Our first day in Istanbul was probably very different from a usual tourist tour: we first started by visiting the nearest Decathlon mostly because Cédric urgently needed colder weather gear (the negative temperatures of eastern Turkey with shorts, sandals and light gloves had been hard!), a few bicycle things, and some goods that we had not been able to find for months (granola bars!). We then headed to a DIY store nearby to get “better-quality-than-Kyrgyz” bolts and screws as well as some epoxy glue to fix the light that our careless bus-driver had ruined the day before – our 4* hotel should not mind us mixing the epoxy compounds in the conference room where we had stored the bike! We finished the day by another visit to the French supermarket Carrefour to get a large bag of chocolatines. Cédric has been more often in a Carrefour between Tbilisi and Istanbul than in the last decade in Europe…

Decathlon! Cédric’s been dreaming of warm bike tights and granola bars for a long time. The most awaited sight in Istanbul!

Some of the goods

The second day was a little more standard with a tour of a few famous mosques, the grand-bazaar, then strolling through small streets, getting the traditional fish-sandwich under the Galatasaray bridge facing the golden horn, and finally walking around the Hagia Sofia and the blue mosque. We had little interest to queue or pay to get into any museum and other tourist attraction, so we spent the entire day just enjoying the city, walking around and getting food whenever something felt interesting! We had been slightly annoyed in the eastern part of Turkey that lots of restaurants had reduced (or “not available today”) their menu to only Donner and Kebab, so we could finally enjoy some more varied Turkish and Mediterranean dishes.

A view into the city

The Sultan of Istanbul, on top of his 4-star hotel

Inside a mosque

Hello Istanbul!

One of the many cats of Istanbul… a lot friendlier than dogs

Bazaar time!

Fish sandwiches are found here on the Bosphorus

The Basilica Cistern, once an underground water reservoir dating from the Romans – unfortunately now under major renovations, so a little less impressive.

Finally, some vegetables with our meat!

We left on day three after a gargantuan breakfast at the hotel, direction Edirne – the last city before entering Greece – and a three-hour bus ride. The best way for cycling around Istanbul is simply to avoid it entirely, and because bridges over the Bosporus are again not made for pedestrians or cyclists, the only way is to take a ferry near the Dardanelles strait. For us being already in the European part of Istanbul, that was not really an option, so we would see most of the Turkish Thrace from the window of the bus. Before that we eventually had to struggle with yet-another not cooperative bus-driver: although confirmed by the company, again at the ticket counter, the bus driver just refused us to put our bicycle in the cargo. We hardly understood his reasoning, given that the cargo was far from being full, and he gets the random extra-charge requested directly in his wallet… after some discussions not going anywhere, Cedric just went in the cargo compartment, reorganized all the bags to free enough space for a whole cycling team, and put our bike inside. The driver threatened to cancel our tickets and throw the bike outside but us running down the clock (and having the bike already inside), he put himself in the situation to create some delays and so we finally got to leave.

Satisfied after round three of the breakfast buffet

Day 2 in Istanbul and the weather looks good from the bedroom!

Once in Edirne (and luckily without any damage to the bike), we were surprised to see so many tourists from Greece and Bulgaria. Edirne was the former Ottoman Empire capital, and has thus similar monuments as Istanbul, but just across the border for Bulgarians and Greeks. It is also a cheaper place to go shopping for them, so tens of buses unload their passengers for some quick-sightseeing followed by a shopping frenzy, mostly cheap plastic things, counterfeit products and lukums… We walked around the city and its multiple mosques or monuments, also enjoying the Aegean Sea warmer temperatures at the beginning of November. We finished our day with a huge plate of Tava Ciger (fried strips of liver), one of Edirne’s most famous dishes.

Another bus ride and nothing broken this time – just another unhelpful driver!

