Mongol Rally Day 23

Cappadocia (TUR)- Samsun (TUR)- Girensun (TUR)

August 5, 2014

Left campsite at 9am, convoy with Radical Nomadicals. Stop at a random supermarket and got some delicious donar kebab for lunch. Graham needs to get US dollars for the road- from Georgia and Azerbaijan on USD is the de facto currency exchange and all the border crossings only take cash. So we detour and stop at Samsun. Too bad we have to part with Team Radical Nomadicals.

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We found a bank at the city center, it is a very lively and uplifting city with tons of people out walking around and hanging out along the Black Sea coast. We can instantly feel the breathing energy of the city. the detour took a bit more than an hour since the traffic in a town like this is quite gridlocked.

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During the drive we saw lots of delicious Kofte stands, and one of the longest tunnels we have ever drove in- the Ordu tunnel.

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We kept driving and finally arrive in Giresun at around 8:30pm. Randomly check in a hotel called Carikci Hotel (150 TL around $70 USD for a triple beds room breakfast included).

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Young and Kenneth went to a local bustling restaurant called Deniz Lokantasi, we got three different type of lamb dishes, with mineral water and they are all excellent! (32 LR for the meal and we got free tea compliment by the chef) Probably so far the best meal we have had in Turkey.

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After dinner we walked around town. There are tons of people out, hanging out at outdoor tea garden. the landscape of the town reminds me of the Soho area of Hong Kong, with lots of small alley and a gently slope main shopping area. It seems that we are the only tourists (probably only Asians) in this town and it is a very refreshing to walk in a town without any gift shops selling souvenir magnets and other craps. We later learned that the surrounding area of Giresun produced most of Turkey’s hazelnuts.

Posted on December 29, 2014 in Mongol Rally

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