A day on the road

I am awake pretty early. I have spent the night slept on a small patch of sand created by a small rock groin on the black sea. Its about 630 and i have slept thorugh the 5 o'clock Muzeen (call to Prayer) I hear footsteps close by. I open the tent to see two men with fishing rods heading out to try thier luck. They smile and wave and i commend myself on my choice of canpsite as i watch the last of the sunrise burn away the previous nights storm.

I have breakfast and pack up the tent. I rather foolishly decide to try and get my gears running a bit better. Some men in a village the day before have kindly straightened my rear drop out but in the process i have lost my bottom hill gear. I don't really need it for the day and the hour i spend mucking around and making it worse should have been better spent.

Evenetaully i am underway. After an hour or so i stop for an icecream. Its not the best as it has been refrozen a few times. Not sure if its a black out or the shop keeper trying to save a little money by periodically turning off the freezer. I finish it while i explain my story to a group of curious young kids. They don't speak any english but are very good at hand signals. I think we more or less understand each other in a strange kind of way. I teach them how to say "G'day mate"

I arrive in Trabzon and decide to go for the internet first and then try and hunt for some bike parts. Having told the family i am still alive and well i set off parts hunting. I am hoping for a larger bike store but am not sure this is the place to be looking for such things.

I stop and ask an older man for directions and a young man appears and offers to help me. His name is Unal and his english is superb. 3 bike shops later i havent found the "super store" I was chasing but never the less with Unal's brilliant translation and local knowledge i have new brakes, a new chain and a reset derailer. I am now feeling great and i thank Unal for his assistance. He offers me to come back to have dinner with family and i greatefully accept.
Having not had lunch i am feeling rather hungry by 630 but as it is Ramadan and the rest of the family are fasting i take a deep breath and try not to think about food too much.

The food is worth the wait and i eat way more than i should. The disccusion at the table as i try to explain my life in australia and vice versa is facsinating too and i feel so greatful for the kindness i have been shown. I hope that his family is able to visit me someday so as i can return the kindness.

The shower and then the bed are heavenly and i sleep like the dead or very close too it. I hear the storm and the rain outside and reflect on an extraordinary day.