As I have already traveled through all of the European countries over the past year I am making a pretty much straight shot from Heidelberg, Germany where I stored my bike for the winter to Istanbul, Turkey where it feels like the journey to Central Asia really begins.
Day 595: Sunday, May 1, 2016
I got up at 3:00am to catch my flight out of Seattle at 6:30am. The flight was on schedule and after a seamless connection in Dallas I got to Frankfurt on Monday morning at 7:30am. Even after millions of miles of flying in my lifetime I am still in awe of how far one can travel in such a short period of time.
Day 596: Monday, May 2, 2016
After arriving at Frankfurt International Airport I caught the shuttle to the train station and from there took the train to Heidelberg. I have done this route 3 or 4 times now so it was all familiar. I always like the feeling of familiarity when I am in foreign places.
Knopf Tours where my motorcycle was stored over the winter is only a few minute walk from the train station so it is easy to get to. I arrived about 11am and I immediately got to work getting my bike ready to ride. There was a lot to be done. I had to get the paniers out of storage, put them on the bike, and repack everything. It doesn’t sound like much but it took about 4 hours.
I went to my favorite place near Knopf Tours that serves donairs and pizza. I like it because it has pretty good food and the prices are really cheap.
Back at Knopf Tours I took a short nap and then began working on planning my route for the next several days as I was yet unsure what route I would take to get to Istanbul. In the afternoon I met a guy there from British Columbia, Canada and we enjoyed talking about our past and future rides. He stored his bike at Knopf Tours as well and was heading out the next morning for a month of riding.
I was exhausted by the end of the day and had no problems falling asleep.
Knopf Tours in Heidelberg is a place for bikers. My bike is in the center.
Day 597: Tuesday, May 3, 2016
Today I got on my bike and started riding for the first time in 4 ½ months. It was a strange feeling and it took a little time to get the feel back. Of course it had to rain on me for my first day. Fortunately I was only going to Stuttgart which is a short 2 hour ride.
I got to Stuttgart, checked into my hotel and got in touch with my friend Roland who lives there. Roland and I first met in Panama and shared the ride on the Stahlratte for 4 days sailing from Panama to Columbia. He just finished a 1 ½ year ride through the Americas and Africa! He came and picked me up and took me to a special festival that just happened to be going on today. It is like Oktoberfest but in the spring.
We were in a beer tent that holds about 5,500 people. Just crazy. I have never experienced anything like that before. I can tell you that the Germans really know how to party. It was incredible to see almost everyone dressed in tradition garb. We were there several hours, drank 2 liters of beer each, and got to listen to 3 different rock bands playing current rock songs, both English and German. Thank you Roland for an unforgettable experience!
Catching up with my friend Roland Taub!
Definitely no shortage of beer in German.
Day 598: Wednesday, May 4, 2016
I had a pretty short ride today from Stuttgart to Munich so I made a stop at a beautiful little spot called Blautopfhaus Schönhofer am Blautopf and enjoyed a Coke Zero in this idyllic place. Roland had told me about this place otherwise I would have driven right by without even knowing it existed. And little down the road was supposed to be a museum of German WWII Field Marshal Rommel and the website said it would be open. After driving around about 30 minutes trying to find the place I finally did and low and behold it was closed. Good thing my ride to Munich was short.
In Munich I stayed at the Courtyard Marriott which is the same place I stayed at last July when I first started the European leg of my journey. It made me think back on all the miles traveled since that time.
Blautopfhaus Schönhofer am Blautopf
Blautopfhaus Schönhofer am Blautopf
Day 599: Thursday, May 5, 2016
Today’s objective was to get to either Vienna, Austria or Bratislava, Slovakia which is about 550 km. The weather was perfect for riding. I stayed on the autobahn today since there was so much distance to cover. I had problems finding a good priced place to stay in Vienna so headed on to Bratislava. For some reason the first 3 hostels I went to were full but finally the forth place I tried had room so I finally got settled about 10pm. I have been to Vienna and Bratislava in the past so felt no need to see more of either city.
