Day 31: Nemrut Dagi Milli Park to Nemrut Dagi Krateri

Waking early again as per habit of the past few mornings, and again with a long drive ahead, we were out of the tent prior to sunrise at about 5.15am. As we had camped not too far from the road, and not too far from the township, we figured it would be best if we packed up and moved on quickly also. It was quite a surprise, however, to have a man walking down the road in with suit and tie on, at about 5.30am as we had just finished packing up. 

The GPS was able to find a new route to take us in the direction we needed to go to make it to our planned destination for the night (Nemrut Krateri), avoiding the Google Map error of leading us along walking paths not accessible to vehicles. We decided to delay having breakfast until we reached the unavoidable ferry crossing of Ataturk Dam, figuring that by the lakeside would be a nice place to relax with breakfast whilst waiting for the scheduled service departure. 

Setting off for the first two hours we covered only about 60 km, as we were busily winding up and down the mountainsides in a seemingly endless maze of hairpins atop steep unguarded slopes. It made yesterdays detour road look like a learner driver training ground. Having not expected it to take so long to reach Ataturk Dam, we stopped by the roadside where we had a good view over the valley below for a quick breakfast of bread, tomato and tinned tuna. 

Almost Stelvio-esque

The bonnet served as the breakfast table

With strength regained from breakfast, we continued driving and the twisting and turning roads soon petered out as we descended into broad valleys on approach to Ataturk Dam. Before we reached the dam, we did pass by two noticeable monuments; the Old Khata (somewhat confusingly called the New Fortress) and the Cendere Bridge.

The Old Khata has been proven as the palace of the Commagene kingdom, and apparently inside this castle there are water tanks, a bazaar marketplace, a mosque and a prison. Having taken much longer than expected to get this far, we didn't stop to investigate further - much to the disappointment of a young boy both surprised and eager for tourist business at 8am in the morning. 

The Cendere Bridge (also callused the Severan or Chabinas Bridge), was built by four Commagenean cities in honour of the Roman Emperor Lucius Septimius Severus. The bridge is constructed from 92 stones, each weighing about 10 tonnes. The form of the bridge is as a single arch spanning between two rocks at the narrowest point of the Chabinas Creek. 

At 120m long, and with the arch spanning over 34m, it is the second largest known extant arch bridge constructed by the Romans. It is 7m wide, and is still being used for modern day traffic for vehicles up to a mass of 5 tonnes. Again, having spent longer getting to this point than expected, we did not stop, but viewed the bridge as we drove past on the bridge constructed in modern times for the bulk of the traffic passing through.

Old Khata (New Fortress), palace of the Cammageneans

Cendere Bridge, the second longest Roman extant arch bridge

Contemplating life nearby the Cendere Bridge

Getting closer to the dam, we rejoined a major road that would now take us most of the way toward Nemrut Krateri and eventually the city of Van the following day. Though the road was of good construction, it appeared that there was not much traffic... until we were almost at where the ferry departed from and we passed a rash of vehicles. Arriving at the ferry departure point, it was clear that we had missed the ferry service by about 5 minutes, with the boat slowly departing around a corner in the distance. 

Not to worry... though we had already had some food for breakfast, we were happy to sit down to some hot tea that was eagerly administered to us by a boy aged about 12. He was keen to practice some English, and even keener to make a sale. So, for the next hour we sat drinking tea in the shade of some trees by the lake at this makeshift cafe. With the ferry almost due to return, we had a quick look about at the waters edge where there were plenty of bait sized fish to see, but not much else, before returning to the car in order to board the ferry. 

Without signs or instruction, we acted like sheep and essentially followed the other vehicles onto the ferry. It was a bit of a worry at the start, as in typical local fashion the queue meant almost nothing, and we were a bit worried about missing our place on the relatively small vessel and having to wait for another hour as vehicles that had seemingly arrived 5 minutes previously boarded ahead of us. Not to worry, there was actually plenty of room in the end, and we boarded without issue. It was only as we were unloading at the other end that we were asked to pay for the ferry... a mere 10 Lira.

The ferry wasn't much of a boat, more of a pontoon with vehicle access and a motor, but it did the job. The days of its existence seem limited however, with roadwork and bridge construction clearly visible during the journey that would indicate that  road will bypass the need for the ferry over the Ataturk Dam in the near future.

