Turkey & The Balkans
Saturday July 27th
Had breakfast before setting off. We had put a bottle of
water to cool in the stream during the night so we put it in the Thermos which
gave us a cold drink each during the day. It got very chilly early in the morning
and we were using blankets as well as sleeping bags.
The day was very hot again though. Went about 10 miles to the Iran/Turkey frontier – usual ghastly inefficiency as we had on the outward journey and it took well over an hour to get through, and no one was very courteous. Drove on through Erzurum, climbing up into Turkish mountains where we had been so cold in March/April. Now… lovely green hills and the most fantastic display of wild flowers everywhere, but a terrible lot of dust. Have come to roost for the night just west of Erzurum in a field behind Petrol station – very peaceful. Peter has mended the puncture (tubeless tyre) with the puncture outfit we brought with us and the tyre is back on the van. Washed clothes and have hung them out to dry outside the van. Cleaned dust out of van. We borrowed two chairs and a table from the garage and had our supper outside – v. nice.
Speedometer Reading: 16389 Mileage: 231
Sunday July 28th
Today has not been our day. At least, it started off
badly. Woke very early – 3.30-ish, very cold. Got up and found that Peter’s
shorts and shirt (newish) which I had washed and hung up to dry overnight had
been pinched while we were asleep – also some of my clothes and a towel. The tyre
we’d mended had lost a lot of air. Got tyre pumped up – started off at 6.00 and
stopped for breakfast about 8.00. Knocked over eggs so went short on breakfast.
While driving along bumpy, dusty roads, the fan which is fixed above the
dashboard broke off and fell on to my foot – painful. Peter has just fixed it
on again. Had to stop several times in hills as radiator kept boiling. Apart
from mishaps and the eternal dust and bad surface, we have had a wonderful day’s
driving – spectacular scenery over mountains and through gorges and passes –
very steep climbs. About 40 miles from Sivas we spotted a lovely blue lake.
Found a side turning leading to it, and there is a small restaurant here and
people swimming and fishing. Have decided to spend the night here as it is so
beautiful. We have had a swim the lake. The chap who runs the restaurant has a
gun and Peter has had one or two shots at birds. We had a lot of fun watching a
chap who kept throwing his hat in the air for the others to shoot at. Had
supper in the cafe – freshly caught fish from the lake, fried very crisp, with
a fresh salad – also beer – very cheap and extremely good. Nice to be back in
Turkey again.
Speedometer Reading: 16663 Mileage: 274
Monday July 29th
Woke up cold again. Set off at 6.00. Tyre has retained
its pressure thank goodness. Drove 40 miles to Sivas and did some shopping – food
and a shirt for Peter and thick jersey for me as I am now perpetually cold. To
our surprise we found Jerry Millar sitting by the roadside waiting for a bus to
Istanbul. He expects to get there tonight. From Sivas we have branched south
via Kayseri and Tarsus to travel along the south coast of Turkey, instead of
carrying on straight through on the mountain road. Dust roads to begin with and
then tarmac thank goodness. We have now joined, unfortunately, a busy trunk road,
instead of our winding mountain roads. Changed money at Nigde and also went to
tourist bureau for pamphlets on places of interest, i.e. Tarsus etc. Have
turned a little way off main road on to what was the original road, and parked
by stream. Van thick with dust and dirt again. We have taken down curtains and
had a really good spring-clean. Washed clothes and had wash ourselves in the
stream. Also washed all the tins of food and found that the labels have come
off so we don’t know what is in them. Now exhausted.
Speedometer Reading: 19971 Mileage: 308
Tuesday July 30th
Much warmer night – thank goodness. Had coffee and set
off at 6.30. Drove about 70 miles to just south of Mersin and turned west along
lovely coast road. Turned off road on to track leading to beach, past the
Sacred Way – Corinthian Columns lining original Greek Road. Took photograph.
Drove van onto beach where we cooked breakfast, swam and sunbathed till noon.
Drove on along coast road heading west towards Silifke – bought vegetables,
fruit and wine. We are now feeding luxuriously on peaches, grapes and melons,
also huge tomatoes and cucumbers, and green peppers – all incredibly cheap.
Having been very abstemious owing to lack of funds, we are now drinking Turkish
wine at 3/- a bottle.
Saw ruins of Kanli Divane – an ancient town covering a vast area. Also visited Cennet – a thirteenth century church at the bottom of an enormous pit – had to pay to go down. Millions of steps to climb up again so we each had a beer to revive us – rather expensive, but we both like the Turkish beer. We then drove on along the coast – no more sand, but we have got the van down on to a rocky cove for the night. (Stopped about 4.00) – the beach is shingly but the water is beautifully clear and warm and if you wade out a little way, you get to sand.
