We continue driving uphill into the Kaçkar Mountains, heading for the village of Ayder. This local hub for alpine tourism is located on the northern side of the mountain range. Although the village is somewhat touristy, we find a nice little café further up, and later that day, we find a wonderful parking spot right next to a torrential mountain stream. At an altitude of about 1,800 metres, winter is not as long here as it is for us, and the snowmelt still feeds the many streams large and small that can be found in every crevice of the steep mountains around us.
The next day is my thirtieth birthday (yay! Happy birthday to me!), so after a big breakfast in the van, we go for a short hike alongside a stream. Three stray dogs follow us, apparently because we are trespassing on their territory. Afterwards, we bathe in the icy mountain stream, pack up, and drive back to Ayder, where we check into a hotel. We spend the rest of the day relaxing in the hotel and a nice little café, and have dinner in an Indian restaurant in the evening. It’s not very authentic, but after months of more or less the same food, this is a welcome change.