility goes on forever. Here’s hoping for the same tomorrow. Cheers Lynne.
