Armenian Kingdom

Kizkalesi-- Kozan

Distance: 33 km
Tine: 1:45:00
Max/ Ave Speeds: 46.8 / 18.8 km/hr
Temp: 34 C
Weather: Cool morning with lots of wind

Early start this morning, thanks mostly in part to the truck that pulled up, shining bright headlights at us. An early bird fisherman, claiming his predawn catch. Fine by us, we can pedal farther in the cool morning air. We did get pretty far, about 30 km to Elvanli, a large city heading inland. No more coast for us! Now it's only industrial cities, including the port of Mersin, and Tarsus, where Cleopatra was rumored to meet Octavio for a tryst.


Pit stop for some morning çaj


Even the shoe shiners are patriotic

We caught a lift with two guys in an empty semi, on their way past Adana (our goal) to a town 70 km north, called Kozan. Curious, we quickly read what Lonely Planet has to say about it. As it turns out, Kozan is an awesome place; the city sits low in a wide valley, encircling a steep central mountain, which is topped by an enormous crumbling fortress. This was actually the center of the 12th century medieval Armenian kingdom of Celicia.


Remains of the Armenian fortress

The man driving, Ertan, suggested we come to see his town-- we didn't hesitate to agree. Bypassing Adana, he took us to his town, where he lives with his wife, Hacer, and two children, Beyza (daughter, 4) and Begüm (son, almost 2).


Our hosts, Ertan and Hacer


Looking down over the valley-- good location for a summer fortress!

Ertan and Hacer, like all of our Turkish hosts so far, were amazingly hospitable and fun to hang out with. They speak not a word of English, so communication between us was fairly challenging, but through sign language and with patience we learned a lot from each other.


Begüm and I speak the same language

In the early evening, they took us up to the hilltop fortress to watch the sunset, climbing up the steep crags and nervously making sure the kids didn't tumble off the edge. We spied a white-gowned bride on the far end, I think having a photo shoot with some friends. As she passed by I noticed some brightly colored cords around her waste; Hacer told me that for a wedding, a woman's brothers and sisters tie chords around her, then cut them during the ceremony to symbolize her release from the family.


Passing one of the castle entrances


Bride descending (see the cords?)


Steep drop, don't fall!

After the sun disappeared we rode back toward the city, embarking on a long series of sightseeing events and meeting family. We stopped by Hacer's parents' house for an hour or so, sitting on their couch while they talked and not understanding a word they said. Felt just like our first 3 months in Cerik with our host family...


Beyza and her grandfather

Our night adventures lasted many hours, including visiting the mosque, a drive out to the canyon beyond the city, where families and couples go to eat roasted corn alongside the water, and an ice cream stop in Atatürk Park. All and all an interesting, fun tine. We came home late and watched some TV together before falling asleep on the kids' bed.