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| Photo by Ed Carter |
27
August – Bulgarian Border – Kirklareli, Turkey – 50 kilometres
Eddie
and I arrived in Turkey, a country with a long and fascinating history, at the
end of August and in the sweltering heat. Once across the border, we headed towards
the nearest town and bike shop as Eddies’ bicycle rim was cracked, making it
impossible to continue.
Turkish
people are some of the world’s kindest, and while waiting, offers of tea,
watermelon, as well as coffee were received. Unfortunately, the rim took longer
than envisaged to repair. By the time all was done, it was raining and we opted
for accommodation in Kirklareli. Turkey is a transcontinental country
straddling eastern Europe and Asia and was thus bound to throw us a few
surprises. Still, I was amazed to learn that our first town, Kirklareli, was
one of the first settlements in Europe.
28
August - Karklareli – Safalan – 96 kilometres
By
morning I was eager to go exploring. Turkey is not flat; the best part of the
day was spent cycling up and down hills, heading in Istanbul’s direction. A
picnic area featuring a restaurant and toilets indicated the end of the day’s
ride.
29-31
August - Safalan – Istanbul – 137 kilometres
Seeing
a long distance remained to historic Istanbul, we packed up early. Cycling into
large and busy Istanbul, Turkey’s economic, cultural, and
historic centre, was a nightmare in the horrendous traffic, especially during
peak hours. Unfortunately, none of the campsites indicated on the
map still existed, and by 21h00, we found alternative accommodation. But, at
least I’d my first glimpse of the Mediterranean. As stressful as the ride was,
I was happy to be in this beautiful and historic city.
The
following morning, and in daylight, locating a backpacker hostel was much more
manageable. The place was well situated in the tourist part of town, close to
the Blue Mosque. Istanbul is an immensely popular destination and most budget
accommodation was thus filled to the brim. The only beds available were on the hostel’s
roof, where beds were piled in, leaving no spaces between - resembling a huge
communal bed. It thus came as no surprise to run into the Baltic Cycle Group.
The
day was mostly spent exploring Europe’s most populous city. We pushed and shoved
our way through the city’s markets, jam-packed with a warren of stalls where
the smells, colours and sights were intoxicating. We visited Istanbul’s famous
mosques and watched hopefuls fishing in the Bosporus strait, marking Europe and
Asia’s dividing line.
Eddie
headed home from Istanbul, and I decided to tag along with the Baltic Cyclists
as we headed in the same direction.
1
September - Istanbul - Bodrum - By Ferry
There
was no sleeping in on the roof and I walked in the harbour’s direction to purchase
a ferry ticket to Bodrum. As the boat left at 14h00, I returned to the hostel
to collect my stuff and say goodbye to the Baltic cyclists departing as only 15
riders continued towards Cyprus.
The
ferry was a pleasant surprise as it was more substantial than foreseen and
sported a pool, gym and restaurants. The ocean resembled a lake, and most of
the day was spent on the deck at the pool. The restaurant onboard was costly,
and we could barely afford the necessities. Still, I had a beer while watching
the sunset and hung around until past midnight watching the night sky, as there
wasn’t a breath of wind, the sky cloudless and the weather pleasantly warm.
2
September - Bodrum – Datca (by boat)
The
next day was mainly spent swimming and lounging about until reaching Bodrum at
around 15h00. Once at Bodrum, we hopped on a ferry in the direction of Datca, where
our arrival was about 19h00. As it was already late, camping was on an open lot
near the harbour where a small shop provided beer and snacks.
3
September - Datca – Marmaris – 70 kilometres
From
Datca, a scenic coastal road ran along the Mediterranean to the touristy port
town of Marmaris. Albeit hilly and hot, the scenery and beaches were
spectacular. En route, stopping wasn’t purely to have breakfast but also to
swim. The Turkish breakfast mainly consisted of a basket of bread, cheese,
tomatoes, cucumber, and olives washed down with a glass of ayran.
Not
much exploring was done, as even though Marmaris has a long history, the 1957 earthquake
destroyed the city and left only the castle standing.
Marmaris’s
campground was right on the beach, with excellent vistas across the bay.
Watching the sunset, cold beer in hand, I thought life couldn’t get much
better.
4
September - Marmaris – Mugla – 54 kilometres
Again,
the day was a scorcher, and the mercury hovered around 46 degrees C. We churned
our way up and over the mountains to Mugla. The heat and hills made exhausting
riding, but the route is blessed with picturesque views. The small community of
Ula was reached around midday, and where I decided to get a haircut, something that
turned out an interesting affair. No one spoke English, and all communication
was done in sign language.
