TURKEY

its always my dream to come turkey. it is a asia country with 5% of it belongs to europe. as a islamic country, its very developed and less conservative. we had to save much when we reach here. camping is the best lodging we could find and cheapest of all! the road were filled with beautiful grasses, flowers and flowing cool water. feels really like holiday touring on bike. its the biker's dream destination. unlike the previous travel in other countries, the road condition were challanging and the culture is very different there. here in Turkey, its very westernized.

we had long journeys in Turkey. the road were above average and many Caravans from europe came here for holiday.

thank you Mr Mohamad and his family!

cooking breakfast for Sam.an evening on the farm

along the journey to a far destination, we stopped over a farm land and seek permission from Mr Mohamad to camp on his compound. not understanding the Turks, we didnt really understand what they were trying to say. what we knew that it was a 'no'. they said that there will be snakes around if we camp on the ground. then they provided us with a tractor loader and we slept on it. the night was cold and Mr Mohamad checked our sleeping bags and it was not up to his standards. he then provide us with mattress, blankets and pillow for us to sleep in the loader. it was reallliii cold even we had all the necessery covers. we could feel their welcoming warmness.

spending a night in the farm was the most plesant experience that no $ can buy!

one of the camp site in Goreme were we had to pay about S$25 per night. it was the most luxurious campsite that we stayed. cooking stove and proper WC was provided.

Goreme was a very ancient village. formed with alot of intresting rocks. it was hot in the day time and it's about 34deg celsius. once we enter the rock caves, its like the airconditioned room. its amazing!

there were about closed to 50 underground cities near Goreme. each had structure like an ant colony. it can go down to 80meters deep!

we have reached Turkey!!!

N 38deg 30.215

E 043deg 23,640

on the way to turkey, we met a heavy fog and we lost our way. Mr Megıd and Mr Hussıen was very kınd enough to let us stay at hıs house and gıve us the warmness that nobody can gıve. he ıs not those type that he want any rewards by gıvıng you good thıngs.

though we could not communıcate well ın our languages but we trust them and they are reall kınd people!
Mr Hussıen let me try hıs 12mm shot gun!
beautıful country sıde that no tour agency wıll brıng you!




Nothıng for us to recall ın ıran except for the very sıncer friends that we made ın İran. they were the most beautıful memorıes that we had.


goıng ınto turkey ıs paınful because the petrol ıs about S$3.00per lıter. ın Iran, we had S$0.15

per lıter. roads here ıs very beautıful.ıts just our fırst day here and ıt,s Sam bırthday!

ın the cıty of Van, ıts much more lıke home as there are HSBC banks and ATMs the people here wıll not gather around Hope Too to examıne where thıs space shıp comes from. most of the people here that we met were real frıendly. they are not those dısturbıng type but they respect our prıvacy.

well more to come!

on the street of Van

ıran and turkey border

beautıful Turkısh Road!

Thank You!

we would like to thank Derek Yap for his donation to our trip. his contribution includes quality winter wear and whenever we wear it, we will say his name. thanks Derek!

also Chin Yee, donating the second time to us. we need a long term plan to get $ in. If you are in UAE now, we are quite close! thanks chin yee.

also a big thank you to Sharon Kee. she had been a great classmate to me and she taught me many things in the arbor field. her contribution make us more confident on the road. we will make u more 'touched'!

to the two friends out there, we may have not met before but ur donation really really supported us alot! we would like to thank you in person when we come back singapore.

Ho Kai Weng of Sin Ming road .

Chee Lek Lim of Dairy Farm Road.

also, those that want the T-shirt or Key chain with the india lodging sponser, please leave me a short message. thank you!

Iran friends

the tree's prayer, is out to all mankind. espicially to the arborist out there.

To Sharon Kee, Derek Yap and all the Arborist around the world. please take a look at this 4000years old cypress spp tree in Iran!
now i know where Winnie the Pooh house is...

still in Iran, we went to a few new found friend's home. i had a bit of issue. iran doesnt accept masters, visas or travellers cheque. we got limited us$ and there is no way i can get irani rial! i met a man, his son is studying in singapore. i came out to an idea that is to ask my sister to pass his son singapore dollars and get irani rial from him once his son got the $. he is mr Shahbaz. we stayed at his farm for a night then follow by a night at his apartment.

Mr Shahbaz and wife

went to a house at Kerman. he is mr Mansouf. we had a wonderful dinner at his home and guess what? we drank home made red wine there! in this country?!

Mr Mansouf and family

last 2 nights we spend at Mr Ali Reza's home at Abadeh. they are really very hospitable.

Mr Ali Reza and family

we love meeting new friends and observe how their life was. we did went to Perspolis, the 2000 years old castle.it's the main attraction of iran but we do not apprciate it. Perspolis will be the same for the next year, next 10 years and next 100years but Mr Ali, Mr Mansouf and Mr Shahbaz will not be the same tomorrow.

intresting Carlsberg that we drank. local tell me it is a Religious beer.The Yazd Province is homeland to the Zoroaster, it was the ancient religon of Iran (Persia).

check this religion out! it is one of the fewest in the world.

Persepolis

IRAN!

big notes but small amount. gotta carry it in plastic bag!
we have about 10 different group of escort daily in our journey.
police and armed personnel.
the evening sunset in the desert of Iran...

we have reached Iran safely! we had got out of the EIC influenced coloneies and its totally a new face when we reached the border.

lodging here is extreme expensive! we had a shocked. stayed at a usd$45.

its a left hand drive country. we had full armed escort from the iran boder to the town of kerman, in a way we are very safe but in other hand, our movement were restricted and lots of waiting time. i guess its more of a safety consern.

there is no acceptance of traveller's cheque in iran, neither usage of ATM or AMEX. we are surving on the spare pakistan rupee to survive. about $200++.

die....