2025 tour Turkey
- Thread starter Topbox
- Start date
Judging by ya cheeky grin, I'm guessing ya didn't get ya teeth done on this trip....
Topbox
Well-known member
Ok so here are some more snaps not all including the bike, some of me being a tourist. Also, I'm not a great raconteur so apologies.
Well I've planned better trips over the last 25 years so I've only got myself to blame, still I like to compare bike touring to sex, when its good its great and when its bad its still good. For this trip I had focussed my sights on the Dark Canyon on the Euphrates, which would be a really good adventure as its not possible to get breakdown recovery on the Asia side of the Bosphorous, so with that in mind I pulled together some more sights on the way in Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, and some more in Turkey (Istanbull, Capadoccia, Pamukkale). This is where I'd realised I'd lost sight of some of the reasons we tour on bikes but I ploughed on anyway, remember I was focussed on the Dark Canyon. But these sights are pretty far apart and at the far end of Europe so to fit it all in in an acceptable timescale for wife, Mo, I would be connecting these dots with motorways, too many really. So, although there was some great roads to ride in Romania, Turkey, and Greece the proportion to motorways was wrong.
Then, in the days before the hot air balloons, Goreme, I got an ear infection. I hoped it would go away but it just got worse until it became pure agony putting my helmet on and off. So, a chemist was required for ear drops. Not fully understanding the pharmacist I Googled the drops later and came across an NHS page yada yada yada eye drops ear drops might get Diarrhea, take 4 drops twice a day. How the fuck can ear drops give you diarrhea. Any road up next day I was lucky to make it to a cafe, but I still hadn't twigged. At a petrol stop I went for a piss and thought this isn't going to be a piss, save number 2. Then ear drops and diarrhea cam haunting back at me. So when your as old, weak, slow, and knackered as me the doc will prescribe codeine for those times when you need a little help with the pain and one known side effect of codeine is constipation which I used to counteract the diarrhea. Coincidentally, I came down with something that took away my appetite and energy, so instead of seeing a few sights in Goreme I just needed to stay in bed.
The rest of the holiday was an anxious time, with 6-8 hours on the bike each day, trying to run a line between diarrhea and constipation to keep my undecrackers clean.
So, too much motorway, getting ill, and just to put the tin hat on it My host in Pamukkale took me to the top of the hill where the Roman theatre and Limestone pools were so that all I hade to do was walk down the Limestone pools back to my digs. Walking barefoot is insisted upon. Fucking hell its like walking on Leggo bricks, I tried my best then thought fuck it flip flops are going back on. made good progress too until the local stasi made me take them off again, twat had no sympathy for an OAP.
The monasteries in Meteora area sight but very popular with tourists, great roads around there.
Anyway, overall saw some great sights, I experienced what I set to do (apart from Athens, I just didn't feel like I had the energy for that so it got canned) and I feel like that's more ticked off my bucket list, just a little bit too much motorway.
Lesson Learned.
TB
Well I've planned better trips over the last 25 years so I've only got myself to blame, still I like to compare bike touring to sex, when its good its great and when its bad its still good. For this trip I had focussed my sights on the Dark Canyon on the Euphrates, which would be a really good adventure as its not possible to get breakdown recovery on the Asia side of the Bosphorous, so with that in mind I pulled together some more sights on the way in Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, and some more in Turkey (Istanbull, Capadoccia, Pamukkale). This is where I'd realised I'd lost sight of some of the reasons we tour on bikes but I ploughed on anyway, remember I was focussed on the Dark Canyon. But these sights are pretty far apart and at the far end of Europe so to fit it all in in an acceptable timescale for wife, Mo, I would be connecting these dots with motorways, too many really. So, although there was some great roads to ride in Romania, Turkey, and Greece the proportion to motorways was wrong.
Then, in the days before the hot air balloons, Goreme, I got an ear infection. I hoped it would go away but it just got worse until it became pure agony putting my helmet on and off. So, a chemist was required for ear drops. Not fully understanding the pharmacist I Googled the drops later and came across an NHS page yada yada yada eye drops ear drops might get Diarrhea, take 4 drops twice a day. How the fuck can ear drops give you diarrhea. Any road up next day I was lucky to make it to a cafe, but I still hadn't twigged. At a petrol stop I went for a piss and thought this isn't going to be a piss, save number 2. Then ear drops and diarrhea cam haunting back at me. So when your as old, weak, slow, and knackered as me the doc will prescribe codeine for those times when you need a little help with the pain and one known side effect of codeine is constipation which I used to counteract the diarrhea. Coincidentally, I came down with something that took away my appetite and energy, so instead of seeing a few sights in Goreme I just needed to stay in bed.
The rest of the holiday was an anxious time, with 6-8 hours on the bike each day, trying to run a line between diarrhea and constipation to keep my undecrackers clean.
So, too much motorway, getting ill, and just to put the tin hat on it My host in Pamukkale took me to the top of the hill where the Roman theatre and Limestone pools were so that all I hade to do was walk down the Limestone pools back to my digs. Walking barefoot is insisted upon. Fucking hell its like walking on Leggo bricks, I tried my best then thought fuck it flip flops are going back on. made good progress too until the local stasi made me take them off again, twat had no sympathy for an OAP.
The monasteries in Meteora area sight but very popular with tourists, great roads around there.
Anyway, overall saw some great sights, I experienced what I set to do (apart from Athens, I just didn't feel like I had the energy for that so it got canned) and I feel like that's more ticked off my bucket list, just a little bit too much motorway.
Lesson Learned.
TB
Jeez, not what you want when you far from home. I can understand the diarrhea thing - I once had my ears filled with shaving foam when I was the first to fall asleep on a school trip - woke up instantly and was puking for 2 days.
Barefoot...what prick made that rule up?
Looks an interetsing place to tour
Topbox
Well-known member
Pic 3 is the Basillica Cistern. And underground reservoir built by the Romans. Apparently there's a network of them in Istanbull. For when someone asks what did the Romans ever do for us.
Solo travel, well you miss the craic, but if I had to wait until someone came with me I'd be waiting forever. Also, in groups there's that one person who needs constantly looking after. So, I'm happy to take responsibility for myself so I go. I've always been hesitant about going East, fear of language barrier, but, embarrassingly, Johnny foreigner knows enough English to deal with me and now Google translate is fantastic for when they don't.
TB
Looks amazing TB, shame you ended up with the lurgi!
I agree with you re group travel.
