Straight down and straight forward!

Sunday 6th October

A great start to the day with a rare hearty breakfast in the hostel of fruits, cold meats, cheese, bread and the dreaded olive. Along with free wifi, i had control of the t.v buttons last night as well. Include this with the breakfast and an 8 person dorm to myself all for 20TL about £7, pretty decent deal!

I set off towards Denizli for what Jorge had warned me were going to be two tough days. At some point I would have to cycle through 50km of mountain range and get to around 1300m. The mountains I could see in front of me and I preferred them just there, as a perfect backdrop to the postcard picture that I was cycling into.

After Denizli, I was soon in the thick of the mountains but I was enjoying it, it had been a while since I had to put the climbing legs back on. The first range didn't take too long to cycle over but I could see what Jorge was on about and it looked like I had a lot more hard work to come. As the sun began to heat up I discovered a major wardrobe malfunction. I was wearing a thin top that kept me cool underneath a thick top that kept warmth in. This created a layer of sweat between the two tops that soaked the thin top and made me freeze when the wind blew. A quick swap of the tops and I was back in the game, I guess all that fabric technology really does work!

I stopped at the crest of one of the mountains for lunch. There are handy fresh water taps at the top and along most of the mountain climbs. There were 3 bus drivers parked up and having lunch also. I said hello but I just wanted to tuck into my ham sandwiches so sat a little way away from them by the fountain. One man came over and offered me a tomato, I took him up on that, tomato can only enhance a ham sandwich I thought! After I finished i stood up and one of the drivers called over to me, I didn't understand what he said and I've noticed that when Turkish people want you to join them, they gesticulate by waving their hand up and down the same way we do to tell someone to sit down (you're in the way of the film or your striker's rubbish, he will never score) so I sat back down!

I stood up again to sort Nigel out and he did the same thing but this time another driver gesticulated in an English way so I walked over and joined them with their lunch too. Burek is the food of choice over here. A pancake/naan bread, big and flat that you roll up and eat and can include any flavours you want. I had a plain one and spicy chilli one that burnt my tongue (I'm not a spicy food man but something tells me I maybe when I'm done with this trip) I naturally had some tea as well and thanked them. Two lunches down and I was ready to tackle the mountains again.

Not long after lunch I was clear of the first wave of mountains and I had vast, open land to literally tear up the miles. I was trying to work out what made the open flat land so appealing to the eye compared to the French farmland or German. The trees! The Turkish have masses of open land but they don't cut the trees down so there are lots of random individual trees or bushes spread across the plains which makes the land look more like a scene from a cowboy film instead of a baron wasteland. It must be a right pain for the farmers to drive around the odd tree here and there but I applaud them for putting in the extra effort on the mower to make my cycling view much more enjoyable.

As it got close to 6pm it had occurred to me that today was a very straight forward and routine day. I made a little video stating how I had no problems, no issues with directions, my body or the bike. The second and literally, the second I put the camera away I felt a bump at the back tyre that was a little harder than the others. I looked down and the tyre was pretty flat, not to the road flat but enough to be confused as to how it happened. It didn't affect the day that much as I was only going to carry on another 5 miles so I stopped and took the tyre off. It seemed like a very slow puncture as it didn't deflate instantly. I made the most of the tyre being off and cleaned up Nigel, oiled the chain etc, he likes to have a pamper once in a while.

I found myself in a town called Kumafsari. Nothing there, just farms and farmers. The wind was beginning to pick up so I walked towards some houses where I thought I could find better cover than if I was stuck out in a field somewhere. There was a family raking grass so I approached them with the usual hand gestures and pointed to a nearby field. The mother gave me a look that was almost identical to the look my mum would give me if i was going to approach my dad but he was in a mood and likely to snap. A wide eyed look, slight shake of the head and wave onwards. I was guessing that the field I was pointing to was probably not the best so I walked on about 100m and found a tiny little patch in between two gardens. I had dried tyre tracks again so was eyeing up a good sleeping spot and the long dry grass was so overgrown I knew that I would be safe to pitch up here. I was fully out in the open to the road but I felt safe and a tiny Turkish farming village is not exactly a place for an opportunist gun wielding cyclist mugger I thought.

