By pure accident I ended up in a nice lively neighborhood of Ankara. Just around the corner are a bunch of used book sellers. This finally gives me the chance to update my treeware.
I see a couple of outdoor places where people play PS3, mostly football, on huge flatscreens.
Others play the old fashioned way.
The next day I pick up my brake pads. When throttling off, especially when down shifting in low gear the engine died quite a few times recently. They diagnose a broken throttle sensor and they don’t have a replacement there. I’ll have to have this taken care off in Istanbul. Another customer on a TDM takes me to a muffler shop where I have my pannier rack welded. Only five minutes and five liras. ADVRider.com inmate strommer, who has helped me quite a bit on this trip, meets at the shop and takes me out for lunch and real coffee. Thanks for everything strommer!
In the afternoon I make a trip to Anitkabir, the Atatürk mausoleum. There is a steady stream of visitors and it is most interesting to see how the Turks react. Atatürk is still much loved and respected although he died more than 70 years ago. If you travel in Turkey you see his image everywhere. Inside the museum are some panoramas of battle scenes with battle noise from speakers. It is realistic and gruesome enough that many of the smaller kids start crying.
Later, I wander around Ankara some more and come across the new Kocatepe Mosque.
