Day 35 – 11th May 2014 leave 11.00am Miles rode 154 Konya – Cappadocia

The ride to Cappadocia across the plateau was flat and so straight the Romans must have made it, I quite enjoyed the different terrain. After 1 hour riding I stopped to put a warm top on at a run down petrol station, two police cars pulled in and parked either side of my bike! They got out, walked towards me and asked me if I would like Turkish tea with them. We drank tea and then offered me food, as I had just eaten I said no thanks, they insisted and as they had the guns I ate rice and lamb with them! We communicated with a language barrier for 40 minutes and when I left everyone was smiling. I decided not to tell them about the speeding ticket yesterday!

It’s wonderful that wherever I go in turkey people are curious; where are you from? What is your job? And in the last two days am I a Muslim? They then insist on drinking tea with me and offer me food.

I arrived in Cappadocia (National Park known for its unique moon-like landscape and houses carved in the rocks) and before checking into my hostel I rode around exploring the area for an hour or so.

Nick Sanders posted on Facebook that he had arrived in Cappadocia with 15 riders en route to Mongolia, I knew Steph Jeavons dad Peter was driving the back-up truck so I contacted him and spent the evening with some of the guys from the tour, the coincidences when I travel never cease to amaze me, one of the guys at dinner went to the same school as me. Later I met Cheslea who I met a few days earlier in Antalya.

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