The last few days have been a real test of my motivation. From Sivas the road climbed up the hills to a desolate country where the people in fact were nothing like the ones I have met inte Turkey so far. Short tempered and not at all interested in a lonely traveler, much like the people in northern Europe in fact. 
into the
I set out in the morning, stocked up on choclate before long and then started the long climb past the first three passes. up on the plateau i quite enjoyed having a day with favourable winds and some good sun.
Night arrived, along with four angry dogs. After fending them of with my new stick I found a restaurant where I though i could get some help finding a camp site. The mafia style employees merely laught loudly at my concern about the dogs, except one of them that helpt me find a parked semi trailer to pitch my tent in, great stuff. Apart from the shaking in the trailer when cars passed on the road I slept undisturbed and woke up to a new day.
I took the first pass at 2190m before brekky and stopped in the vally to enjoy corba, turkish lentil soup with some week old bread. old bread makes me loose trust for a reaturant.If they can not afford or do not care to have fresh bread I feel pretty sure that they do not care too much about the rest of the kitchen and I therefore stay clear of all meat.
My knee started to ache badly after breakfast and I tried several tricks like biking with only one leg but this was all in vain, when it comes to a 15% incline and a 50kg bike, one needs two legs, or I do at least. I made it over the last pass, stopped to fill up on water by one of the numerous water holes along the way and was met by a busload of men who looked at me smilingly, I was in no mood for mockery and shot down the hill with the wind in my hair that sprinkled with two day old sweat was just as formable as pottery clay. Funny.
I arrived in Erzincan, had a shower, a feed and a beer and broke in my new linnens with a snore. Good night.
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Hi Erik.
Wish i could be there with you when you cross those passages in the chilly autumn. Havn’t had a lot of time mountainbiking since i got home. Make sure youre knee doesn’t break down. I’m considering a short visit to Tiblis during the “mellandagarna”. And it would be quite boring if you got stuck in turkey.
talk to you later // Fimpen on Fire