A typical Austrian Village at the foot of the Alps in the Chiemgan region
Day 600: Friday, May 6, 2016
I had an appointment with the Triumph dealership in Budapest today at 3pm to get more maintenance done on the bike. I need to have it in as good as condition as possible before leaving Turkey for Central Asia since there are no more Triumph dealerships from there to India. It was only a 2 hour ride to Budapest from Bratislava so I arrived about noon, checked into my hotel, and had plenty of time to spare. After spending $1,100 on maintenance and getting my bike back at 6:00pm I spent the rest of the evening working on the blog and trip planning. A big thank you to Boch Norbert at Triumph Budapest for taking great care of me and my bike. He helped me out last fall as well. Any Triumph rider going through Budapest I would highly recommend their service. Top notch!
Day 601: Saturday, May 7, 2016
There is not much to report on today. Having a nice, comfortable hotel room with really great Wi-Fi I spent almost the entire day in my room doing some much needed work on my travel blog and trip planning. There is just so much to do and it is hard to do it when so much time is spent riding. So I enjoyed my day off from riding and got a lot of accomplished.
Day 602: Sunday, May 8, 2016
From Budapest, Hungary to Sibiu, Romania it is pretty much all farm land. It is all flat and no fun roads to be found so I didn’t even try and stuck to the main highway. Even then it was a 550 km ride which is not a short day by any means. Even though my GPS said it was a 6 hour ride that always means in reality an 8 hour day which is long enough. The weather was beautiful when I left Budapest and remained that way for a lot of the way. About 1 ½ hours out of Sibiu though thunder storms started to appear and for a long time stayed just barely to my north. I could tell I was getting really lucky. At one point though I hit one of the storms and for 10 minutes was caught in a downpour. Literally within 1 minute the temperature dropped from 19 C to 11 C. That is a huge drop. At least I am well dressed for rain and cold so it was not a problem and I just kept on going.
Also today I exited the Schengen Agreement countries and had to cross the border between Hungary and Romania and go through passport control. It is only going to get worse and worse now as I head to Central Asia. Europe’s Schengen Agreement is really a great thing and I will miss it.
Day 603: Monday, May 9, 2016
Today was a scheduled down day after a long ride yesterday and the weather forecast for rain, and rain it did. All day. It is a good thing that I had bought some breakfast food and snacks last night for today. I worked on my computer all day planning routes, making maps, and working on the travel blog. By 7pm the rain stopped so I rode into town and found some good pizza for only $5 USD. Not a bad deal!
Day 604: Tuesday, May 10, 2016
I was not in that much of a hurry today as it was only about a 6 hour ride to Bucharest. The days are long now which is really nice so it is possible to get going at noon and do a decent day’s ride and still get where you are going before dark. I purposely planned to go through Sibiu on my way to Istanbul because between Sibiu and Bucharest is one of the world’s greatest roads for riding. I road it last October and wanted to do it again. I discovered yesterday during my planning though that the road was closed still. Because of snow and avalanche danger it does not open until July 1 each year. So that was a major bummer. I ended up taking the main highway which was much less interesting.
I did take a short side trip though to hit a town where Roy stayed last year for several days so I could stop by and say “hi” to the people that own the pension he was at. On the side road I found a wonderful mountain forest that was a nice (although short) break from the main highway.
Just as I stopped to say “hi” to Roy’s friends a huge storm was bearing down from the north. I kept the visit short and jumped back on the bike in hopes of outrunning the storm. I ended up going through about 15 minutes of an extreme downpour with strong winds and even flooding streets. It was not fun to say the least. But I kept up my speed and finally got south of the storm and out of the rain. It was still following me though and continued to be on my heels all the way to Bucharest.
I got checked into my hostel alright and then rushed over to the printer shop to get some maps printed for my bike paniers and also some Manic Nomads business cards. Roy and I had been talking about getting cards to be able to give to people we meet along the way and after nearly a year I finally did it.
