“Have lunch 1 pm. Continue your journey 2 pm”. That’s what it read on the Google app on Orhan’s phone.
As I was rolling into Refahiye, two friendly Turks pulled over to ask me where my partner was. I explained Freedom Seat to them. Soon, Ilhan Gençali, a local mayor, stepped out of the car and joined me.
We rode straight to their business place where they make concrete. Orhan took me on his earth mover and it was fun to watch it in action from the driver’s seat. He asked me if I would like to take the wheel 😆.
He helped me find a great hotel at the gas station for the night and invited his friends to join us for dinner. We had such a blast of a day. All my tiredness from the big climbs melted away in their sweet company.
The next day, Orhan joined me for breakfast and asked me to stay another day in Refahiye. I really wished I had no deadline to get to Germany, and I was bummed to say no to his invite, but I had to. He persisted. He typed on his phone and pointed at me and it read “Have lunch 1 pm. Continue your journey 2 pm”. I said yes.
He took me to a meat shop and bought some amazing steak for a BBQ. He invited his friends, and we headed to the mountains for a camp cookout. It was a beautiful afternoon with a pleasant breeze and the smell of the smoky meat filled the air. We had some local drinks and enjoyed a wonderful Turkish lunch.
It was finally time to say goodbye. He drove me back to the gas station and asked me to come back soon and that he would take me out on a multi-day hiking trip next time. Again, it made me think: what did I do to deserve such a warm and lovely friendship? It really felt like catching up with some old friends in Refahiye!
While most people think I must be a very lonely guy cycling on a tandem by myself, what they don’t realise is that I may be alone but never lonely.