A SHERIFF, A TURKISH PUZZLE AND A STICKY (CAKE) SITUATION - ISTANBUL, 1976

Yeni Cami (New Mosque), Istanbul

SUNDAY 17TH OCTOBER, 1976

Part Two:
'Walked through market, reached Yeni Mosque, flocks of pigeons around the place.

At the quayside we bought fish and bread from a little bobbing boat, with a charcoal fire (looked hightly dangerous!)  Lined up by the rails were salt cellars and a bowl of garlic to be taken with the fish.



A Turk spotted Rob's sheriff badge and got talking.  He took us to a cay shop up the hill from the Blue Mosque and we had another sticky cake on the way back!

Di, Jan and Rob eating fish at Galata Bridge

Then we went to St Sophia, a museum now so didn't have to take off our shoes.  Tehran (a medical student) came back to the camp with us, we went up to the bar for a bit.  After supper I went to do some washing and Rob came and told me that Tehran wanted to see me.  Unfortunately he was sweet on me and wanted me for his girlfriend.  Gave me his Turkish puzzle ring!  He fixed for us all to go to a fish restaurant the next day.

Went back to bus eventually - had a little session; initiated the driver of the Encounter truck.'

ATHENS - ACROPOLIS AT DUSK, FLYING SHISHKEBAB AND TAMLA MOTOWN, 1976

TUESDAY 12TH OCTOBER, 1976

" Late morning - 8.0!  Wrote pcs and lazed around in sun during morning.  Snooped round other Swagman bus and played Tamla Motown - they've much better selection than us.  Few of us left, had omelette and beans for lunch.

Lift in with Magic Bus.  Tried to get Nanette [girl we gave lift to from Methoni] away on the bus to London, but got there too late.  Chased round square to contact Geoff and get her luggage back to camp.  By late afternoon finally started sightseeing!

Made way up narrow lanes to Acropolis, kept losing everybody.  While at Acropolis most tourists were leaving and sun going down between the pillars of the Parthenon, hazy view out to sea.  View of Temple of Zeus and other hill (Athens not an attractive city - much of it dug up and half built, very dirty).  Guards and band appeared and played while flag lowered.  Men blew whistles frantically when anyone tried to go inside Parthenon.  One attendant gave us a pollo; another called Jan Athena, me Aphrodite and Rob Zeus!  All seem very friendly.

We wandered down small streets, little leather shops etc, till came to restaurant with tables in street, waiter just about dragged us off street and sat us in front of menu.  Presumed this was where we were to meet Fred.  Had Demestica while waited then ordered meal.  Had disappointing shishkebab and greasy cheese salad - flung half on floor trying to get off skewer - dogs ate it!  Loads of cats too.  Nanette came across us - had been lost in area.  Eventually Fred and other Swagman driver Steve found us.

At 9.0 we went up to see Son et Lumiere looking across at Acropolis.  Thought it over dramatic, some of it quite hilarious. "Thwack, wack, build and build" and mad dash of running feet, like something out of the Goons!  Afterwards several of us went for a coffee down from Acropolis in big empty restaurant with carpets and bags on the wall.  Got lift home with other Swagman bus."

YUGOSLAVIA - ZADAR, THUNDER, SPLIT AND SLIVOVIC! 1976

THE RAIN AND PARTYING CONTINUES - YUGOSLAV STYLE ...

TUESDAY 5TH OCTOBER, 1976

"Grotty shower, drain flooded and muggins couldn't get hot to work.  Up at 6.0 - off in record time of 1 and a half hours.  Down Dalmatian coast, stopped at little town to shop.  Bought carrots at little market - lots of little fat women in black.

Coastline reminiscent of Scotland (Apin and brief glimpses of Loch Bracadale!)  Lovely small hamlets, peasant farming, lots of donkeys (donkey and horse pulling same rickety cart).  Lots of small trees and scrub.

Rain pelted down, thunder and lightning - had to stop while eased up.  Lots of card games (I was nearly hurled off table with the bendy roads!)  People picked at food (and drink) all day.

Stopped at Zadar.  Nice town, old streets and squares, flagged roadways and light coloured buildings.  Part of it for shipping, lots of boats.  (Lovely relief on the walls!!)  Bought booze at supermarket - beer nice.  (Lots of young people milling around - some canny looking fellas!)  Rob dropped his beer on the ground, foaming mass so beer obviously strong!

Stopped at Split.  Saw 3rd century AD (BC for thickies ie Mark) Diocletian Church.  Nice squares, stalls - grabbed by man to buy carpet - perhaps they come together.  Coffee at a little cafe with Jan, Rob, Mark, Paul and Julie.

Camped nearby - pouring rain again - always waits until the tents go up!  (Sang 'Singing in the Rain' today in bus!)  Sitting writing this in bus - Chris just announced that foamies escaping!

Evening in the bus.  Lots of Slivovic and beer.  Ann smashed again, wouldn't leave Geoff alone.  Nikki looking for Chris down the hill, commotion outside!  Man wandering around eyeing bus until all went to bed.  Nikki still insisting she wanted to go down the hill!  Hard core left were Jan, Fred, Rob, Hans, Heidi and me.  Got complaints about noise outside Mark's tent next morning - he was on cooking and so sent to bed early! 

