DickyB's Turkish Delights

[Dickyb]

Thanks Kawidual,

Now some of you folk out there may be under the impression that every time the likes of Dave-In-Turkey, The Venturer and other Advs in Turkey turn the key they are smiled on by a benevolent sun. Just ain't so Sometimes we have rain, thunder, lightning and things and stuff which scares the pups and makes the ground a trifle moist





Sometimes this necessary unpleasantness can last up to week, though usually two to three days is the limit. Ooh, but when it rains, it rains. However you can still ride if you have the right tool and don't mind getting wet...................

[Dickyb]

...................a tool such as the Honda XL200. The most smiles per miles bike I have ever had



Vanity caused me to seek out a more "worthy" ride and I rewarded 12000 miles of loyal service by selling my soul and part exchanging her for a TT600 . She could pull like a tractor and rescue a complete numpty from all sorts of gloop



Anyway, one of the many weird things about being over here is the rapidity in which the weather changes. One minute driving rain. A lot of minutes, and no number plate, later...........................



I propose a toast to small bikes

Cheers,

Dickyb

[the venturer]

Originally Posted by Dickyb

Thanks Kawidual,

Now some of you folk out there may be under the impression that every time the likes of Dave-In-Turkey, The Venturer and other Advs in Turkey turn the key they are smiled on by a benevolent sun. Just ain't so Sometimes we have rain, thunder, lightning and things and stuff which scares the pups and makes the ground a trifle moist



Sometimes this necessary unpleasantness can last up to week, though usually two to three days is the limit. Ooh, but when it rains, it rains. However you can still ride if you have the right tool and don't mind getting wet...................

+1 for what Dicky said. We ride regardless of the weather, don't we Dicky? Dave?
Last week I was miserable in mud. I'll post the pics tonight.

[Dickyb]

Looking out the window today, as the rain lashed down again, got me thinking back to a time justover four years ago when, excited, we crossed the Bosphorous in our van to head to our new home



The estate agent had promised that our house would be finished so with a spring in our step and glad hearts we arrived at our new abode



Oh my, the last time we had been here was in the October when the sun was cracking the pavement. Seems as though a storm was brewing



Home for the next three and a half months turned out to be our transport over here



but at least....................

[Dickyb]

.................we had a good Christmas in our van.



The pooches weren't too impressed with their go for a pee and get dried off arrangements



but then the sun shone...........................

[Dickyb]

.........................



and my new best (mechanised) friend arrived




Of course I had to let Jasper know that he was still top dog. The black cat about to fall off the chair is fairly nonplussed though!



Cheers,


Dickyb

[Dickyb]

Enforced inactivity also got me mulling over previous rides. This touring malarky all kicked off with a coastal run of the UK. A lardy bloke on a lardy bike



Confidence gained we headed further affield but there was no way this Polish border guard was going to let us into the Ukraine on an even lardier bike



So we headed off to Goa where they will let anyone in. Even old knackers riding old knackers



But of course the ultimate road trip had to be.............

[Dickyb]

.....................riding across Arizona on a three week va..heh..heh cation
Deluded hippy type on his "Hog"



Ah, memories.............

Cheers,


Dickyb

[Dickyb]

Just getting over a shock to the system The wife paid 1750YTL for a three year visa. Burkhard, the German, paid 98YTL for a five year visa

Anyway, me and the cheap one are planning a trip to Mt Ararat in June from Kas. Anybody got any bright ideas regarding routes? Anybody fancy coming along/meeting up?

Cheers,

Dickyb

[Dickyb]

After we had settled into our new abode we decided to head for one of the many of natures gifts to this amazing country. After touring Europe on Gold Wings, Valkyries and other assorted big capacity machinery we jumped on the only machine we had at the time, a Honda Falcon NX4. 400cc's of raw Japanese power. Looking after the wallet, credit cards and other essential was Cluj, the pooch we had acquired on a trip to Cluj Napoca in Romania


Juliet, God bless her, decided to forego her usual luxuries of everything including the kitchen sink. Everything we needed for a week on the road was packed into a pair of throwover Oxford panniers, a tank bag and Cluj's tummy.