Burent,
a cyclist from Mugla, met us along the way and led us into Mugla and through
the old part of town, where we were offered tea and a bike repair service. The old quarter of
Muğla is home to cobbled streets and houses dating from the 18th and 19th
centuries, many of which were restored. These houses typically had courtyards
and double-shuttered doors as well as chimneys.
Camping
was at the public swimming pool, a first for me, and a place that came had a
lovely green lawn and more than enough shower facilities to accommodate everyone.
5
September - Mugla – Koycegiz – Dalyan - 75 kilometres
Burent
was there at 8h00 and led us out of the village and along rural roads through
forests towards Köyceğiz. Koycegiz lake is joined to the Mediterranean Sea by
a natural channel known as the Dalyan Delta. Our early arrival left enough
time to catch a boat across the lake to popular Dalyan and Turtle Beach. The
entire area was declared a wildlife sanctuary, and a boat made easy exploring.
We swam at Turtle Beach but never saw any turtles. The ancient harbour of
Caunos, had tombs carved into the rock high on the cliff face, was even more
fascinating.
We
camped at Dalyan, where the rest of the evening was spent on a timber deck
drinking wine.
6
September - Dalyan – Fethiye (Oludeniz) – 75 kilometres
Baltic
Cycles was a fun group. During the day, each did their own thing and arrived at
the camp in their own time. Most cyclists were Polish and spoke limited English;
only Bob from Scotland and Saline from New Zealand spoke English. Talking to
them was thus easiest. Ella, from Poland, was lovely and managed by using sign language
and a dictionary. Cycling was seldom without stopping to devour a Turkish
pancake or Gozleme, a savoury flatbread smothered with various fillings.
Our
path led along the Turquoise Coast, a beautiful ride and stunning views of
historic Fethiye and its Amyntas Rock Tombs.
7
September – Fethiye – Patara
The
Turkish were exceptionally hospitable and generous and often stopped to offer
lifts, tea or watermelon. The previous night, and following a few Vodkas, it
was decided to see how easy it would be to hitch a ride. In the morning, we
split into pairs and set off. Bob and I teamed up and, in no time at all, got a
lift. The day passed quickly as we got into all sorts of vehicles. These mainly
were driven by using only one hand while the other held a cell phone or hung
out the car window.
8
September - Kas – Olympus – 90 kilometres
The
route between Kas and Olympus was immensely mountainous, but the scenery was so
impressive we hardly noticed. The ride was littered with swimming spots and the
day flew by. Turkey is easily one of the most interesting countries one can
visit. Not because of the food, people’s friendliness, or even the magical
Mediterranean coast but its history. From the ancient runes of Göbekli Tepe
dating to 9130–8800 BC to the massive heads of Gods at Nemrut Dağ, dating to
69–34 BC.
A
day in Olympus revealed the ruins
of an ancient city scattered about en route to the beach. Many moons ago around
43 AD Olympus was a massive and important city and harbour. In 78 BC, the
Romans, captured Olympus after a victory at sea and by the 15th century Olympus
had been abandoned. Today, it has
a hippy vibe, a lovely beach blessed with crystal clear blue water, and a
mountain backdrop.
9
September – Olympus
An
additional day was spent in Olympus, relaxing on the beach or cushions on a timber
deck. By evening a short walk led up the mountain to where dozens of small
fires constantly burn from vents in the rocks on the side of the hill. The
fires are fuelled by gas emissions and have been burning for at least 2500
years.
10
September - Olympus – Antalya – 90 kilometres
Ninety
kilometres further was historical Antalya, established in 200 BC and bound to
sport more impressive ruins. The city thrived under Roman rule and left a monument
like the impressive Hadrian’s Gate, built in honour of the Roman emperor Hadrian,
who visited Antalya in 130. The Hıdırlık Tower is another landmark believed constructed
by the ruling Roman Empire in the second century CE.
11-12
September - Antalya – Side – 74 kilometres
The
following day, we ambled along the coast toward the ancient port town of Side,
known for its beaches and Roman ruins dating to Antony and Cleopatra’s time. One couldn’t help but stroll the ruins of the 2nd-century Antique
Theater, which seated up to 15,000. By then, we were all “ruined out” and
didn’t explore much- except lounging about doing as little as possible.
13
September – Side – Alanya, Turkey – Girne, Cyprus - By ferry
After
our last excellent Turkish breakfast (a basket of bread, tomatoes, cucumber and
olives followed by a glass of ice-cold ayran), we biked onto the Alanya harbour,
from where ferries departed to Cyprus - a 4-hour boat ride away. I left the
Baltic Cycle group as they headed towards the Greek side of the island. Greece
and Turkey shared Cyprus and I stayed on the Turkish side as getting a visa to
visit Greece was practically impossible.
