Lycian Way Day 10 - Kalkan to Saribelen/Sidek - March 18, 2013

It was time to say goodbye to Kalkan.  Upon reading the guidebook and looking at the map, we realized it didn't make any sense to hike uphill along the freeway. Instead we took a cab up, up, up, and were dropped off at the "domed Ottoman Cistern". Feels good to beat the Lycian Way at it's own game!!!

Getting Smart - cab ride from Kalkan to Ottoman Cistern

From there it was more up, up, up.  Some very beautiful views on the way up to the summer mountain village of Bezirgan...

The climb from Kalkan (can drop off) to Bezirgan

Grant descending into Bezirgan

Robin and crop storage bins, entering Bezirgan

There wasn't much going on in Bezirgan, so we bought some water and snacks at a little shop, and headed straight back out of the valley up a gravel ravine beneath the roadway...

Overlooking Bezirgan after the climb back out

At the top of the road, the lycian markers started taking us further up a weird dirt road.  Along the way was a horrible collection of sheep bones.  It was like a killing field. We felt like were hiking in a garbage dump.  Very creepy, and gross.  I almost threw up from it.  We looked on and could see where we eventually were supposed to go, which was down and across the valley.  The highway had no shoulders and were hairpin turns, so we decided to hike down the hillside which was basically another garbage dump to the roadway, where we crossed it and picked up the markers again.  We have no idea why we were going to be led where she was trying to lead us, but we were happy to skip it. Pretty disappointing section of "trail" here.

That said, we started up and soon entered to little hamlet of Saribelen.  We stopped at the water supply across from the mosque to refill our bottles. While there, a nice man suggested we camp there, and he would make us breakfast in the morning.  We declined, as we really wanted to make it further.  Then another man on a motorcycle invited us to stay at his home. He was pretty insistent, but in a friendly way.  We declined his offer too, but he told us after he dropped off his load at home, he would come back to see if we had changed our minds.

So after all that chatting, I went to refill our water. The valve literally came apart in my hand and started spewing water under an alarming amount of pressure.  "Um, um, um GRANT!!!!"  Grant grabbed the drinking cup that was sitting next to the tap, and cupped it over the faucet.  I ran around trying to find a shutoff valve, but there was none.  We were draining the towns water supply.  Finally, Grant donned his raincoat while I held the cup. He looked at the leftover parts, got his mini pliers out, and then under high pressure, was able to rebuild the valve and turn the water off. Sheesh. Of course, after being approached by people almost constantly, magically when we were in trouble, nobody was around...Hmmm...

We started hiking up the road, having lost about an hour from all this, and the man on the motorcycle approached.  We were over it, so we gave in.  I made Grant get on the motorcycle first, then hopped on when he came back for me.

Robin and our new friend Kenan at his house, Saribelen/Sidek

Robin with baby goat!

Relaxing at Kenan's house before supper

We had an awesome stay at Kenan's house.  He didn't speak much English, but was so expressive and extroverted, that we passed the time pretty well.  I got to play with his baby goat, while his wife spent the time chasing the chickens out of the house, tending the animals, and cooking dinner...She laughed when I tried to offer to help. Dinner was vegetarian, incidentally. They then invited over some friends.  It was all pretty funny.  In the morning, they made us breakfast.  It was cheese from their goats, yogurt from their cow, eggs from there chickens, olives and olive oil from their trees, and of course bread, tomatoes, and cucumbers. Almost everything was made on the property themselves.  Pretty freaking awesome!

We had a great time with Kenan. They did not ask for money, but we paid them what we had been charged at other pansiyons. They made a show of not accepting the money, but then finally happily did, while loading us up with oranges, almonds, and dried figs, then sending us on our way. If a man on a blue motorcycle stops and invites you to his house in Seribelen, just go. You won't regret it

Route Map

http://www.mapmyhike.com/routes/view/195312622