Ate my picnic lunch in this beautiful spot (Subway sandwich)
Day 605: Wednesday, May 11, 2016
Today was another day that was just going to be a day of riding. Coming out of Bucharest heading south I must have made a wrong turn somewhere and instead of my GPS getting me back on the main road right away it seemed to want to take me a very long way around. By the time I realized I was not on a direct route I had to ignore the GPS and make my own way back to the main highway I wanted to be on.
After crossing into Bulgaria I found some really good roads that went through some really nice countryside and a mountain road in a national park. There was practically no traffic so it was a really enjoyable ride. I stopped a few times along the way, turned off the bike, and just enjoyed the utter peacefulness of the place.
My destination was Yambol, Bulgaria. I knew nothing about Yambol (and still don’t) other than that it was pretty much half way between Bucharest and Istanbul. I have a nice hotel for the night and walked to a nearby pedestrian area where I found Italian food for dinner. The weather has been getting warmer and warmer as I head south so was able to eat outside and enjoy the fresh air, sights, and sounds.
I have been to Turkey twice in the past but only for a few days each time so have seen very little. This time will be different. We will most likely spend 3 weeks and see all the key places in Turkey.
Day 606: Thursday, May 12, 2016
Today I made my way through the flat lands in Southern Bulgaria and into Northern Turkey. It was only about 3 hours from the border into Istanbul and the ride went smoothly. The freeway only got really crowded when I was just about 10 kilometers from my hotel. When it did get crowded though it really got crowded. It was a little hairy weaving through the traffic on my motorcycle.
I got to my hotel at about 4pm and was expecting Roy to arrive sometime in the evening. I took advantage of the hotel’s gym to get in a workout and use the sauna. I don’t usually stay in a hotel with a gym so it was a nice treat. Roy arrived really late at about 10pm. We then went out to find a beer to celebrate the reunion of the Manic Nomads. That was harder than expected and we ended up back at the hotel lobby bar where we had a very overpriced beer but it was good none the less.
Sitting between the borders of Bulgaria & Turkey
Day 607: Friday, May 13, 2016
Today being Friday and the last work day of the week Roy and I worked diligently on getting visas in place for our upcoming venture into Central Asia. This is the most difficult region in the world for traveling. There are so many obstacles.
Our original plan was to go to the Pakistan Consulate as that is the most critical visa we need to get into Asia. However a phone call to the consulate changed that plan. They insured us that it was impossible to get a Pakistani visa at any consulate other than their consulate in the country of our citizenship. This totally doesn’t work for people like us that aren’t in our home country. So we spent a lot of time trying to find a solution to this problem. We are still not sure what we are going to do to solve this problem.
We also worked on visas for Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. They are such difficult countries to deal with. We have already got the process going on visas for Iran and China. There are so many it is hard to keep track of it all.
We did find time to go get some lunch before getting back to work. In the evening it was back to the gym and sauna for a great workout. I have now had 2 straight days of 30 minutes on the treadmill. There is no pain in my left leg at all which seems like a miracle after how I felt as recently as February. I think of my awesome surgeon in Buenos Aires often. He has done a great job with my leg.
Taking a break for lunch in Istanbul. Really good food!
Day 608: Saturday, May 14, 2016
We are staying at the Marriott Courtyard Istanbul and it is near some large conference complex and today the president of Turkey was going to be there for some event. Thus, the roads were all blocked off and high barricades lined all the roads around the hotel. We couldn’t get our bikes out of the hotel so we ended up working on our trip planning, visas, and blogging all day. I also took advantage of the nice gym and got in another workout.
Day 609: Sunday, May 15, 2016
Today we needed a break from working on our computers so we decided to go do some seeing of the sights. We went to see the Blue Mosque and also the Hagia Sofia Museum. The Hagia Sofia Museum in retrospect was too expensive for what it was. The Blue Mosque is free to visit so that was more our style. I had already been there about 10 years ago so it was nothing new.
