Well, I stayed in Van a little longer than planned. It’s the sort of town that grows on you, plus I waited for a package from Germany, which despite the longish stay didn’t arrive in time. A Belgian guy on a Ural with a sidecar also stayed at my hotel. He is on his way to Vietnam. We swapped maps, SIM cards, and stories and had quite a few drinks together. He decided to go to Iran despite the current situation.
This time I take the Northern route around the lake.
The farmers are out in the fields.
I stop for a great lunch in Adilcevaz
and take the route to Nemruth Dagi shortly after Ahlat.
It’s 30 km to the top and the road looks like it was just repaired (it was closed in early May). Some of the switchbacks are badly washed out. The road takes me through the huge crater, which has a couple of lakes.
The view from Mt. Nemrut toward lake Van is amazing.
I ride back down into the crater and find an idyllic campsite at one of the crater lakes.