The Selimiye Camii mosque in Edirne, the blue Mosque of Istanbul is a copy of that one but with a lot less tourists in here (back then the Ottoman capital was Edirne)

Showing off the female headgear

Dome art

The Macedonian tower

The busy streets of Edirne on a Saturday evening

Trying to figure out what to eat with fried liver

The next morning, Cédric and I set off in the direction of the Greek border. The morning was cool and misty, an enjoyable contrast to the icy temperatures in Eastern Turkey. As we rode east, we noticed that area felt more European than other places in Turkey – some streets still had cobblestones, people were less conservative, a lot less gender separation, and generally everything was more relaxed. We were also aware that this area is where many South Asian and Middle Eastern migrants attempt to cross into Europe; in theory, it’s a quick swim (or boat ride) away is you don’t have the right passport. As we bussed across Turkey, we met a few Pakistani guys who told us that their goal was to reach Germany… While they were looking and talking to us like if we were half-gods – they had obviously never or rarely been directly with Europeans before reaching Istanbul, we were hesitant to tell them that the path would be more difficult now, with an increased police presence, infrared cameras, and border fences. For us, the border crossing was relatively uneventful – we waited for our stamps and joked with the Greek police. Greece was for us a big step forwards and we were feeling almost home by entering the EU (and Schengen area, the Eurozone, etc.!). In the first Greek village, we spent the last of our Turkish money in a small shop and then headed south.

Prepared to cycle to Greece

Cobble stones and horse-drawn carriages… it’s starting to feel a bit more like Europe

The European boy is in Europe again!

Crossing a border is always surprising as it shows so quickly the differences between countries: Greece felt immediately cleaner, the buildings of a much better standard, but at the same time completely asleep – especially on a Sunday morning. While Turkey has multiple small shops in every town, Greek towns felt a lot less lively, with usually only a few supermarkets outside of larger towns. The demography is also clearly much older on the Greek side, and with the younger generations moving in larger cities, a lot of villages felt very lonely – although well maintained. Our entry into the Greek Thrace was yet enjoyable for cycling after the border, especially with large smooth roads with little traffic, often with broad shoulder, sometimes even with a service road. In the late afternoon, we found a camping spot deep in fields off the side of the road and enjoyed a night of near complete silence (there’s always a few barking dogs somewhere).

In Greece, surprised to see so many Cotton fields – with memories of Uzbekistan (except that Greece uses heavy machineries instead of slavery)!

A Greek-style church

Cute towns, not much traffic, good weather, good food… we don’t ask for anything more!

Once we awoke and packed our things, we hopped on the bike and headed for the coast. Although our plan was to spend just a few days in Greece before cycling through Bulgaria, we wanted to make the most of it by seeing the Mediterranean Sea (more precisely the Aegean Sea). In the morning, we followed quiet roads through empty cotton fields and olive groves. We arrived in Alexandroupolis and decided to treat ourselves to some Greek pastries on the side of the sidewalk- in the busy seaside town, I became aware of how out of place we must have looked since most residents were retired and wearing fancier clothes than bike shorts. After debating the route a bit, we decided to continue along the coast despite the uncertainty of paved roads. This turned out to be the best decision because the road became quieter and the views more impressive. We stopped for a picnic lunch on the construction grounds of an epic monastery that was being built – given the remoteness, we were wondering who was funding this project and why. As the day progressed, the olive groves became denser and the houses less, and we finally got an uninterrupted view of the sea. We continued following the shore on a rough dirt road – now only drivable for AWD – that felt as though it was a few millennia old (it was). As it approached the late afternoon, and having passed too many areas that looked ideal for camping, we found a nice spot between a few olive trees and overlooking the sea. This time, we didn’t run into anyone while setting up our tent, but we did hear farmers harvesting olives off in the distance. We noticed some alignments of stones that looked a little strange – there are no straight lines or sharp corners in nature – we realized the following day that we had spent the night in an archeological site! Ups!

Our daily packing is complete!

Ready to ride!

