Liebe Läser, liebi Läserin. Mach dir doch zersch e Tasse Tee oder Kaffee, das hie isch nämlich zimlech e länge Blogitrag. U wenn dir üsi Gschichte scho zum Haus use hänge, de gits emu es paar Biuder zum aluege.
Dear reader. Please take your time to prepare a cup of tea or coffee before diving into our stories. You'll be doing yourself a favor, since we got a lot of them. And if you are fed up with our stories anyway, then you will find some pictures to have a look at.
It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to.
Was dr Tolkien am Bilbo Baggins is Muu gleit het, wird für üs jede Tag meh zur Wahrheit. Jede Tag isch es chlises neus Abentüür. Mängisch gits chlineri oder grösseri Überraschige wo üs mindischtens e Erinnerig gäbe oder hüfig o üse Routeplan komplett ufe Chopf steue. Aues chunnt immer e chli anders aus mirs planet hei, u das het sie eiget Reiz. We mir chönnte wähle ob mir wei wüsse, wo mir i zwe Mönet, imene Jahr oder i 10 Jahr stöh, wette mir immer Ungwüsse blibe und z Läbe eifach so uf üs la zuecho wies de gad passiert. Das bedütet nid dass mir keni Ziel oder Vorstellige hei wonach mir üs richte. Im Gägeteil, uf dr Reis forme sich immer wieder sehr klari Gedanke was mir wie wei bibhalte oder o ändere we mir de wieder daheime achöme. S hiuft enorm, e Zyt lang wyt wäg z si vom Alltag, mit relativ eifache Mittu z läbe für chönne z entscheide was eim persönlich würklich wichtig isch.
We realize that what Bilbo Baggins had to say becomes our reality more and more every day. Each day is a small adventure. Sometimes there are smaller, somtimes bigger surprises. At the least we earn memories from those surprises, but sometimes they even cause us to change our entire route planning. Everything always happens a little different than what we had in mind, and that's making everything a little more exciting. Were we given the choice of knowing how our life would look in two months, one year or 10 year from now - we would not want to know. We want to have life surprise us. That does not mean that we have no goals or ideals for which we live. On the contrary - on our journey we have been able to form very clear thoughts about our goals in the future, about what we want to change or keep doing once we get back home. It's extremely helpful to stay away from daily life for a while, to live a bit simpler in order to be able to decide what really matters for one personally.
So, zrugg zur Türkei. Es wunderschöns Land, landschaftlich und o wäg dr Gastfründschaft. S git (wie i jedem Land) o es paar Sache womer druf chönnte verzichte. Zum Bispiu die abentüürliche Kreisu-Regelige. S isch nid ganz eifach z erkläre und bis mir z System chli ufgliederet hei simer scho dürz haube Land gfahre. S git hie mindischtens 3 verschiedenigi Arte wie dr Vortritt im Kreis "greglet" isch.
Nummer 1: dä vo links, wo scho im Kreisu isch het Vortritt - so wie mirs üs gwohnet si.
Nummer 2: Dä wo i Kreisu ifahrt het Vortritt - s isch o so signalisiert indäm imene Kreisu mit 4 Strasse insgesamt 2 Stoppschilder abracht si für die Outos wo scho im Kreisu si u nid vor Houpstrass chöme.
Nummer 3: fasch wie Nummer 2, nume sis iz Amplet statt Stoppschilder wo dr Kreisufluss unterbräche.
D Verteilig isch e so dass öppe d Heufti vo de Kreisle nach Regel Nummer 1 usgschilderet si, die anderi Heufti richtet sich nach Nummer 2 oder 3.
Was dä Jungel a Regle bewürkt: fasch jede fahrt o bi de normale Kreisle (Nummer 1) wie wenns e Kreisel nach Regle Nummer 2 wär. Das heisst Outos stoppe zmitzt im Kreisu, o we sie nid müesste, für Outos ine z lah wo eigentlich ke Vortritt hätte. Wüu das aber nid ganz jede macht isch jede unsicher und so isch dr ganz Sinn vomene Kreisel - dr Fluss chönne bizbhalte - vernichtet.