Drank Whitbread Pale Ale!  None left for desert."

IS THIS YUGOSLAVIA OR SCOTLAND? - STUNNING SCENERY, FRIENDLY FOLK AND RAIN, 1976

IN A LETTER HOME: "I've really fallen in love with Jugoslavia, although the rain has been following us relentlessly until today!  It's getting beyond a joke, as soon as we stop to pith the tents, or step out to see the sights, it pelts down.  We've taken to singing 'Singing in the Rain' in the bus and other such optimistic songs! ... The coastline all the way down is reminiscent of Scotland and every now and then I see glimpses of Loch Bracadale and the Outer Isles!  The only difference is the very white rocky slopes of the hills and the little towns - all clustered at the end of peninsulas, lots of re-tiled roofs built in higgledy-piggledy fashion."

MONDAY 14TH OCTOBER, 1976

"Early up!  Made for Jugoslavian border.  Lot of people began to feel rough as journey went on!

At border, exchange lady could have shot us all happily - not too friendly.  Stopped at Ckricvenica for a coffee and shop - horrible coffee, nice friendly people though.  Walked out to small pier - clouding over again.

Coastline beautiful though, lots of inlets, steep chalk terraced slopes, roads winding round them.  Picturesque villages and fairly industrialised ports - a few ships.  People very curious of Swagman!

Made way to campsite.  Near sea, nicely situated among trees, good facilities.  Seemed deserted apart from us.  Someone (Chris) found dead green snake!  Sat in bus talking about films.  Early bed for a change.  It poured at night of course."

FUSINA CAMPSITE, VENICE - fog, fleas, foamies and fun! 1976

OFF TO VENICE AND FUSINA CAMPSITE ...

SATURDAY 2ND OCTOBER, 1976

"Up early.  Rolled the foamies!!
The foamies are explained in a letter home: "we're quite efficient at getting up, fed and tents packed etc in 1 and a half hours (up at 6 every travelling day!)  The worst job in the morning is rolling the foamies (that go under our sleeping bags) and squeezing them all in between 2 sets of seats; they are rather temperamental things and tend to spring out and flow into the gangway if not given their due attention."

Left for Venice.  Good card games at the back.  Scenery of hills, trees and picturesque houses - tunnels etc (hopeless to try and read!)  Then fog descended and saw nothing.

Got to Fusina after lunch - cabins not tents!!  Seems nice campsite but lots of mosquitoes.
My letter home says: "The campsite was really rather luxurious - hot showers and what's more we managed to book into cabins and so got a bed!  It may have been rather flea infested but it was real high living."

Run into Venice briefly in afternoon and saw gondolas tied up by canals, lovely bridges; not time to see much else (apart from station).

Evening spent in the bar of camp - Fusina is rather famous for rowdy evenings in the bar because the camp is always full of bus tours!  Graffiti on walls, exuberant barmen etc.  Eventually only Julie, Paul, Mark and me left, retired to bus - few others there.  Sat at back listening to Supertramp.

We've had t-shirts designed with Asian Greyhound on - the design is a bus inside a large carafe of wine! "





More photos on Facebook Page, Overlanders: http://bit.ly/bEVp5V

THE HIPPY TRAIL STARTS HERE - in London on a bus going backwards! 1976

[The first day of the trip began in a sleepy London and ended with pitching tents in a dark Paris.  Not knowing a soul, I teamed up with Janice and Australian Jan for tent-mates, so I soon became known as Little Jan to differentiate between the three.  At the campsite in the Bois de Boulogne we listened open-mouthed to a Westbound group of overlanders, their numbers decimated by hepatitis, who spun us tales of horror of the trip ahead.  Their bus windows were blanked out with whitewash like some fever ship.  The memory stuck with me and I use it in my novel OVERLANDERS. www.janetmacleodtrotter.com]

SUNDAY 26TH SEPTEMBER, 1976

"Up at 5.30.  Taxi driver came early - had lived in India!  Father a Methodist missionary.  Got to Venture Centre.  Little van drew up (not however our transport!)  Bus eventually came, loaded rucksacks on roof.  Bags under seats - I sat at table, facing backwards - not the best way to see things.  Bus dirty, not exactly deluxe air about it, but reminiscent of United buses so felt at home!  Tape deck broken down - hope not an omen.

Sat opposite Julie and Paul - Australian couple making way home.  London almost deserted.  Early Sunday bells at outskirts.

Crossed Dover- Calais, very calm.  Had drink in bar with Janice, a nurse.  Saw France appear from the deck.  Bought duty free wine and beer (saving Whitbread Pale Ale for the desert!)

Long drive to Paris.  Sunny.  Stopped for driver to have a kip. (Chatty fella called Geoff - likes his drink!)  Had snack on bus - not too expert at pouring water while bus moving - what will it be like on Turkish roads?!)

Sun setting as approaching Paris - traffic jams.  Finally reached Bois de Boulogne campsite (brought back memories!)  Pitched tents in dark then ate sausages.

Another Greyhound bus beside us - a month overdue!  Left Kathmandu in June - half of them left as a result of hepatitis!  They chatted and told us about their experiences - I think we're in for a rough time!  Graphic details about "the shits" and Afghans etc."