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.