It's Raining Plastic Ducks in Trabzon

9 May 2009

Last week was a bit of what you might call adventures in crappy shower facilities...after De-Stucking the Truck, we drove northwest through the heart of Turkey (and the mountains...again) back to the Black Sea (Karadeniz in Turkish—am practically fluent), and a “campground” near Trabzon. Tucked into a little valley, rushing river along one side, and dotted with log picnic shelters, Sumelas Camping is lovely. Except for the showers—to be fair, we were warned. Team Hardcore stuck it out, Team Upgrade trotted off to the local motel to live like kings for two nights.

                                                      

The shower block: two rooms, one with squat toilet and handheld shower, one with modern toilet and non-functioning handheld shower. The shower is over the toilet in both, which helpfully allows you to both wash and clean the entire bathroom in one easy go. Peeling paint adds to the rustic charm—about 3 layers of paint in various shades of green. And it rained a lot of the time we were there, so the ceiling dripped as well.  So not waterproof paint. In the bathroom. 

           

However...not the end of the world, did manage to wash my hair in the sink and as we are all a bit dirty, no one can tell precisely who stinks. Sun came out to let us up to Sumela Monastery, clinging to the rock face high above another gorgeous valley. 12^th century Greek Orthodox, with amazing frescos (redone in the 19^th century, but still, I'm not supposed to be picky. Have been warned.) The walk up is steep and winding, but sunlight-dappled as well, and with the requisite rushing river, very atmospheric. Down to Trabzon for lunch and a bit of shopping that afternoon—my lovely hiking boots are too small after about 3 hours, but also the only waterproof shoes I have, so am now proud owner of hideously ugly black hiking shoes, reminiscent of old men on the beach with black socks and sandals. They do fit, though, so there's that. Camping shops in Trabzon appear to mainly sell guns and harpoons—and you know how I like a spot of whaling. The one where we got the shoes takes you from the gun section out of the shop, down to a cell phone store, and into their basement/storage room for promotional plastic ducks, to see the shoes. Naturally.

Then through to the Georgian border and our adventures there...thanks, Swine Flu.