Our ferry arrives to collect us

Roadworks in progress that will soon bypass the need for the ferry service

First stop: truck delivery to the roadwork site (truck reversing off the ferry)

Remaining vehicles aboard the ferry

Gerle was the only woman on deck

Vehicles waiting to board where we disembarked

For the next few hours we continued westward along an excellent highway at good speed. Initially climbing from the valley that contained the section of Ataturk Dam that we crossed, we were quickly up to high elevation again where the temperature dropped. The rolling countryside at times looked a lot like rural areas of Mongolia, except that in most places the land was being cultivated. 

During this drive I was stopped multiple times at speed traps by the Turkish highway police; I am still unsure where or not I was doing anything wrong. The police were neither friendly nor unfriendly, all wanted to see the my license and were not interested in our passports, but as none spoke English we were sent on our way. I am pretty sure we were well above the speed limit, but couldn't be sure as the speed limits were pretty hard to decipher at times in Turkey (based on deciphering just what type of road one was on).

We stopped at a nondescript village to get fuel, but for the first time in Turkey (and the whole trip), my VISA card wasn't going to work at the cash register. None of the plastic in my wallet would work, despite multiple tries. Without the cash to pay for the fuel, amidst about 20 minutes of illogical attempts at problem solving by the staff, I announced I would leave the car parked here and go and find an ATM to withdraw cash... this didn't seem to register too well with the staff who didn't want to let me go. 

Finally, I was able to explain that I had money, but that it was their system not working. With the car (and Gerle) left as security, I managed to withdraw some cash and return to pay for the fuel. Somehow, after that, I received some Lira and other items (Coke, water, etc.) in change, as well as a manual car wash for only 1 Lira. It was a weird transaction!

After another hour of so, we stopped in another nondescript village to get some lunch. This place was unused to foreigners, and we seemed to be a major attraction (particularly for the local boys and men who were very interested in 'Yapponaise' Gerle). Lunch was good; shashliks, salad and bread... though we were both a bit concerned with the water and general cleanliness provided. Thankfully, no ill affects were felt beyond the lack of normality we were both already experiencing since leaving Istanbul.

Approaching closer to Van, we were soon aware of the military presence here. Perhaps this was as a result of the current (at the time and continuing now) activity in Syria? Anyway, we needed to stop a few times, show our passports and discuss our intentions, but at no time was it a problem for us and we were waved through the checkpoints. 

Almost about to enter the town of Tatvan, we turned off the main road north on a nondescript track without signage that according to Google was the way to the Nemrut Krateri. After an initial mix-up that was quickly sorted out by some excited young boys who were all too glad to receive some small presents for their efforts chasing us through a small village, we found some signage to follow into the crater itself. 

Mt. Nemrut is an extinct (I think) volcano rising from the southwestern shore of Lake Van. The peak of the caldera rim is at about 3050m above sea level, and the lake within at approximately 2250m above sea level. There are actually two lakes; 'Big Lake' and 'Warm Lake', which can reach temperatures of about 60 degrees Celsius indicating continued volcanic activity beneath. The last known eruption occurred in AD 1597. 

We were able to drive into the crater (there are roads going through the crater to destination on the other side of the caldera from Tatvan), and our path crested at about 2600m above sea level. Descending into the caldera, it as surprising to see that there was land under cultivation, livestock grazing and even forests within. The caldera is an elliptical shape of approximate dimensions 7 by 8 kilometres, so did feel like we were descending into a rather large hole.

Bypassing a 'camp ground' that looked more like a 'refugee shelter', we passed by the 'Warm Lake' to the shore of the 'Big Lake'. Here it was only too obvious that it was a popular place for camping, with rubbish strewn everywhere. Not too happy with this, we decided to backtrack and see if we could find somewhere to camp in the grassland atop one of the bluffs overlooking the lake. 

Heading off road, we followed a barely there track through the scrub before coming to the conclusion that it was taking us nowhere good. After a bit of mucking about and almost getting bogged, low range 4WD enabled us to reverse back up the slope which we had travelled down. There was no where to turn around without risking getting seriously stuck in the mud. I guess I had imagined that we would have been walking distance to the lake, but we settled on a great spot that although was quite distant from the lake provided us with panoramic views of the lake and the crater rim above.

