This report is about the tour: Carian trail - Datcha peninsula
Impressions of the hike "Carian Trail", Türkiye, January 2018.
If you are a traveler like me and your passport is full of tabula rasa, if you can’t lose weight and eat according to a regimen, if you can’t normalize your daily routine, if you don’t know how to cook porridge and “Murdala” (simply a divine dish on a hike, believe me))), if you like to take photographs, if you want to meet the dawn in the sky and admire the snow-capped peaks from the airplane window, if you want to swim in the sea in January and meet a monk seal in its natural habitat, if you lack camaraderie and like-minded people,
if you are fascinated by the starry sky and can’t stop looking at it, if you are interested in plants, if you don’t have enough motivation to finally learn this “long-suffering” English, and so many others, if, without hesitation, pack your backpack.
True, after the hike, strange, hitherto unknown things will happen to you for a week, such as: the desire to rush to God knows where, obsessive images of wonderful landscapes before your eyes, melancholy and loss of appetite, buying previously uncharacteristic food products in a store. But this eventually flows into the stage of strategic planning for the next trip, which is generally pleasing. But now about something else.
May our wonderful instructor, Kirill Yasko forgive me (if you ask about him, the first thing that comes to mind is reliable, everything is thought out, planned, experience is visible. And what I liked especially is that he is a really passionate person, looking for further ways to improve the organization of the hike and food) but along the route I remembered very few names of settlements and in order not to make mistakes, I will not indicate them, referring to the description route on the website: /ru/1642
Personally, I went for impressions, I wanted to “fill up” with the help of my five senses, and I succeeded.
I saw: mountains, as if sliding down from all sides and whispering with the sea in the moonlit night. I regretted that I did not study at a Japanese school and could not name all the shades of water in the Aegean Sea, but they were definitely present: blue, turquoise, aquamarine, blue. Blooming pale purple anemones in sunny meadows and daffodils in tenacious, damp thickets, Kamchatka bushes and something else unknown to me.
Very diverse conifers, thickets of thorny oak and some kind of “Martian” plant (strawberry tree). Clearings with local evidence installed in long, encircling rows. The old olive trees, like magical ents (you really wanted to hug them, it seemed that they were about to open their invisible lips and begin a story), they really impressed. Lots of cats with wild eyes that you can’t bribe to pet even with sausages, a guerrilla fox, curious seals, a centipede that has taken a fancy to the lighthouse, a tiny lizard. And also sociable dogs, who seemed to be terribly bored with their bipeds).
I heard: the chirping of some small birds in the mountains, the splashing of waves, the chatter of stones, the crackling of a fire, the sound of rain, and, oddly enough, the crowing of a rooster in parking lots near some settlements. And the most pleasant thing, as it turned out, was the silence, somewhere between 4 and 5 in the morning, when you finally understand why you can’t sleep)
What is it like, the Carian Trail, taste? a...))) When you are hungry and have worked hard, it’s simply delicious). If someone in your group thinks of seasoning the first dish with fresh olives and lemon - especially (thanks, Andrey)).
Speaking of nutrition. If you cannot live without soup and boiling water before meals, your suffering will be minimized - the first course is prepared during the hike. For me personally, it was always just a holiday. In general, on a hike, all the porridge and sandwiches are eaten well, with the exception of pasta (and still, even a cucumber would help out).
There is only one thing that can be said about the taste of the plants that come your way - bitter. Bitter sage and lavender, bitter olives. And, one time it’s also sour - this miracle tree will treat you with lemons and oranges in the parking lot near the cemetery (don’t be scared, there’s peace and grace there))) ).
Smells. Honestly, the most memorable and strong smell was the smell of a fire on clothes. The daffodils smelled distinctly and clearly sweet where there were many of them. The smell of herbs is the same as the taste. Basically, just the smell of freshness, sea and salt, in the morning - dew, in the thickets - moisture.
Contrary to all my expectations and fears, we found ourselves in the spring-summer month with temperatures up to + 17 during the day and no lower than + 5 at night. So the temperature mode was very comfortable. I didn’t get around to wearing a T-shirt like the guys, but in recent days I really wanted to get rid of the sleeves on the fleece pullover, and change my pants to breeches.
Regarding the vestibular apparatus, he did not suffer. There were no breathtaking heights, cliffs or anything like that on the Carian Trail. If you can climb over a large tree trunk, climb up an inclined surface, or balance on it, nothing will scare you.
Kirill writes that the Carian Trail is a rather short hike, but for a beginner it is quite enough and what is needed.
Clothes and equipment. What was lying in my backpack unclaimed, despite the fact that we deposited a change of clothes at the hotel? Two T-shirts, a second pair of shoes and a first aid kit (to my surprise). If in the bustle of the city I often get headaches (this is another example above)), nothing hurt during the hike. On day 3, my shoulders began to ache, but it was more like numbness. The plasters came in very handy, and only after swimming in the sea, when I then continued walking in wet socks and naturally rubbed calluses. Sneakers a size larger were the most comfortable shoes on this hike. There was a real shortage of rubber slippers.
In general, inspired by Kirill’s advice on walking easily (for which I am grateful to him), I was so carried away that I decided to take a comb instead of a comb. If you are a girl, don’t mock yourself, take a comfortable comb-brush. The sea and wind hairdressers are absolutely ruthless and then sitting and unraveling each strand is tiring. It is better to spend this time contemplating your surroundings.
Believe me, there will be something to admire. And yes, indeed, feel free to stop and admire, accumulate and replenish your internal solar panels. And also, despite the forecasts, believing only in good weather, it seems to me that this also works. And most importantly, if you really want to see the world, open your heart and look, listen, breathe, smell, touch and feel, live as you go!
Text - Victoria Kuksa, photo - Kirill Yasko, January 2018