When we were walking away from the Blue Mosque a guy starts talking to us. He owned a rug shop in the market area behind the Blue Mosque. He wanted us to come see his shop and offered us tea. We told him we absolutely could not buy anything as we are traveling on bikes but he insisted that was not a problem but to come enjoy some tea together anyway. The same thing had happened to me 10 years prior. Since we like meeting people and talking with them we played along. When we go to the shop I was shocked because it was the exact same shop I had been invited into 10 years ago. It has an unmistakable and extraordinary view of the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia. I just couldn’t believe I was having tea again at the same place and with the same people I had so many years prior.
After about an hour enjoying our encounter with the carpet shop people we walked over to the Grand Bazaar but being a Sunday it was closed. I had checked online and the information I got was that it was open daily. It goes to show you can’t believe everything you read online.
In the evening it was back to the hotel where I once again enjoyed a good workout in the gym. It is beginning to feel like a really nice routine (the feeling of a routine is one thing that you start to long for when you travel like I do where there is very rarely a routine).
The Blue Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey
Day 610: Monday, May 16, 2016
Today was moving day. We stayed at our nice Marriott Courtyard as long as possible, not really wanting to leave. But at noon we had already surpassed the checkout time by an hour. As we were loading up our bikes in front of the hotel the bellman joined us and we talked about motorcycles and his dream to do what we are doing.
Once we got checked into our hostel on the Asian side of Istanbul we didn’t have any time to waste. The Triumph dealership was expecting us so we could get needed maintenance work done on our bikes. Once we leave Turkey there are no more Triumph dealerships until we make it to India. We arrived at Triumph about 2pm. It is the beginning of the riding season in Europe now so all the Triumph dealerships are swamped with maintenance work. Therefore it took over 4 hours just to have the bikes looked at enough to where they could make up work orders.
During our wait Roy and I found a nearby grocery store, got some prepared food, and sat in a nice little park to eat our lunch. After leaving the shop we caught a cab back to the hostel. By that time we were feeling pretty tired so we just found a restaurant for some dinner and then called it a day.
Our new bellman friend at the Marriott Courtyard. He loves bikes.
Day 611: Tuesday, May 17, 2016
Today we were without our bikes so it made for a perfect opportunity to take the ferry from the Asian side to the European side of Istanbul and hit the Grand Bazaar that we couldn’t see on Sunday. The weather was on the cool and cloudy side today. It would have been nice if the weather had been a little better. The Grand Bazaar was not nearly as crowded as it had been when I was there 10 years ago. I kind of like my memory of it better from before when it seemed much livelier.
Taking a break for lunch in Istanbul. Really good food!
Day 612: Wednesday, May 18, 2016
I was expecting to get my motorcycle back today but that did not happen. They worked on Roy’s bike before they worked on mine so his was ready. Around 10am we took a cab to the Triumph dealership to pick up Roy’s bike. One is better than none. Our goal was to get the bike right away and make it to the Uzbekistan Consulate before noon since they only accept applications in the morning. Well, Roy’s bike when we got there but at 11am it was and we thought we’d still make it in time. Just as we were ready to leave they asked if they could interview us. Of course we should have gone to the consulate as getting the visa is critical but we just couldn’t resist being interviewed. By the time we finished making the interview it was too late to make it to the consulate.
Ali, the manager at Triumph Istanbul is so nice though that he gave a call to the consulate for us to see if it would still be possible to go there today. They said no but Ali did get us a lot of good information that we could not have been able to get communicating in English. One piece of information he got was that the consulate’s location is different than what is shown on their website and on Google. So as it turns out even if we had left at 11am we would not have succeeded with our mission. So in the end it all worked out perfectly or as good as it could. This is just one more example of why it is important not to stress over things. It all works out in the end… or it doesn’t.
The afternoon was spent walking around trying to find good Internet which took a try at about 6 different cafes and then finally once I found one, working for 3 or 4 hours on more visa stuff. Needing a change of pace I went to a supermarket and bought stuff to make meat sauce spaghetti and Roy and I had that for dinner along with some Sapporo beer that Roy found.
