Just an update...

After I have stayed for 2 weeks on the Greek island of Kos, I took the ferry to Bodrum and there I took the bus to Antalya. At the airport I was lucky as there was just a bus bout to leave for Alanya. So on March 1, I arrived in alanya bus-terminal at 07.00 in the morning. I was picked up by tai and ever since I am discovering the city. the harbour attracts me most...

Nice stuff...
In the harbour I see an old Jawa on a regular basis, a one-cylinder. Wonderful sound. But the more days I spend here, the more of these kind of bikes I see driving around. On one of my trips, in the mountains, I saw such a bike near almost every house. Reminds me of Poland and Lada. As if there were no other bikes available. When you see them drive, all loaded and always in good order. Sometimes with complete families on it, sometimes mum sitting as amazone. Most of these bikes ride around with plastic crates on the back, or saddlebags. On fridays on the bazaar, the large vegetable-market here, it is a lust to see how loaded people come fom the market. Crate filed and plastic bags hanging from the steering rod. It's just that they drive around in normal clothes, in T-shirts and no helmet.

Few rules...
At the bottom floor of the appartment-building is a restaurant. Even with a tray with food on the hand they drive around, on a scooter that is. Have not yet menaged getting that on a picture yet. Some drive with the cell-phone at the ear, smoking a cigarette, I've seen it all. Now tht the cold wind has gone down, I begin to miss my bikes more and more. Even the 125 cc Yamaha at the restaurant seems to be a nice toy and the Suzuki SRAD at the jewelers on Damlatas is worth looking at twice. Even the scooter of our brance-office, tht I cn take when I like, becomes more attractive every day. But last week at the theatre of Aspendos I was allowed to sit on a real motorbike. I do not get a free ticket every time for the theatre, to come with the tourists, so I have to wait for about 45 minutes for them to come out. There the boys of the Jandarme stood.

Just a little info...
You see: Turkey is 22 times the size of the Netherlands. In order to keep the law, they need an awful lot of police. Now young men at the age of 20 have to join the army for 15 months. But when they study university, there is posponement. When they finish their study they become officers and can get a place in the Jandarme. In the cities there is police, but in villages and the countryside there is Jandarme. They do have the same rights as the police. For example: every schoolday, two policemen walk in the area, until the school is out. So at the theatre of Aspendos, there are also 2 men of the Jandarme. We talk to them and I can sit on the bike.For the curious: A BMW 100 GS. Gave me a good feeling though. I was not allowed to take it for a spin though. That's a pity.

Betty van der Heide, motormeisje.nl

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