Turkey

Turkey is amazing!  So vast and so, so different every step of the way!  I think it's safe to say everyone has really enjoyed their time in this wonderful country.

Istanbul was a real treat and so exotic, the mosques, the smells, the food and the local people were a delight to be held.

Onwards to Gallipoli where we payed tribute to the thousands of Aussies, Kiwi's and Brits who lost their lives in 1915.  Picnicking at the beach we all had a blast snorkelling, swimming and sunbathing...  Some even found old bullet shells from the war underwater - incredible!  Then it was onto the Boomerang cafe to party the night away...

The next stop was Selcuk where we spent a couple of nights camping on the beach with a day set aside to visit the mighty Roman ruins of Ephesus.

Heading for the south coast we arrived at Oludeniz after stoping over at the stunning baths of Pammukale. The next few days were a whirlwind of sky diving, trekking, boat trips, swimming, shopping and sunbathing, not to mention spending a day doing a lamp on the spit for dinner!

Heading to Olympos next, the vast majority choose to relax and chill out for the next couple of days, heading to the beach to cool off (although some of the more adventurous decided to do some pretty full on hiking)!

Then it was off to Cappadocia which is with out a doubt one of the most beautiful regions Turkey has to offer!  Hot air ballooning, belly dancing and carpet shopping was on the 'to do' lists for the next few days!

And then it was off to Eastern Turkey where 'everything' changed quite dramatically from what we were used to (slowly at first and then more rapidly as the kilometres flew by). We continued east onwards to Nemrut Dagi, Lake Van and the border town of Dogubeyazit (lying underneath Mt Ararat).
The ladies were more covered and did not associate us with us much if at all, the local men seemed more guarded and the gloss and glamour of Turkey was gone...  This was the non touristy part of Turkey we were to get use to and it was a good set up for what was to come... Iran!

Iran

We successfully entered Iran in relatively quick time all said and done and it was off to our first desert bush camp (not to mention our first night of complete sobriety)!

The ladies were fully covered from head to toe (and simply sweltering in the heat) and the men more casually adorned in their usual clothes but with long trousers and long sleeved shirts (so NOT so much sweltering in the heat for them then)!

Our first stop was Babek where many choose the arduous trek up to the castle and then we were off to the mountain village of Masuleh where we had a couple of days to relax, take in and enjoy the local customs.

Then it was onto the beautiful Esfahan where we had a few days to take in and enjoy all the marvells city has to offer... From the beautiful city square to the intricate mosaic Mosques, to the wonderful restaurants and tiny tea shops  - Esfahan is a real treasure and one of the most stunning places in Iran.

With reluctance we left Esfahan and headed for Yazd, taking in the ruins of Persepolis on the way.  We found Yazd to be a complete delight with the old city and tiny streets and we were spoilt at our hotel so it made for a good rest stop before we packed up and headed into the bush for the next few days.  We also said goodbye to our Indian contingent here as they packed up and left us for a while.  Some chose not to go to Pakistan and some were not issued visas so they have flown across to meet up with us when we enter India in a couple of weeks time.

Until next time...

And we're off! Europe.

Everyone arrived early Sunday morning to load our bags on to our new home for the next 6 months on our incredible overland adventure with our proposed route via France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Tibet, China, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Australia!  So far there are 37 of us with others to join us on the road!

After a short ferry ride across to France from Dover everyone begins to break the ice.  Our first night is spent at a great campsite in Belgium and our first cook group prepare a delicious lamb dinner!

Bush camping in Germany by the lakes is our next stop before heading to Salzburg where everyone enjoyed their free time trying local delights and discovering the city!

We all enjoyed Budapest, marveling the Danube River, the Castle district and some even relaxed at Thermal baths before endulging in a traditional Goulash! Our next stop was a real treat in the town of Oradea off the beaten track we had opportunities to mingle with the locals and even try a Romanian Spa! The sun is now shinning so everyone is soaking up the sunshine and hanging washing out to dry! Some of us even enjoying a local Water Park followed by drinks at a local bar to swop stories of a great relaxing day!

On route to Veliko Tarnova we stopped to visit Draculas Castle before heading to our nearby campsite for the night - aptly named Campsite Vampire with beautiful views of the Transylvanian Mountains!!!

Crossing the foothills of the Balkans we head to Turkey where we stay in our first hostel with a roof top terrace overlooking this incredible city and the Aya Sofia and Blue Mosque! A cold beer watching the sunset is a great way to start the evening!