Over the 'Big Lake'

The view from the campsite

Good photo, shame about the model.

It was relatively early, about 6pm, when we arrived. Thus, with time on our hands we relaxed and enjoyed the last of the sun which wasn't too hot at this elevation. We had a few beers in the fridge, which went down well at the end of the day, before we opened a bottle (actually two bottles eventually) of the wine that we had purchased in Goreme. This was also quite nice, the Rosé in particular. 

Our campsite

Gerle, by now an expert camper, taking it all in her stride.

Toyota... can get you anywhere.

As it darkened, the temperature dropped considerably. Gerle rugged up and I put on jeans and a fleece, and tending to the barbecue was a pleasure. We had picked up some chicken drumsticks and lamb chops amongst other things at a small supermarket earlier in the day, and with the other remaining food items that we had with us from previous nights camping we were able to cook-up something of a feast with the luxury of time that we had both remaining today and with only short distance to travel the following day.

The Cappadocian Rosé went down well (yes, Gerle is wrapped in a towel for warmth)

Mmm.. lamb chops, chicken drumsticks and mushrooms on the barbecue.

We ate dinner as we cooked it, with the small grill doing well to cater to two by now tipsy and hungry carnivores. We had a  great night as the moon rose above the lake, providing ample lighting without need for torches. Carelessly, we discarded the food scraps in an 'over the shoulder' fashion, not thinking that we would have an issue for disposing of biodegradable waste in such fashion... 

With the barbecue burnt out, all our food eaten and no beer or wine remaining, after a quick trip to the nature toilet we were up and into the tent. The temperature was not cold once away from the gentle yet firm breeze, and we were soon cozied up under the blanket and asleep very quickly.

A few hours later, at about 1.30am, I awoke to the sound of something rummaging through our camping equipment, which we for the first time since Austria figured was safe to leave unpacked and out of the car. It was definitely a rummaging sound, not someone trying to be careful about avoiding noise, so I figured it must be some kind of animal. Maybe a cow, sheep or goat looking for the uncooked vegetables in the food box?

Poking my head outside the tent door, and then turning on the torch, I was a bit unsure of what I could see at first. Was it a dog? Crikey... it was a big dog. Despite being six feet off the ground and inside the tent, there was a little surge of a adrenalin within.

Wait a minute... that's not a dog. It is too squat, with no tail and short nose. Holy mackerel... that is a bear! A god damn bear!!!! Now the adrenalin was pumping. Not wanting to panic Gerle, I didn't tell her anything yet. It seemed like a pretty small bear... but I wasn't about to get out of the tent and shoo it off yet. Kangaroos, OK, bears... not a bloody chance. 

Almost immediately my mind focused on the size of the bear. I'm no expert, but I figured that it wasn't yet the size a fully grown black bear should be. Did that mean that Mama bear was somewhere nearby as well? Now I sure as shit wasn't getting out of the tent until the morning when I could see all around the car and tent. True to the discussion that bears are actually quite timid, simply shining the torch in the eyes of the bear had it moving on out of sight pretty quickly. I could hear it in the distance munching on the discard lamp chop bones, so I wasn't going to pack up camp now. 

In the morning, after a cautious scan about the car before fully descending the ladder, inspection of the campsite revealed that nothing was missing and all that had happened was that the bear had overturned the Esky looking for food and found nothing appetising. Another two good lessons learnt; (i) pack up camp before going to the tent, and (ii) dispose of foodstuffs carefully. I wasn't expecting an encounter with a bear in Turkey, but knew of their existence in countries like Georgia, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia. There were likely some other scavengers that we would come across best not to invite into our camp also.

If only I had the presence of mind to have taken a photo before the bear sauntered off, the chance encounter would have bee perfect... trust me, it's a true story!

Day 18: Melnik to Kardzali

In the morning, thinking that we didn't have too far to travel to our next destination in Bulgaria, we lazed about in Melnik with a bit of a sleep in and then a long breakfast (with Wi-Fi) back at the same cafe in which we had dinner in the night before. We were just impressed with the service and efforts of the people running the place, and as the food was good thought it OK to return. 