Day 613: Thursday, May 19, 2016
In the morning I did work on my computer at a local café that had better Internet than the hostel has. At about 2pm the word came in that my bike was ready so I finally got my bike back today. When I arrived to get my bike I was informed that all was good with the bike except that the alternator was not right and could break at any time or never. They don’t have an alternator in stock so they are trying to get the part from the factory in England. I will be in Ankara, Turkey in about 10 days where they have a shop as well so they are trying to get the part for me by then. I am keeping my fingers crossed since if I can’t get it replaced in Ankara the next chance is in India. I certainly don’t want to breakdown anywhere between Turkey and India I can assure you that.
Day 614: Friday, May 20, 2016
There was a lot to do today. In addition to just trying to get on the road and out of Istanbul after a week we had to go to the Uzbekistan Consulate to apply for our visas. That was the first thing that we needed to do since they only accept applications in the morning. We got to the Uzbekistan Consulate and it only took 5 minutes which was the easiest visa application submittal I have ever done. Imagine there is not much of a line for people trying to get visas to go there.
After that I needed to go to Touratech to get some parts for my bike. I ended up splurging and getting a portable seat which hopefully comes in handy when we do some camping over the next several months. The Touratech people were very helpful and even installed my headlight guard for me.
Finally about 2pm we were on the road and heading out of Istanbul. Fortunately we got out of the city before rush hour so the traffic was not too bad. At 4:30pm we finally stop along the side of the road at a little restaurant called a durumna that serves typical Turkish grill food. It is very good and inexpensive although I must say the portions could be double the size and be more suited to my appetite.
Later down the road we got off the main highway and took the back roads through the countryside that was mostly farmland. We got to Sarkoy about dusk, stopped at the first motel we found and called it a day.
Leaving our home of 4 days. Thank you Hush Hostel Lounge Istanbul.
Got jerry cans and headlight protector. Touratech makes great stuff.
Day 615: Saturday, May 21, 2016
This morning we headed south and after crossing by ferry from the European continent to the Asian continent and hit the ancient ruins of Troia (Troy) where the legend of the Trojan horse came from. The site was all right as far as these kinds of sites go but nothing to go out of your way for. In our case it was literally on our way. We got off the highway shortly after Troia and headed to the coast on very remote roads. We hardly saw any other cars for the rest of the way.
We made it to Assos in the evening and too late to explore the ruins there so we made our way down to the beach and a small city there where we grabbed a hotel and called it a day.
Ferry ride between the European side and Asian side of Turkey at Canakkale.
Day 616: Sunday, May 22, 2016
Today called for rain so we decided to stay at our campground for another night. The Internet is good so we knew we’d get a lot done. At about 2pm the weather was clearing up nicely so we headed back to Assos to take a look at the Temple of Athena and other ruins. When there we ran into a guy and his 10 year old son on a motorcycle. They had a bit of a mechanical problem and he asked me if we had any tools. Roy had what he needed and he made a quick repair on his bike while Roy and I ate a sandwich at a roadside restaurant.
The guy was a local and was really nice. He showed us some sights of the ruins that we may have otherwise missed. He also opened a closed gate to the amphitheater and we all rode are bikes in. Roy and I never would have done this on our own and we had a great time doing it. We didn’t finish our sightseeing until dark and we all went back to our campground and chatted some more over a beer. It was another one of those chance encounters that creates great memories.
Enjoying a nice campsite near Assos.
Dave & Roy at the top of the Temple of Athena in Assos.
Standing in the Amphitheater of Assos with the bikes on the theater stage.
Roy catching me exploring an ancient rock dwelling.
Temple of Athena in the background.
Day 617: Monday, May 23, 2016
The weather was great when we woke up today so we were happy to get on the road again. Today was mostly just riding. We got to Manisa which was just a point on the map for us. In the process we drove through Bergama where we could see from the road a big fortress or ruins of some kind on top of the mountain that overlooks the city. But we were tired of ruins so did not venture up to see them. Instead we chilled for 30 minutes while having a light lunch.