See that liter of olive oil? We replaced a water bottle by some tasty Greek olive oil. That’s why Cédric sometimes gets banned from grocery shopping (he buys more interesting stuff though!).

Probably the only interesting thing we found in Alexandroupolis

Looking for more sights

A new church, a whole lot of marble, and some Greek vibes

Searching for Ulysse (and the Sirens)

The beaches are largely abandoned for the season… not a soul in sight

The first sign of old things on our remote road – an Ottoman watchtower

Just a camp under some olive trees – we suspected that the stones were oriented in a not too natural way. It turned out that this was an ancient Greek town.

From where we came

Views of our old Greek road and the olive trees

Sunset from our campsite

One more day heading west:

The next morning, we woke up to sun and good weather, which was ideal for continuing down this old dirt track. It didn’t take long before we were constantly stopping and snapping pictures. The morning light caught the shrubby, rocky hills in a mesmerizing way. About a mile down the road, we came upon our first sign that we were riding through an archeological site – there were signs hinting to the ancient town of Ismara and its walls (now barely noticeable) and the role it played in Odysseus’ travels. We rode further and came across the Maroneia amphitheater (though locked) and Dionysus’ temple. By the time we reached the main roads again, the clouds crept across the sun and we were back to grey skies while cycling. We had a quick stop in the town of Ismero and were invited to Greek coffee with a guy who spoke a bit of German (which turned out to be the lingua franca for the next few weeks). Since we had our eyes set on finding a room for the night, Cédric and I cycled like mad to a village way off in the distance. Our afternoon was riding through fields of brown, overturned dirt and a few coastal villages. Finally, well into the afternoon, we stopped at a restaurant to devour some seafood risotto and mussels before pushing out another 37 kilometers before nightfall. Just as it was getting dark, we found our little hotel in Kremasti, a Turkish minority town, and called it a night. Although completely deserted at this time of the year, with virtually no tourist at all, hotels remain outrageously expensive in this area of Greece in the winter. Not sure what the business model is – apart ripping off the only person that may come during the month – but given the proximity with much cheaper countries, it clearly does not stimulate the low-season tourism. The difference between Edirne and Alexandroupolis – only 1:30h drive away – is shocking. The hotel in Kremasti was the only one offering reasonable rates, and the only one having customers in the region!

Ready for more exploring!

Heading down the road

There was a sign, but this stream didn’t really exist – still a lot of mythical imagination all over Greece.

The closest thing we found to Ancient Ismara

Mt. Ismaros

Taking a rest after our fifth picture break this morning (in about 5km)

Taking it all in

The olives are pretty juicy… yes, we discovered that Olives (although fresh ones taste horrible) can give a good cannibalistic serial-killer look.

… and we found a way to entertain ourselves

An ancient amphitheater on the coast

A coastal church

So excited to be eating bread (I’ve been coax Cédric to smile)

Seafood risotto… possibly our last chance to get anything like this before we head inland

Flamingos!

After our night in Kremasti, surprised to wake up by the call for prayer of the local mosque (how we realized that this region is the only one in Greece with a recognized ethnic minority), Cédric and I loaded up the bike and started cycling towards Kavala. Unlike the day before, we spent most of the morning cycling along the road because the landscapes didn’t provide too many things to marvel at. It is still amazing that there is an archeological site every few kilometers in Greece, but apart for Hellenist experts, a lot of those places are not quite breathtaking (there aren’t many columns and statues!). We found the area near Kavala to be quite industrial and full of marble processors, so just cruised through. Around noon, we entered the city along the coast and cycled through the aqueduct to the downtown. We stopped for a hearty Greek lunch (moussaka) and frappé and then used all of those extra calories to cycle over the massive hill to get closer to the Greek/Bulgarian border. About an hour later, we stopped for a quick break in Krinides and tried to get peaks at the UNESCO Filippi Archaeological Site despite the closed gates. Our night ended in a small apartment tucked away on the hillside.