S dünkt üs Schwizer fasch schwieriger so z fahre aus wenns gar keni Regle giebti und mä eifach vorzue würdi luege wie mä muess fahre. Aber nach es paar Wuche simer vou derbi im türkische "Flow" und stoppe o bi jedem Kreisu es paar mau.
Back to Turkey: a beautiful country because of its nature and warm-hearted inhabitants. But (as in every country) there are some things we could do without. For example the roundabouts, which are a daily adventure because of its confusing priority-ruling. It's not all that easy to explain and it took us some 500 km on the road to figure it out.
There are at least 3 differentset of rules concerning roundabouts:
Nr. 1: the car coming from the left can go first - that's the way we are used to.
Nr. 2: the car coming into rhe roundabout can go first. There are even 'Stop'-signs in the middle od the roundabout. A roundabout joining 4 streets for example would be decorates with 2 'Stop'-signs, nicely interrupting the flow.
Nr. 3: similar to Nr. 2, but instead of 'Stop'-signs there are traffic lights.
About half of all roundabouts in turkey are following rule Nr. 1, the other half is either Nr. 2 or Nr. 3.
The effect of so many different rules: almost everybody drives as if rule Nr. 2 was in place, even if the aigns are indicating rule 1. Meaning: cars are always stopping in the middle of the street, giving priority to cars which would normally have to wait their turn. Everybody is very insecure because not 100% of drivers act the same way. This destroys all flow which roundabouts would normally create.
For us Swiss drivers this is almost harder to adapt to as if there were no rules at all. After some weeks of driving though we are 'going with the flow', stopping several times per roundabout.
A däm schöne Stellplätzli hei mir z Glück gha, ds Sumpfgebiet nid nume mit ere Horde Mugge z teile, sondern o miteme grosse Schwarm Flamingos. Weme sich gnue Zyt het gno zum sich apirsche, hei sie sich nid mau la stresse weme relativ nach isch cho.
In this nice place we were lucky to share the swamp not only with a ton of mosquitos, but also with aome beautiful flamingos. When I allowed enough time to get close to those animals, they didn't see me as a threat.
Bir Besichtigung vore chline Höhli hei mir ganz e zytgemässig Sehenswürdigkeit gfunde. Und zwar dä schön dekoriert Figeboum ufem nächschte Foto. Dir fraget euch was da wie Wiehnachtsdeko im Boum hanget?
When visiting a small cave we found a very contemporary sight. Have a look at the nicely decorated fig tree on the next picture. You wonder what the nice decoration consists of?
Abfall wo überall lige blibt isch wahrschinlech das wo üs ar Türkei am meischte stört. Mängisch findt mä a de schönschte Orte ir Natur überblibsu vo Picknick. Und zwar i sore Mängi, dassme gad cha gseh was die Lüt wos hinterlah hei gässe hei und uf welne Stüehl sie sy ghocket.
Meh gfreut hei mir üs de a de schöne höche Blueme.
Trash thrown into natureis a big problem in turkey. We often find remains of a picnic in the middke of nature, destroyinf the nicest views. People let so much behind that you can guess what they ate at their picnic and see what kind of chairs they used.
More joy brought the sight of this nice tall flower.
In Izmir hei mir üs miteme andere begeischterete Dachzelt-Offroader-Fahrer troffe wo sit es paar Monet ir Türkei läbt. Näbe sim Gfährt het Momo usgseht wie es zahms Chätzli. Dank ihm hei mir d Region Izmir uf de abglägene Wäge lehre kenne und z einte oder andere Abentüür hinter üs bracht.
In Izmir we met with another passionate rooftoptent-offroader-driver. Next to his rig our Momo looked like a tiny bird. Thanks to him we got to know Izmirs backland on lonesome roads and mastered some adventures.
Die türkischi Sprach het enorm viu "Ü" drinne. Wörter wie "Müdürlügü" (Direktion), "Güle Güle" (Auf Wiedersehen) oder "Süprüntü" (Abfall) falle bsunders is Oug. Mängisch dänkt mä aber o bi Ortsname "das isch eifach Buechstabesuppe wo ufgreielet isch worde". Säute mau wüsse mir aber o was gmeint isch, z.B. bi "Üniversite" oder "Süpermarket".
