Between Postcards

Ilgaz to Osmancik
July 31st
120km (1,549 vertical)

Last night, I walked up the hill and into the small town of Ilgaz. The view at dusk was fantastic. The town is surrounded by mountains, with other little towns placed on anything that looks almost flat...the same way we'd set up out tents.

No mistaking it today, these were mountains...not mere hills. Thankfully, the D100 took us around all the peaks. This gave us all of the scenery for only a modest amount of climbing – cycling between postcard views.

Since Istanbul, we've ridden for 6 straight days (and 670km) without a rest. Nicole commented that her saddle had spent far too much intimate time with her butt in the last week. I agree. After the luxury of 3 day rides across Europe, a 7 day stretch is a bit of a shock. The distances have been longer and the terrain much more challenging since Istanbul. All of this was expected. Paris to Istanbul really was just training. And, thankfully, the scenery so far has been well worth the extra effort. It is much more extreme and impressive than anything we saw in Europe. Turkey has been a fantastic place to cycle...but I am still looking forward to a rest day after tomorrow's ride.

I am going to pass on the Lame Duck tonight to Knut. He cycles with a full pannier of stuff (more luggage than most) but had no spare tube when he had a flat tire today. What is he carrying in there? (Runner up prize will go to Trine, who managed to lock herself in the hotel this morning...and lock the rest of the riders and the hotel manager out.)

Curvy road shining in the morning sunshine:
Me at the top of a climb:

The D100 (that we are on) as it snakes through the mountains:

Nicole and Mike stop for a photo at the top of a hill:

A mosque in a small mountain town:

Small sheds in the fields between mountains:

Preferably Lost

Gerede to Ilgaz
July 30th
138km (1,966m vertical)

After dinner last night, I rushed back to my tent to write my blog, enjoy a Milka chocolate bar, and sleep. It was cold and I was tired. Slept from 8:30pm to 6:00am! Unfortunately, I forgot that I was supposed to be washing the dinner dishes with Mike. He pointed it out at breakfast this morning, so I awarded myself the Lame Duck award for a second day.

Directions for the day could not have been simpler: From camp, go back to the main road. At 2.3km, veer left onto the D100. Continue on D100 for 134km to Ilgaz. Hotel on Left. Despite this, nearly everyone in the group got lost.

I left camp with a large group, and was in the front as we rolled down the first hill. Graeme was right behind me...but no one else was. We waited a few minutes before realizing that we'd sailed right past the 2.3km turn. Back up the hill to get onto the D100.

Graeme wanted a leisurely ride and some time alone, so he sent me ahead to catch the girls. I rode briskly, and past a few other riders, but couldn't find them. After a while, I gave up trying to find them and accepted that I'd ride alone. It was going to be a long day anyways, and my butt would appreciate getting out of my bike shorts a few hours earlier.

I was the first one into lunch, which was strange because Al had left before me, would never stop en route, and I hadn't passed him.

I arrived first at the hotel at 1pm, averaging 27km/h for the day...a tie for my fastest average speed of the trip. When Al got in, he explained that most people had turned sharply left (instead of veering slightly left) at the 2.3km mark, and had ended up in the center of Gerede. In any case, everyone made it to today's hotel eventually. My detour added 4km to the day, making it the longest ride of the trip so far. The other detour added 9km for Al, Nicole, and the others. Seems like I got lost wisely.

The terrain changed this afternoon, and it feels almost like a desert now. We are riding through large, dusty mountains freckled with green trees. We've managed to weave our way between most of the big lumps so far. Not sure how long we can keep that up.

Early morning climb:

Horses and hills:
The road is climbing around the mountain on the left:

Some downhill, with more mountains waiting in the distance:

Small hillside town:

Day with a Duck

Duzce to Gerede
July 29th
100km (2,436m vertical)

It was my turn to carry the lame duck with me today, and capture its travels in photos. It was actually a lot of fun to think of interesting places to photograph the little rubber ducky.

Breakfast at the hotel was bread, tomatoes, olives, cucumber and coffee – not really a proper cycling breakfast. On the last tour, people complained enough about these sorts of breakfasts that hotel spreads were always fortified with tour group muesli. Hope that happens again.

