Arriving in Erzurum I was greeted by a rain shower. At 1950m elevation the town is laid out on a plateau surrounded by impressive mountains with the last remains of the winter snow capping them. The town was of immense importance during the Silk Road days as a transportation junction and even today serves as the hub for travellers coming to Eastern Turkey.

The history of the city extends back to 4000 BC and it has seen many civilizations in Anatolia. One of the most important remains from this periods is the well preserved Byzantine city walls. The city has been captured by many different nations including the Romans, Persians, Byzantines, Sassanids, Arabs, Seljuks, Mongols and of course the Turks. In 1514 the Ottoman ruled the city until Atatürk formed the Turkish republic in 1923. Alexander the Great can also be added top the list of the city and province's conquering rulers. The importance of  the town along the Silk Road can be seen by walking down the main street, Cumhuriyet Caddesi, which is lined by historical relics and mosques and not far from which the Caravanserai is to be found.

The Seljuk architecture remains to this day and is the city's most impressive type. While tree-lined boulevards give the city and air of the cosmopolitan, you don't have to walk far before th road disappears into mud tracks and old, dis-repaired buildings become evident. The Rustem Pasa Caravanserai has now been converted into a mall of jewellery workshops and retailers effectively selling jewellery and rosary beads made form the local black Oltu stone mined locally.

I arrive at the Oteli Yeni Cinar and am greeted warmly by an old man who insits on lugging my backpack up to my room even though it weighs a ton and he is sweating by the time we reach my floor. Despite feeling knackered from another mammoth bus journey I set off to explore the town and visit various museums including the ethnographical museum whose building is more interesting than its exhibits (especially since they are all in turkish). I ate lunch in what was a rather smart restaurant hidden away from the main street but with well-dressed waiters in black tie and waistcoats who served up the restaurant's speciality of mutton, mushrooms and onions mixed with chees and served with rice. It was some of the best food I have had in Turkey. Feeling full and that it was time for a relaxing scrub I headed for the Kirk Cesme Hamami and for a measly 9TYL sit sweating in the Sauna and then get the full wash. I realised just how expensive Istanbul was. Then again the Hamami was in dire need of repair and the soulless rooms and mouldy ceilings probably explained the cheap price. Still it was a good way to relax.

I headed back to my Hotel and felt rather poorly. It was probably a combination of lack of sleep travelling and the miserable weather but by 7pm I wasn't hungry and decided to just sleep in the hope that I would wake up feeling better the next day.