Being bussed to the Orienteering events in large tour coaches has many advantages.

As we proceeded over to Asia for day 2 of the Istanbul 5 day we were determined to improve our performances and the early portents were good as several new club records were set.  Ilze and I had earlier attempted a new DROC Jacket indoor altitude record by wearing them in the Burj at Dubai, but the $144 entry cost and the 43C heat made it too difficult.  However the first of three new records were set within minutes of approaching the Ataturk Bridge over the Bosphorus.

The first went to Ilze.  She now holds the club record for wearing a DROC jacket at the Most Easterly part of Europe.

The second record went to Ian for being the Most Unshaven Club member astride a continental divide.

I then leaned forward in my seat as the bus descended towards Asia, to pip Ilze to the third record and now hold the club record for wearing a DROC jacket at the most Westerly part of Asia.

The most westerly DROC jacket in Asia

Debbie already holds the record as the LONGEST suffering.

The rest of the day went well enough.  More of the same, scrappy under foot,  with brambles. We all got around, no DNFs.  I was feeling a bit better, made no mistakes and got my time down to within a few minutes of the last group.

Ilze had a late start, nearly 1pm, so we had to wait for the late bus back to Istanbul and hit the peak hour traffic.  As we got towards Sultanahmet the driver started to crack the whatsits and then pulled over and told the last six or so of us to walk. The last of the organizers was a young girl and he was screaming at her.  Pete had had enough and bashed on the window with his leckie pole and yelled anglo saxon at him and gesticulated with upward motions and he got the message and drove on.

We spoke with same organizer the next morning, that driver got the sack.

Don’t pay the ferryman till you get to the other side unless Pete’s there with his leckie pole.