Looking out over the Nestos River and the mountains of Thrace

Kavala on the sea

The old aqueduct of Kavala – crossing right into the town,

Goodbye shores of Greece, we’re headed inland for the mountains again. Next sea might be the Atlantic…

Preparing to cycle up over the surrounding hills with a belly full of Moussaka!

A peek at the UNESCO site in Krinides (Filippi)

Almost done for the day!

Getting from Armenia is not straight forward, it still reminded us that the country is mountainous everywhere. We had to start playing with multiple layers of clothing – strip down going uphill, swaddling going downhill.

Up the last Armenian passes – and still enjoying the Armenian drivers before a short ride through the south-west of Georgia.

Slaloming between the showers and clouds.

A glimpse in the Armenian Highlands.

We mostly avoided getting heavy showers – no need of weather forecast, just looking at the clouds, the wind direction and adjusting the length and timing of our breaks.

We got the usual weird questions of the border officers: where do you come from? Cassie replying to one officer “Armenia!” while giving an US passport (we are in Armenia heading to Georgia at the border so obviously from Armenia, duh!), and Cedric told another officer “Kazakhstan” (well, that was where our last flight landed – duh again!) handing a German passport. Not sure what they are really asking at the borders with questions like that (and it has happened a few times) – but apparently no matter what you reply, they seem convinced with the answer (Western countries passports also probably help a lot!).

After the crossing, the roads took a turn for the worse and we had to cycle through thick, wet mud and potholed roads all the way to Ninotsminda, where we spent the night. It looked like the process of doing a new road was done over a decade, with years apart between the destruction of the previous road and the new pavement.

Surprise, surprise! The road turns into a 4WD track after the border…we were wondering why so few trucks were taking that road (it should be the shortest road joining Turkey to Armenia, but also western and norther Georgia to Armenia and Iran), we found the answer: a large detour is a lot faster than that path (Iranian trucks even completely go around Armenia through Turkey).

A long day outside freezing = a lazy evening in a warm comfy hotel! (even better with some hot tea)

Our hotel, with the owner apparently managing everything around: the cosmetics shop on the left, the grocery store further left, the car mechanics underneath, and a restaurant on the right!

The next morning, Cédric and I packed our things in order to head towards the Georgia-Turkey border. The original plan was to camp somewhere close to the border, if not in Turkey that night. As we were leaving, Cédric and I had a debate about which road to take – my thought was to stay on the main road, despite the crazy Georgian drivers, and Cédric wanted to take a shortcut through some villages. I was a bit wary at first, considering that it had been raining and the Georgian roads from the day before had proven to be in rough shape, but I conceded after seeing a few cars driving down those roads. In the end, however, my first reservations turned out to be true. As we approached the second village, the roads went from manageable gravel to what I called ‘purely medieval.’ (A good reference for these roads would be from the Monty Python and the Holy Grail ‘Bring out your dead’ skit – Link). Within seconds on the path, our bike couldn’t move due to layers of thick, black mud between the wheels and the mud guards. With no other choice, we parked the bike and started poking out the dirt with our flag poles (the dirt was thick enough to break sticks). All too optimistic, we tried going on the path again and only made it for 100 meters before repeating the same process. And again, and again, and again through a village of 100 homes – which meant that people were watching us and dogs were barking all around, but no one came to help. Just a funny entertainment for the day – we had to cycle 60km in Georgia to get from Armenia to Turkey, and we were still not thrilled by Georgia. When we decided to head back to the main road, a guy called us and told us that he’d get us a taxi – but at the price he quoted, we decided that cycling was better, or at that fare accept only a helicopter-shuttle for a 10km leapfrog. By the time we made it to the main road, we had lost the entire morning and the clouds above started to swirl again. In order to improve our moods, we decided to cycle to one of the marked guesthouses in a village called Sulda, a lot before the original plan of reaching the Turkish border. We were hoping that it’s proximity to the main road meant paved village roads, but at this point, it was naïve to think that. We pushed the bike to a guesthouse and enjoyed an evening not toughing it out in the elements.

