Day: February 24, 2006

Departure took place in the sun, which was quickly replaced by a thick sea haze.  The caravan had trouble finding anything photogenic about the scenery.  From time to time, we saw flocks of wild ducks overhead, which left us spellbound.  The Black Sea must be on a migration route for these foul.  The road between Sinop and Yakakent is sometimes close to the sea and sometimes far from it.  Serge went over a 385 meter pass and then finished the stage with his feet almost in the sea.  Even though the route is hilly, we still take advantage of the seaside climate, which has reasonable temperatures compared to those inland which we will find in about five days.  It seems that in Erzurum the thermometer is hovering around -25 degrees Celsius.

One day gives way to the next but they are never the same.  We had no encounters today. This morning there was a journalist waiting for as we left.  This always surprises us because we don’t solicit them.  It seems that our caravan does not go unnoticed.  The decoration on the vehicles is probably in part responsible.  The large map which our partner Deleage Expansion put on the back of our vehicles needs no explanation and enables us to be understood wherever we go.

It was almost dark when Serge finished his stage and he was limping.  He wasn’t very talkative this evening; lost in thought and very tired.