Bike-Ride To Australia Video The Blue-Mosque. A video posted on Garry’s YouTube Channel took on his 22,000-mile cycle ride around the world.
After a month of cycling, Garry reached Istanbul. And it was now time for a brief rest and a spot of sightseeing with Julie. Who had flown out to join him, together they took in the sights and sounds of Istanbul. A brief interlude for Garry before he continued on his solo unaided ride around the world. However, it wasn’t a world ride at the time of shooting this video! Garry was only cycling to Australia.
Bike-Ride To Australia 25th-November 2011 Istanbul. After checking into the hotel last night, I went for a much-needed haircut. It wasn’t that it was that long. I just like it nice and short. It requires very little maintenance, and I don’t wake up with bed hair! I also had a hot towel shave while there. My supper was tasty, and I had it at the hotel’s rooftop restaurant, which looks out on Istanbul and the Bosporus.
I woke up this morning at my normal time of 5.30. Only today, I didn’t have to rush around packing my bags and loading my bike! It was nice not having to rush around, although it did feel rather odd! No doubt, after a day or two, I’ll get bored with staying put and want to get moving again! But until that time I’ll enjoy relaxing in my rather nice hotel! Although I can’t see the Bosporus from my room, I can hear the low sound of foghorns from the ferries that cross back and forth from Asia to Europe.
Toilet humour in Istanbul
After a leisurely breakfast, I had a few things I needed to do on the website, which took much longer than expected! Once finished on the website, I went out for a walk. It was only a brief walk, as it was time to go and meet Julie at the airport! The hotel had already told me the best way to get to the airport and which bus to catch. No wonder my ride into Istanbul yesterday was so hairy! I’ve seen how they drive from the other side now! I was glad to reach the airport alive!
Julies flight was on time, and it was great to see her again, even though it had only been a month since I last saw her! And it’s not as if I’ve not spoken to her via Skype, but you can’t beat face-to-face meetings. We ran the gauntlet of the bus back to the hotel, and It wasn’t any better the second time! By the time we arrived back at the hotel, most of the day had gone. So we retired to the bar, playing the tourist will have to wait until tomorrow!
Subscribe to Garry’s blog and follow Garry’s journey around the world. Plus, you’ll receive news and updates on all future tours.
Bike-Ride To Australia 24th-November 2011 Seymen to Istanbul 61 miles. What a hard ride today. There’s been a strong side wind, which isn’t too bad. That is until a lorry comes past! The backdraft from a large vehicle is bad enough at the best of times. But when there’s a side wind, it’s twice as bad! Generally, with a side wind, you’re leaning into it slightly. But as a lorry or large vehicle comes past, the wind stops! And you have to quickly catch your balance or fall into the wheels of the truck! It’s also been a wet ride, which I can’t really complain about. I think it’s the first rain I’ve had since I was in Germany!
Not Far Now
The rain had stopped, but it was still windy when I had about 20 miles to go to my finish in Istanbul. (I’ve got a pre-booked hotel tonight, and this is a good example of why I don’t pre-book!) But there were road works everywhere, and the traffic was hell! I want to say I was on a six-lane highway, but it was only two lanes. The traffic decided it was six lanes! There were vehicles everywhere! None of them, taking a blind bit of notice of the designated lanes! Not only was it busy with traffic, but there were potholes everywhere! Road signs had seemingly been taken down and were hanging on the Armco, sticking out onto the road! Giving me a choice, get knocked off by the signs or swerve and get hit by some vehicle! While this was all going on, the road kept dividing, leaving me in the middle of all this chaos! And as for those little Dolmus buses, they just cut you up! I think there’s some sort of competition between them, to see who could cut me up the most! My senses were in overdrive!
What A Ride
I thought I’d cycled in some heavy traffic before! Marrakesh on a Friday evening or the Arc de Triumph in Paris! But nothing came close to today’s experience! It’s completely worn me out! Luckily I’ve got a few days off now. Julie is flying out to see me, which I’m really looking forward to, it’ll be nice to see her again. I didn’t take any pictures today. I was too busy trying to stay alive!
Subscribe to Garry’s blog and follow Garry’s journey around the world. Plus, you’ll receive news and updates on all future tours.
Bike-Ride To Australia 23rd-November 2011 Edirne to Seymen 92 miles. A complete surprise at today’s mileage, considering I had a total lack of sleep last night! When I took my room last night, the porter asked if it was okay, as it was next to the lift. I said it was fine. I wish I’d have said no now! Although I’m not so sure it would have made any difference. It wasn’t the lift that kept me awake. The noise was coming from everywhere else but the lift!
There must have been a function room below, with a party going on. And the poorly fitting window in my room didn’t act as any barrier! The party went on until at least 2 am! Then just as I’d thought I’d get some sleep, up stepped the staff chattering away and moving furniture! And as to what was going on above me, I think it might have been a honeymoon couple! On the bright side, the breakfast was good, much better than yesterday’s effort!
Today’s road has been a bit of a roller-coaster, with gentle climbs and falls. I think, judging by the smooth tarmac, it’s fairly new. It probably accounts for my high mileage! Let’s hope the roads like this all the way across Turkey to Iran!
The French cyclists I met on the road today who had cycled back from China
More Cyclists
Today, I met a French couple cycling from China to France. They’d been backpacking in China and decided to cycle back home to France rather than fly! So they brought a couple of bikes and some wicker baskets for panniers, and here they were! They’d been cycling for nearly a year and thought it would take another three months to get home, to Grasse in the south-east of France. They couldn’t quite believe that I had only been on the road for a month and that I’d already covered around 2000 miles! They told me they’d come through Iran a few weeks ago. And they weren’t too sure if I’d be able to cycle there or not! It was difficult for them. They had only just made it as the snowy season had already started! I didn’t know there was a snowy season! Still, that’s something to look forward to, although I think they were a lot further north than where I’ll be going.
Subscribe to Garry’s blog and follow Garry’s journey around the world. Plus, you’ll receive news and updates on all future tours.