In Manisa we discovered that it is a really beautiful city. Our hotel was right next to the mosque with a really nice square in front of it. Behind the mosque are the towering mountains of the Spil Dagi National Park. It makes for a really nice atmosphere. At night we went out to find dinner and actually came across a place that had live music. We tried to order beers and were told that we needed to remember we are in a Muslim country and they did not serve beer. I settled for a mango smoothie instead. The music was good even though it was all in Turkish. After an hour it was back to the hotel and lights out.
Me on my 55th birthday.
Day 618: Tuesday, May 24, 2016
The morning started with a ride through the Spil Dagi National Park just south of Manisa. The road climbed almost straight up to the summit at 4,500 feet with some expansive views of the valley that Manisa is situated in. It was a really great ride. After a couple of hours it was back down into a valley that lead to Izmir and the coast.
In Izmir I was planning to go to the Triumph dealership to get something checked out but once we found the place it turns out they had moved to another location. As it turns out they had moved to a place 20 kilometers away and in the wrong direction so we gave up on going there. Next stop was a motorcycle gear store Roy wanted to go to. It was meant to be a stop of just a few minutes.
While Roy was taking care of his stuff I noticed a motorcycle washing shop. Our bikes were dirty so I suggested we get our bikes cleaned. Thinking it was only going to be about 45 minutes to get both bikes done we would be able to do that and still get to our planned destination of a beachside campground by evening.
Well 3 ½ hours later the bikes were ready. The guys at the shop were very interested in what we were doing and talked a lot with us. They are all motorcycle fanatics to say the least. So with it being late our new found friends got us a great price on a hotel and we decided to stay the night in Izmir. Our friend also said he would come by the hotel in a few hours and show us around.
It turns out that he loves driving his sports car and he took us on a ride through the streets of the city as if he was in a video game. It was the scariest car ride I have ever been in. I seriously thought I was going to die. I am glad to be in bed now safe and sound and going to sleep knowing I will wake up in the morning.
Standing at the entrance to the Spil Dagi National Park near Manisa, Turkey.
My bike getting a thorough cleaning.
All the guys at Moto Washer in Izmir with the Manic Nomads.
Day 619: Wednesday, May 25, 2016
Today we picked up our bikes in the morning at Moto Washer where we left the bikes overnight. From there I went to Western Union to fix a problem with a money transfer I sent in Istanbul to China. I did not have my passport so they said I had to come back. I headed to the hotel and as I approached it was on my left but I could not make a left turn. I ended up being forced onto a freeway and could not find an exit for over 10 minutes. I did not have my GPS with me either since I thought I was going to stay within a few blocks of my hotel. It took me 30 minutes to find my way back to the hotel. Not a good way to start the day.
By then Roy had also made it to the hotel so we loaded up our bikes at the same time and headed back to Western Union. This time I got the fix completed and we were off, anxious to get out of the big city and into the countryside. We were not disappointed by today’s ride. We stayed off the main highways for the most part and found a lot of good, fun road to ride. We were about 20 kilometers from where we thought we would stop for the day when we came across a really beautiful place on the beach. It took us all of 10 seconds to agree that we would stay here and call it a day. We got a campsite and enjoyed what was left of the evening sunshine.
The campground also had a restaurant so we had a typical Turkish dinner, the same thing we have been eating the past 10 days, and worked on our blogging since we had good Internet.
A beautiful beach cove near Akyaka, Turkey.
My bike, my hammock, and the beach. A perfect combination.
Day 620: Thursday, May 26, 2016
Another great day of weather. The first few hours of riding were a bit tedious as we were going through populated areas but once we got through that we found some more really nice roads for riding. We had Saklikent Milli Park in our sights since there is a very narrow gorge there that has a river running through it and it is possible to hike up the river through the gorge. If you have been to The Narrows at Zion National Park then it is very, very similar to that.
