10th Slept like logs – the effect of hitting the first beds in quite a few days. Then tea, + on the road. Nothing to report, however – a day like all the others, weather the same, that is, cold, the scenery unspectacular – killing time while the miles flew by. C + A bought boxes of Turkish Delight to take home. I wish we could do the same, but it wouldn’t be in much of a condition by the time we got it home. Pushed on till quite late, beyond Ankara, before stopping at a service stn café, where the food was good but the place icy cold, so it was impossible to enjoy it. Met a couple of Irishmen there, just finishing their meal, that C + A had known in Quetta. They hadn’t liked them then – they were cocky + arrogant + none of us liked them now. They gave us some extraordinary story about the café overcharging them massively, which also tended to spoil our meal, as we naturally feared that the same would happen to us. It didn’t, of course, + I’ve no idea what they were talking about, or why they could say such a thing, even as a joke.
We spent the night in the car park, our last jolly night together. C + A have made no mention of us carrying on with them, to at least Europe – I suspect they are looking forward only too much to having the freedom of their own van again – they aren’t so hard up for cash that they need our contributions to petrol funds. But for our part too we shan’t be so very sorry to leave, much as we have enjoyed our time with them. We do appreciate our freedom of action. Besides, Val has found the smoky atmosphere oppressive almost to the point of nausea. I don’t even notice it, but I’ve been travelling in smoke-filled cars ever since I was born.
Hm, another thing we won’t miss after this is putting up with the company of people we actively dislike, just because we happen to be in the same place, and they are travellers too. Of course, there were also wonderful people too, and a very few are some of our best friends, so I guess that’s life: meet people, and decide which ones with whom you want to spend time – any amount of time really, for some a couple of minutes is too much.
Onward to Istanbul! It’s too bad you’re making such a fast crossing. There are so many things of interest in both Iran and Turkey.