TRAVEL FEATURE - TURKEY
MARIA SCHUMACHER
WE WERE MUCH RICHER
It felt good to be on the road again ! We had spent a few weeks helping out on a little farm south of Istanbul , making the most of our free time doing some much needed maintenance on both BMW F650 GSs , even replacing the worn water pump cogs on mine . With all that work done we were confident in our bikes as we headed east along the Sea of Marmara .
A tempting small road led us back inland and back in time . We rode past farmers harvesting grain by hand and shepherds tending goats by the roadside . Small villages with white walls and red roofs nestled in the green and yellow hills .
Suddenly my bike inexplicably cut out . I pulled in the clutch and rolled into the village square . Off came the luggage and out came the manual . We confirmed that the battery connection was good and were about to pull the spark plugs when a little old lady wearing a brightly patterned head scarf came out from behind the cracked stone wall surrounding her garden . She watched us for a little while and returned our smiles , then she was gone . Moments later she returned with a big smile and a cold bottle of cola to quench our thirst in the midday sun .
The spark plugs seemed fine , and we were at a loss , far from any motorcycle workshop . As we stood leafing through the manual a white van arrived , and a couple of men sprang to our aid . They called their mechanic brother-in-law , and a phone was pressed into my hands .
“ Hm , yes , it could be the spark plug cap maybe ?”, he would have to bring one to evaluate the theory . At least that ’ s what I think I understood . I handed the phone back .
With little common language we had no idea what the plan was , but our travellers ’ sixth sense had long confirmed these helpful strangers as trustworthy , so we went along
TRAVERSE 67