We weren’t sure if we would do the hike or not but by the time we got there we were hot and a hike through a river was making more and more sense. Of course it is always a challenge considering all of our riding gear and the fact that we have to get back on our bikes after getting all wet. Our desire for adventure beat out the inconveniences of it all. We ended up hiking about 45 minutes up the river through the gorge that got very narrow in spots. We had great time. At one point I fell backwards into the river and got soaked all the way up to my head. Roy just stood and laughed at me as I tried to get back on my feet.
It was a hot day so we dried off fast and were back on our bikes and heading to a campground in Kas in time to get there before dark. We found the campground and got all set up just as dusk set in.
Manic Nomads at Saklikent Milli Park.
Walking up the river through the gorge at Saklikent Milli Park.
Day 621: Friday, May 27, 2016
Today was all about SCUBA diving. We had heard that there was great SCUBA diving in Kas, Turkey. Neither Roy or I have ever dove in the Mediterranean (or Aegean) before so it was a good opportunity and we were in need of some more fun.
We found an outfit called SubAqua Diving and they were by far the best price we could find. It was only 45 Euro (150 Lira) for a 2 tank dive. The dive boat is by far the nicest dive boat I have been on. It even had 2 sun decks on top that made for a very comfortable and enjoyable ride out to the dive site and back. The staff are all very friendly, could speak good English, and were very professional divers.
Having said that, the diving was below average. Of course as every diver knows, just being under water is a pleasure. So no diving experience is bad. But as far as what there is to see, well that is a different story. There was no coral and hardly any sea life to look at. We did experience one steep wall which is always very impressive. We also saw 2 ship wrecks. A wreck of a coast guard ship was impressive but we could only swim over it. It was not big enough and it was at a bit too deep a depth to dive into the wreck.
All in all it was a very enjoyable day and well worth the time and expense. After that it was back to the campground to enjoy the beach and some relaxation time.
Manic Nomads SCUBA diving in Kas, Turkey.
Manic Nomads with the Sub Aqua SCUBA diving team.
Day 622: Saturday, May 28, 2016
Today I was ready to leave before Roy so I headed out first. We had the same route and the first stop was the Myra archeological site so I expected to see him there. I got to Myra and spent about 40 minutes there. While I thought the hillside tombs would be the most interesting part of Myra, I actually enjoyed the amphitheater the most. It is pretty well preserved compared to some that I’ve seen. There was no one else around so I had the place to myself. It is always awe inspiring to just sit in a place like that and think back to the time when the place was alive with people in its heyday.
On my way out I saw Roy on his way in so I continued on my way. My next stop was a place called Olympos. It is a really neat ruin because it has been overrun by a lot of vegetation and he has been left a lot like that. Thus, it is not as removed from nature like most of the ancient city ruin sites that I have seen. Also it was a city adjacent to the ocean beach and the shoreline is still right up to the location of the ruins. The place must have been such an idyllic place to live 2,000 years ago. Today the beach is a very popular place right there in the ruins of an ancient city.
From there I made my way to Antalya where I found the pension that Roy had reserved and I went out to get a good dinner. I was starving.
Ancient tombs carved into the mountainside in Myra, Turkey.
My Luna sandals still going strong; Amphitheater at Myra, Turkey.
Ancient ruins at Olympos, Turkey.
Day 623: Sunday, May 29, 2016
Today Roy and I stuck together the whole day. Our first destination was Perga which is a huge archeological site only 20 minutes from our pension in Antalya. We had some fun there and took a lot of pictures. The highlight for me was the stadium. I had seen one like this in Athens where the first Olympics were held but this is the only other place that I have seen one. It was getting pretty hot when we were there and there was no shade to be had so we finished up there without seeing the whole site.
The ride north from there in the direction of Konya was really great as it went up into some pretty high mountains. Not only were the roads fun to ride but the scenery was spectacular as well. Whenever that situation exists there is a struggle that goes on in my mind. Do I attack the road for a greater adrenaline rush or do I hold back and take in more of the scenery. In the end the road always wins out. The problem is that every once in a while I fall into the trap of attacking the road and trying to take in the scenery at the same time. In those moments I might almost miss a turn which lodges my heart in my throat. Fortunately I have never not recovered and hopefully that continues to be the case.
