Spotty and Stripey Part Company

Pankaj left Istanbul this morning at 6am to continue east alone while I make some arrangements here in Istanbul. It was tough watching him go, and for several reasons.

Firstly, I'm worried for him. He hasn't any experience of travelling abroad by bike on his own. And, of course there are the inevitable 'drops' of the motorcycle. If nobody is around he'll have to unload the bike, right it, reload etc. I hope he takes it really easy, so if there is a problem it doesn't happen at high speed (ARE YOU READING THIS P!)He promised to focus on safety first and wear his protective kit at all times. Of course I'll worry...

My original intinct was to keep the pair of us together, or to try and arrange for P to sit with a truck driver while I flew over Iran and met up with him on the other side. I was trying to mitigate every possible risk and ensure we both get to the mountains for the main event. But it transpires that there is no overland freight happening through Iran to Pakistan. Next best was that we should fly together, but the cost. Allah, the price! Economics 1 intentions nil.

P was really, really keen to complete his east-west odyssey and he's going to get to do it - so I am also rather jealous (reason two that it was tough to see him leave). There are of course risks, but P is a tough and clever wee fella and so I'm confident he'll get to Pakistan and India. We'll meet up again in either of the two and head up to the mountains.

It's over 1000 miles to the Iranian border and then nearly twice that on the other side before P reaches Pakistan - then there's the not insignificant matter of crossing that. Bon Voyage P.
Damon

East or West?

‘Hello brother. Where are you from?’ I been asked this question 100s of time on every road every street every place. Some time I reply I am from India 99% they will say Indian living in UK. I say no Indian living in India. They give blank look some of them are not ready to believe me.




Istanbul’s history and culture and monuments are astonishing. Very beauty full place with so many things happening around you there are lots to do and see. I am writing this by sitting in between Blue mosque and Aya sofiya two very important and great monuments. here every body says East meet West or trying hard to meet west and their expectations. Here people trying hard to become westerner. They want to be part of EU. They want some body else to decide How to sale? What to sale? Weather women should were scarf or not. I think they are grinding between East and west culture. Some time it is difficult to differentiate tourist from local. Every body trying to sale something or make something out of you.




I met guide call juma when I was looking for good picture on step of blue mosque. He was fantastic guy with full of confident and salesmanship were unmatched. He told me why people were asking different questions to me. He use to seat on steps and tell some tourist you are not allow to where hat in side the mosque where r u from? People use to believe him because of his confidence. He use to look for opportunity to start conversation and there he go. He will start talking and he become there guide sale them carpets and he will earn his commission 10% on carpet and guide fees. I asked him how much you should pay for tea and he told me .5 to 1 lira and he offered to take me for tea I said ok. And here I go he told me I take you to the place where Turkish people drink tea. I was thrill I thought this is going to be an experience. He took me to one small narrow street and place was looking bit different. I enter inside and people were gambling. they were playing cards. Than he took me upstairs narrow staircase were going up entire place was full of smoke and strange looking people. I was scared I don’t know weather to run from here or stay calm and look normal. Slowly I was climbing steps and on top lots of people sitting and two TV screens were there. On every table some cards with number were there. We sat on one table and I realize when on one of the TV screen suddenly horse started running and every body was looking at that screen and shouting and yelling at top of there voice. Now I realize I am in some gambling house and they were batting on horses. My friend Juma had one news paper with all the information of horses and races. He wanted to bat on one of them. He took one paper and ticking on it and he was trying to explain it to me how he can bat and how much he can earn. I never understood anything. I was just sitting and enjoying every persons reaction in between I got tea I had forgotten about that. At last I asked him when are we going back and he had put his money on the horses so we decided to wait for one game and game started every body was glue to TV shouting and yelling and suddenly every body was angry the horse was winning from last five matches and every body put money on came second. And people were throwing there receipts and walking off and I was glade Juma decided to do same thing and at last I was out of that place. It was wonderfull experience of Istanbul othantic tea.


Next day early in the morning D told me lets go for vegetarian food I want to be vegetarian for some time meat is not digesting well. I will eat vegetarian till India. Both of us decided to go to same place where we had lunch yesterday and I had fantastic vegetarian food. We decided to order same thing we order coffee and veg after some time we got nice food steaming hot on our table. We started eating and I dipped my bread in sauce and started eating in a I was enjoying first one or two bite and test of food and D told me pankaj wait there is meet in your food. I was like what! I thought he was joking as usual D. but he was right early in the morning after 32 years of being veg enjoyed my meat. If my mom will come to know than I have to go through big cleansing process. At last I returned that meat dish and order vegetarian food. But overall food been great better than Europe and fast food culture mainly bread and cheese that’s what I had for most of the time except when I was staying with people and they really fed me well. They have 800 different ways of cooking eggplant. What more you can ask for?


Tomorrow is going to be a big day for me. I am starting my journey onwards from Istanbul on my own because we were waiting for Damon's Iran visa and now we have to move on. I am going to cross Turkey and Iran and probably meet Damon in Pakistan or India. I am thrill but same time I am scared. I never travel on motorbike in strange country. I don’t know who will help if I will fall down or crashed. I will need good luck and well wishes from all my well wishers.

Pankaj