Next Stop: CraiovaI didn't leave Timisoara until around 2pm, at which point it was around 37 degrees. Probably a mistake. Again, despite the rumours, the road was smooth and flat with a decent space for me to ride. To be honest, the reviews of Romanian roads are probably accurate, but for a while I was really just on the same road. I went just over 110km then found a place to camp just after Caransebes. There were some people swimming in the river, a flock of sheep with the associated shepherds and a few gypsies. I went around near some gravel pits and found a place under a tree that a gypsy woman showed me. I felt pretty safe until the massive thunderstorm hit. Loudest lightening of my life. That I remember. Probably magnified in my memory by the fact that I was in a tent. I woke up early the next morning and there was a gypsy man hanging around. We had one of those brief chats that don't really use any language, mostly motions and grunts. He was going on about how "they" were clearing away all the trees and it is bad for the environment and makes it hard to breathe. Tru dat. Later that day I climbed through a mountain pass and again met my old friend the Danube/Donau. Not long after that I met my new friend, Pauline. I was about 20 minutes from looking for a place to camp when I noticed a stationary bike rigged up with some solar panels in a place I think near Strehaia. I whirled around deciding I could use a shop anyway. I after we chatted for a bit we decided to find a place to camp for a bit. The extra boost of energy and necessity of speed (she could go faster than me with the power of the sun), we pushed on until I had done 175km that day (most so far). We had a cold beer and some warm meat sandwiches in a farmer's field. The next day we were up early to find a place for her to charge a bit. I was meeting my host in Craiova prior to 12.30 and she was heading further on towards Bucharest. Oh, and I would mention all the amazing things about her journey, of which there were many, but they can all be found in her blog. It was a mammoth effort for me to keep up but we all know I'm awesome, yada, yada, and we made it on time. Craiova was great. Except for the size of the big cat enclosures at the zoo. They were not good. Buzludza BoundI had an extra day in Craivoa and in my mind the date of the 4th of July and the requirement to be in Thessaloniki on that date loomed large. I decided to bail on CS until I got to Istanbul and to have no rest days. I was pretty sure I could make it. I didn't make it to the ferry I wanted, but that just meant I could eat lunch while I waited for the next one. As soon as I got in to Bulgaria, the hills were troublesome. Again, the roads weren't so bad, but this would change later on. The first night I bailed up just off the highway in a field between Pleven and Lovech (I think). The next day was mountain day and it also happened to be rain day. This curiously coincided with free cucumber day. I was going through Lovech and stopped on the south side for some breakfast. A cheery chap stopped to give me a cucumber then went off in the direction he came. I think he literally followed me to give me a cucumber. It was delicious. I carried on through the mountains and while it was tough going up some of the long climbs, it was also quite pleasant. I was surrounded by forest and there weren't many cars. A few people slowed down next to me to say encouraging things in Bulgarian and ask if I wanted a lift, which I of course did not. Once I mostly got over the mountains, I had to do another little climb to get up to Buzludza, one of the goals of my trip. The weather was rubbish. As I was approaching the peak, there were a few hotels which I noticed. As I had a long way to go the next day, stopping there for the night then going to see the peak in the morning wasn't really an option. So I carried on. At one point it was just too steep so I got off and pushed. This lasted about ten metres because I realised that it was actually easier to ride than to push with it being so steep. I arrived at the empty carpark near the peak at about 8pm and visibility was about 20m. If I went up to see the monument and left my bike in the carpark, I wouldn't be able to see it. So I pushed it up the stairs. This is something I regret because I'm sure nobody else came and if they did, they wouldn't want my bike. After the first set of stairs, I still couldn't see the monument. I got to the base of the second set of stairs and looked up. There it was. So ominous. I looked down to get my camera and when I returned my gaze upwards there was only fog. Eerie. And kinda scary because there was nobody there. I took some snaps and had a look around. It was locked which is something I wasn't expecting. My plan was to spend the night in there but that wasn't happening. The weather was looking shocking and I didn't have much to eat so I used an escape rope and arrived at one of the hotels just a bit down the side of the mountain. It was pretty cheap and the food was borderline acceptable so I was happy with the decision. The shower was great too. Entering The TurkeyIf going up the mountain range was unexpectedly pleasant, going down the other side was unexpectedly horrible. There were a bunch of switchbacks which I went down in the cold rain with the brakes almost fully on the whole way. The road was washing away. I sometimes glimpsed the view of lavender fields at the bottom, but pretty much couldn't see anything. It rained most of the day and at one point I got my first flat tyre. It took my an hour to change partly because it was wet and gritty, partly because it was in a shit position on the highway, and mostly because it was the first time I've ever had a puncture. After a long day in the rain I was finding it difficult to seek out a camping spot. A few places I tried turned out to be super muddy which messed with my bike a bit. Eventually I approached a shepherd who said I could camp near his flock which was penned up. The next morning after taking too many selfies because I could, and washing my bike because I must, I then prepared to enter Turkey. I went through an interesting series of road signs which I feel compelled to share. 