Note: Right now we are in our tent at the far east end of Turkey, between Saray and Kapikoy. We are at 2100m and it's a freezing cold night under a carpet of stars.

Tomorrow we will enter Iran.

The last 3 weeks have been pretty taxing for us - eastern Turkey is even more hilly than the western and central parts of Anatolia i've cycled in 2010 and our comfortable life in the last 2 years has had its impact on our physical condition and body fat. We managed to wind down a few kilometers each day, take a outdoor shower, get dinner made and crawl in our sleeping bags to fall asleep within minutes. So please bear with us for a few more updates on our travel so far - here's at least a first glimpse:

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 Arriving in Malatya it was a joy to meet Illyas and Zeh'ra again. When i met them the last time, Zeh'ra was pregnant and Diran is now a sweet child of 2. Unfortunately i didn't get a shot of Zeh'ra when we left, as she is busy finishing her studies(Besides managing a family).

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We were taking advantage of the unfinished roadwork, taking some time off from the busy lane next to it.

Getting out of Malatya on the D300 was as usual a dull experience on a arterial road with lots of trucks. It was however sweetened by two pretty good campsites and a excellent roadside locanta(Turkish buffet-restaurant) where i got to try Menemen for the first time

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