Winding up breakfast at about 11am, we returned to the guest house where we had washing drying in the sun. It was dry, we packed, and left. It was only a short drive to the nearby Rozhen monastery, which is recognised as one of only a few well preserved medieval monasteries in Bulgaria. Within about 15 minutes we were there... and within about 15 minutes we had seen what was to be seen. The monastery is still practicing, and not really a tourist destination which is dissimilar to what the guidebooks, internet sites and road signs would suggest.

Plugging 'Kardzali' into the GPS unit, it immediately suggested what I had assumed was a service track on approach to the monastery as the route of choice. Oh well, better now than never to test that the Prado had some off road capability. Aside from the track narrowing to receive a few scratches from the encroaching shrubbery, nothing caused issue for the next 50 km or so except for the slow pace of progress. Finally we emerged back onto first gravel roads, then back to the bitumen. The major roads of Bulgaria are not highways, but narrow and winding strips of bitumen. 

GPS Shortcut...

Feeling like Russell Coight

Passing through small villages and soviet style cities, we started to climb into the mountains where it seemed that there were more horse and carts than cars on the road. Passing through pine forests on way up, the temperature dropped considerably although the altitude didn't go much higher than about 2300m. After passing by some ski resort towns, that were a little eery in their level of dereliction (somewhat akin to the some areas in Mongolia, where be it by private or government failure projects have been abandoned), we descended again into farmland. 

Continuing eastward, we were actually travelling along a river valley with Bulgaria on one side and Greece on the other. We stopped for lunch at a roadside rest stop, where we enjoyed tomato, bread and rock melon that we had purchased in Melnik. The rock melon was fantastic!

Turning northward, we headed towards Kardzali, where by Google Earth we had seen that a large lake existed and figured it would be a good place to find our first wild camping site for the trip. Along the route we had chosen, there had been numerous water fill points. I think that these were fed by either or both of springs or mountain streams. Closing on our destination, and after seeing numerous people filling up and drinking from these sources, we decided to stop and fill our water containers (obtained in Neumarkt, Germany) for the first time prior to wild camping such that we had water for cooking and washing in the morning.

Stopping at one of the fill points, we set about filling the two containers that had been thus far simply thieving oxygen in the boot of the car. A fifty percent strike rate seemed OK for these things... only one was water tight, but we filled the two hoping that a bit of moisture would soften the O-ring of the leaking one. Writing this now, some 15 days or more later, this has not proven the case.

Behind the water fill point was an interesting tree.... fresh cherries. Gerle was still marvelling that fresh fruit was still able to be obtained for free, and despite a ladder perhaps indicating private ownership it was 'up and at 'em' to get to some free sweetness. Actually, these cherries would have to be some of the nicest that I have ever tasted. I'm not sure if the variety was any different to the usual supermarket type in Australia, but these were fantastic. Picking a few dozen, the didn't last longer than about five minutes once back in the car and on the road again.

Roadside water fill point

Preparations for camping

Quite roads of country Bulgaria

Hmm.... what's that?

Closer investigation

Mmmm.... looks tasty.

Gold! Yummy cherries.

Approaching Kardzali we stopped at a small supermarket not unlike what is common in Mongolia to get some food for the evening. Before the supermarket was a roadside stall selling fresh vegetables, where stocked up with tomatoes, corn, cucumber, plums and peaches. The supermarket was a little further into the town we were in, and surrounded with cafes filled with people who could not help but stare at both us and the car. Entering the supermarket, the parallels with Mongolia were all around in terms of the food available and the way in which it was being sold. Leaving with beer, cheese, soup bases and some other more Russian style accessories and condiments than what we had come across previously we headed for what we thought was a short drive to the lake. 

The lake in fact was a good distance further, and as it was getting dark now (about 8pm) we figured it would be better to find somewhere to camp sooner rather than later. The first place we headed to off the main road appeared to be a dumping ground for the local peoples rubbish; a shame to see, but something that appeared to be becoming more common on exit from Europe proper. Gerle wasn't happy, and although I wasn't too happy to continue driving, I was glad that we did for what we found was indeed much better.