Today had the most climbing of any day since we started. We were on a main road though, so the grade was usually only 8% or so. There were two long climbs over large hills, and then a steep little climb to our campsite at the end of the ride.

The camp is located at the top of a hill, where there is not a square of flat land anywhere to put a tent. Its also very windy and quite cool, so everyone has pulled out their pants and jackets for the first time on the trip.

Just before lunch, we learned that Ben (one of the two tour leaders) had been hit by a dump truck on the first climb. It was going 70km/h or so, and knocked him off his bike and (luckily) onto the shoulder of the road. He was taken to the hospital in an ambulance, where they thought he had broken his arm. Luckily, the x-rays did not show any break, but there was so much swelling that they couldn't really tell what was wrong. He's back at camp now, with the arm wrapped up like a mummy and taped onto his chest so that it doesn't move. He's going to stick with the tour, and hopes to be back to normal in a few weeks.

Bucket showers in the pit toilets at camp tonight. I also did some laundry in the sink, which hopefully will dry in all the wind. I also cleaned my bike and put some more lube on the chain, so I feel like I had a productive afternoon.

After a day with me, Lame Duck put on a few extra ounces of ice-cream weight:

The hills are beginning to look more like mountains:

Manon climbing a hill:

Lame Duck and a Turkish Eye charm:

Lame Duck looking down on Gerede from half-way up the last hill to the campsite:

And then there were hills

Kaynarca to Duzce
July 28th
115km (1,779m vertical)

Cool night last night. I was in my sheet and sleeping bag for the first time in a long time. The temperature just dropped as soon as the sun went down. Barking dogs woke everyone up at 3am, and they kept it up for 30 minutes. Very frustrating!

Hot, hilly day of riding along the Black Sea today. Lots of steep climbs (the worst hit 20% at one point!) and thrilling descents. I reached a new top trip speed of 73.4km/h! Lots of climbing also meant lots of great scenery.

At our first cafe stop, Steve showed up with a split chin and scrapes on his arms and legs. He took one of the corners too quickly going down a hill and fell off his bike. Joan, the trip doctor, shaved his chin (so the bandages would stick), cleaned the wound, and out on some dressings. The blood kept leaking out for the rest of the ride though, so he might need a stitch or two. (Not sure if Joan can do that herself.)

Lunch was on the Black Sea, and a couple of people went for a quick swim. I couldn't get my head around the idea of putting on dirty cycling shorts after going for a swim, so I didn't bother.

There was some road construction in the afternoon, and I was glad to have my new, knobby tires while riding on unpaved dirt road.

Local Turks are very friendly to us. I believe that its encouraged in the Islamic religion. Every time we stop, people offer us tea or fruit or drinks. Some even invite whole groups of cyclists back to their homes for a meal. (This is politely declined by touching palm to chest twice and then holding up the palm to the offerer.) All of the honking trucks and waving children make it feel like the Tour de France at times.

The only problem with riding in a bigger group, at a slower pace, is that it makes for a long day in the saddle. We left around 7am and didn't arrive until 4:30am. All that time in sweaty shorts and hot sun takes a lot out of me. I am really sleepy right now as I am about to eat dinner and then go to bed early. Sleeping in a very nice little hostel tonight. Clean, private washrooms and free WiFi!

I got the Lame Duck award for buying a disposable razor (that Joan needed for Steve) and thinking it was five turkish dollars...when it was actually five cents. I didn't think this was all that stupid...but I didn't get a vote.

Morning Mist:

Three small riders, and many large hills:

Roadside fruit stand (the kind that gives us free fruit when we stop to take their photo):

Photo op at the top of a climb: (Me, Nicole, Manon, Graeme, Max, Steve, Knut, Mike, Louise, Stewart)

Turkish Wedding Day

Sile to Kaynarca
July 27th
106km (1,958m vertical)

Last night my tent had a dozen hungry mosquitoes in it, and I stayed up for almost an hour trying to hunt them down after several bites early in the night. The local mosque was also keeping me from sleep, broadcasting their call to prayer over a loud speaker once after I had fallen asleep and once before I was due to wake up. I believe that the call to prayer is a tape, being played over a public address system because the quality is pretty bad and it starts and ends with tones like a phone being dialed.

