I had to run down to Adana this past week and took some pictures on the way.  I call these type of pics, flying shots because they are taken out the window of a fast moving vehicle.  And Aydin, my good co-worker has a tendency to travel at rather quick velocities.

The trip to Adana is quite flat and passes alongside the second largest salt lake in the world.  Second only to Utah’s.  As you get closer to the Mediterranean coast, it becomes more mountainous.  Also, it is the rainy season now, which means Summer is coming to visit us soon.

Once in Adana, we stay at the Hilton.  This time, my room was on the east-side, so below are pics of the sunrise.

I must add a few comments.  In places other than the US, the laws are much less enforced and the individual is expected to use common sense.  As you would guess, many people in the world have very little of that commodity.  Many pedestrians will cross a busy highway during heavy traffic, and I see more and more of it as we get closer to the cities.  Near Adana, I will see people dart out in front of traffic to cross, even dragging small children by the hand.

The major highways are well maintained, so it is not uncommon to see vehicles traveling at high rates of speed, especially on the inside lanes where the heavy, slow moving trucks are not allowed.  I have noticed those vehicles are usually, Mercedes, BMWs or Audis, and they travel well in excess of a 100 miles an hour.  We travel 75-80 and these vehicles pass us in a heartbeat.  Now add that thought with the previous paragraph.

On our way home last night, we happened across a scene where maybe 15 minutes before, a Mercedes struck a pedestrian.  The man was sprawled out on the highway, face up.  No one was around the body and it was left uncovered.  The black Mercedes was probably 150 – 200 yards further down the highway with the authorities questioning him.  It took the vehicle that distance to come to a stop, even after hitting the pedestrian.

As we continued passed the scene, I thought of the man on the ground.  He was wearing a suit which tells me he was a business man.  And most likely his family was not yet aware of his death.  They were probably going about their normal lives, totally unaware of the phone call that would be coming.  A call that will change their lives forever.

With the dangerous act of running across the roadway, and drivers driving excess speeds, I fear that is not an uncommon disaster.  We saw this type of horror in Africa, and have come to realize it was just a part of Life.  … and Death.

D.