Anatole and I drop down the ramp and instantly find ourselves trying to cross the D100 main road. With 5 lanes of traffic (that’s just one direction), lorries, cars, motor homes and no hard shoulder it is not a road to trifle with. After a few false starts we find an alternative, although this puts us among the small busy streets. Taxis, people pulling carts of cardboard, vans small and large, people chatting, deals being brokered, the occasional strong debate and two cyclists not knowing where they are going and you have a mix for chaos!
We keep moving upwards and forwards dodging the locals and vehicles. This eventually passes and becomes tourists and e-scooters; I’m not sure which was worst. Passing behind the Sultan Ahmet mosque (aka the Blue Mosque) we drop on to a road heading to the Topkapi palace. It is a tourist street full off restaurant and hotels. We quickly get accosted ‘come here for food,’ ‘where are you from;’ a starter for a conversation to get you into a shop or restaurant. Half way along we find our hostel and start the process of unloading.
We still have food but the hostel has no kitchen, we opt to use our stove outside and eat inside at the bar. We grab a couple of beers and unwind from the journey. The next day we head to the Asian side to visit a bike shop, Anatole needs his wheel realigned and I am looking for an Ortlieb clib and a new seat. I end up visiting four shops over two days to try and find a solution! I found one.
Anatole was at the end of this phase of his journey and went off to collect his friend, Hugo, from the airport. I went to see cyclist I met at Lüleburgaz, Max, who is heading to Singapore and we grab dinner at a local restaurant he discovered a few days earlier. They already know him by name! The food was delicious and not just the standard Turkish fair.
Winter planning and scheming!
The next day I bump into Alessio, another cycle tourist, just heading to his hostel and we agree to grab food and a beer later in the day. Alessio mentions he is planning on heading through Iran to the Philippines and this brings me on to my problem of my plan for winter. Time for some research and my final options:
- Iran is out, mainly because British can’t get visas!
- Iraq -> Jordan -> Saudi Arabia -> UAE
- It is possible but need to stay out of the South. Northern is definitely safe but Central Iraq people are a little bit cold towards foreigners. I also talk to Graham’s contact in Iraq and he suggested against it in the Central and South due to recent issues.
- Turkey -> Israel -> Jordan -> Saudi Arabia -> UAE
- This would entail getting a cargo ship which is becoming more difficult these days due to Covid-19 regulations on-board ship. There is a car transport but they won’t take bikes!
- Central Asia will be too cold to traverse by myself but if I could find someone as mad, that is a possibility.
- One last option would be to overwinter in Georgia (maybe with a short visit home), this way I could learn some Russian as well for cycling through Central Asia. As a bonus I could potentially do some mountaineering.
Both options to the UAE would involve finding an old Junk to cross from Dubai to India, something Michael Palin did 30 years ago but not sure it is still an option. The final option would mean pausing until Central Asia ‘opened’ up, April, but it would give me the chance to do something other than cycling! This is looking more like an option with the bonus that I could cycle through Central Asia with TJ. Choices!
Time to become a tourist…
I join Alessio on a tour in the evening with Haktan, our free tour guide, which takes us through the old town and to a couple of the smaller mosques. Haktan also explains why there was an Egyptian statue next to the main mosques. The Romans brought it from Egypt. We visited both the Sokollu Mehmet Pasha and the Little Sofia mosques. They are not touristy at all meaning less noise and more time to enjoy. Within the Little Sofia you can still see many of the church components and original designs.
The tour highlights a few lesser known items. For example Nakkas Rugs where you can visit an old cistern of the city for free, with arrangement. Considerably cheaper than the tourist area! Haktan also highlights where you can visit part the old Roman palace, Palatium Cafe and Restaurant. We finish the tour at the Ayasofya (Hagia Sofia) mosque. A mosque converted from a church where many of the frescos still exist, although ones in the direction of praying are covered.
The Grand Bazaar; however was a bit of a disappointment and is more of a tourist location with repeating shops, similar to the Egyptian Bazaar (also known as the Spice market). The markets, which pop up randomly and take over streets for the day, are much more impressive and more likely to have something you need.
I do however; find the true market for the area where all the locals shop. You have to walk behind the Grand Bazaar and head towards the water. The area was calmer with no pushy sales people, mothers with children, and shops of all types from lingerie to children’s toys. The bonus was the prices drop back to local levels including street food. Do expect to get a few weird looks. I was the only tourist in this area and whilst I looked out of place I always felt safe.
A hub of cycle tourists
I spent over a week in Istanbul between two hostels, the second of which was Lola Backpackers. This hostel was in the DIY shop district of Istanbul. The area has about 100 shops in a small space. The hostel is a converted old house down an alley and behind the Arab mosque. It has been converted in a very Turkish style. i.e. someone who does not necessarily know how to build things correctly but is very enthusiastic! It all adds to the places charm and roughness.
I bump into three other cycle tourers, one of which I had already met in Serbia in a hostel on the Danube, Coco. It was nice to meet his two companions and how their journey finished. I start working on my route towards Cappadocia and include the Tuz Golu (salt lake). It’s a regular stop for cycle tourists on their way round Turkey. This route will take me through the rural ‘flat lands’ of Turkey, a very different side of Turkey which I have not seen.
I finish off the week with another tour by Haktan but this time on the East or Asian side of Istanbul. It has a different feel with two mosques commissioned by the Sultan’s wives. These mosques have a different feel but still incorporate the same components with a main dome and smaller domes supporting.
The rest of the week was used for resting and catching up with friends and family.