Friday, July 10, 2009. Day 22

Stats
Total Distance: 1664.1

Day Total: 69.04

Avg speed: 23.4

Tm biking: 2:56

After getting up, I decided to do a little sight seeing. There is really nothing interesting to bring the city up to par with the other Turkish cities. As I was just wandering around I decided to taste Salepi from on of the itinerant sellers, for the first time in my life

The other achievement was that I got money out of an ATM.

I left at 11:45. The ride was really uneventful. Yesterday's sneaky bike mechanic did a very good job on Spithas and this plus that the terrain was flat, the road pavement ranged from moderate to good, and that there was not wind, made the bike speed without any effort on my part. The only incident was that I stopped at a gas station to ask for water the attendant showed me to a bottle of cold water and after I drunk as much as I could, he made me take the rest with me.

It is the first time I've moved so fast. I kept a steady pace of 21 to 24 kms and managed to reach Adana at 14:50. A total of 69 kms in less than three hours. This is the first time this has happened.

I reached the city center stopped to catch my breath and decide what to do. I could continue biking to the next town or stay in Adana. Soon a peddling fruit seller and another peddlar who I could not figure out what he was selling approached me and engaged in these long draught conversations three quarters of which is lost in the translation. They were very eager to help and from them I learned that the closest next town that has a hotel was 55 kms away. It would be unwise to try this strategy at this time. One of the two that could also speak Arabic gave me good info about Syria. He also told me that the tourist office was very close. Suddenly they both picked up their merchandize and started running. I supposed they were not licensed to sell and they would rather avoid any encounter with the police.

Next I went to the tourist office where a very polite man confirmed the info I had, and pointed out that the next town with a hotel was at 47 kms from here and the one after that at 150 from Adana. The first is too close and the second too far. He added that there are many small villages and could probably sleep over at somebody's place. He added that that this would be easy because people here like the Greeks.

He also indicated to me, Off the record, where to find a reasonably priced hotel. So I went to the area he had recommended and found a descent hotel. I took a short rest and then went out sightseeing and foraging.

Below you will see pictures of the Hadrian Stone Bridge and of the Ulu mosque.

Incidentally as I learned by reading the pamphlet, the tourist officer gave me, Adana who's named after Adanus the son of God Uranus, is the location of one of the earliest human settlements. It has been continuously inhabited since 6000 BC, succeedingly dominated by the Hitites, the Lydians, The Persians, the Greeks, the Romans, the Byzantines, and the Ottomans.

See you tomorrow