Turkey Çok Güzel

Ahh... made it (this is the first time in my life that i have read a book in one day!!)
The scenery was amaizing all the way through
But ther was rain!!(and aliens)
What can we say..but 'çok güzel'
We only use the best guides!!

Off we go... setting off from İstanbul on our trails again.. İ have got a cold from being around to many people in such a small place!! started with a sore throat but then came all the snot! Nic at this point had it all to come!
We had set ourselves a bit of a challenge!.. Our frıend in istanbul had said that he did not think that we could make it across turkey in 8 days... the race was on.. we had to prove him wrong..

We got the ferry on thursday morning getting us across the bay by about 11.30 (half the day gone already...bad start) and we found ourslves on a bıg road full of trucks.. but ıt was ok. A good verge to ride on and good drivers.
Camping that night we stopped by a lake nıce spot with the moon risıng as the sun set.. beautıfull!!
a leasurly start and off to the mountains.. Nic realised that if we were to start late every day we would not make it across in the time availible so hatched a plan durın the day to get me up at 5.30 in the morning..to make coffee and breakfast.. bring it to her to coax her out of bed..then we could get a good start.. İ knew nothing about it at this time but would soon find out..
We basicaly headed south (map to follow) and what a delıght.. hıgh mountain passes.. small vıllages (with good guıdes) and fantastic scenery....
All was going to plan (even the early starts) untill on day 4 the heavens opened and started to raın.. cold days.. nothing to do but ride to keep warm.. our spirits were high!!
We did get rescued a few times.. free tea from petrol stations..a meal with a family in the mountains..free cakes.. and allot of encouragement from the locals..
Basıcaly we made it.. 8 days from ıstanbul we were at Dalyan ande waiting for the keys to Geralds place.. and relax...........
Nic had a great bırthday..cakes for first breakfast...eggs for second...the most fantastic mountain road..and a beautıfull sun set..
Since then we have done allot of sleeping and not much else..maby tomorrow?

o.k....its all sort of true ! But Jon does start fiddgetting around in the tent way too early ...just when i.m about to get my best bit of sleep.....and as he falls asleep almost as fast as Morgz,leaving me wide awake for hours pondering the meaning of life and other weighty matters such as any small noises,,,wild pigs approaching....i think the current arrangement where i get coffee in bed is best.
Also..that picture of me drinking a can of beer in the tent (a couple of blogs back ) could be giving entirely the wrong impression.! İt was medicinal beer..drunk at 2.30 a.m in the middle of a sleepless night of hammering rain beating down on the tent. Even jon was wide awake. Luckily he remembered we had 4 cans of beer...so what better thing to do than relieve the boredom by drinking them . So we did....and then slept well!

İ think thats all for now. You will all notice who,s in the hammock !

Turkey here we come. ready or not!!!

The best welcoming party in İştanbul

Even Turks get punctures!

Where East meets West ( and where tea ıs most expensive)

But Turks don't get as many punctures as brits! 16 so far ın Greece and Turkey ( the record ıs 4 ın a day)

Just to keep you all up to date........We had a meal out at 100 days and beer at 7000km

Turkey... land of Cai.. and land of ı instead of i on the key board (can be confusing if you know what İ mean?)

The road we took from the boarder to İstanbul ıs one of the worst roads we have cycled on ın the whole trip! İt is a dual carriage way through Agricultural land rolling hills etc.. İt would have been ok apart from the pouring rain and howling head wind!! İt took us 3 days of hard work to get here. The weather was so bad that we ended up staying ın cheap hotels getting hysterical whilst watching Turkısh TV.. couldn't understand a word of it? but sitting ın your room with your back to a radiator and wearing your down jacket as the wind trıed to blow the windows out ıt all seemed funny. The day we intended to get to İstanbul was the same driving rain and gale force winds with 55km to the town.. Me and Nic just put our heads down and got on with it. Gayton our Swiss Friend just had to follow.. all went well only 2 punctures ( thin bıts of wire off the road) when we hit the outskirts of İstanbul.. Nic mentioned that it was like riding down the A1 in rush hour!! Great fun head down defensive riding.. palming off cars We were buzzing.. Gaton later told us that he wanted to cry! He thought it would be a pity to die before he got to İstanbul! When from out on nowhere!! a Guardıan Angel appeared. A mountain biker.. 'where do you want to go?'....'follow me'.. and that was it. Guided straight into the town centre to a hostel with him and two Friends! then a night tour of the city (on bikes) Eden wheelers special.. if you know what İ mean! Then to a good restaurant and beer.. fantastic..

Since then we have had a rest and wandered this amazing city.. Off on the ferry tomorrow heading south for a bit of a holiday! (cheers Gerald)

Jon seems to have taken to Turkey and ıts hospıtable people.At least i think thats why he has been hugging so many men.! One small but streetwise boy who expected a bıt of a :reward : for his directional help dıd not expect to be grasped firmly by the shoulders and kissed on each cheek by jon. That was a novelty for him.

Anyway....leaving the city and back on the road tomorrow. Hooray.