At dinner, Graeme introduced the “Lame Duck” award to the trip. This was a fun award given most days on the last trip to someone that had done something stupid. Yesterday's went to Fred, who had bought a map of Eastern Turkey and a map of Western Turkey, once to discover that they were identical maps – he just hadn't turned either of them over. Today's went to Max, who went to bed without putting the rain fly on his tent and didn't wake up when the thunderstorm started to fill his tent with water. Graeme and Manon went over, found his fly, and put it on his tent while yelling his name...and he still didn't wake up!

I decided not to race on the trip. Only 4 other people are racing, and Al will beat all of them into camp each day by a few hours. I feel pretty comfortable that I could beat Al into camp by about 30 minutes or so each day, but that would mean that I could never ride with the Auzzies, or anyone else. Riding with them, Al will beat me in by 4 hours or more...which really doesn't give me any chance to compete. I figure that I can race Al some days, and take others slower to enjoy the scenery.

Accordingly, I rode with the Auzzies today and the scenery was great. Long climbs and long downhills all day,

I got my second flat tire of the trip this morning. The tires have about 5,000km on them now, and they looked a bit worn, so I put on new ones in camp this afternoon. The new ones are 700x35, a little bit wider and with little knobs on them for more traction on rough roads, Hopefully no more flats for a while.

Today's directions were entitled, “Sile to Soccar Field Camp'. (We got a laugh when Stewart told some locals that we were staying in the town of Soccar...it should have read Soccer Field Camp.) In any case, the camp is little more than a soccer field. No shade and only one little pit toilet in a small house nearby. They put a hose in the second pit toilet for showers. At least we had running water...although the floor of the toilets was covered in mud.

All day we were passed by wedding processions. Cars decorated with ribbons and lots of excited locals honking and yelling and clapping. One group even came into our camp, complete with a drummer and someone on a wind instrument, and danced with us. We laughed at how unhappy the bride looked...although I suppose I would be upset to if I was in a soccer field, dancing with a group of foreign cyclists on my wedding day.

Camp is also full of local children, all asking your name, saying hello, and trying to help you put up your tent. We are definitely the most interesting thing in town right now.

After dinner, Paul (a Silk Route expert) gave a short talk about the history of the route. It will be nice to have him along for the ride, to give the trip some color. Originally, the trade route consisted of many middle-men, that would transport goods across their country and then trade them on the other side. It would take 18 months or more to cover the entire distance.

Photos from today:




Wedding dance in the soccer field.

New Beginning

Istanbul to Sile
July 26th
91km (1,494m vertical)

Back on the bike with some fresh new riders. We started with group photos at the Bosporus and then had a short group ride back north along the river towards the Black Sea. Leaving the coast there were several steep climbs and hot sun in the low 90s. The scenery has changed from pastures to forest on the hills.

Last year this first section was done in 5 days but people found the hills and heat too difficult, so we are going to do the same distance in 7 days. Not sure which I prefer, as 7 straight riding days is a lot. (And I only have 5 sets of cycling clothes, so I'll need to wash some en route.)

In addition to the 6 other riders that have come from Paris, and Mike (who joined part way...Budapest I think) there are 6 new riders that will go all the way to Beijing, plus at least one that is just doing a few weeks of the trip. The trip from Istanbul to Beijing is self-timed event (for those interested in timing themselves). Winners will be announced for each day, each section, and the entire trip. It sounds fun to “race” but there is not really anyone interested in racing but Al...and I already know that I'm faster than him. None of the new folks seem particularly inclined to racing. Max is a young, fit guy from Montreal, but he has not done much cycling in the past. In any case, I'll need to decide whether the pride of winning is worth cycling alone most days, or whether I'd prefer to ride with the Auzzies occasionally, even though this would cost me hours of time and pretty much let Al win the overall title.

On the Bosporus with the 8 riders from the Orient Express that are continuing on the Silk Route.(Back: Me, Al, Graeme, Stewart, Fred. Front: Mike, Nicole, Manon.)