We had a swim and sunbathed till the sun went down. We are both fascinated with Turkey. The scenery is so beautiful and the Mediterranean Sea is the most fantastic blue. This is a lovely camping spot for the night. Very few people on the road. We have passed one or two “Mo-Camps” – mostly run by B.P. but we don’t like the look of them much and infinitely prefer to be by ourselves – it costs nothing, and is far nicer. So far this stretch of coast appears to be almost completely unexploited but there are signs of Motels etc., going up. We have run out of milk powder and all we can get here is yoghurt. We did manage to get a bottle of fresh milk from one town but it went sour almost immediately.
Speedometer Reading: 17122 Mileage: 151
Wednesday July 31st
Woke early – the sun rises at about 3.30 here – and
there were a lot of flies in the Dormobile. We like our little cove so much
that we decided to spend another day here and one more night. We had a swim and
sunbathe before breakfast (about 7.00 a.m.). Then lay on the beach most of the
morning. Then we went the 8 or 9 miles back to Silifke to stock up on food –
eggs, fruit etc., and were lucky enough to find a Turk who spoke English. We
have run out of powdered milk and cannot buy any here in Turkey. The man we met
took us to a farm where we filled the Thermos with fresh milk and filled our
water tanks up with lovely cold water. Back to our bay where we have spent all
day on the beach, swimming, and sunbathing. We had a snack lunch, followed by
lots of water melon on the beach, washed down with some of our cheap, and very
vinegary Turkish wine. It really is heavenly here and I feel I could stay
forever.
Speedometer Reading: 17144 Mileage: 24
(We both fell in love with this south-east coast of Turkey, and I was determined to return one day. A little over two years later, in August and September 1970, during my first Summer Vacation at University, I drove back to this same beach with three student friends in my 1963 Hillman Minx Convertible called Geronimo. Our little bay had lost none of its idyllic charm.)
Thursday August 1st
We got up early again and were on the beach swimming and
sunbathing before 7.00. After breakfast (on the beach) we swam again. Then set
off west along coast again about 11.00. Shopped (3lbs of tomatoes for the
equivalent of 4d!!) for evening meal in Anamur – had a beer and meal – chicken
and beans and chips (rather expensive) at wayside stall – v. good though. Found
that one side of the bumper had fallen off. The road unfortunately has been
climbing behind the hills and away from the sea. Pretty scenery. Having trouble
with the gears – they are difficult to engage now and it consistently slips out
of third which makes hill work tricky. The road finally got down to sea level
at Gazipaşa and we have driven along the beach – not very prepossessing
compared with our lovely bay, but will do for one night. Got bogged down in
sand and were dug out and pushed by some navvies with a lorry. Turks always
seem helpful without expecting tips, whereas the Persians will only assist if
there is a BIG reward.
Speedometer Reading: 17284 Mileage: 140
Friday August 2nd
Not a very successful day. Set off from our beach just
before seven o’clock – shopped in Alanya and then spent a fruitless 2 hours
looking for a beach to spend the day on, and one more night, before setting off
north for Istanbul. There are miles and miles of beach, but no means of getting
down to it with the van. We eventually turned inland and lost the sea. Had “brunch”
by the side of the road, and then found that the gears, which have been causing
trouble, had more or less gone altogether. They are making a terrible grating
noise and are obviously about to pack up completely. Luckily Antalya is a
fairly large town, comparatively speaking. We went to the tourist office who
directed us to a garage who could deal with Bedfords. Arrived, as usual, at
their lunch hour and had to wait. Sat and read and made coffee. Eventually the
gear box was dismantled and at 4.00 the van was tested and the gears working.
With the aid of a Turk who spoke French, we found out that we had lost most of
the gear box oil as the drain plug had fallen out. This was all a great relief,
as we were quite sure some vital part had gone which could have delayed us another
week. By the time the van was fixed (cost about £1) it was too late to travel
on – we hunted for a secluded beach but there are none here, so we have had to
go to a campsite – not very nice, but cheap (5 liras – about 3/6d for the day
and night) and we can get a shower. It is on the beach, so could be a lot
worse.
We are still slipping out of third gear but reckon we shall have to put up with this. On the credit side, we have travelled along some most attractive stretches of coast – wonderful golden sand, blue sea, and it’s been hot and sunny all the way. We have passed some fascinating castles, about which we know nothing, unfortunately – one was right out into the sea, and another on a promontory of land right on the beach. It is really beautiful country and we are more than glad that we decided to take the southern route. Have washed hair in the shower and rinsed through most of our clothes. Peter has been airing his French on the beach, but I cannot join in, so do not know what on earth he is talking about!
