Çifteler to Emirdağ – 22nd September
Distance: 40.2 km – Elevation +330 m -220 m
Weather: Sunny. Temperature: High 15 degrees
Although the hotel is shown on Google maps it is shown as closed down. But that was certainly not the case it was clear it was being run on a tight budget with just a receptionist running the hotel but it was clean and tidy and I slept well. Today was going to be sìmply about walking, with head down on a straight road and just keep going.
It was another cold morning when I stepped out of the hotel at just before 7.00 am and I was immediately greeted by a young dog wagging its tail and carrying something in its mouth. I must have been the first person the dog had seen that morning because it sort of attached itself to me as I walked out of the Sakarı basin onto the main road that would take me to Emirdağ. I made many attempts to try to get the dog to turn back but to no avail, ‘Rover’ as I named him stayed resolutely alongside me nuzzling my hand at regular intervals to make certain I knew he was there. At times he seemed to lack road sense and wandered into the middle of the road and I began to wonder what I was going to do with a dog! After about 15 kilometres I came to a service station and remembered that most rural filling stations in this part of Turkey had dogs which were well cared for, so I walked in and sure enough ‘Rover’ was greeted by another dog and both seemed happy with their meeting so I just carried on walking and left ‘Rover’ with his new friend and I guess he has a new home.
The walk today was so different from yesterday it was just a straight road through vast plains of browns and golds stretching into the distance on both sides of the road. Fortunately, the cooler weather helped me pick up the pace. I saw no one until I reached the outskirts of Emirdağ when a van pulled up beside me and the driver offered me a lift. I arrived at the Erenoğlu Otel at 5.00 pm, 10 hours and 40 kilometres after leaving Çifteler. The hotel was fine and low priced at £11, a comfortable clean bed and a hot shower. The lift buttons were loose so I used the stairs instead. After supper I returned to the hotel and before sleeping my thoughts returned to ‘Rover’ hoping that he was happy in his new home.