The Blue Mosque of Istanbul:

Tree-covered hills:

Fields:

Moscow

Had a great trip to Russia where I got to visit with my good friends Tanya and Ira. Enjoyed a lovely homemade meal with Tanya's wonderful family (complete with vodka) and dragged Tanya to several Moscow bike shops looking for spare parts. It was a great break from the saddle and I'm already feeling a bit homesick at the notion of not seeing anymore friends or family until December.

Made it safely back to Istanbul this afternoon. The Silk Route trip starts tomorrow. Apparently we have 7 riding days in a row to kick it off, so it might be a while before I can update this blog again.

St. Basil's cathedral:


Red Square, St. Basil's and part of the Kremlin:


Modern Russian art gallery (in an old distillery cellar):

Moscow State University:

The Monastery of the Holy Trinity in Sergiev Posad (home of the Russian Orthodox Church):

Tayakadin to Istanbul

July 20th
55km (879m vertical)

After 4,056km, we made it to Istanbul! This Orient Express trip is over and most of the other riders are now heading home. Only Graeme, Manon, Nicole, Al, Fred, Stewart, Mike and I will carry on to Beijing next week. In the meantime, I'm off to Moscow for the next five days. Looking forward to a change of pace and some time off the bike.

Very pretty last day of cycling in Europe, but little things seemed to go wrong for me all day. There was a lovely curving downhill, but I dropped my chain at the very top of it so I had to take the whole hill without pedaling. (There was no where to pull over until the bottom.) Then my cycling computer stopped working properly, since the sensor was loose from all the bumpy roads. Finally, just as I pulled up to the mighty Bosporus I filled up my camera's memory card and had to start deleting old photos in order to take new ones.

At the finish line there was a little celebration on the river before we all got onto a boat and cruised to our hotel nearer downtown Istanbul. The river is beautiful, with lots of lively cafes along the banks and apartment buildings mixed in with plenty of green trees on the hills beside the river. There were many local swimmers, who waved and called out to our boat.

It turns out that the Silk Route tour to Beijing starts from a different hotel than this Orient Express trip ends at, so Al and I took our bikes over to the new hotel this afternoon. We bought a map, cycled 2km along the Bosporus, took a ferry across to the Asian side, rode a frantic 2km the wrong way on a busy one way street, then climbed a steep hill for 100m to reach the new hotel. Our only saving grace is that the traffic was so heavy that it wasn't moving. This made cycling safer, but our taxi ride back to the first hotel took forever.

Early morning climb:

Grassy valley (with children playing soccer):

The Bosporus!
Me on the boat.

Manon, Graeme, Nicole and me relaxing on the boat.

Saray to Tayakadin

July 19th
90km (1,610m vertical)

Another fun day's ride. I left the hotel late, rode alone all day, and passed everyone to be first into lunch and first into camp at 11:15am.
There was a lot of climbing today, mostly short steep hills. Very scenic. After lunch we climbed up to a plateau where we could look down on valleys full of farmer's fields.

We're staying in a bush camp tonight, which means no showers. There are open air sinks though, so I had a quick bucket shower before the rest of the group arrived. There was even a cow grazing between the tents in the evening.
Spent the afternoon reading in the shade and cleaning my bike. I put on new brake pads, a new water bottle cage (my other plastic one broke) and changed my chain as well. Jim had a tool to measure chain wear, and said that mine was due to be changed. He kindly sold me the tool so that I can monitor my chain for the rest of the trip.

Everyone got new Orient Express jerseys tonight, so that we can match for tomorrow's ride into Istanbul. The sizing is pretty small, so we'll all be in skin tight tops. All of those icecreams are coming back to haunt me.

More hills and sunflowers:

A small town we passed through:

Field of sunflowers:

Up on the high plateau:

Looking down into the fields below:

Kirklareli to Saray

July 18th
76km (898m vertical)

There was a 3km group ride out of town because the mayor asked if he could ride us out, but I don't think that he showed up in the end. After that, it was a short and easy day. Al and I chatted away as we rode and still averaged 27km/h on the day. We were the first into lunch and the hotel, arriving before 11am.
There were a few rolling hills today, which made for some pleasant scenery, but nothing too strenuous. Getting in early also let us beat the heat, which I greatly prefer.