Heading from the main road on a track not suitable for 2WD vehicles, we crested a hill to find a nice little plateau overlooking a Bulgarian village that was nice and private, as well as free from rubbish. There was even a plum tree overloaded with ripe fruit.

Ready for wild camping

Local Bulgarian tea herbs

Wild plums

As we setup camp for the evening we were surprised by a visitor returning on foot to the village we war overlooking after foraging for plants that through broken Russian communication we established were for use as tea leaves. A middle aged to elderly man, he was very interested in our voyage once it was established that we were from Mongolia, and that Gerle spoke a small amount of Russian. He gifted to us the tea herbs that he was carrying, and in return we offered him some Mongolian vodka which he was pleased to accept. It did seem unfair though that he had spent time collecting the tea herbs, and that we had simply purchased the vodka. He was happy though, so all seemed good. 

Here in Bulgaria was our first wild camping, away from the Europe style camping complete with swimming pools and restaurants. There were plenty of stones around the top of the hill, carefully moved aside from the field in which a crop was planted and harvested prior to our arrival, providing good material to construct a fireplace. With the fire going, we tested our the cooking ability of the Kelly Kettle with a variety of 'Mish Mash', in the pot above the kettle flue. I think we won't try this again, as the Kettle would boil all to quickly without the stew in the pot above heating. 

In the end, we did enjoy a stew (definitely not genuine Mish Mash) of tomatoe, onion and zucchini, but the highlight of the meal was definitely the corn on the cob roasted over the coals adjacent to the Kelly Kettle. By now it was dark, and figuring that we were to exit from the European Union tomorrow, some wine and spirit obtained thus far 'needed' to be drunk. If the lax customs control were to be known earlier, we needn't have indulged. We had wine collected in Greece and Bulgaria to be had, as well as Limoncello and Grappa from Italy that couldn't go to waste. There as also the home made Raki that we had been given in Greece.

Things ended up a little messy... but it was nice to sit and relax beside the fire. A little of a shame that the customs crossing the border the next day didn't inspect our fridge, but not to worry - it just freed up some space for obtaining and trying other drinks en route.

More Russell Coight-esque action

Our neighbours for the evening

Corn on the cob, cooked on the coals

Delicious

Before too much Bulgarian vino...

Heading to bed, all was peaceful except for a last night toilet expedition by both thanks to the late night drinks. The road was distant and not busy, temperature was pleasant and with no one around to disturb we both slept well. Oh yeah... sleeping when drunk is easy too!

Day 05: Bregenz to Chapella

That sinking feeling...

Waking with the advent of dawn as you generally do when camping (unless indulging in a few too many the night before) all seemed as it should be, that was until alighting from the tent it was soon apparent that someone had been into the unlocked car during the night. 

Having left items such as cameras, GPS, laptop, passports, phones and cold hard cash in the car, what started as a slight curiosity as to why the front passenger door wasn't shut properly progressed rather quickly to that of sheer panic as it became obvious that all the other doors were also ajar and that just about every single item within the vehicle had been opened and moved about. 

Rifling through everything, the only items that could be found to be missing included all of the loose change from the centre console, and one cigarette from a carton of 200... the phones, camera, and GPS unit all remained sitting on the front passenger seat and the cash was fortunately still 'hidden' in a pocket of the laptop bag.... Phew....

Not sure what happened, whether our cat burglar was disturbed by someone (perhaps my snoring startled him?) but in any case I was very much a relief and a clear warning to us to be more careful in future.

Bregenz

After recovering from the initial shock, the morning progressed far more leisurely with breakfast bought from the campground shop after a morning walk down to the lake. The weather was perfect, which was a nice change from the past overcast and wet days, and all looked promising. Shortly after breakfast we headed out of town, planning to stop prior to departing Bregenz entirely to do a bit more shopping for a few other items needed to complete the camping kit. 

Heading south out of town in the general direction of Liechtenstein, we stopped at what the GPS called a 'Marketplatz' to look for some bedding for the tent. Yes, that is right, bedding. No sleeping bags required, just sheets and blankets. Whilst it has gotten a little cool overnight in Bregenz, we had sufficed with clothes and the thermal insulation liner for 'cold weather' purchased as an accessory for the tent in preparation for Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Russia and Mongolia both this trip and in the future.

