After being woken by the call to prayer at 5.45 the day began. It seemed like it was only a few hours since the market sellers had shut down and turned off the music. It probably was as I could remember them being still at it after midnight. Our tour company promised to pick us up and drop us at the start of the walk. We were anxious when they didn’t arrive and eventually after a few phone calls we were dropped at the staring point at 9.40. Not great as usually by that time we have at least got an hour under our belts. We knew the first section was uphill but we were both surprised at how steep and how long and how difficult it was. The guide said it would be 1:30 hours uphill but we still hadn’t reached the top in 2 hrs. That was a first for us we always beat the recommended time. I have to say it took us 5 mins to find the start of the track. Even though there is a big sign designating the start the actual trail start was not obvious and not marked. After a relentless uphill it flattened out a little but continued on goat tracks and picking our way over rocks and loose shale. No way to pick up any speed. As with most trails the guide book goes one way, the signs go another and this time we also had a GPS. It’s guess work much of the time and not unusual to take the wrong guess. We found ourselves on the narrowest of slippery tracks with a steep drop off and at one time having to climb over fallen telegraph poles, followed by another steep uphill that nearly wiped us out. Eventually we found a lunch stop and a litre of iced tea. Then it was another 2 hours of picking our way downhill both slipping at times on the shale. We made it into Faralay, which was meant to be our lunch spot and it was now 3pm with at least another 3 hours to go. The cafe that we stopped at just happened to be a bus stop and there were no doubts between us especially when we found out that the bus to Kabak (our hotel) left in just 20 minutes. We’ve rarely not made it before and never on day 1, so it was very mixed feelings – relief, failure, justification that we were listening to our bodies, disappointment, satisfaction we had done enough. It was all there.
Our hotel was a series of bungalows built on cliff over looking the water but a long way from it. There was a delightful pool so after a quick shower I went to take the washing to be done and returned to collect a towel and Danny but he was lying on the bathroom floor with a large gash on his knee. He had slipped getting out of the shower which was in a spa bath. Although he said he knocked his head it wasn’t hurt but the knee in normal circumstances would have taken a stitch or three. We are going to have to manage with steri strips and tape. I at least have some antibiotics if it gets infected. It will be difficult to mend as every time he bends his knee it will pull open.
I did have a swim while Danny sat nursing his wounds and later it was dinner on the decking that wobbles every time someone walks by and is home to about 5 cats. Cats are everywhere. Dinner was a feast. Salads, dips, potatoes and bread, followed by a mild curry almond soup and grilled fish and then fruit.
Tomorrow looks tough. We will decide on our options in the morning. Earliest breakfast is at 9am. Either way it’s going to be a late start.
Jane treks Lycian Way 2022 