Not keeping your who read: at the end I'm aware for a fundraiser in Greece! Just scroll down.
Today is a long day ahead of me. Long, if I in until Sunday will be in Istanbul. As a result I already get up at 4:00. It is still completely dark and especially cold.
I had not expected the cold. The day before, it had been warm than 30 ° and now I freeze off my fingers. Thank God it is warming up immediately with sunrise.
To come to Turkey, I must make a 30-kilometre detour after Greece. Fortunately, there is hardly anything going on at the border. At least on my side. The cars are on the opposite carriageway snake, including many with German number plates. Probably return traffic.
I terms the 30 kilometers in Greece on a highway. When I this approx. half behind me, I see a group of people on a road next to the highway.
Me soon becomes clear that there are refugees. When they arrive at my height, a man in ausprochen good English speaks to me. On his arm, he holds a baby. He asks whether there would be after Bulgaria and pointing in the direction from which I came. I support this, prompting joyful relief by the group goes. He asks nor for water, and then I throw one of my bottles over a fence separating us, him. Then they go on. The next kilometre I me make thoughts where they probably did and how it must be, having to flee from home. How would I cope in their situation and why can I consider myself so lucky, not to have it? And they will find a better future in Europe?
On the Turkish border, there is a queue in my direction for the first time. But luckily I have Yes a bicycle! As I meander through me between the cars and 15 minutes are slowly, from a couple of hours waiting time. By the border controller I'll asked, look like my other travel plans. When I say "Iran", he stops: 'what? "Why do you want to go to Iran?" Perhaps I could say that better. I quickly explain that I only needs to travel through the country on my way to Thailand. He briefly whispers with his colleagues, then I finally get my stamp. My luggage is checked in briefly and when everything's okay, I can continue to travel.
After approx. 30 minutes I get to Edirne, a slightly larger town. And here is something that I never expected: my first culture shock. Over the cityscape, numerous minarets stand at intervals the prayer call of the muezzin can be heard from there, the streets are insanely full and mopeds jostle through between the cars, roadside Cay gets drunk and especially the basic mood is a very, very different. The shock only stops briefly, for about an hour. He will be replaced by a curiosity.
I'm going out of town on the D100. She is insanely strong. Many cyclists take you to Istanbul. I have however decided to take the D020. Today, on her, I want to come up to Kirklareli. As it turns out a very ambitious target. The road goes over the whole time steep uphill or downhill. 70 km long. And I've already 60 kilometres in the legs. The day is the hardest day of my tour, especially the last 30 kilometers.
In Kirklareli, then exhausted, I'm looking for a hotel. Too tired nor to find a WiFi hotspot and to seek out the cheapest hotel. After a few minutes, I stumble along the main road about one. The overnight cost me €15. It's still just in my budget. As long as the price does not change overnight…
And now a call because I came out through Greece: the current situation and in particular the current medical situation in Greece is awful. Who has the money, which is not often treated. People are dying already in the aisles in the hospitals (!). Who can not pay after giving birth, not having his baby. Also is the lack of medicines, gauze bandages, etc. getting bigger. Unthinkable for us in Germany.
That's why: There's a fundraiser: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ltc0EzcOos. You may match now views Mr Jebsens or not. But I think here you can overlook self-respecting differences, because the action is about something else. Who has interest, just look. I think a few euros are not much for us, but they can effect a bunch there.
Date: 28. August 2015
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