Presentations
A world trip that ended unexpectedly early after half the distance
Route from Greece to Austria heading southeast
A thin red track of a bicycle tyre connects ecological problematic zones of our planet
Presentations will take place these months, in Vienna. Naturfreunde and STA Travel will be partner. There will be free donation only and small buffets.
The first one will be in the “Moroccan Institute” in Fernkorngasse 75, corner to Trostgasse, 1100 Vienna on Friday the 27th of March starting at 19:00, notification for coming is requested for this evening.
One more on the 23rd of April at 17:00 in the “Hochschule für Agrar- und Umweltpädagogik” in Angamayrgasse 1 , 1130 Vienna in April.
The last and biggest one so far will take place on the 27th of April at 18:00 in the “Universität für Bodenkultur” EG03 Simonyhaus, Peter-Jordan Straße 65, 1180 Vienna.
There is a mailing list for the upcoming presentations and eventually rare news about further biketrips, whoever is interested may subscribe and unsubscribe below. It will start being in German as presentatios are planned only in Austria so far.
Ein-/Austragen für die Mailingliste
Hier können Sie sich in die Mailingliste ecobiketrip@ecobiketrip.net eintragen bzw. von dieser Mailingliste austragen.
Hasankeyf
I took the bus for time reasons to be on time at a declared meeting date where a local information center in Hasankeyf should be opened with big press appearance. I got this information from eca-watch newsletter. I also got in contact with Ulrich Eichelmann, the frontman in Austria, who was also here and declared this site to be worth of protection.
The NGO that is now dealing with this issue is Doga Dernegi. All of them are really friend
ly, well organised and could even manage the biggest star in Turkey, called Tarkan, to visit this village. There was a tour all around the sights for everybody and while walking I was impressed by biodiversity in this place. Not only endemic plants are found in this place, but also birds, turtles some species of fish that only live here and nowhere else on the world. Wildlife, landscape and cultural monuments are extraordinary and fit this place in an outstanding way.
Euphoric Start
I finally made it to leave the so much loved city of Thessaloniki. Pre-starting problems where involved, heavy luggage should be lightened and driving qualities stabilized. I c
ould really recommend having not the perfect equipment in order to train fantasy, most new inventions where probably made this way.
The first day on the bike was finally a big release, weather was perfect and I was just enjoying nature. 
This time of the year it is so beautiful in Greece, almost everything is flowering and still in juicy green.
While driving on main roads the problem was not to pass over already knocked down animals and there are really many, you can understand diversity. Dogs, cats, foxes, hedgehogs, snakes, birds, turtles.. People are driving like crazy not taking enough care.
I decided to take small roads, even if unpaved and this was the best decision so far.
First night was split in two parts, because the first place I decided to stay was taken over by dogs during the night and they didn’t enjoy my company and I moved to the beach which is better anyway, though a hammam in hot springs was fine enough.
In Kavala I found a whistle for future relations with wild dogs that hopefully scare them away.
Passing the industrial area of Kavala with heavy industry I also got to talk to some workers of phosphoric fertilizer producing industry. Friendly,
teeth-less and working in this bad business as he said, not being well paid for the
heavy chemicals he has to inhale every day.
In Greece agriculture is mostly based on conventional methods where fertilizers and other chemicals are used in large scale.
Passing by huge areas of cotton being cropped one day after would explain where some of the chemistry goes, though land view was extraordinary again.
Some rain made me to put up the tent during the night and it really worked also with the bike inside. Some homemade Retsina from the region and cooked food was really paying off.
In some places there is still no understanding for the beauty of not seeing garbage along the road.
Besides I already passed two Ramsar wetlands, Nestos Delta and Porto Lagos which where really beautiful, not possible to cross all spots easily with the bike and if not biking being eaten by mosquitoes but talking again to farmers who live there who told me what happened in at Nestos during the war America against Saddam Hussein, where they build up huge antennas in the middle of nowhere.
I also crossed beautiful places where biological olive tree groves are are set in the ancient magic landscape of Ismaros.
Last night finally I met other bike travelers and we spent very nice time together till I finally after getting wet again a couple of times and also being marked by an Alexandroupolis’ sea gull I got some fresh fish and Tsipouro and having one more time the possibility to sleep in a house.
Tomorrow I will cross borders to Turkey making one more station at Evros wetlands heading to Constantinople.