The last kilometers in Georgia shall have been easy and doable within a day – the shortcut did not work that well!

At that point the path was still enjoyable: no traffic, the road in good condition, awesome views…

But to make things short, it make a nightmare! After three hours of struggle, we had gone back to the original intersection, the bike had dirt everywhere, and we had ruined our legs trying to pedal more than a few tens of meters between each clog.

A short video of the muddy mess:

When someone wants to take a picture of us, we get one too!

Keeping a good mood with those awesome sights still.

With the weather changing we are not hesitating much about overnight stays at cheap guesthouses – and if we can get something else than pastas, it is okay too!

The next morning, it was very difficult getting out of our warm bed and preparing for another cold and cloudy day with showers in forecast. We had a hearty Georgian breakfast, bade our host goodbye, and pushed our bike through the medieval dirt hopefully one last time. Once we got back to the main road, we pushed out the remaining dirt on our tires and set off towards the Turkish border. As we cycled through the last few villages, we couldn’t help but feel that these borderlands had been overlooked… the difference between here and Tbilisi, just 200 kilometers away – but centuries apart – was drastic, and it felt like being back into remote villages of Tajikistan. We reached the border in the late morning, turned in our passports for stamps (we got an officer testing our German skills – probably just to make sure that we had not stolen the passport – but not understanding our answer… I guess it probably sounded German enough to him), and then cycled off into Eastern Anatolia. The first thing we noticed was the new asphalt (with a shoulder, mindful drivers and even trucks using their blinkers!) and hopes that we would no longer have to deal with mud. We cycled up a large hill and came across two other cyclists who were speeding down. We quickly exchanged information about where we’ve been, where we’re going, the respective hazards of both countries we had just gone through, and where we stayed over the last few days before it became too cold and we said our goodbyes. They gave us a good tip on where we could stay that night (and price), because the weather was continually getting worse. The wind was starting to pick up and the showers were becoming more frequent, so we quickly stopped at a café for lunch in Çildir before cycling the last stretch to a resort on Lake Çildir. Cédric negotiated the prices and we settled into a bungalow for the night, once again glad that we wouldn’t have to worry about the tent crumpling due to the wind. Although the bungalow had three large room, we quickly re-tuned the interior design to condemn two rooms and transform the third into a studio with heater full-on and to not have to get-out of the room until the next day.

Not quite as shiny as Tbilisi! It seems that Georgia has forgotten to invest anything during the last past decades in that corner of the country (but the guesthouses had received some support from a German state agency).

A local Canis lupus, securing the medieval settlement.

The last bit of road before the Turkey-Georiga border

The Georgian-Turkish border felt like a good spot to scrub the bicycle (hopefully one last time).

A last view towards Georgia, the lake being split between the two countries. That area was a lot more tense before the fall of the USSR – the idea was that whoever attacks first would probably go through those high but easy passes and turn the whole Caucasus into a battlefield

The first glimpses into Turkey: awesome roads, little traffic, gentle drivers, great views – just not the most promising weather.

Compacting a three room bungalow into a warm studio for two days/three nights.

We awoke the next morning, tired from a loud, windy night. It seemed like our bungalow was built only for good weather since wind was blowing through the cracks throughout the entire night and sometimes felt like it was going to collapse. When we awoke, we looked outside at the trees bending in the wind and wondered whether it was worth it to attempt cycling this day… since we had time before breakfast to figure it out, we flipped on the heater and watched the news on the TV. At breakfast in the resort’s restaurant, the wind continued to howl outside, and it was predicted to get even stronger to gale-forces by midday… so we decided to stay an extra day and use the time to catch up on blog posts. The next morning, we again woke up early and noticed that the wind had died down over night, but were surprised when we pulled back the curtains… snow! A few centimeters of it, too. The wind was still blowing, but not as strong, but now the roads were covered in snow. Again, we pondered over our predicament over breakfast and then decided to wait it out another day as we watched snowstorm after snowstorm pass.

