Day 61 (Turkey): Goreme - Kayseri

today’s distance: 85km
total distance: 4886km
riding time: 3-4h

I set out thinking that the distance from Goreme  to Kayseri would be 90km so as to make it a full day of cycling. It wasn’t. Once I got to Avanos 10km down the road I saw a sign indicating that it would only be 60km. So much for that. The ride was uneventful. That’s what happens when you’re on big roads that are like an autobahn and there really aren’t any other options. A few climbs here and there, nothing major and a mountain ahead that was completely shrouded in the clouds. Mount Erciyes looked interesting and it was standing out.

Kayseri is a big city. The Lonely Planet said something about 600,000 people, the sign at the entrance said 800,000 and from the looks of it there were now a good deal more people. Turns out there are now more than 1 million.  I entered the city much earlier than I had anticipated and much earlier than I had told Murat, my couchsurfing host for the night, that I would arrive in Kayseri.

So I went past the meeting point - the new bus terminal - and looked for a few things in the center of the city. Everyone keeps telling me that Kayseri is the last outpost in Turkey … the backwater begins. Not my words, but from what I gather if you need to buy something  this is the place. I did need a charger for my DSLR so as to bring you more pictures (thank you for all the positive comments, greatly appreciated) of what is going on around me.

Store #1: I ask whether the storeowner speaks English. He doesn’t, but answers in French. Alright, so here we go. I ask for a charger. He shows me - quite proudly - his Nikon charger. I ask whether he has a Canon charger. He doesn’t. Too bad. On to the next question - are there any other stores in town that might have one? No. No other photo stores in town at all … Slightly surprised look on my face. He confirms. Have to go to Istanbul. Eh … no!

I leave and look around. Just on the other side, hidden behind a bus stop is another store.

Store #2: One of the owners speaks English and is very forthcoming. He has a battery that fits my camera, but no charger. He may be able to get a hold of a replacement, but not until tomorrow (which would be fine) and not an original one. I would rather have an original so I ask for other places and he freely points me to other places around the Hilton hotel.

Store #3 (one of a plethora of stores in the same street): We have a Nikon charger, but no Canon. Points across the street, they will have one for sure.

Store #4:  Yok!!! (meaning no in Turkish) Turns around and leaves me standing. Yikes!!!

Store #5: Yok!

Store #6: Yok!

… (you get the picture, slight variation on the theme)

Store # I forget the count and don’t feel like asking as they sell everything from cameras to CD players: lady speaks English, I ask pretty unexpecting for a Canon charger. She goes back to a pile of things (can’t make out what they all are), pulls out something in a plastic wrapping. It’s the right size and color - and it is an original Canon charger!!! I can not believe it. This is awesome. It makes my day. I can take more pictures and don’t have to wait around here for something to arrive from Ankara or Istanbul. I would have hugged the lady if I wasn’t where I was (I kept getting strange looks here in Kayseri about my bike shorts, much more so than in most other places so far).

That taken care of, I meet Murat at the bus station (about 8km of backtracking) at 2pm. I had thought about moving on given the time situation, but figured that I could use a not-too-strenuous day. Murat was great … he careened around the corner, we got my bags into his car and I follow him into this new high-rise development that I had seen from the road. A software-engineer in a production company he also calls up a friend to see whether they do aluminum welding (for my pedal) and finds out where to go the next day. Good stuff.

We end up driving to meet friends of his for the night. Yummy food and interesting conversations with two Turkish guys living in the Netherlands (and speaking excellent German) followed. On the way, we see the girl driving the car (she had looked into the camera the split-second before) - a not uncommon sight here.