last days in Turkey

Just thought I would post a pic. This is not the hotel I am staying at ! actually its the house next door to the Hotel I am staying at.

Having surviving the night at the hostel for homeless people, I set off early so I wasn't riding after 6 o'clock (that was to change!).

Headed off roughly in the direction of the Turkish/Georgia border. The roads were quite bad in places and it seems the way to fix them is to send a group of men out with a barrow full of tar and grit and simply fill the pot hole!!  that makes for very interesting riding, or should I say its like a slalom course trying to avoid the freshly filled but tyre wobbling holes.

Had lunch in Kars, very interesting town, quite modern with strange traffic rules..... there was NONE ! it was every man for himself at each junction, the amount of near misses I saw... well I stopped counting after 20!!

Asked at petrol station if Cilder had a hotel or Otel as there called in Turkey. they said yes, so off I went, did a lovely 40 km detour around a lovely lake, where the kids stand by the side of the road holding out fresh fish, I assume you must stop and buy one for tea !
As I entered Cilder, the heavens opened with huge hailstones and thunder and lightning ! only to find the only Otel in town, which by the looks of it had been derelict for a number of years !!

So I had to back track about 70 km to the next town where I found a hotel, he even let my park my bike in the restaurant which was being refurbished by the looks of things

You see you dont have to be called Ewan to get your bike safely into a hotel :-)

So I am hoping to catch up with the rest of the gang tomorrow for my crossing into Georgia... ohh happy days