The road out from town centre led from the castle mound - Kalehoyuk, an ancient Bronze Age (Hittite) castle. As I started walking I was surprised how direct the road was. It went straight in the direction I wanted to go. Toward the hills and toward the ancient ruins I had seen on the map in the barbers shop in Ankara. It was an old road whose path was always slightly curved but led directly toward the hills. No T-junctions or obstructions. It ran along the axis of the valley. When I got to the edge of town the peak of the hill was straight ahead. When I got to the top of the hill there was a man-made mud mound - a tumulus or barrow. It had been raided or excavated. I stopped and ate my lunch - which was delicious by the way :o)
When I finished my lunch I began walking on. The next thing I saw was a cairn. The cairn and the barrow were on a line that led straight back to the castle in the town where I had come from and in the other direction straight toward the ridge of the hills that I hoped would take me to Cemele Castle. I already knew that it would. All of this was too familiar from my adventures on the Icknield way when I ended up in Swindon last year :o) Its just the same but its in Turkey!!! Wow! Ley lines in Asia.
A cairn and the ridge in the background.
A geological feature (trace of a bedding plane) alligned with the ley and leading to a prominent rocky bluff.
A man made mound (tumulus/barrow) on a distant hill alligned with the other features along the ley.
another cairn.
another cairn.
a path following the bottom of a valley leading straight toward the point on top of the hill.
A bird. Anyone know what kind? Please tell me.
It was a really hard climb to the top of that hill. I was knackered!
Up there on top of that hill I lay down and rested. Only then I realised how incredibly silent it was. I could hear the insects and the gentle breeze in the grass. I knew there was nothing, no one around for miles. whenthe breeze dropped it was truly silent. You dont hear that very often. I can remember the last time I heard it. it was in 2003 on a mountain in Turkey. As I lay there I couldn't help it, I sensed God.
A long-barrow?
This weird thing scared me. I thought it was a beastie. It was only a bit of plant! :o) Its funny how you get freaked-out when you're all on your own in the hills.
Finally I got a view of Cemele Castle. The landscape led me there.
Erciyes Dag volcano inthe distance.
The sun was setting and I had to head back down toward the main road in the valley. I got a better view of the castle on the way down but it was too late to go up to it. And I was far to knackered and thirsty! I could see a petrol station on the road. I hoped someone there would give me a lift back to Kirsehir.
Looking back up at the hill.
I got to the petrol station. It was open. It was about 21.00h. After I got a drink of water and a drink of fizzy orange the people working there offered to take me back with them when they finnished work at 22.00. I had a beer. At 22.00 they said 22.30. I had some food. At 23.00 we left. I was glad to be in a vehicle heading back to the town I was so desperate to get out of earlier in the day!
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