Kat & Mat's big bike trip
Day 92 Urla
We got the 08:00 ferry to Cesme in Turkey this morning, waving goodbye to lovely Chios.
The Turkish customs were surprisingly friendly, given recent stories about their attitudes to LGBTQ people.
After the Montenegro disaster we were prepared for non EU phone charges and made sure we had data roaming turned off for our Spanish mobiles. We had bought Turkish SIMs and there was a stressy moment when they didn't seem to work, but we got a coffee and some biscuits from a cafe so we could use their WiFi, downloaded the route and map then rode out of Cesme along the coastal road. The SIMs kicked in after about an hour.
We're trying to get our heads round prices in Lira and learning Turkish words - at least we recognise the alphabet here.
We followed the longer, more scenic EV8 route along the coast which was quiet, with good roads and polite drivers.
The ride was beautiful, rolling hills, dramatic scenery, beautiful water, but hot as hell. We stopped in the shade of a eucalyptus for lunch, sat on the side of the road trying to stay cool.
All day, every five or ten minutes, someone would wave and beep, it was like being superstars! While we were slogging up a hill, a car slowed down and asked Kat in English if there was anything she needed. In the moment the only thing she could think to say was "No thank you!" but of course the real answer was an electric bike.
The accommodation is really nice, a lovely little boutique hotel. They have a really powerful shower that hosed off the road dust, a comfy bed and good WiFi.
Just one more day of cycling left!
Love, Kat & Mat x
On the day
🔧 3 motorbikes and sidecars
🔧 5 tractors
💧 1 cup of tea
💧 1 espresso
💧 8L water
🔧 6 motortrikes
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