Ankara and Fat Freddy's Cat

Rather than head for Istanbul, we headed south to Ankara, the idea
being to see if we could get Luda a visa for Morocco.

The drive south was pleasant enough, initially through wooded hills,
eventually reaching the high central plain, and a lovely smooth
motorway to Ankara. Bliss!! The van was purring along like a Rolls
Royce, and we noticed the novelty of being able to hold a conversation
or listen to music on the move.

There is nothing special about Ankara - another city, could have been
anywhere, and we are developing a dislike for cities unless there is
some specific reason.

Ankara is also the home of Angora ....... rabbits goats and
all.....never knew that!

We arrived Saturday afternoon, and I spent a hellish 2 hours in a
Turkish Vodafone shop getting new sim cards for phone and internet.

Without internet, we are blind - no maps, no info, no addresses....so
it's always the first job in a new country. I was in no mood for
bargain hunting, so I just asked for the fastest speed and the biggest
data allowance, as Turkey is a 3G country I was looking forward to
some fast internet and all that entails.

Wrong! It's a joke, slower than Ukraine.....although I will have to
give a few days more, but at least we are online.

The first thing I did was look for a campsite, and found one just
outside town, a small compound behind a 4 star hotel by a lake.

There we met a Swiss couple in a brand new motorhome, at least 50
grands worth. They were also in town for embassies and visas, but they
were headed for Iran, Pakistan and India......brave souls!

Sunday was a rest day, so we lounged about and cleaned up and had a
lovely hot shower, first for days!

Boys and girls, you just know I'm right, but showering as a couple
when you really need it, and emerging all clean and scrubbed,
especially the hard to reach bits......is just one of life's little
pleasures! I'm not talking sexy, just mutual scrubbing, a bit like
cats clean each other. Lovely!

We hadn't had time to shop, and anyway, you have to celebrate a new
country, so we opted for the hotel restaurant, where we had a higher
than average meal, with a lovely view, impeccable service, and a lower
than average bill, about £30 for two. I found this a bit strange, as
the first thing I had noticed about Turkey is that it seems really
expensive - fuel is dear, and supermarket prices are through the roof,
and alcohol very expensive. Yet restaurant prices have been very good
(so far). This was a very nice 4 star hotel charging €50 a night!

Back to business the next morning, for all of 5 minutes! A call to a
very pleasant, but firm, official at the Moroccan embassy confirmed
that Ukrainians can only apply for visas in their home country, unless
they are resident or working officially in Turkey.

This is becoming all to familiar. Ukrainians have it tough on the
international travel scene.

Anyway, we have a plan! In fact we have several. It is becoming quite
a game of cat and mouse, finding the countries that we can visit
together.

So we hit the road, glad to get out of the city, and we are heading
for the famous region of Cappodocia - a region of Turkey with weird
rock formations, underground villages carved out of the rocks, and a
myriad of other geological delights. Google it!

The drive across the boring central plain was unremarkable until we
went over a hill and were presented with a huge salt lake shimmering
in the afternoon sun. It was huge, mile after mile, just salt.....no
water!

The weather is cooler at night, the heating in the van sputtered into
life after a curse and a kick, and Luda is improving her English by
reading a 1976 copy of The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers ........and
tittering in a lovely innocent Ukrainian way.

I'll leave you with that thought, and these images, of the infamous
FFFB's, and their cat........a classic well worth looking up on
t'internet. (Marie - ask you know who for another will you? We have
loved this one, and will cherish and eventually return it)