We eventually arrived at Cappadocia and took in the scenery. The change hits you immediately from "normal" countryside to something else











Cluj, however, seemed fairly nonplussed by it all or maybe he was missing Jasper, Bique, Lucky and the rest




We stayed overnight in a half cave half house arrangement where we met.................

[Dickyb]

................Burkhard who just had to do some confined space riding on his bike



With Burkhard was Monica. They had just come from a tour to Nehmrut Dagi and were slowly, in Burkhard's terms, wending their way back to Kas



We, however, tootled about at a more leisurely pace and headed off for Alanya then down towards Antalya and eventually Kas. On the way we headed inland and found the most amazing hotel in a village in the hills. The name of the village escapes me but the hotel was fab. B&B for two for 100YTL. The views were to die for and we were the only residents!









Cluj had a good nights kip and the following morning it was time for the off



Back home along more spectacular backroads






The more observant will notice that Juliets helmet has a couple of dogs ears attached. This was not as the result of a high speed (on a 400cc bike?) collision with a canine chum!



3000kms in just under a week, two up on a 400cc bike. A couple of years ago I would have said it couldn't be done

Cheers,

ickyb

[Dave-in-Turkey]

Hi Dave,

Great pics, Cappadocia is on our TO DO list, but still have not gotten around to it, does your Mrs. really ride around with dog ears stuck to her helmet.....I feel a story comming ??


Cheers


Dave..

[Dickyb]

Originally Posted by Dave-in-Turkey

Hi Dave,

Great pics, Cappadocia is on our TO DO list, but still have not gotten around to it, does your Mrs. really ride around with dog ears stuck to her helmet.....I feel a story comming ??


Cheers


Dave..

Thanks Dave,

She'd happily ride around with a sidecar strapped to the bike containing our five pooches and four cats. She has a thing about rescuing waifs and strays which is probably where I fit into the picture

The Dalmatian ears were originally bought by our daughter and Juliet first wore them on a blast down various autobahns to Romania. They brought a smile and a giggle to the occupants of various 4 wheeled conveyances as they flapped about in the breeze above Cluj on her back. Worth wearing just for the happy faces.

Cappadocia is special. We went in October, warm enough and quiet enough.

Looks a bit soggy down your neck of the woods. Played any water polo on your badminton court recently? Having a fair bit of precipitation here too.

Cheers,

Dickyb

[Dave-in-Turkey]

Originally Posted by Dickyb

Thanks Dave,

She'd happily ride around with a sidecar strapped to the bike containing our five pooches and four cats. She has a thing about rescuing waifs and strays which is probably where I fit into the picture

The Dalmatian ears were originally bought by our daughter and Juliet first wore them on a blast down various autobahns to Romania. They brought a smile and a giggle to the occupants of various 4 wheeled conveyances as they flapped about in the breeze above Cluj on her back. Worth wearing just for the happy faces.

Cappadocia is special. We went in October, warm enough and quiet enough.

Looks a bit soggy down your neck of the woods. Played any water polo on your badminton court recently? Having a fair bit of precipitation here too.

Cheers,

Dickyb

Good safty feature, I'll see if I can talk my Mrs. into it !

[Dickyb]

Originally Posted by Dave-in-Turkey

Good safty feature, I'll see if I can talk my Mrs. into it !

Good point Dave,

What does tend to happen is that overtaking cars tend to slow down as the driver is coerced by their passenger, or the excitable kids in the back, to slow down so that they can get a good look. The situation hasn't yet arisen where the driver, 'cos he ain't looking where he should be, has slammed into an oncoming car or veered in front of me causing me to inhale his exhaust gases from close quarters

Cheers,

Dickyb