Speedometer Reading: 17426 Mileage: 142
Saturday August 3rd
We spent the morning on the beach at the Campsite,
swimming and sunbathing, then set off north for Burdur, en route for Istanbul. About
10 miles out of Antalya we heard a bumping noise (all these noises) which we tracked down to the
rear nearside wheel. We stopped at the side of the road and took the wheel off.
Found a piece had broken off the brake lining. Went back to our garage in
Antalya where they said it didn’t matter and we had sufficient lining left for
safety – hope they are right. Gears still grating – think the synchro-mesh has
probably gone and we have probably done them no good, anyway, using them with
no oil. We are driving carefully on hills and windy bits of road. Very bare
country – have come to roost for the night at a petrol station about 10 miles
north of Dinar – rather nice here, right in the middle of nowhere – just my
sort of place. Very kind attendant brought us each a glass of Turkish tea (Chai)
which we both love – very refreshing. Getting v. low in English cigarettes –
now eking out with Turkish – 6d for 20 – but fairly nasty. The Turks won’t
smoke them anyway.
Speedometer Reading: 17584 Mileage: 158
Sunday August 4th
We went quite berserk last night and consumed half a
bottle of Vermouth and two bottles of our 2/-wine – ended up putting the light
out very late for us – about midnight, rather drunk. Overslept this morning and
I had got a headache, but Peter was O.K. (blast him). Set off about 8.30. It
was apparent almost immediately that the gears were not working, and within a
very short distance they more or less packed up. We crawled into the next town,
Afyon (slightly off our route) mainly in third gear, without much hope of
finding a garage open as it was Sunday. We could not find anyone who spoke any
English (very few Turks do) but managed to make it known to a crowd of people
in the road what we wanted. Luckily for us, one young chap turned out to be a
mechanic and he led us to his workshop. He had various friends with him and
when they had dismantled the gear box and prop-shaft, it was found that the
synchro-mesh cog had broken into 3 pieces which were rattling round in the gear
box. They had not got a spare there, but after a lot of searching, one was
found at his home about 7 miles away. They also discovered that the universal
joint on the prop-shaft was broken, and renewed this for us too. We also found
that, although our Bedford Book of the Words states that there are grease
nipples on either end of the prop-shaft, in fact there are none. Peter has been
looking for them each time he has greased the van. We shall have to find out
whether this was an omission and could have caused the breakdown.
All this took about 7½ hours to complete, during which time we waited at the workshop and watched them working. The whole thing cost Turkish Liras 250 (about £10) which we can ill afford on our depleted finances. We have a vague form of receipt and are, in fact, covered by our A.A. Insurance, but whether they will accept the receipt is doubtful and that doesn’t help our present money problems anyway. We have spent so much on repairs recently that we had not got enough Turkish currency to pay, and the banks were closed Peter eventually tracked down a man who kindly changed some pound notes for us, and he can change them tomorrow.
By the time all this was completed it was 6.30 so we drove a short way out of the town and have put up at a small country petrol station. What a day – though on the whole we must consider ourselves lucky that we got anything done at all on a Sunday. The gears appear to be working well, but we are as noisy as ever from our rear. We shan’t reach Istanbul tomorrow as hoped. Longing to collect mail.
Monday August 5th
Set off about 7.45 – had breakfast about 50 miles
further on. Drove via Kütahya and Bilecik, and finally got into Izmit (about 60
miles from Istanbul). Felt nasty juddering noise coming from van so looked for
Garage. There do not appear to be any maintenance garages in Turkey and if you
want anything done you have to find a workshop. We were going slowly along,
juddering in a most fearsome manner when there was an ear-shattering crash as
the prop-shaft fell off into the road – had to laugh – this drew an admiring
crowd round us and one chap, with great ingenuity, summoned a man with an aged
horse and cart, who, for 15 Lira, agreed to tow us to the nearest workshop – very
ignominious. We held up all the traffic and a left hand turn with the horse and
cart with us in tow, crossing the traffic at extremely slow speed, brought
everything to a standstill – not popular. The prop shaft was deposited in the
back of the cart and threatened to come through our windscreen if we were not
careful. The universal joint, put in yesterday, had bust again. Within a short
space of time we had a new joint and the shaft put back into place – total cost,
35 Lira. We are now running short of local currency again. Sleeping at petrol
station just outside Izmit. Hope to get to Istanbul tomorrow (D.V.). Put
perishable food on top of van to keep cool.
