World Bicycle Tour: Turkey to Kazakhstan
My on this day bicycle touring blog post comes from Turkey and Kazakhstan on the 4th of September 2012. After a mix-up with my visa, I had to leave Kazakhstan. And the nearest country that I could fly to, without having to get another visa, was Turkey, where I’d been for the past four days. It was quite an enjoyable time. After staying in the same hotel four times now, I’d made quite a few friends in Istanbul. I even started to regard Istanbul as my second home, as I’d spent more time there in the past eleven months than I had at my real home.
Tuesday, 4th September 2012, Istanbul, Turkey, to Atyrau, Kazakhstan by plane.
The day started with a leisurely breakfast. After all, there was no rush. My flight back to Kazakhstan wasn’t until midday. After saying goodbye to the hotel staff, once again! I left for the airport. Check-in was a little less chaotic than when I’d left Atyrau. But then I suppose İstanbul Havalimanı is somewhat bigger and more international than the tiny airport in Atyrau.
Check-in was relatively smooth apart from one brief moment. The man at the check-in desk looked at my visa and said he’s never seen one like it before and wasn’t sure if it was a genuine visa! Great, my heart sank. Not only were they not going to let me back into the country, but I’d left my bike and all my gear there. And that would be the end of my ride!
Thankfully, there was no need to panic; I’d gotten a little ahead of myself. After asking a colleague, he said it was fine, and I was allowed through to the airport side. Hopefully, this will be my last flight before my flight home in a couple of months.
The flight back to Kazakhstan seemed a lot shorter, and in no time, I was back on the ground in Kazakhstan, hoping they’d let me back into the country. Which they did without any problem, and even better, my bike was still at the hotel. I’ve just got to see if I need another stamp from the police tomorrow, then I can get back on my bike and continue on my way to China.
Don’t Forget It’s Sepsis Awareness Month: Learn The Signs
September is Sepsis Awareness Month, as it is every year. And as a sepsis survivor myself, I want to promote it as much as possible. So, people recognise the signs, and we can save as many lives as possible. It takes 5 minutes to learn the signs of sepsis.
Slurred speech or confusion
Extreme shivering or muscle pain, fever
Passing no urine all day
Severe breathlessness
It feels like you’re going to die
Skin mottled or discoloured
Please learn the signs. It’s really important as it could save a life. 1 in 5 people don’t know the signs. Don’t be that person. Learn the symptoms, and spread the word as much as possible so others can be as lucky as I was.
Explore More Of My Ride Around The World
- Yesterday’s Blog: Why would you do that
- View The Whole Tour: Cycling the world
- Tomorrow’s Adventure: Fourteen years later, and things are still the same
Watch My YouTube Video From Kazakhstan
Follow & Support Garry’s Bicycle Touring Adventures
If you’re enjoying the ride and want to fuel my next mile, you can always support me by buying me a beer. And, of course, you can always follow me on social media: Facebook, Bluesky, Threads, X, Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest. I’m also on Flickr, where you’ll find pictures from all my tours, along with regular photo updates that I generally publish each month.
If you want to find out if I’m away touring at the moment and check my location, visit the Where’s Garry page. For an insight into the gear and logistics behind this ride, see my Life at 10mph Guide.
