Day 14 : Emirgazi to Helvadere

I started this sunny but chilly day at the tea house from yesterday. The waiters were of course happy to see me again ;-)

After about 10 kilometers the Muhtar called. Someone with broken English was on the phone. They wanted to meet again for breakfast. I tried to explain that I was already on my way... but I doubted that they understood. 

There was a steady wind, and that wind was headwind. I imagine that cycling through the Great Plains or arid countries like Kazakhstan feels like that...

Sometimes I was fighting the wind with 10 km/h on a pretty flat route. It felt like climbing!

After 50 kilometer the landscape changed. It became more hilly, more vegetation. A welcome variety. 

But I started to feel my knee...so  I changed the route, skipped the climbing and shortened it to 75 kilometer. 

The new destination was Helvadere, a village located at a lake with some little shops, a few restaurants and hopefully a place to pitch the tent.

Almost the same procedure than the day before with a slight difference. I first approached a gendarme, who I accidentally passed. He gave a general approval to my question whether I could pitch my tent here. But he said, I had to check with the locals and pointed at a teahouse. So I stepped into that teahouse, again all men gazing at me, asking where I could pitch my tent. The send me to the lake, to a picnic area which I could use. Perfect. 

Down at the lake, I met a Turkish men speaking fluently German. We chatted a bit and he advised me which restaurant I should take. The one of his friend standing next him ;-)

I had a trout from the lake. Conveniently the menu includes the way to the toilets ;-).

After the meal, I went to the picnic area, pitched my tent, did a catlick at the mescit (small mosque) and got myself settled. It won't be a quiet place, but safe. Sort of wild city camping...