Speedometer Reading: 17916 Mileage: 270
Tuesday August 6th
Left our petrol station at about 7.30 after rather noisy
night. Stopped for breakfast about 20 miles from Istanbul and found that we had
forgotten to bring the food in from on top of the van and as we drove off it
had all fallen off! Breakfast gone. Went on to Istanbul and found we had not
got enough Liras to cross the Bosphorus in the Ferry.
Had trouble in finding a Bank that would change travellers cheques but were finally successful. Crossed Bosphorus and made straight for the G.P.O. where we posted letters and picked up lots of mail. Very pleased. Traffic ghastly – made our way thankfully out of Istanbul and stopped in the country to read letters and eat masses of water melon. Drove on to Edirne which is more or less the border between Turkey and Bulgaria. Went to a B.P. Mocamp but they wanted 17 Liras for camping for the night so have parked for free behind Turkish Petrol station. Nice field and very peaceful and quiet. Washed hair and clothes. Gears still tricky – synchro-mesh definitely packed up completely.
Speedometer Reading: 18124 Mileage: 208
Wednesday August 7th
Left petrol station 7.30-ish and drove to border about
14 miles on. Usual Godawful hold-up and having hummed and hawed over our
Barclays Travellers cheque – as usual – the chap let us sign and then refused
to cash it as it was over 6 months old. We are short enough of money anyway and
are now landed with an endorsed cheque which probably no-one will accept. Damn
all travellers cheques and all Customs Officials. Drove on through Sofia, – via Hashcovo, Plovdiv and
Pazardzik – blissful names. As it is illegal to camp in Bulgaria (we’ve
discovered) in the open, we have come to a camp-site for the night. We did camp
in a wood on the way out in Bulgaria, but it was winter, and dark all the time,
but as it’s now summer and light, we don’t like to risk any trouble. Not many
facilities, but reasonably cheap – (4/- all told) and nice and quiet. Very few
other people here. Gears rather tricky and almost impossible to get into 2nd.
Slipping out of third again.
Speedometer Reading: 18636 Mileage: 239
Thursday August 8th
Left campsite at 7.00 – drove to frontier 15 miles away
– not too much bother getting through. Cashed travellers cheques without too
much bother and managed to slip in the one we had already signed yesterday.
Just outside Svetozarevo (now Yugoslavia) we got our juddering again. Rather
than drop the whole shaft off again in the middle of the road, and probably
miles from anywhere, we telephoned the A.M.S. (affiliated to the A.A.) in
Belgrade – v. efficient service. They sent a Mercedes and we were towed behind
it on a ramp trailer all the way to Belgrade, where we are now in a garage. It
is too late to start work on it (7.00 p.m.) and we have not got enough money to
go to a hotel so we are sleeping in the van over the inspection pit – very cosy
– there is a drop of about 10 feet into a sea of black oil, and we are stuck in
a pitch black wooden outhouse and there is no loo. We only hope we can get it
across (no one has any universal language) that there must be some reason –
probably a bearing – for the gears and universal joint to go continuously.
Speedometer Reading: 18512 Mileage: 149
Friday August 9th
Woke early and got shoved from pillar to post – 3
garages said they could do nothing for us though one did bash the universal joint
back into place and put a pin in it to hold it – so we can move again,
temporarily. The gears are almost impossible, but once out of the town our road
was a motorway – flat and straight for miles, so no gear-work necessary. How
long the joint will last remains to be seen – we aren’t very hopeful. No one in
Yugoslavia can do anything with Bedfords as they have no spares, and they
simply aren’t interested anyway. We had hoped, in a place like Belgrade, that
we would finally be put right – not just patched up for another hundred miles
or so. However, we have no option but to plug on.
Have come to roost for the night in a clearing by the side of the road about 90 miles east of Zagreb – our next big town. We finally left Belgrade about 12.45 and managed to get another 180 miles on our way. Should be a noisy night so near the road.
Speedometer Reading: 18711 Mileage: 199
Saturday August 10th
We woke early – rather chilly, and were on our way at
5.30. Had breakfast about 90 miles on. Still on Motorway so no gear-work
necessary. However, about 10 miles from Ljubljana the inevitable happened and
the prop shaft dropped down again – joint completely gone. Pushed van into a
lay-by and after a bit of a wait we flagged down a passing A.A. car. He fetched
a car and mechanic and Peter went off with the shaft to try and buy a new
joint. However, being Saturday, everything was closed at 11.30 and it was then
about midday. The mechanic towed us at a terrifying breakneck speed about 4
miles to his garage where we are ensconced till Monday. Took a bus into Ljubljana
and bought food as we were running out of everything. Bus back. Chilly here – have
had to start my hot water bottle again. Wish we were back in the warmth again.
Speedometer Reading: 18863 Mileage: 152