6km to Kapitan. After 200m, 7km to Kapitan. 1000m later, 6km to Kapitan. 1000m later, 5km, 200m later, 4km, 200m later, 2km. Then 1000m later, 4km again. Then after 1000m there was Kapitan. Then 1000m later there was a sign saying 1km to Kapitan. Seriously Bulgaria, sort it out. There were some shenanigans at the border which I was pretty angry about, but I have since forgiven. Also, people from most non-EU countries need one 25 euro visa, but people from Australia, Canada and Qatar need two. Rubbish. I was angry. Then I realised that it was a black pot kettle situation and calmed down. IstanbulI had planned to meet with Pauline in Kirklareli which was my goal for the end of the day. As soon as I crossed the border, my hopes for reaching that destination diminished. There was suddenly a headwind. There were constant hills. The road was covered in rubber which slowed me down the same way a flat tyre would (I was consistently looking down to check I didn't have a flat). I was also pretty knackered from riding five days in a row. At the start of the day I felt like a machine and that anything was possible. Now I felt broken and I needed a day off to sleep. I stopped in a small town to check the internet (my data SIM didn't work in Turkey) and unwillingly had my first Nescafe since I can remember. Turns out Pauline had a hotel sorted out for her through a friend of a friend, so I went to meet here there. I was later than I said I would be, but she was much later. Having an 80kg setup is great when the battery is charged and horrible when it is not. She arrived around 10.30. Poor girl. After a nourishing breakfast, an interview for Pauline and a shopping trip for me, we headed towards the next stop which had been organised for her in Kestanelik. Again, the battery ran out before the end of the day (this was rare and only because of the less than ideal weather), so we plodded the final 15km in diminishing light. Fortunately the road was new so dodging potholes in the dark wasn't an issue. It was nice for me to not be the slow link for once. When we arrived we were greeted by a cheery, overly-energetic man who turned out to be the Mayor of the town. He didn't speak any English and I was astounded by Pauline ability to blag conversation, despite the fact they both knew they had no real idea what the other was talking about. We had some absolutely delicious Turkish dinner (kofte and some fried salami), and his daughter and son came to join us. Seyda and her sister live in Istanbul which was fortunate for me because I hadn't found somewhere to stay at that point. After dinner we set up camp in a wedding hall. On the road the next day, there were more trucks than I had ever seen in my life. They were moving earth to help with the construction of a new highway. Generally the drivers were friendly, sometimes beeping to let us know they were there and sometimes waving. We met a guy to (apparently) escort Pauline across to the eastern side of Istanbul, which included a detour through a national park type situation. At first I was dubious at doing some extra riding but it was really pleasant and I saw a tortoise. We cycled along the water and after the second bridge, I bid farewell to Pauline and went to find Safak (Seyda's sister). This and the other amazing Turkish encounters from this point on will be put in the Feathers In My Cap section. GreeceThe Greek lifestyle is different to the Turkish lifestyle. The main thing I noticed was that instead of each town having a mosque, each town had a church. The hospitality is only a little different though. The first night was in a field and I actually at one point called out "hello" because I thought there was a person near my tent. It was probably just an animal. I then had to climb through some hills and halfway through the downhill I decided to take a break for lunch. Some people at a nearby restaurant same me making some sandwiches and invited me in. I ate with them and had some vodka and water for lunch. They spoke a little English, enough to laugh with. I made it to just past Porto Lagos then found a field to sleep in. The next day I made the coast again at Kavala and saw what I expected to see in Greece. Hills covered in Greek houses on the coast. That night I was Couchsurfing near the beach in Orfynio and the next day was a rest day. I got some great sleep (oh my god this blog is so exciting), then did some actual swimming in the sea for the first time on the trip. I love swimming in the sea. I don't love the beach so much and I ended up a little burnt but nothing too tragic. My CS host and I went for a swim as the sun was setting and I swear that the people who go to the beach during the day are idiots. In the evening, there is no chance to burn and the water feels warmer. Oh and the sunset over the mountains. There remained only 104km to Thessaloniki which was easy for the first 80km, during which I even had a break while The Mighty Hawks downed the Pies. After that there was a gruelling climb over some steep hills in the sun, while a storm was brewing behind me. Judging by the terrain map of Europe, there will be a few more of these to come, but I think as long as I carry enough water, I'll be fine. I wasn't as sweaty as I am after a night at the Tram, so I guess it wasn't so bad. Rolling down the other side in to Thessaloniki provided few views, but I was just focussed on the fact that I didn't need to move my legs. My host here reminds me a bit of Iosif in Timisoara. He's on CS to help people. Many people refused my requests based on the current economical and political situation in Greece, but he said yes despite already having two guests. He's the kind of guy that will make things work if it benefits others. Anyway, I'm currently waiting to eat massive amounts of pasta then ride out to the airport to meet Carmen. We'll be riding together across to Albania then up the coast to Lake Bled. I'm not 100% convinced we'll make it without some assistance, but we will give it a red hot go.
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Chris JonesJust a guy going for a bit of a documented ride. Archives
May 2018
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