In July 2001

The story opens on a sweltering summer day along a desolate country road. A man pulls over to admire a solar eclipse, but as the celestial event passes, he pops open his trunk and douses the lifeless body within with bug spray. Just then, a hitchhiker approaches, hoping for a ride, only to be struck by the man’s vehicle. The driver, named Isa, played by Mehmet Kurtulus, decides to circle back and collect the unfortunate hitchhiker’s body from the roadside. This hitchhiker is revealed to be Daniel, an aspiring student teacher also en route to Turkey in search of a girl, leading us into a flashback of his romantic journey.

Daniel first encounters Juli in Hamburg, where she beckons him to her jewelry stall. She sells him an ancient Mayan ring adorned with a sun, claiming it will guide him to true happiness. Juli extends an invitation to a gathering that evening, and Daniel, intrigued, attends. At the party, he spots a girl wearing a shirt emblazoned with a sun, who later introduces herself as Melek, a name rich in Turkish meaning. After a heartfelt night together, Melek stays at Daniel’s apartment only to depart for Istanbul the following day, leaving him in tears, convinced their destinies were intertwined.

Meanwhile, Juli, determined to embrace spontaneity, decides to hitch a ride, with Daniel being her first driver. When she learns he is also headed to Istanbul, she joins him. Their journey takes an unexpected turn when their vehicle breaks down in Bavaria, forcing them to share a bed in a cramped motel. Friction arises over their travel route the next morning, but their luck seems to change when a truck driver named Leo offers them a ride to Budapest.

Once at a local bar, Daniel waits outside while Juli and Leo enjoy a drink. Juli confides in Leo about her wish for Daniel to be more assertive in pursuing her. The situation escalates when Leo attempts to make inappropriate advances toward Juli, prompting Daniel to rush in and defend her. Later, they find themselves on a boat gliding down the Danube, indulging in a bit of cannabis which allows them to float in a realm of blissful oblivion. As dawn breaks over the river, Juli sweetly suggests Daniel prepare a declaration of love for the girl of his dreams.

However, their adventurous spirits take a darker turn when they awaken to find Daniel unceremoniously tossed overboard by the crew, separating him from Juli. Finding himself alone on land, Daniel is picked up by a girl in a dilapidated van who takes him to a bar. Unfortunately, her intentions go awry as she drugs his drink and cunningly absconds with his treasured sun ring.

When Daniel regains consciousness, he is bewilderingly surrounded by hay barrels and under threat from a farmer. In a bid to reclaim his belongings, he rushes to a Budapest street market, only to spot the ring being hawked by the very girl who duped him. Amidst chaotic chase scenes through the marketplace, he manages to escape the clutches of a relentless merchant.

At Romania’s border, Daniel faces yet another hurdle—his passport has been stolen. Just when hope seems lost, Juli reappears like a beacon of light, and they convince the border guard they are married. In a comic twist of fate, Juli insists that Daniel recite the love declaration once more, but he falters, promising to memorize it.

As they travel through Romania, they indulge in stolen moments of joy and adventure, snapping photos and inventing memories together. However, complications arise again with their transportation, leading Daniel to express his frustration, claiming Juli’s impulsiveness brought them here. In a twist of fate, while Daniel sleeps, Juli once again hits the road alone.

The narrative circles back to the moment Isa and Daniel arrive at the Turkish border, where the authorities discover the corpse in the trunk, leading to their arrest. Isa, faced with the challenge of justifying his circumstances, maintains his composure with a story about his deceased uncle from Turkey.

Once freed, Daniel finds himself awaiting a bus to Istanbul when he encounters Melek once more. The pieces fall into place as he realizes her connection to Isa, uncovering the hidden ties between them. Ultimately, Daniel arrives in Istanbul, where he finds Juli waiting. In a romantic culmination, he finally manages to recite the heartfelt speech, sealing their reunion with a passionate kiss. As they set off on more adventures together, Daniel finally notices the sun tattoo gracing Juli’s back, completing the poetic imagery of their intertwining destinies.