Page updated: January 29, 2007

We are in Morocco on our way to Casablanca to get our visas for
Mauritania...fingers crossed Bush & Blair havent meddled in there yet!!!  
Then down to Agadir for Christmas.
We will be there for a good 2 weeks as we had an attempted
breakin in Alicante.....they forced and broke the window but fortunately the
bars prevented them from getting in....thank goodness. But it means a visit
to our favourite garage once again.  The weather is in the 20s...ht and
sunny in the day but chillier at night-but it should get warmer as we head
south.  Looking forward to the New Year and new challanges.

Have a super Christmas.....wish we could be home for a week!!!!!!!

Lots love  Roy & Jo XXX

Driving westward we stopped to see Hierapolis . A spa city founded around 190 BC which prospered under the Romans and even more under the Byzantines. A spectacular theatre, seating over 12,000 spectators, baths, temples and necropolis spreading over a large area……I feel ruined out for a while now! Then Pamukkale, an area formed when warm calcium-rich mineral water cascaded over the cliff edge, cooling and depositing its calcium in the process. The calcium built natural shelves, pools and stalactites in which tourists delighted to splash and soak, giving credebce to the name, which means “cotton castle”. Unesco has declared it a world heritage site after it was totally over trod, now only one or two pools are open, allowing us a lovely warm paddle.
We enjoyed our last few days in Turkey before a very quiet border crossing into Greece. Tried to find our fab beach to chill out on, but, alas. now home to a cement works-(road widening in progress!) Police pulled us over…after checking passports and being chatty and smiley, I asked why he wanted to check them as we are all in Europe- we have never been stopped in Greece before-he said, with a grin, we might be terrorists! So the lesson here is don't have an old truck with bombs aboard! With lovely warm sunny days, the drive through the snow capped mountains with pretty villages tucked into them was fab-the road was good which allowed Roy to admire the scenery too. Dropped down to Igoumenitsa and decided on a ferry to Venice this time to do a bit of sight seeing before we drive through Italy to meet friends of Stan & Barbara in France at Narbonne for a few days. Whilst waiting for the ferry we found a lovely ‘des res' on the sea and enclose a typical picture of travellers relaxing!!!!!! Roy adjusting the brakes on both trucks after many kms of mountain driving.
Alas, due to our complacency, we have just missed the Tuesday ferry to Venice, so Thursday morning it is. We even went to the port at 6.30AM in case a truck or two hadn't turned up-but no luck.

Still gutted we're going west and not east but looking forward to Africa…..hope we get there before Bush and Blair!!!!!!
Love to all Roy & Jo

Paradise? Now for Africa!

Transit visa refused so pretty devastated...but the 4 of us are exploring S:E:Anatolia before heading back through Europe to Morocco. We might not be able to return to Morocco till Jan as they have a policy that you cant spend more than 6 months in any 1 year (we didn't leave till June) then Roy & I would like to go to Mauritanian-Senegal-Gambia-Mali-in Africa instead!!! Then we plan to apply for visas in England next year for Iran and Pakistan for our 3rd attempt-before Alice and us are too old!!!
What a difference a day makes,. having been swimming-suning-ourselves but weather is awful now-before we left Kizkalesi last Friday the town was flooded-hotels-shops-cafes completely wrecked...2 metres of water rushed off the mountains-we have horrid photos of it as we paddled in the mud and water. Yesterday we went up Nemrut Dagi to see the huge stone faces...something we have wanted to do for years...and got drenched....road washed away more of that in the quarterly bulletin.
Have a great Carnival hope its a dry one... rain wise but not the vino! This might be the last e-mail for a while once we are on the road again.
Lots love Roy & Jo XXX

Sad news from Ankara

We have had some bad news today.. .the Iranian Embassy has refused us visas.  We are distraught as we cannot get to Pakistan any other way  He intermitted it wasn't us personally but English, .American and Australian were not able to get them- England wasn't giving Iranian visas. We then went to the British Embassy...they phoned the Iranian one and was told it isn't blanket policy and to apply for a transit (7day) visa. we have and have to phone in 7 days.....Meanwhile we are leaving our 'des res' waste ground in the centre of Ankara for Kýzkalesý..our 'paradise' by the sea to chill out...washing us-clothes-and swimming. At least its very warm again which makes it much easier to bear.
From a very.sad Roy & Jo

3500 kilometres in 7Days!

16.9.06   Left Hatherleigh
18.9.06   Sailed to Calais - drove through France-Belgium and overnighted with Ken & Ely Dixon, in Luxembourg.  They used to farm at South Yeo in Northlew and send greetings to all who remember them.  They look amazingly youthful.
19.9.06   Germany
20.9.06   Austria Tyrol - overnighted with Necky and Det, friends we met
originally in Turkey and again in Morocco
21.9.60   Slovenia
22.9.06   Croatia
23.9.06   Serbia
24.9.06   Bulgaria
25.9.06   Turkey
10 countries in 7 days and 3,569 km

They have made it to Asia
October 9th 2006
Having arrived in Turkey in 10 days and 3,569 km of travel we found our bolt hole on the Black Sea coast at Ormanli and chilled whilst waiting for our mates, Stan and Barbara to catch us up. Feel really at "home" here even the fishermen remembered us and fish arrived daily straight from the sea.delicious.  Roy and I had checked out the Embassies on the internet and huge problems.  The Pakistan Consulate in Istanbul said NO visas unless we have a resident or work permit..Ankara was only marginally more helpful.NO but a latter from the British Embassy in Ankara could help..our hearts sank.
Off we set for Ankara instead of familiar Istanbul to try and get all 3 visas there and pursue our other option..from Iran by boat to Oman-Oman by boat to India!!!!! (we are determined!)
Ankara was, for me, a complete nightmare, chaos.hooting-cutting up-ignoring traffic lights-diabolical speeds and road signs..need I go on. Roy takes on their culture and drives to the Turkish pattern but we were lucky and were able to park in the heart of the city, on some waste ground near to the
Embassies... Iran Embassy fine, Pakistan seemed fine but as I write this we have to return this afternoon to see if we have our visas. Tomorrow Indian Embassy and whilst we wait for our Iranian ones, the 4 of us will explore Ankara, a
huge capital comprising of steep hills..it'll do us good to do some leg
work!

Bye for now Roy & Jo Roy and Jo Barrett are off on their travels again hopefully to reach India by Christmas. Their trip can be followed via the local page above or directly via www.hatherleigh.net/barrettstruckoff.asp They are leaving Hatherleigh on the 16th September and travelling via France, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan then India.
They intend to travel to Turkey as quickly as possible where they intend to get their visas for Iran, Pakistan and India. This time let's hope that they don't have any hiccups re earthquakes or Mr. Bush's activities!!
Their email is barrettstruckoff@hotmail.co.uk Phone number 07967382265 texts only please. They indend to by local sim cards and numbers will be posted on their site.

18th September 2006 They have reached Deal and staying with Alan and Lyris, who used to run the Acorns Tea Room here in Hatherleigh.

Pardise Found

Pardise Lost

Roy and Jo in Ankara
Necky and Det
The Border