After spending a quiet night near the waterfall, we head back towards the Black Sea and spend a few peaceful hours exploring the charming city of Rize. This region of Turkey is all about tea, both culturally and agriculturally. After losing easy access to coffee from Arabia when the Ottoman Empire fell apart, the newly formed Turkish state had to find a new source of caffeine for its population. The almost tropical climate in the eastern Black Sea region is perfect for cultivating tea, specifically the famous Turkish ‘çay’, which has become the country’s national drink. After enjoying a nice soup and walking around the city centre a bit, we have a (Western!) coffee and do a little shopping before heading up the slope on which the city is built to a tea garden run by the region’s top employer: Çaykur. Feeling relaxed and full of caffeine, we continue further east along the coast before turning right and driving up into the Kaçkar Mountains.