The turkish language consists of an enormous amount of "Ü". Words like "müdürlügü" (direction), "güle güle" (Goodbye) or "süprüntü" (trash) are especially densly filled with "ü". Sometimes when reading the names of villages we simply think "somebody prepared letter soup and then created the name of a village out of it". Seldomly we are able to guess at the meaning of words, for example with "üniversite" or "süpermarket".
Während dene 8.5 Mönet unterwägs heimer immer wieder mau notiert, was mir ar Schwiz am meischte vermisse (abgseh natürlich vo üsne Familie und Fründe).
Üsi Heiweh-Lischte setzt sich so zämä (nid priorisiert):
- riife Chäs mit verschiedene Gschmacksnote
- d Aare und dr Duft wo sie amene schöne Summerabe oder o nachem Räge verströmt
- üsi Chatz dr Fufu
- Rivella, Caotina und Hüttetee
- Fondue, Fondue u nomau Fondue (und Raclette)
- früsches, trinkbars Hahnewasser wo nid nach Chlor oder Iod schmöckt
- z geniale Wanderwäge-Netz und dassme fasch überall cha spaziere. I jedem Wald findt mä schöni Wäge zum ga spaziere - das isch nid selbstverständlich.
- d Bärge
- e Postadresse für Päckli häre z bstelle
- dr Tennisplatz Muri
I däm Sinn, gniesset für üs doch mau es Glas Hahnewasser oder säget dr Aare e liebe Gruess :-)
During the 8.5 months on the road up to now we kept up a list of things we miss most about Switzerland apart from family and friends of course.
Our "homesickness-list" looks like this (no priorisation):
- aged cheese with different flavors
- the river "Aare" and its smell on a lovely summer night or after it's been raining
- our cat, Fufu
- Rivella, Caotina and Hüttentee
- Fondue, Fondue and once again Fondue (and Raclette)
- fresh, drinkable water directly from the tap without a smell of chlorine or iodine
- the huge amount of well signaled hiking trails and that you are able to go for a walk nearly everywhere. In every forest you can find some nice trails - we always took that for granted, but it's not.
- an address to order things online
- the mountains
- tennis court Muri
So - please enjoy a glass of tap water in our place or say hello to Aare :-)
Dr "Meke Gölü" - Meke See isch e alte Vulkan wo z letschte Mal vor 9000 Jahr usbroche isch. Dr Krater isch bis vor es paar Jahr miteme Salzsee umgäh gsi, dä isch mittlerwile uströchnet dür landwirtschaftlichi Übernutzig. Wos no e See het gäh hei hie viu verschiedeni Vogelarte gläbt.
Dr Vorteil am uströchnete See isch, dass mir dr Vulkan z Fuess chöi bestige und e wunderschöne Stellplatz am Fuess vom Vulkan finde. Die gröschti Überraschig vom Tag isch wo mir vo zwöine Veloreisende mit "Grüessech" agsproche wärde und schliesslich üses Camp miteme Bärner und ere Fribourgerin, beides Anästhesiste, teile.
'Meke Gölü' - Meke lake is an old volcano which last erupted 9000 years ago. The crater was surrounded by a salt lake until it dried out a few years ago due to agricultural overusage. At times when there was still a lake, many bird species lived here. The advantage of a dry sea for us today is that we can access the volcano by foot and even camp at the base of the beautiful hill. The greatest surprise of the day was meeting two people travelling by bike who greeted us in swiss german. We then share camp together and find out that the two work as anesthesiologists in Bern.
Nächschts Naturspektakel wo mir aträffe isch dr Tuz Gölü - e riesegrosse Salzsee, eine vo de salzhaltigschte See uf dr Wäut. Gäge Summer zue tröchnet dä See jedes Jahr fasch komplett us und mä cha uf dr flache Salzwüeschti e Spaziergang ga mache.
Next natural sight on our way is Tuz Gölü - a huge salt lake, one of the saltiest in the world. In summer it dries up almost completely, making a stroll on the flat salt desert possible.
Dr Freddy nimmt aus Souvenir vom Salzsee e schöne neue wysse Bart mit:
Freddy leaves the salt lake with a new souvenir: a white beard.
