Ahmutcuk to Caycuma 85km

After the initial climb out of the valley it was mostly down hill, the longest so far, and then flat into Zonguldak. We stopped at the BP garage outside which we have noticed always have the best loos, just in case the Queen happens to visit! We sometimes break into Rule Britannia as we pass one, although they always seem to have a Turkish quirk somewhere like no plug for the hand drier! At every petrol station they always seem to offer us tea, this is a bit of a catch 22 as a we always accept and then ten minutes later we need to loo and have to stop at another petrol station.

We stopped at this BP garage outside Zonguldak and experienced another example of Turkish hospitality! Having been invited for tea we had the usual stilted conversation about what we were doing and then he put us on the phone to his english speaking daughter who told us her father wanted to show us the local tourist sight in Zonguldak (the town name sounds like something from Star Trek!). He organised a truck to take us there and we spent the next hour walking through the most wonderful cave with the most impressive stalacmites and stalactites. A very strange interlude to our cycle ride. When we went back we went through our route with the man and he told us he knew a person with a hotel in Gerze about 6 days cycle from here, and a brief flurry and signature on a piece of paper he said if we give this then we can stay for free there!!! We shall see if the note bears any fruit but still, quite an extraordinary occurence...We eventually made our way off, after much protestations that we had enough money and food, they think we are poor for cycling!

I got quite frustrated with myself on the way out of Zonguldak, I could not understand why I was only going at 8km/h on a flat stretch, every time we stopped I was very stressed and kept apologising. We came to a down hill stretch and it still didn't click, that the whole time my mind had been playing tricks on me and we were actually going up hill!

We arrived in Caycuma in good time and cycled through the town trying to find somewhere to stay. We caused quite a stir as we asked people where there was a hotel, with 20 guys surrounding us, a bit intimidating for me, although they mostly ignore me! As we went back out of town, trying to shake off the village idiot who was following us, and look for a hotel, we were greeted by another saviour. Aydogan came up and asked us if we wanted to stay with him, he had a free falt as his family was in Germany, where he lived for most of the time. Amazing! Another shower and a bedroom each! It amazes me everytime, they never even ask any questions about who we are, no qualms about inviting us into their home...!