I just can’t shut up

This post is about a 30km walk from Canta to Corlu. It’s a cold day on an industrial highway, and I almost get into trouble.

There was industry on my left and industry on my right. Factories that produced concrete, factories that produced windows, factories that produced chocolate. I got so bored that I went into a chocolate factory and bought a bar of white chocolate and a glass of chocolate spread. The air outside was dry and cold, the highway was busy and the pollution was thick, and the whole situation felt miserable.

cops

One time a white car, I think it was a Hyundai, started following me on the safety lane and honking at me. I turned around and looked at the two men in the car, feeling annoyed. But then, when one of them came out and showed me his police badge, I didn’t just feel annoyed anymore. I felt scared.

What was I doing here, where was I from, where was I going, and what was in that thing I was pulling? The cop kept barking questions at me, and he looked very serious. I started fumbling out my passport, praying that he would not flip to the page with my entry stamp.

But then, for reasons beyond my knowledge, he just waved me off and got back into the car. Maybe I had bored him? Maybe they had bigger fish to fry?

champions

I felt relieved. But I didn’t get to enjoy that feeling for long, because suddenly I heard myself yell something in the direction of their car. Hey! I screamed just as they were preparing to drive off.

Hey!

The car stopped, and they rolled down the window. I was looking into two very serious cop faces expecting me to say something.

And so I lifted my finger to announce that I was going to make an important announcement. And then I said: Bize Her Yer Trabzon! – Everywhere Is Our Trabzon! This was the unofficial slogan of not only the city of Trabzon, but also of their football team.

For a second both cops just stared at me blankly. Bize Her Yer Trabzon! I said again, a bit louder. And then they both bursted out laughing.

pictures

Ruined mosque near Canta:

Industrial landscape on the way from Canta to Corlu:

My glass of chocolate spread that I bought because I was bored:

The highway to walk from Canta to Corlu:

Soup for lunch:

Turkish lentil soup, always with a bit of lemon:

I eat lots of trail mix on the way:

Roadside advertisement

Depressed-looking mascot:

Enter Corlu:

Man repairing truck:

Vintage Benz:

Roadside pointy-eared doggo:

Roadside optimist dudes:

Downtown Corlu:

Frozen fountain: