Day 302-310: To Zile

 

 2 weeks... after 2 weeks I'm finally out of here. No more embassies running for a while.

 

 Almost always got offered tea when stopping at petrol station for a break, including this time.

 Prof. Dr. Hassan who stopped me by the road to have a chat and told me there is place to stay at the University. He has an upcoming Balkan tour with his motorbike this summer and have done many other tours previously too.

 Good to be back on the road especially when the weather is good

 No joke but I'm trying to take shade from a lamp pole while woofing down a snack bar.

 Guided by Ahmet, student at Kirikkale University when I was asking him for some directions. I end up hanging around in the university with him and his friends. 

 Kind invitation to drinks and desserts ^_^

 ooo..... chocolate oozing out... *drools*  Pardon me, can't resist desserts

 Thanks to Prof Hassan, Ahmet & Hasina, I get to stay here for a night!

Hasina, Samed & Ahmet. Thanks for your company for the night + singing for me at the University park. I had a great time. (Ahmet! Don't forget to send me the rest of the photos)

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 Wonder what is the sofa doing there. Look quite comfy to.... sleep on.

 A night by the river...

 Tent oh tent, faster dry... time to move on

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 My strange habit of stopping on the slope to eat? Well a hungry woman is an angry woman. haha

 This was my last photo and everything after was a Blur. I remembered towards the evening it was raining; I remembered putting my rain gear on; I remembered I supposed to cross a pass today; I remembered carrying my bike into a van with someone's help; I remembered locking my bike outside a building (hospital?); I remembered blood was drawn... I remembered... actually I lost some memory and have been operating myself in a subconscious mode.

I guessed I have slipped and hit my head? Concussion? All I know was... I was taken to a hotel, my helmet was cracked, handlerbar was shifted, I went to bed with painful head & neck and waking up feeling nausea.
Btw, the practice doctor at hospital did not check my head but tested my blood instead and just tell me no problem, no problem... just because he doesn't understand?

If you think helmet is not important....

Haven't found a new helmet so taping these cracks up for the time being.

Zile
where Julius Caesar defeated the Persian Army

 Zile castle 

 The carvings on a column with Julius Caesar words.

Tomb

 The old house is filled with stalls of handmade stuffs by women & homemade food

 Lentil soup

 Borek

Baklava

 Stepping on very old carpets

 Ventilation

 The duo who kindly showed me around Zile. I think they were involved in helping me last night and one of them told me he was a doctor (but he wasn't, he just worked at the hospital). Even though I was walking around with great pain, I still wanna thank them for their time and dinner with their extended families. To be honest I didn't feel comfortable in this town, the more questions I asked the more contradicting answers I get so I decided to carry my painful head and stiff neck to the next city where I have already have a host waiting and could possibly get help there. So I head off the next day and it was one of my most awful ride + I couldn't turn my head but luckily the road profile was good.

 The small window between 2 rooms - 1 candlelight could lit up 2 rooms in old times

 The famous words Zeni, Vidi, Vici said by Julius Caesar meaning, I came, I saw, I conquered

05 May 15: 77.08km [Sunny]
06 May 15: 102.58km [Sunny]
07 May 15: 103.9km [Sunny]
08 May 15: 49.96km [Sunny, Rain]