Our next stop was 20km on, where according to our custom we stopped at a petrol station to eat a 60Ft icecream. We were just about to leave when I discovered that they had free WiFi with net access there.
I quickly went on line and happily spotted that Cihan from Aksaray responded on the Couchsurfing site and he was expecting us.As we were nearing  Aksaray, the outline of Hasan Dagi, the 3000+m high volcano, that  dominates the background of the town, came into focus.

We easily rode into town, found the main square quickly with its mosque and Ata Türk sculpture.

We were Cihan’s first Couchsurfing guests. We had a quick shower, followed by shoving a large amount of dirty stuff into the washing machine.For  dinner we went out for a bottle of ayran and a portion of köfte, the latter we used for meat to go with the spaghetti. Dinner was extremely successful.

Cihan did everything he could for his first guests. Even though we only asked for one night on the couch, he thought that we would be very tired, so he had a copy made of the flat key. As it happened, we didn’t manage to leave with him in the morning, although the night before we were planning an early departure, we overslept and were dreaming for most of the morning. So the spare key came in very handy.

Óriás csirkés szendvics ayrannal - 2TL-ért (240 Forintért)

Giant chicken sandwhich with ayran – for 2TL (240Ft) one of our favourite foods!

We could leave Letife’s house about 11am but around noon we were again eating with another Kurd family’s table in one of the petrol station, on front of Salt-lake, in Tuz Gölü.After this “party” we didn’t meet any Kurd friend but just get to the Tuz Gölü which is the biggest salt lake in Turkey.

We had a siesta in a defunct lakeside restaurant, just the boss and one employee was there, a young guy, called Yasin. 

After the lunch we had a bath in Tuz Gölü, it wasn’t so deep.

The lake is located in 900 m, maybe cannot feel during the video watching. Was a very nice experience this bath.

The salt could be feeling also at the top of water surface not just in the water-course.

At night we found a petrol station complex with a little garden with chairs, table and covered spaces.

We had cover above our head so had to use just our tent cubicle. We had chair, table and could lock the bicycles nearby. We had also power. Murrat, the guy who was working that night in the petrol station, showed us the toilet and also brought us 2 teas. While we were having tea he asked us if we need anything else, and we asked some more lemons and water.