Two days of hiking--mostly up and down steep hills. It was empowering at the start to have our young driver grimace at the weight of our packs. That boost lasted about an hour, then I was grimacing. Most other hikers--about 10--carry day packs. We have met only one other American since arriving in Turkey.

The walking is very hard work (for Sandy) but punctuated by experiences of intense joy.  The scenery is varied, interesting and beautiful. We hear birds, goat bells, calls to prayer starting at 5:30 am, the constant hum of bees from a plenitude if hives, and cows bellowing. We have been invited into a women's house for tea and dates from a beekeeper who directed us back into the trail. The only mildly uncomfortable encounter was at last night's campsite where a young man hovered around our campsite for over an hour, listening to music on his cell phone. Two men came by with packs bigger than ours and speaking English, we shared our discomfort and they decided to camp near us. One is from LA, living in Turkey for tree years and teaching English. The other is an Iranian refuge boy (~16?) who was one of the teacher's star students.  The odd young man who was hanging around, turned out to be a goat herded waiting to call his goats home.  

Another amusing site was seeing a girl in rustic dress herding goats and talking on her cell phone. 

We are in Kabak, where we had planned to spend two nights, but have decided to leave tomorrow after just one. The beach is hot and the water rough. Not much to do here. It's preseason and seems like drinking tourist scene. 

Lessons learned:

1: The greatest pleasures are unplanned.

2: Always take my trekking poles with me even if I am just going into he bushes I pee. That is my only trip and fall to date.

The Turkish is improving slowly and surely.

--Sandy