Konya to Kasinhani – 4th October
Distance: 20.5 km – Elevation +80 m -80 m
Weather: Sunny. Temperature: High 27 degrees
During my stay in Aksehir I had planned my route from Konya to Tasucu where I would catch a ferry to Cyprus. It was a distance of 275 kilometres and would take me 10 days. The route ran through the towns of Cumra and Karaman and through the Taurus Mountains via the Sertavul Pass, on to Mut and Silifke before the last lap to Tasucu. The biggest issue was finding accommodation along the way.
The first stage was from Konya to Cumra, where the next available accommodation was located, a distance of 46.5 kilometres which was a little too long for completion in a single day, so I decided to break it into 2 days with the first being a ‘backward’ walk. So this morning after a good breakfast, I took a bus to the village of Kasinhani and walked back to Konya, a distance of 20 kilometres. Tomorrow I will catch the same bus back to Ķasinhani and walk on from there tò Cumra.
It was a long straight road back and it looked underwhelming as started between the road and the railway line. I have always said that there is beauty in every landscape you just have to look to find it. In this instance, it was the central reservation which had been planted with rowan trees interspersed with blue conifer, red roses and cotoneaster with bright orange berries – all immaculately kept.
I passed a flock of sheep with their shepherd as they fed on the sparse vegetation in the shallow channel by the side of the road, and I thought of the luxury that our farmers have at home with the rich green pastures so readily available for their flocks of sheep. There were real haystacks, so rare to see these days, evoking memories of my childhood in the Kent countryside. After about 7 kilometres I came to the Konya City boundary sign, where a pink footway starts together with a blue cycle track, and these both run together for close to 13 kilometres to reach the city centre.
I stopped for a glass of tea and the two young brothers were so happy to welcome me and refused any payment for the teas. I passed by “Sugar Park” a real sanctuarý for the residents of a local suburb. I passed by wood yards and other small businesses plying theìr trade. So underwhelming it was not!. And tomorrow I have just 25k to walk to my next destination of Cumra and I have a free afternoon to further explore Konya.