Day one – wondering if its worth it to leave considering the gale-force winds

Surprise, surprise early in the morning on day two… the whole area (over 2000m) turned wintry overnight. Snow only would have been fine, but the flurries, the consecutive snow showers, the temperatures kept us stranded there.

Not much to do, being stranded around the Çıldır lake during a storm, but drink Turkish tea.

Cedric still had hopes in the morning that it would get better at some point and we could race into Kars – 80km away. The weather got better at some moments, for a few minutes only – still keeping cycling equipment on.

Finally, after three nights confined to the resort (and having exhausted all our food supplies), the weather became better and we could leave. In true Murphy’s law fashion, our bungalow didn’t have running water during our stay at the resort (a burst pipe or something, maybe laziness), so we were also without shower and a convenient bathroom. As we were leaving, however, the water magically started working again. We packed the bike, said farewell to the resort staff and cooks, and set out for Kars.

And finally on the third day, things got better and we could leave the bungalows.

The landscape looking completely different after the two days. Yes, this is still Turkey and not Greenland.

The already-melting snowfall did wonders to the landscapes as we cycled around the rest of Lake Çildir- it added another dimension to the mountains that we had not yet seen while cycling. We enjoyed the journey down to Arpaçay for lunch and continued cycling over some hills until we reached Kars. The benefit of Turkish cities is that most people live in large apartment buildings, so reaching the center in towns of tens of thousands of people is quick and tolerable (as opposed to navigating thousands of streets and cars). All shops and restaurants are altogether within walking distance. Knowing that the overnight temperatures were dropping to below freezing, we found a hotel downtown for the evening. Turkish hotel owners have notably always been great at helping us manage our gears and store the bike for the night – no questions or reluctance, they always find a safe indoor spot for the bike (no way it stays in the street, but people don’t always understand that).

Lake Çildir, now with snow

A final look out into Lake Çildir.. there was no snow on the south faces!

The first few hours of cycling warranted a down jacket, but then it started to get a bit too warm

Admiring the mountains on the way into Kars

The next morning, we set off westward. Our trip in Turkey was only going to last until Erzurum and we still had a few hundred kilometers to get there. After cycling through a few streets, we reached the highway once again. Compared to nearly everywhere we had been cycling over the past few months, Turkey felt like a dream: the highways were empty, shoulders were wide, gentle drivers and everything was newly paved. This is what we wanted after countless roads covered in potholes, gravel, glass and constant honking. Looking at the snow-capped mountains in the distance also made the day even more enjoyable. We stopped in a town to eat our lunch, which ended up being bread and spreads on a curb because we weren’t interested in cycling into the center. In the afternoon, we followed a small road through a few villages to Sarikamis, which again had light traffic and unbelievably smooth pavement. Because the day was easy, we packed our things inside our hotel and walked around the ski town, eating at two restaurants because one meal wasn’t filling enough.

Au revoir, Kars!

Sights from the highway

A close up of the mountains

We couldn’t believe our luck… finally a country where traffic wasn’t annoying!

Still below freezing in Sarikamis

Full after dinner no. 2

Tired and replete.

While the morning temperatures were still below freezing, Cédric and I packed our things and left. For us, it was slightly depressing to know that the temperatures for our last stretch of cycling wouldn’t improve (or at least get back to shorts and t-shirt weather). Just like the day before, it might have been a cold start, but there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. We warmed up by cycling up a small pass and through pine forests – although we needed to put our jacket and gloves back on for the descent. As the day progressed, we marveled at the landscapes we were able to see from the road: canyons, cliffs, fairy chimneys (and we weren’t even in Cappadocia!) and the remnants of the Zivin Fortress… all of this aided by the mountains in the background and lack of cars made for an awesome day of cycling. We ended our day just before it dipped below freezing in Horasan.