Nachem Tuz Gölü simer nach Kappadokien gfahre. Fasch jede vo euch het scho mau es Biud gseh vo dere Sehenswürdigkeit. E bunti Mischig vo Fee-Chemi, Steine i aune Farbe und Forme, alti, aber o bewohnti Höhline im Sandstei und drüber e Armee vo Ballön erwarte üs dert.
After Tuz Gölü we drove to Cappadocia. Almost everyone of you has probably already seen a picture of this sight. Its a vibrant mix of fairy chimneys, stones in every fo and color, old and also inhabites caves in the stone towers and hovering above an army of balloons.
D Sujet si unändlich u zu Sunneuntergang wird aues ines schöns warms Liecht toucht.
Theres so muchthat catches the eye and during sunset everything is touched by a warm light.
Tagwach isch am 6i. Nid wüu mir e Wecker gstellt hei, sondern wüu Duzendi Ballön unterwägs si. U immer we sie Gas gäbe gits so es schöns Zische. Wo zwöi vo üs drü de ufstöh ergäbe sich derfür ganz schöni Usblicke. D Lüt wo i de Ballonchörb unterwägs si winke begeischteret we si a üsem Zäut verbi flüge.
We get up at 6. Not because our alarm goes off, but because many balloons are in the air and everytime they let out gas, they also make a nice wuush-sound. But getting up is very rewarding (at least 2 of us think that way. And 1 of the 2 getting up only does so to be fed). The people in the little crates wave and smile when they fly by our tent.
Hie am Liebestal uf üsem wagemuetige Plätzli isches de o, wo mir miteme schwäre Härz Abschied näme vo Lisa, David und Marley. Sit es paarne Mönet simer immer wieder mau zämä unterwägs gsi, hei üs nach es paar Täg vonand wäg immer viu z verzeue gha. Mir hei viu Zwifu und Planerei zämä düregstande. Leider heimer de nid aui Plän womer zämä uf d Bei gstellt hei o chönne verwürkliche, aber gnosse heimer die gmeinsami Zyt glich sehr. Danke euch für aues!
Here at love valley we have to say goodbye to our dear friends Lisa, David and Marley. During a few months we have been travelling along the same route, meeting every few days. We always had a lot to talk about. We also went through a lot of doubt and planning together. Unfortunately not all plans worked out for us, but we enjoyed it anyway. Thank you for everything!
Wüu leider vili wyteri Gränze i Richtig Oste no zue si müesse mir leider a dere Stell üse Troum vor Sidestrass chli uf d Site lege und neui Plän schmiede. Was o schöns het. Mir wärde zwar immer wieder enttüscht we üs schöni Destinatione i Sinn chöme u nach chli Recherchiere klar wird, dass das leider momentan nid müglich isch. Dä Plan wo bishär verhäbt het und mittlerwile o scho voll in Umsetzig isch: mir folge üsere Sehnsucht nachem chüele, ruehige Norde u wei no üses letschte skandinavische Land bereise: Schwede. Ganz bsunders gluschtet üs dert dr Fernwanderweg "Kungsleden" - Königsweg. Mir schribe dä Itrag scho us Schwede, mit dr "Überfahrt" het auso aues klappet. Mittlerwile simer i de letschte Vorbereitige für de im Juni die 460 km z Fuess i Agriff chönne z näh. Speter meh daderzue.
Hie chöme itz nomal viu Idrück vo üsne letschte Täg ir Türkei.
Unfortunately all further borders in eastern direction stay closed and there's no end in sight. So we have to temporarily give up on our dream of driving along the infamous Silk road. And we have to set new goals. Which is not that bad either. During research we get dissapointed a few times though. We think of a new destination and some clicks on the internet reveal something standing in the way (as of yet). The plan we then formed has been doable up to now, while we are already in the middle od living it: we follow our longing to see more of Scandinavia. We travel to the last big scandinavian country we had to skip last time: Sweden. After some research we find a new goal: hiking the Kingsleden trail. At the moment of writing we are already in Sweden, everything worked out fine with our transit. At the moment we are finishing all preparations to be able to leave for the 460 km hike in June. More on that another time. Now we go back to turkey once more, living through our last days in that beautiful country.
