I had been warned about cycling in Istanbul and the small bit I had done was pretty terrifying. But going south out of Istanbul was meant to be easy and it was for the first hour. You follow the coast after a short ferry trip (a ferry a day keeps the bike mechanic at bay) to the Asian side. However, then you come up to a main road and even though you try to come off it, there will be a bit of time spent on it. Lorries, cars, vans and tractors all frequent the road making it a hair-raising experience and not one I want to repeat any time soon!
But to avoid the worse I took a second ferry from Eskihisar to Topçular. I then start to get off the main roads on to small roads through the hills, heading towards Iznik. There are three cyclists heading in the opposite direction. I stop and they offer me coffee. We climb on to some rocks and look out over the valley. Chatting through Google Translate I work out they are on their way home to Istanbul after a day trip. We discuss each other’s plans and follow each other on Instagram. They also ask for a separate picture with my bike and I. A couple wanted to give it a ride, I let them. But they found it difficult with the extra weight; it takes some getting use to.
Still need to make better decisions on wild camping spots!
I change my route slightly so I can camp next to a lake, but this does add another hour to my day and I will need to stop for dinner if I am to have enough light to put up my tent. I stop off in Boyalica for dinner and spot a place to camp on Google Maps. However, when I arrive I find it covered in rubbish so I cycle a bit further back to a park on the edge of the water. There are lots of people around, but it is getting dark and cold. I manage to get my tent up and dive in to the sleeping bag. I’m snug and warm but I can feel a cold developing. Hopefully I nice sleep will get rid of it.
In the morning I don’t feel too bad and make my way to Iznik, looking for somewhere for breakfast and toilet. Squat toilets from now on and don’t forget to bring your own roll! It’s an optional extra. Iznik has a lot of history to it. It was a major part of the trading route, the Silk Road, and many of the old buildings from that time still exist. There is also a museum which is cheap explaining the history and products made in the city and why it was so important. It also suggests a visit to the Yesli (Green) Mosque next door, which is stunning on the inside. I don’t think my photography captured it! How do you photograph a mosque?
I set off towards my next stop, which is at least two days away, Eskişehir. It’s a university town with a nice vibe but not a tourist destination. My cold has started to get worse and I consider just stopping anywhere but I am on a main road. I eventually turn off and on to a smaller road and the police pull up next to me to have a chat. They wanted to know my direction and I tell them, one officer is from Eskişehir and I ask if I can get a lift. He doesn’t live there anymore, so no chance of a lift. Worth a try! They warn me I am taking the mountain pass to Eskişehir, I said I know.
I should learn when to STOP!
I continue onwards and I suddenly feel like I’ve gained some extra suspension. Bouncy time. Unfortunately, it was a flat tyre! Ill, tired, and been warned it will be cold on the pass I reluctantly change my inner tube. It’s the rear so that means everything has to come off. What a faff. I thought the Schwalbe Marathon Plus Tour were indestructible! I continue upwards on rough trails to a plateau and I make my dinner and decided there is enough light to get to the outskirts of the next village, I was wrong and finish in the dark. The worst bit, my stomach has reacted to something and I develop diarrhoea. Just what I need! I have decided I should not be allowed to make decisions, why am I doing this again?
Stopping to pitch, but first the down jacket must go on. I get in the tent and fall straight to sleep. Someone in the night drives up to the tent but realising I must be asleep decides to drive off again. I’m happy they did. The next day I head to Eskişehir and book into a hostel, I end up staying for a three nights until my cold finally ends.
Rural Turkey
Feeling better I head off, it’s warm again but not too hot due to the altitude. The rural area is an open plane and there is a small head wind and no shelter. Passing through the villages you realise the poverty, some people living in buildings of collapsed roofs. Not sure how they are going to survive the winter. The people in this area are courteous but not overly chatty. This goes on for two days and I also realise this area is facing a drought. I didn’t come across any springs with flowing water and I also come close to running out of water. Need to start carrying more water.
This carries on for two days but my final day before Tuz Gőlű (Salt Lake); I find the villages I am cycling through have more wealth. The buildings are newer, better designs and the roads have asphalt. I stop at a market, hoping for some çay (pronounced chai, Turkish tea) and to stock up on food. Outside there is an old gentlemen drinking çay, Mehmet. He asked if I speak German, I said no but English and a bit of Danish. He responds in Danish perfectly. I wasn’t prepared for it.
I sat down and joined him for çay and we talked about his life. He use to live in Copenhagen and ran a pita place at first and then a guesthouse along with a few other jobs. Denmark wouldn’t let him stay and he had to return. The worst bit is his two children remain and he very rarely gets to see them, maybe just once a year or every two years. He points out another person in the village across from the park opposite the shop. He says the family is starving because there is no work. I start to think that image, is not everything around here. The place might look new but that doesn’t matter if there is no work.
A lake of salt
The heat is starting to get to me again and I find breaks in petrol stations, cool drinks and guaranteed shade. This brings more interaction with the locals in either English or Google Translate! These breaks make me enjoy my ride but I still have reservations about my journey. I set off on the last hill towards the lake but I get called over to a group of people sat outside a shop. They offer me a seat on the sofa outside and give me 2L of water (very much needed). One speaks a small amount of English and translates for the group. They ask me why I didn’t go on a motorbike, I quite agree! I explained cost of fuel but I don’t think it makes up for the suffering.
Over the final hill and I have a view of the lake, I also notice a small refugee camp on the way to the lake. The children wave and give chase for a bit. The lake itself glistens with the sunlight hitting it and bouncing off the salt crystals. I set off to find a spot, but the cycling is tough as the sand gives way to salt. Setting up camp, trying not to get salt and sand over everything and importantly the tent. I fail.
I set my DSLR for night time photography and start cooking. Packet beef and bean stew, it was actually tasty but not enough! I get to bed early to wake up just after midnight. It was worth it. Whilst there was still some residual light it was still clear enough to see the Milky Way. My photography skills do not do it justice!