Al lost $2,500 from the group safe and everyone has been asked to verify exactly what they have in the safe, in case someone grabbed his cash accidentally. For the Silk Route trip, we were told to bring $1,000 to give to the tour leaders. I gave this to the tour leaders at the beginning of this Orient Express trip, and watched them count it out, so that the only thing I have in the safe is my passport. Its a tough situation, since the tour company has no way of knowing what Al put in the safe, and Al has no way of knowing what other people took out.

I'm writing this entry in the hotel stairwell, because it is the only place that their wireless connection seems to work. How strange.

Rolling hills and sunflowers...

...and a little Turkish cabin.

Rest day in Kirklareli

July 17th
0km

Last night we were given a tour of the city and a free dinner at a fancy restraunt courtesy of the mayor of Kirklareli. In one of the tourist brochures, we saw a photo of last year's Orient Express group, and there was a photographer busily taking our photographs as we walked through the town. I suppose it makes it look like large groups of tourists visit Kirklareli often. However, we clearly were the only foreigners in town. We went into one shop, bought some candy, and the owner made pedaling motions with his hands. The whole town must have known that the cycling group was coming through.

Today was another restful rest day. Found a cinema and watched the movie “Wanted” in English with Turkish subtitles. The movie stopped for 10 minutes in the middle while the projectionist switched rolls of film.

Really enjoyed the local Turkish food here. Cheap and tasty. We had some kind of sausage roll in a lite pastry shell for breakfast, cheeseless pizza for lunch, and a big plate of donner in pita bread with rice and salad for dinner. Good stuff. The only challenge is ordering. We typically point to a photo of a dish on the outside of the restraunt, or point at what someone else is eating. The first little place we went for dinner, I asked for a table for two and was brought two beers. I then mimed out eating (hoping for a menu) and was brought a small bowl of salty nuts. After that, we stuck with the pointing.

Miles, the tour leader from Istanbul to Beijing, was in town yesterday, so I spoke with him about China visas. He is very optimistic that we can get our visas in Baku, Azerbaijan. We have hired a new tour company as local contacts in China, and they are trying to make the arrangements for us. As a result, I have decided not to fly back to Toronto next week in between the tours. (The first part of the tour ends in Istanbul.) Instead, I will fly to Moscow to visit my friend Tanya and see Russia for the first time. Its only a 3 hour flight and a 1 hour time difference, so its pretty convenient. I got a visa for Russia ages ago, before all of the China visa problems started, so I should be all set. Fingers crossed that Baku comes through for us.

A Turkish mosque:


On our city tour...being watched by the local children:

Malko Tarnovo (Bulgaria) to Kirklareli (Turkey)

July 16th
50km (1,149m vertical)

Short days ride into Turkey, but it was amazing scenery. In past years, it has been so hot that riders went to the hospital with heat stroke, but it was cool today.

Leaving the hotel everyone was cursing the barking dogs of last night. It was cool, overcast, and spitting with rain. The first 10km was a gradual uphill to the Turkish border. I got my visa for Turkey at the border for US$60. (Canadians paid the most for the visas. Americans only paid US$20 and New Zealanders were free. Where did Canada go wrong?) I even got the visa put on a page with other stamps, so I still have 3 blank ones for other visas.

After the border was a long downhill, which would have been great except that the road was under repair and had several sections of sold mud. Slippery stuff on slick tires in the rain.

The last 30km of the ride were just fantastic. Some of the best scenery of the trip. It was a series of short, steep, curving hills that let you carry a lot of speed from one to the other. I hit 72.9km/h again, matching my top speed for the trip. I would have taken more photos, but I was having too much fun racing up and down the hills.

Photos from today:

Looking back (and down) on Malko Tarnovo.

Bulgarian hills.

Arriving in our last European country.

Construction and mud make downhills dangerous.

Fred near the top of a Turkish hill, with more construction as well.

These are the kind of roads that I love. Amazing!