Wandering somewhat aimlessly around the Marketplatz looking for a 'blanket shop' we were fortunate after checking out a camping / sports equipment shop to be put in the right direction. The place we were directed to fit the bill nicely with sheets, blankets and towels all available at discount prices. We got what we needed, and then had lunch in the town square. 'Austrian' specialties were on the menu, I had calf liver and Gerle had a local variation on a veal schnitzel .

Enjoying the early sunrise at Lake Constance.

Me, recovering from post thievery heart palpitations. 

Lunch at the Marketplatz.

Despite encouragement, the non-driver opted for an iced tea rather than some local vino.

Liechtenstein

Liechtenstein wasn't too far way, and basically en route in the direction of intended travel, so we planned to stop in for a quick look to add another flag to the trip and just to say that we'd been there. After setting the GPS to take us to Vaduz, we drove for about another hour through Austria before quickly passing through Switzerland (where they don't miss you with a minimum 12 month road vignette for 35 euros) and into Vaduz. Above the town we could see a castle, and thought that it might be a good place to check out and also to view the town from. After driving up, and parking quite some distance away, we walked down the hill only to find that it was a private residence, and closed to the public... d'oh!

Anyway, back into town, we did some grocery shopping in preparation for our first 'real' camping where we should be properly setup. Found a little supermarket, and we were both again impressed (and grateful for) the variety of items that one usually has not even laid eyes on in Mongolia before. The Liechties (what do you call someone from Liechtenstein) seem pretty normal in their tastes, but have a penchant for some weird eggs.

Local beers, wines and other bevvies were pertained in preparation for a relaxing night in the campground, which from online at least seemed a little wild in contrast to the typical European 'camping' experience.

Prior to realising 'No Entry'...

This was not the only variety of technicolor eggs available in Liechtenstein.

Chapella

Chapella is a small village about 5 - 10 kilometres from the well known resort town of St. Moritz, set in a steep valley surrounded by evergreen forest. The drive from Vaduz to Chapella whilst taking quite a bit longer than expected due to the endless small villages and road work en route was nonetheless a relaxing and scenic drive. 

Along the way we drove up and over the Julier Pass (2284m, yes that is higher than Australia's tallest peak, Mount Kosciuszko) where we saw our first 'summer snow'. Hopefully at the 3000 - 4000m + sections of the journey through Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan the snow isn't quite so prevalent - though it appeared to be quickly melting here at +20 degrees Celsius outside.

Arriving to the campsite at about 7pm, we had again missed the staff working and hence proceeded down to the river to setup camp. Gladly, the campsite was  fairly empty, with most residents choosing to setup in one major congregation around the ablution facilities and hence we were able to setup rather privately adjacent to the river. The river itself wasn't large, but flowing swiftly with clear water, tinged slightly with the minerals one often sees in glacial lakes. The water was freezing!

After setting up the tent, including the newly acquired bedding, we sat down to a great dinner of cold cuts, cheeses and breads accompanied with beers, wines and cider of the region. Fantastic stuff, really relaxing after a day that almost started disastrously. After dinner, we spent a bit of time down at the river, with Gerle able to master the art of skipping stones, before bedding down in what was now a nice warm tent.

The Landcruiser continued to look a little out of place in Europe... many strange looks from pedestrians!

Swiss countryside. Beautiful!

One of several lakes / dams that we passed by.

The view from the car whilst executing a '9 point turn' on the dam wall...

The view inside the car whilst executing the '9 point turn' on the dam wall...

The first summer snow we encountered.

The view from atop Julier Pass.

Yep, we were there.

Down from Julier Pass, on the way to the camp site.

Setting up the boudoir with new linens.

Looks cozy. Note the colour scheme was a joint effort balanced with 'sale prices'.

Our first 'real' camping... still in a camping park.

We didn't have too much company though.

For the first time since arriving, it started to get a little chilly.

Liechtenstein beer was pretty nice.

Cheers. Pre-mixed shooters.

The fridge, working well. 

The evening's refreshments.

The Kelly Kettle, test firing.

1.6L of water boiled in under 5 minutes, on pinecones and wet twigs. Nice.