We’re hoping that this is the last official ‘mountain pass’ of our trip (anything under 2000m can be ignored – anything under 3000m is kinda easy stuff now!)

Ah, the altitude might be why it’s always freezing! After all the ascents we have done in the last months, that pass really felt like being one easy piece of cake.

Headed down into the valley

Cliffs

Fairy chimneys, almost like Cappadocia – except the number of tourists.

The Zivin fortress way up in the hills

While we were taking these pictures, a guy asked to we needed a lift to Horasan and we told him absolutely not when we can look at this the whole time

It was also a perfect day for taking selfies. Cedric did not carry winter clothes, so managed to ride by putting any kind of clothes available – including arm sleeves on the legs. He finally shopped for winter clothing in Istanbul (thanks Decathlon!).

For our last day of cycling, we had no other option besides cycling along the highway to get to Erzurum since it was the most direct route. The weather was still cloudless blue skies and the day was pretty enjoyable, despite the uptick in the number of semi-trucks cruising past. While cycling through a police checkpoint (they’re looking for guys avoiding the compulsory military service… and terrorists?), we were offered tea by one of the guards who could speak English. He told us that many cyclists go past in the warmer months, but it’s rare to see people so late in the season. We stopped to warm up over a lunch in Pasinler and then continued our journey. In the afternoon, shortly before Erzurum, we met Joscha, a German guy heading towards Singapore and exchanged a few stories on the side of the highway. The ride into Erzurum was effortless and we quickly found a place to stay in the downtown. The hotel was also helpful in finding a bus company that would take us into Istanbul.

Leaving Horasan in freezing morning temperatures.

Happy after being offered a cup of tea (we weren’t allowed to take a picture of the checkpoint). Oui, traverser l’Asie est dur!

Farmers were selling these huge cabbage heads on the side of the road

A pic with Joscha before we set out in different directions

Fewer big mountains in the background, but things were still interesting to look at

The next day, with a bit of extra time do to an afternoon departure for Istanbul, we wandered around the city and saw some of the historical sites. It appeared as though Erzurum was also planning to be a hit tourist destination in the near future, so the castle was under renovation (or possibly reconstruction). We were also being pulled into a carpet shop and spoke a bit of German with the friendly owner as he told us a bit about the handmade carpets and his life. If we weren’t cycling, I’m very sure that we would have walked away with something. In the afternoon, we loaded our bike and made our way to the bus depot, hoping that our luggage wouldn’t freak out the bus driver. When we loaded our stuff, the drivers and assistants rammed our bike into other luggage, which broke our headlight, but still demanded that we pay additional money for the luggage. I tried my best to negotiate the price (mostly by screaming “problem!” and pointing to the headlamp), but we didn’t walk away with a discount. The 20-hour ride to Istanbul was cramped and uncomfortable; we were able to sleep a few hours during the night, but many old guys talked on their phones and the frequent rest stops didn’t allow us to have uninterrupted sleep. The bus driver, probably doing the trip several times a week, managed to even miss Istanbul (15M people) and realize that half way to Bulgaria: 2 more hours in the bus! He was focusing a little too much on his cigarette and buddies on the phone… We rolled into Istanbul the next day in the late morning and quickly packed the bike and rode to the nearest hotel that would take us. Competition between hotels is fierce in Istanbul, and by being in the business area on a week-end, thus slightly outside of the touristic downtown we got to settle in a 4* hotel for a bargain price.

An old mosque in downtown Erzurum

Wandering around the old city

The Erzurum cityscape

Another famous mosque in Erzurum

Looking longingly at the carpets we can’t take with us

On our way to the bus depot

Bus pics at sunset, bye-bye Eastern Anatolia!

Crossing the Bosphorus Strait on the way to Istanbul…we’re officially in Europe, now!

Excited to be done with this never-ending bus ride! Our great bus driver, who had broken our bicycle headlight the day before, managed to miss Istanbul and realized that half-way to Bulgaria – too focused on his phone and cigarette.