Turkey till Istanbul
When I left Alexandroupolis I was really not sure what would await me behind the borders. First there was this beautiful Delta of Evros, where I really crossed all of it. Some landscenes speak more than words..
I crossed a mountain wanting to take an other road on my map in order to avoid main roads again. After many hours landing somewhere in nowhere I went to a farm to ask for the way and they told me that all this part is closed by military as they are everywhere. I was a little pissed loosing almost one day of going back and forth and also had my first flat tire on this road..
Istanbul is totally different, even the European and the Asian part are. In the European part you can understand that the tourist is the attraction, everybody wants to sell you his things taking you at the hand and smashing their flowers of speech a hundred times a day.
People at the border told me better not to camp outside, so I trıed to fınd cheap places to stay. One night in Kasan a manager from one supermarket invited me to his place he is sharıng with his mom and they offered me a breakfast where I could not even eat a tenth of it. People are really friendly inviting you all the time and first of all getting a chai for sure.
I crossed a mountain wanting to take an other road on my map in order to avoid main roads again. After many hours landing somewhere in nowhere I went to a farm to ask for the way and they told me that all this part is closed by military as they are everywhere. I was a little pissed loosing almost one day of going back and forth and also had my first flat tire on this road..but some beautiful rainy and cold scenery.
Some aspects in culture from the Turks is not so different to the greek one, though they seem to be even more patriotic presenting hundreds of huge flags and having the biggest military I have seen so far.
The coast line of Marmara sea till Istanbul is beautiful. In summer times probably filled wıth tourists is now just off season preparing time of all the villas and suites the tourists are coming for. Following dust roads you always find no houses but still nature, beaches and once in a while small villages.
Istanbul is totally different, even the European and the Asian part are. In the European part you can understand that the tourist is the attraction, everybody wants to sell you his things taking you at the hand and smashing their flowers of speech a hundred times a day.
I live now in the Asian part, everything’s cheaper and people live their all days routine under other turkish people.
I got to know to other cyclists here in Istanbul, one from the Netherlands who is riding direction Australia, not having any more specific schedule and the other from Germany heading to Capetown. They met on the road and are together for some weeks now, but spiıtting up again here.
I also will go some other way heading directly to Batman to the Ilisu Dam, where a big campaign is going to start.
