Welcome to Asia

The next morning, I start looking forward in the day. Today, I put my foot up first to Asia. Fürs first downhill it therefore through Istanbul. I drive on the busy main road and Jenn towards Bosphorus, me meander between the waiting cars through and arrived much too quickly down. I love now, just in the traffic flow of chaotic streets in big cities drift it.

Quickly solve I still a ferry ticket and wait for a quarter of an hour. It is so far, I climb the ferry and schippere slowly to Asia. Goodbye Europe!

And what can you meet first in Asia? Three Germans! We come to talk and chat briefly, then it goes on. I make a trip just to the last Rohloffhändler to Bangkok, because I want to buy some oil for my hub. I had forgotten that when I had brought my bike a few days ago to check out.

Then we go but really. The first section is simply gorgeous. Completely just my road leads me for approx. Add 20 kilometres along the beach promenade along comes some drizzle.

Order to avoid a bottleneck with a lot of traffic, I switch the page over the sea tongue which I followed since Istanbul after the 20 kilometers. When I'm on the ferry I fall into almost in a meditative calm. The ship rocking back and forth in the waves, the rain pelting incessantly on the deck and because no one else out there is, lays down a deep silence about the ship. Warm shivers run up my back and way too fast, I've arrived in the town of Yalova.

From Yalova's no longer quite so continues. No promenade, only many cars. Also, I'm starting to Miss also my host Kerby. We had befriended us but quite good. For a few kilometres, it goes then so, until I check in a small hotel in the evening.

When I step on the next morning before the door, it's raining from the clouds. Joy arises in me and while I strample the East, I think that I am probably the only one who rejoices over this weather. It remains throughout the day cloudy and raining again. Today again a lot harder than yesterday.

I would have thought in the evening. Since I am considering me just where I sleep today. And the forest road, which at once opens up on my right hand, but looks a great way to the camp out. I turn and start the path to follow. Until I look down at my bike.

I've just redefined my understanding of a "dirty bike". But in addition to the optical component, the whole has still another episode. The tires start to block and eventually goes there before nor back. I'm stuck. A further suffering fellow meets me with a car. When I tell him, catching in the mud, that I want to go to Thailand, he has to laugh uncontrollably.

Barely, I manage to over an hour finally back on the highway. Perhaps, today it's the better idea is a hotel. Just who let me in with a dirty bike? So goes another hour for clean up at a gas station on it. After that, it is already dark. Tired and exhausted I find 30 meters next to the highway in the darkness a tent place.

The next morning the speedometer no longer goes. Na toll. Probably, he did not survive the yesterday's cleansing action. That's why I'm going eight kilometers until after Hendek, a small town in which I want to just buy a new speedometer.

In Hendek, a sequence of events leads to my guest freundschaftlichsten experience to date.

For the first time wanted to I me in Hendek actually only on the curb sat, to eat a freshly baked bread, whose purchase of its seductive scent had just tempted me.

But as I'm myself down on a curb, a Turkish family, enjoying the morning with a cup of Cay discovered me. I'm going to wave and as the mother of the family, Sevil, can speak good English, I tell you a little bit of me.

Sevil then offered me to go, to be able to use her husband's workshop and to invite a german-speaking friend together to buy a new speedometer.

So I'm sitting in the afternoon with a new speedometer and a maintained bike for little Cay and speak with Orhan, a Turk who has lived for several years in Germany.

Orhan even offered me to stay with him. Overjoyed I take it of course. He refers me to a bed, makes me dinner and washes my clothes. I can't help. And I know this man, but only for a few hours! And yet, he is so generous towards me. Still I haven't experienced this kind of hospitality so far and I think it is also difficult to experience in our latitudes.

The next morning, he invites me to a lentil soup. A typical Turkish breakfast. Totally overwhelmed I then goodbye by Orhan, Sevil and her family.

I spend kilometres so to make up for the rest of the day. The highway goes towards Düzce. Had until now been relatively flat since Istanbul, deadline is now so abruptly. At one time it goes from 95 meters to over 900.

As I'm working my way to the top, it gets dark. And it is simply not a campground in sight. The increase I am dodged on a smaller side and this leads along a non-terminated village now. When it's already dark I found anything yet. Finally I'm 20 metres to the next House, my tent in a small hazelnut tree field. Not a safe place. I hope, that the darkness enough to me protects. But as there must be a stray dog discovered me in the night. He finds this very funny, just time away to bark. I find, however, isn't so amusing and imagine it as the whole village community moves on and sells me off the field. Ultimately he is fortunately approx. a quarter of an hour on. Lucked out again.