Riding acroos Turkey for the 2nd time :)
Crossing the boarder at Posof meant I am back to the country I crossed it once - West to East - 2 years ago - by bike in a company of 3 others bikers - heading to Beijing. Now I am back. Solo. Opposite direction. Opposite aim - heading home.
To choose route was simple - direction Istanbul and small roads… I try to stay away from big cities. The route was - Ardahan - Bayburt - Amasya (with unplanned stop in Erbaa).
Couple weeks later I am sitting in front of PC in Istanbul. It between as the road.. it was ups and downs. So lets share few facts:
- ‘Salam Malejku’ - ‘Malajku Salam’ ( How I wish to be back in Iran as well - Yeap I do like Iran a lot:)) or Merhaba are the words that open the first door to the new experience.
- Turkish is not Russian. I have hard time to except the fact I can not talk to-with locals. (I am sorry the Dutch group of tourist - but I really ‘needed’ some English conversation that day. (It was in Yusufeli area.)
- Ardahan - town, where everywhere you look, you have hotels. Small ones. (Prostitution is one of businesses in town.) Price (Internet, food) are higher then in Istanbul.
- The food is AMAZING still and again. I still do have a bit of KZ - sindrom…(I was hungry few times duo to wrong planing..). Here I ate too much. I gain weight. But it is hard to say NO to all the fresh fruits, yogurt, super sweets, honey, bread… East Turkey at the end of summer it is one big nature market day after day…
- Turkey is a Muslim country. It is month of Ramazan. I did post for five days. It means no food or water during the time the sun is up. But before and after it is a feast. A lot a lot of good food. The typical Iftar (- Ramazan dinner) is: Corba - Soup, Plovh - Rice, Saslik - Meat, Manto - Small dumplings, Salat and after Tea and Sweets. Couple hours later you have breakfast… For me it was not a post…It has been the fastest way to gain couple kg and be unproductive during the day…
- Bayburt - I can speak Russian with Turkish owner of the store around the corner. I am back couple time per day for tea and chat. For couple days we had routine. Felt good….The Internet place still does not have WC for female… But I like that town with the castle at the middle and top of the hill.( Like my home town - Skofja Loka)
- I have health problems again… I am afraid. The knee is swollen again. It is painful. How many kms on uphill I need to walk. (The pain is inside the knee… At the nights it spread through the bone down to ankle.) I take painkillers. Strong ones. The pain is gone. But I get diarrhea. (By now I know from experience I need to use WC for five times to empty my stomach.)
- I met Mr. Faruk. He is Muslim, Turkish, dad, husband, biker, worker…AMAZING SUPER GREAT HAPPY GENTELMAN, … We spend two days together..Which are one of the best of my whole journey.. MR. FARUK IS THE LEGEND!
- Erbaa - I just wanted to use Internet for hour or two…Fact, I stayed in the town for five days. I hoped the rest will help my body… There is none speaking English to make normal conversation. So we stay with small talks. But kids, they have their own language. We play. They talk to me as I would understand Turkish. I am learning Turkish the easiest way. At the evening my mind is tired, but I learn couple new words every day… I have a chance to drive motorbike - Scooter 150 ccm again. Spending time with Erjan and Kadir. Two young Turkish men, who were cool. Thanks for the Online dictionary we were able to communicate. We had fun, jokes….and also discussions about the real life. Economy, business…
- Bike is showing that some good service would be appreciated. All the cables tore apart in couple of days…So it took me abit over 30.000 km to fix my first cable. The rear deriliour is twisted once again… I can use just few gears. (Later in Istanbul it breaks to two pieces…I have done service now.)
- Amasya - first city after Tbilisi to have more then 50.000 people. The town that is known for its history and its apples. The town where the less traditional Turkey starts. I met Ali. Another man on motorbike, Honda Transalp 600 ccm. Few more rides - I love it! Thanks Ali for a nice Sunday. 
- I have to say goodbye to small roads. My constant companion become numerous trucks…and still hills. (Kazakhstan and Turkey are two really similar countries, with one major opposite fact. Turkey is hilly, KZ is flat!) Knee is in pain again. Two days Walking, biking, Resting , Thinking, Talking loud…This can not be true. Not once again. I am afraid. (I am not near as strong as last year. The memory is still fresh…. I want to bike to home.)..Third day. The German van pass by and stop at the top of the hill. It is Mareike from Berlin, Germany. (We met couple months ago at the Ferry port in Aktay. (I went into border territory to speak to tourists there…Second time I was told clearly by KZ border officer that I am not allowed to come in…) She offered me a ride. Think. Think and I excepted it. The kms fly by, same as all the hills. For couple hundred km I took a ride. I cheated. I hate that fact. I came to Istanbul in 4 days from Amasya. I planed 6. It feels strange.. I need to calm down myself. What is next. Bike or continue by van…I decide to try still to bike. I took two days off. On the beach. I swim. And try not to think to much. It is SOOOO GOOD. And then decided to go into the big city, fixed bike and take longer rest. (When I am tired I do not like to make decisions…)
- My host in big city is Umut, another biker and his friends (Olga, Nidal, Inan and Tuce - Thanks a lot!)…It feels I am in Beijing with Ivan and Michela. All the chats and group cooking. Yeah. I could not ask for more. Good rest and nice company helps to get energy back. To calm down. To find motivation. And knee swollen is gone.
This are just few drops what was going on in my life in last couple weeks….Between home and me is 1400 km… So couple more weeks to go. I have only one wish… Let be the road as flat as possible. Then I can ride and roll all the way till home. I hope. I wish. I need.:)
(Btw..I have checked the ferry options between Syria, Jordan with Greece or Italy…..Nothing good.. It will need to wait for future…)
INSHALAH ….
September 23rd, 2008 at 10:41 am
Go girl, go! 1400Km isn’t far compared with how far you’ve come.
September 23rd, 2008 at 11:48 am
Mr Faruk is really the legend!… I was there in his SUPER CLASS HOTEL- and he was the best host. he spoke about you all the time, proudly.
all the best!
Roi.