On our ride to our pension in Koycegiz we stopped for some shade under a tiny tree. Soon after a truck driver (who had already passed us twice and double backed) stopped to hand us some of the freshest oranges that we have ever eaten.
Riding up a pretty big climb to Gocek.. we pulled over at some springs to cool off and buy some fruit at the conveniently located stand 2 ft. from the faucet.. the wind picked up and took with it this poor guys whole fruit stand... so we dropped our bikes and began helping him pick up fruit..dusting it off... set his stand back up... went to pay for our cherries and he refused to take our money for helping him.
In OluDeniz..we befriended a 'spice boy' who just loved our bikes...evidently not many americans came to this town.. and he was a ski instructor in Turkiye! He had us try these traditional fruity sugar patties... and i immediately piped in that we would have to come back the next day and buy some for our ride- sensing that thats why he wanted us to try them 'no no..' he said 'friendship means more to me than your money...' grasping our hands earnestly...
Riding up (yet another big climb) on some back roads to Olympos... to farming women stopped us and literally forced into our handlebar bags loads of these tiny peach-like fruits... we felt compelled to stop and practice our limited Turkish with them... but they were content just sitting and watching us enjoy the 'fruits' of their labor...to feed our labor.
Turkish people are fantastically kind