Im obere Bild gseht me es wunderschöns Stellplätzli amene Zuefluss vom Euphrat. Einzig Hacke: am 3 ir Nacht simer gweckt worde wüu üses Zäut total am waggele isch gsi. Füre Tawan isch dr Fall sofort klar gsi: "Erdbebe, isch ke Schlafmangel wärt, i schlafe wyter". Ig und dr Freddy si de ar Sach no uf d Spur gange und hei im Dunkle e Chueh ertappt wo sich gnüsslich a üsere Leitere und am Outo griebe het. Dere Chueh ihri Wellness het für mi ei Stund weniger Schlaf bedütet.
On the picture above you can see a wondeful place we found on a river leading to the famous Euphrat. Only turndown: at 3 a.m. we were woken because our tent was shaking. Tawan solved the mistery in his head pretty fast "earthquake" he said and went back to sleep. Me and Freddy wanted to know what was going on and upon looking outside we discovered a cow rubbing her back against our tentladder and car. One hour of wellness for the cow meant one less hour sleep for me.
Hie hei mir üs die alte göttliche Statue ufem Mount Nemrut agluegt wo sich dr Freddy e türkische Fanclub i Form vo drü junge Herre aglachet het.
Here we are on Mount Nemrut, where we looked at old greek gods and godesses when Freddy flirted with 3 turkish guys who all joined his fanclub.
Hie gseht dir d Ussicht vomene idyllische Plätzli wo mir im Oste vor Türkei gfunde hei. Idyllisch isches de am nächschte Morge nümme gsi wo am viertu vor 6 e neugierige Hirt aklopfet het und nid lugg glah het bis mir mit ihm si ga plöiderle. Selbstverständlich aues über Google Translate wüu sich ke gmeinsami Sprach het la finde. O nach langem rede het är üs nid wöuä verjage, mir si ja schliesslich o uf öffentlichem Grund gstande, er het eifach e Gsprächspartner gsuecht.
Here you can see a nice view from an idyllic spot we found in the east of turkey. It only stayed idyllic until 05:45 in the morning, when a curious shepherd knocked on our "door". He insisted on us coming down. But not to send us away, but to have a nice chat. Of course via google translate, since we didn't find a common language.
Hie simer wieder mau imene riesegrosse Vulkan unterwägs. Die Bärge im Hintergrund forme dr Rand vom Krater.
Here we are driving inside a huge volcano. The mountains in the background form the edge of the immense crater.
Ussicht isch ufe Van Gölü, dr gröscht See ir Türkei.
View on Van Gölü, the biggest lake in turkey.
Das Bild hie isch Züge, dass Reise ohni feschti Unterkunft mängisch ungwüss und nid immer luschtig isch. Das isch e "Notplatz" irgendwo i de Bärge gsi. Im Schneeräge am Morge heimer realisiert dass mir zwüscheme Schneehufe und eme Mischthuufe stöh. Die gfrorene Finger hei mir de ar Outoheizig wieder erwärmt und si uf direktem Wäg zur nächschte Tankstell, wüu scho am Abe vorhär z Tank-Warnliecht isch agange.
The next picture bears witness to the not so nice side of wildcamping and travelling without a prebooked hotel room. Sometimes a dead end of a road in the middle of mountains must be enough for one night. Even if you realize next morning that you parked between a pile of snow and a pile of manure. Then we packed our things in the cold snow-rain, warmed our hands on the cars heater and drove directly to the next petrol station - our warning sign for low diesel had been on a while already yesterday.
Ufem Wäg wieder zrugg i Weste simer no bi beidruckende Gsteisformatione bi Narman verbi cho.
On our way back west we passed by those incredible stones in narman.
E Zwüschehalt ufem Wäg a d Gränze heimer in Amasra gmacht, imene Airbnb. Mir hei (wie immer wenn müglich) d Wöschmaschine guet usglaschtet.
A stop in an airbnb in Amasra allowed us to wash all our laundry.
Das Zimmer het e schöni Ussicht botte!
It was a room with a view.
Und last but not least: per Zuefall heimer in Edirne no die gröschti Bratpfanne vor Wält (Guinnes-World-Record) am Strasserand gfunde.
And last but not least: by chance we found the worlds biggest frying pan, situated in Edirne at some random road.
Ir Hoffnig, euch chli unterhalte z ha. Liebi Grüess vom Tawan, Freddy und dr Selina :-)
We hope to have amused you a little, Cheers :-)
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