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Published: August 7th 2013
Relaxing in Olympos
Staying in Saban Tree HousesWith just 3 days remaining before I cross the border over into Georgia, it's time to say farewell to Turkey. Having spent the past 9 weeks cycling through this beautiful country, visiting the western, southern, central and north-eastern areas it is fair to say that I have gained a good insight into what makes up this huge land, its people, its culture and its traditions.
The cycling has been the toughest I have yet experienced on this trip, crossing numerous mountain ranges in the intense daytime heat. I have one more pass to cross the day after tomorrow which will see me pedalling to a height of 2640m (nearly 8000 ft). The heat has been so intense at times that the tarmac has been melting and sticking to my tyres. The number of punctures has also risen with me suffering a total of 5 so far....all in Turkey.
During my time spent in Turkey, I have also cycled the furthest in one day (183KM/109 miles) and also attained the highest speed on my bike (80KM/H/48 miles per hour) on a long and steep downhill stretch.
The heat has also played havoc with me personally, with me experiencing heat
stroke on one occasion at 11 o'clock in the morning whilst tackling a mountain close to Antalya, in the south, where it is not only hot but also extremely humid. One of the symptoms of heat stroke is muscle cramp and it was rather embarrassing, but most likely hilarious for the audience as I wriggled around on the floor outside a petrol station. No matter which way I turned, whether I stood up or laid down I just couldn't shift the cramp and was howling in agony.
My normal cycling routine usually starts with me rising at 0450 each morning and on the road by 0530. I aim to finish the bike ride around noon but on occasions have pedalled until 3 pm.
Sleeping in a tent in the heat is not pleasant. At times I have elected to sleep under the stars, but most of the time I book into a cheap hostel or hotel (£10 per night) where they usually have internet and as such I have something to keep me occupied.
My highlights along this recent stretch have been Mount Nemrut, Cappadocia, Olympos and Ani, the ghost town situated on the Armenian border. Olympos
on the south coast was a great resort to chill out in some tree houses and mix with some backpackers again. Cappadocia, an area of outstanding beauty with wind eroded valleys and caves was particularly fun, especially in the company of a lovely Kiwi and crazy Frenchman where we all elected to visit the attractions on scooters. Mount Nemrut, near Malatya was simply breathtaking and Ani, the Ghost town was equally mesmerising.
Food wise I can honestly say that I am 'kebabbed out' and am looking forward to something alternative in Georgia. I know however that this will be short-lived as I head further east into the 'Stan' countries. The dark-red cherries and the apricots that are grown and sold in Turkey are some of the best I have eaten in my entire life.
Observations I have made along the way, are that cities vary enormously from one another. In one it feels very conservative with most women wearing headscarves, yet literally 30 miles further down the road you enter a town or a city and it feels much more liberal with the people appearing to adopt more western style attitudes.
Religion features highly throughout Turkey and
for the past month, the people have been fasting during Ramadan, known as Ramazan in Turkey. It means that during the day, the population refrain from drinking or eating until after sunset. This fasting period will come to an end tomorrow and the Turkish population will celebrate with a feast lasting 4 days.
My greatest memories of Turkey will however be of their hospitality and generosity. I had already received tremendous generosity in many parts of the Balkans, but the Turks have taken this to another level.
I have been invited to stay in peoples' homes who have never met me before. In a restaurant where I have been sat down next to a stranger, the person has ended up paying for my meal. In a kebab shop where I have enjoyed food and drink, the owner did not allow me to pay for the meal. I have been given fruit by cars passing me on the road. I have shared tea, with everybody from farmers to street workers. Never have I been able to pay for it myself. People who have invited me into their houses have got up at 5 o'clock in the morning to say
farewell to me as I have continued with my ride. It is absolutely unbelievable how generous they are.
One of the great pleasures I have after a long ride is to visit a barber's shop to have a cut throat shave. If there are any Turks reading this blog and you ever visit the UK, please do not go to the barbers for a haircut or a shave as you will be disappointed!
Here in Turkey, after they have worked up the foam on your bristles, they carefully cut your beard with the traditional cut throat razor. Sometimes, after what you think is a clean shave they repeat the procedure. You really are as smooth as a peach after that. However, after this, they give you a head massage, burn away any hairs on your ears, trim your nostril hair and eyebrows, rub in anti-wrinkle creme (I think) and splash after-shave lotion all over your face. The whole procedure usually takes 25 minutes and it costs the pricey sum of £1.60. Not bad eh!
Are there any things I didn't like about Turkey. My only criticism is the rubbish that is often discarded by members of the
public. In the last couple of days whilst cycling through some wonderful scenery following a river as it cut through several gorges, I was disappointed to see a member of a coach crew step out and throw two full bags of rubbish into the river. What a crime and in a such a beautiful country. I hope this will change in the future as people are educated on the damage they are causing to the eco-system.
In three days time I will cross the border into Georgia and enter the town of Batumi. There I await bicycle spares and begin the process of obtaining visas for my onward journey. The country where Stalin was born I look forward to sampling the famous red wine and the ChaCha spirit. The journey continues......
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