The unvarnished reality

The start to the second leg of our cycling trip is upon us. The snow has melted and the weather is improving. Due to the cool temperatures, especially at night, we decide to take the bus to Izmir. So the nights should stay above zero for the most part, below that we are not equipped for camping. Turkey has the coldest winter for years, many may not remember it ever being this cold. Not the best conditions for us, but hey, we can say we were there...

We get on our saddles, take a "starting shot" in front of the famous mosques in Istanbul and then ride to the bus station. As always, it is no problem to get a ticket at the counter, the bikes are free. When it comes to loading, they are usually less happy, but still helpful and in the end it always fits. Off to the south. When we arrive in Izmir, it is already getting dark. We have booked a hotel room a little outside and still have to drive through the whole city. And then it happens. Somewhere in the narrow streets of the city, in a rather dubious neighbourhood where one would rather drive through quickly, Beni's chain breaks. S*** slips out, and this exclamation is returned in German. A helpful turk leads us to his house in the backyard, where we can repair it in peace with his support. He warns us about this area and says we had better get back on the main road. We thank him warmly and get back on the main road as soon as possible. Welcome back to the adventurous life of the bicycle traveller.
The helpfulness here surpasses anything we have experienced so far. We are not only helped on demand, but also with foresight. For example, they tell us where we can put our bikes, they wave us off when we are on roads that don't go any further (unfortunately, the navigation system and reality are no longer always so accurate here, e.g. because a dam has been built in the meantime, etc.), we get cay, are allowed to wash for free, are served in a friendly manner everywhere, etc. In just a few weeks we have already made an incredible number of acquaintances in very different ways.

As the nights are rather cool, we tend to treat ourselves to an overnight stay in an accommodation. It happens that we are the only ones in a hotel, as it is completely off-season at the moment. Nevertheless, we receive a warm welcome and a hearty, fresh breakfast. We are also the only ones at campsites. At one, the owner proudly shows us his lambs and the 2-month-old puppies romp around us, the kitchen is cleaned for our sake and we get delicious food, cay, dessert. At another campsite we are again provided with food and drinks, the owner sits down with us for a chat and then also offers us the not yet finished bungalow at no extra charge. We really can't complain.  Another option we try to use is Warmshowers. This is a platform for bicycle travellers, where people offer their homes as overnight accommodation. This gives us direct insights into the homes and everyday life of locals, which is very enriching. More about this later in a separate blog.

We are glad for these opportunities, because the first nights scare us a bit. It gets very cold at night, so in the morning we have to free our tent wall from a thin layer of ice. After packing up, we always look for a place to warm up a bit and drink a cay first. Yes, the Cay is our new coffee here. We don't particularly like Turkish coffee, and cay, the Turkish tea, is available on every corner and almost for free. In addition to the cold, it is also raining, but being forward-looking, we bought rain trousers in Istanbul, which we have already tested successfully. Most of the time, however, the sun is shining, so the days are pleasant for cyclists. Nevertheless, the first doubts arise at the beginning as to whether it was really a good idea to switch back to bicycles.

Apart from the weather challenges, the same complaints occur as the first time. The rear end has to get used to it, the knees hurt, the calves burn, the back is a pain. Why did we ever stop...? Fortunately, we know it gets easier with time.

BUT the joy that we know from the first section also comes back. Every day a small or big adventure, exciting encounters, beautiful places, daily sport ration and being outside a lot, that's what we missed. We spend the nights on beautiful beaches, one of them Patara beach. Above the dunes we pitch our tent and stay for two nights. We meet a German couple who are travelling with their Van and spend the evenings with them around the fire, cooking delicious meals (lots and lots of tomatoes, as they got tons of them as a gift) and enjoying the community.

We also have some exciting encounters on the road. For example, the 76-year-old Frenchman who has been cycling 9 months a year for many years. He doesn't do as long stages as he used to (his are the same length as ours...). Impressive. Or the chats during the lunch break somewhere in a village in the countryside with an old gentleman. Only with Google Translator is a conversation possible at all, but he doesn't seem to mind.

So we continue cycling day after day, fighting our way up the mountains, whizzing down the hills, enjoying the views, eating new exciting dishes, looking for places to sleep and being ready to accept the unexpected and always make the best of it. By the way, during our stay in Switzerland we still treated ourselves to camping chairs and are super happy with the new luxury the chairs bring.