This report is not intended to be a detailed account of what happened each day, nor is it designed to be a detailed description of everything we found there. To write a piece like that would require a lot more narrative text – such a lot happened! Rather it is designed to provide the reader with a flavour of the most memorable aspects of the trip, using photos.
Overview
On Thursday 22nd May 2014, 43 people flew from Bodrum to Trabzon (via Sabiha Gökçen Airport Istanbul). The itinerary and guide for the 5-night 6-day trip were provided by Panagia Sumelatours (Trabzon). The tour started and finished in Trabzon on the shores of the Black Sea. We travelled further east each day, branching off the coastal D010/E70 road at regular intervals. This is the only way to access the towering mountains and highlands of the coastal hinterland because there are no easterly roads across the mountains. But the scenery along the way is spectacular so this was no hardship. We reached the Georgian border on day five.
The steep roads and cloud-covered narrow mountain passes of this region meant that we regularly had to change our tour bus for smaller minibuses – these could cope better with the difficult terrain. Sometimes we drove on roads so high we were travelling through the remnants of the winter snows. Our drivers’ skills were frequently tested by potholes, fog, flowing water on the road, patches of snow – and the occasional herd of goats.
The people of the area reflect the diverse influences on the region. Their languages, dialects and dress all point to a rich culture – Laz, Georgian, Greek, Armenian, Turkish, Ottoman, Muslim and Christian. It is a fertile region, with rain for 250 days a year. The many tea plantations in the Rize area are more often vertical than horizontal – how do all those women and men manage to pick the tea without tumbling down those steep slopes? Hazelnut trees are plentiful around Trabzon and look less risky to harvest. More people in this region live in villages than in towns – it is the only province of Turkey where this is so. Villages are perched on the sides of steep valleys and on the tops of mountains and plateaus. The wooden houses and mosques are strung out in long lines rather than in groups – this is characteristic of Black Sea villages. Wooden and stone bridges are frequent features due to the large number of rivers and streams tumbling down to the coast from the mountains. Large wooden bins for storing grain – set up on stilts to deter rodents – are seen in the fields beside the roads.
The furthest easterly points we reached were the small mountain villages of Muratli and Camili (right on the Georgian border) and the larger towns of Hopa and Artvin. By the time we arrived back in Trabzon on 28th May, we had travelled about 1500 km, a lot of it on winding roads through the spectacular mountains and impressive forests of this exciting part of Turkey.
Conclusion
It is true to say that several logistical and accommodation problems arose during the tour which caused considerable frustration and annoyance to the group. However, it is also true to say that the lasting memories and impressions of this region are overwhelmingly positive. For those who had never been to this part of Turkey before, it was a chance to explore a large area in a short time – any future visits can now be based on personal experience. For those who originally came from this area, it was a chance to re-live memories and to re-visit the area with friends. Well worth the trip!
Helen Franklin
For more information about the Eastern Black Sea region, see www.karadenizgezi.net (Turkish), www.roughguides.com/destinations/Europe/Turkey/black-sea-coast (English)
Hero3A Eastern Black Sea Tour/Doğu Karadeniz Gezisi– Route/Rota
Day/Gün 1. 22 May/Mayıs 2014
Bodrum – İstanbul – Trabzon – Cephanelik, Boztepe – Ayasofya Muzesi – Atatürk Kosku – Trabzon old city/eski şehir and/ve market/pazar – Hidirnebi Yaylakent (in the Karacan mountains/daglarinda, 35 km Trabzon’dan)
Day/Gün 2. 23 May/Mayıs 2014
Hidirnebi Yaylakent – Sumela Manastir – Zigana Yayla Tatil Köyü – Gümüşhane Torul Karaca Cave/Mağarası – Hamsikoy (sutlaç) – Zigana Yayla Tatil Köyü
Day/Gün 3. 24 May/Mayıs 2014
Zigana Yayla Tatil Köyü – Sürmene – Of (Özçay tea factory and garden/çay fabrikasi ve bahçe) – Uzungöl
Day/Gün 4. 25 May/Mayıs 2014
Uzungöl – Kiremitli wooden bridge/köprü – local fabric factory/yerel bez fabrika – Rize – Firtina Deresi – Kavrun, Kaçkar Dağları Milli Parkı – Ayder
Day/Gün 5. 26 May/Mayıs 2014
Ayder – Borçka – Macahel – Muratli – Camili – Karagöl – Artvin
Day/Gün 6. 27 May/Mayıs 2014
Artvin – Hopa – Husrev, Cayeli – Sürmene – Camburnu – Trabzon airport/havalimani – İstanbul – Bodrum