We visited the Tinaztepe Cave in the late afternoon. It was right off the highway we were traveling on. The cave is very boring as far as caves go. There are no formations at all. However at the very end of the cave which is about 1.5 km in you come to a ledge that looks down into a deep, open shaft with a lake about 30 or 40 meters down. It is something I have never seen before in a cave so while the rest was unimpressive the end made it worth it.
It was already late by the time we exited the cave and we only had about an hour of daylight left with no town large enough to have a hotel within that range. We had already anticipated that so were in search of a place we could pull off the road and camp. About 15 minutes before sunset we came to a perfect place. We pitched our tents so to speak (I have a hammock) and collected wood for a campfire. It was the first campfire we were able make on this trip and we enjoyed it for a few hours. When the fire died down it was time for bed but not until first staring at the sky full of stars for some minutes.
Taking a much needed break. Perga ruins, Turkey.
Goofing around.
A rare good picture of Roy and I together.
A rare good picture of Roy and I together.
Day 624: Monday, May 30, 2016
I woke up this morning to cow bells. At first they were in the distance and then they got closer and closer, loader and loader. I finally looked out of my hammock to see a long line of cows heading single file all on their own to the lake that we camped beside. Here we thought we were in some kind of park but in fact we were in grazing lands. A hundred or more sheep were not far behind the cows.
We got a relatively early start to the day but stopped pretty quickly to get some breakfast. From there it was a pretty straight shot to Goreme in the Kapadokya region of Turkey. When we got to our hotel in Goreme we were pleasantly surprised with great weather and a really nice outdoor area including swimming pool at the hotel. It was still pretty early in the day so we walked around looking for a late lunch or early dinner. I ended up ordering some Thai curry dish and told them I like it spicy. Nothing in Turkish cooking is spicy so I expected it would come out just fine. Nope. It was not the case. It came out so hot that after the first bite you can’t taste your food anymore and every bite afterwards feels like you are apply direct flame to your tongue. I was so starving that I ate through the pain and managed to eat most of my meal.
After that it was back to the hotel and I relaxed by the pool for 30 minutes enjoying the sun and my afternoon Coke Zero.
Goreme has a hamam and it was probably our last chance to experience that ancient Turkish tradition which we had yet to do so I made arrangements for us to go. The place we went was new so it was very clean and modern. Roy and I enjoyed the experience (sorry no pictures though – I need to lose several more pounds before that can happen).
Campground turned to cow pasture by morning.
Day 625: Tuesday, May 31, 2016
I got up today excited to not be riding and instead spending the day hiking through a few of the Kapadokya valleys. Our plan was to hike the Red and Rose canyons. We parked one bike at one end of the trail and then rode 2 up to the other end. That way we would only have to walk in one direction. There were many trails branching off in different directions and Roy and I could not agree on which way to go so it created a lot of colorful language along the way. In the end I am not sure what valleys we were in but regardless you can’t seem to go wrong no matter where you hike. The whole area has spectacular views. The rock formations are great and then what humans did to those formations to live there is just as amazing.
We probably hiked for 5 hours and by the end of it we decided that we did not need to stay another day to do more hiking. Using our Maps.me app on our cell phones we were able to easily find our way back to where Roy’s bike was parked. Roy took me back to my bike which was where we started the hike. We got back to the hotel about 5pm and enjoyed a much needed rest.
At 8pm we went to a Turkish dinner show that featured Whirling Dervishes, a belly dancer, and other Turkish folk dances. The dinner and show were totally aimed at tourists but that did not matter. The dinner and show were both quite enjoyable. The guy at the hotel was nice enough to give us a ride in his car to and from the show so we could enjoy the wine that was included in the price of admission.
Hiking in the beautiful Kapadokya valleys.
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