As I was cooking my chicken pasta, two lads around 20 years old walked past me on the pavement. They stopped for a chat but didn't know much English so I got by in German. Im so happy I chose German not French in Senior School. I've managed to get by in obviously Germany, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, parts of Italy, Croatia, Albania and Turkey with my basic German speech and slightly better listening skills. If I had chosen French all those years ago then the only thing extra I could've got in France may've been colder tap water! Oh no maybe not, i forgot, the country was closed for the month I was there!

The lads stopped for 5 minutes, offered me a cigarette and then left. Well that was pretty pain free I thought, camp up in England and the youngsters show up then you probably won't get much sleep! It was Sunday night though so I should be ok with a quiet night I thought, it was the early morning that I was dreading.

After a good feed I felt pretty tired and dropped off straight away. I was then woken up by some shouting and flashing lights from a moped. Here we go I thought, I knew it was too good to be true. If I just lay here do you think they'll go away? I thought. I didn't know what time it was but the calling continued and one guy kept giggling and flashing the lights on the moped. Here we go, I sat up and stuck my head out the tent and looked into the circular beam, I didn't think it was the same lads as before but all I could see was a circular light, it could've been half a mysteron for all I knew. I had no clue what they were saying but again the German came out and i could understand what they were asking. Firstly they asked, did I want something to eat? and then, did I want something to drink? I thankfully declined and then they wished me goodnight! Haha! I laid back down again in disbelief, even their biker kids were offering me things! After this I didn't hear a noise, I settled down for the night and prepared myself for what was going to be another cold one.

Apart from the mysterious tyre situation that I will check out tomorrow. Another good day, good cycling, good people, good food, just need the warmer nights now!

Old sights and new dreams

Saturday 5th October

I am delighted to say I was woken up by the annoyance of slobber in and around Beirdre. We all know that slobber means deep and relaxing sleep, so it wasn't a freezing cold noisy night, it wasn't a barking/wind howling filled night, it wasn't even just a standard 8 hours or 9 hours,  it was decent trouble free DEEP sleep.

The key to this I firmly believe was down to the ground. I knew laying the tent on a tyre track hardened ground  could pose problems. If I couldn't find a nook in which I could position my body comfortably in, then I was in for yet another terrible nights sleep but this time all down to me. However, I took the risk, laid the mat down over the track lines and found an absolute belter of a nook that saw me spend the whole night in the foetal position without having to cushion my boney hips with socks or anything! Result!

Having a start to a day like this was a rare occasion but i have to say that was merely the beginning of a day that will leave me pumped for a good few days yet. My plan was to head to Pamukkalle, a tourist attraction of hot pools and a very large and well kept heritage site. I had worked hard to get within just 10 miles of it over the last 3 days so I was pleased to have an early start so I could see Pamukkalle, have lunch then move down towards the south coast. 

It felt strange cycling to a tourist attraction. It was a bus tour type of place, Marco and Margherita took the bus there from Istanbul and my ride hasn't been about doing the touristy things at all. I was interested to see it in the flesh from seeing Marco's pictures briefly before I left the hostel in Istanbul. It cost 20TL about £7 to get into the whole site and I have to say, it was worth every penny for me. If you like the film Gladiator, you will love Pamukkalle. I had the soundtrack playing as I walked around the ruins imagining what time was like and the hot pools were an added little bonus really for me. I'm pretty sure I came close to taking the most pictures out of everyone there despite the large amounts of Asians there, I was very much enjoying myself.

Lunchtime came around very quickly and I felt very satisfied with my morning and was just walking back to the town to get some bread and get back on Nigel. As I got to the exit I was strangely approached by a man with an equally scruffy beard but not quite as thick. "Are you cycling?" He said. I didn't have Nigel but I was still shamelessly wearing my cycling shorts. "Where you cycling to?" He asked. "South Africa" I replied "and you?" "I'm cycling to Spain but have just come from Africa" sorry what now? The chances of meeting a cyclist - slim. The chances of meeting a cyclist when neither of you have your bikes on you - very slim. But the chances of you meeting someone that has just completed almost your exact route - well that has to be a sign doesn't it. 

Jorge was from Chile and flew over to Cape Town to cycle up to Spain. He took a year to do Africa and has been in Turkey for a week or so. Unfortunately his bags got lost flying from Cairo to Antayla so he was having some trouble and had to go to Istanbul that night. I bumped into him on his way up to the heritage site but he told me what hostel he was staying at and we decided to have a sit down and a chat about each others trips. I obviously had lots of questions and he wanted to know a few things about my route down.

I say he told me what hostel he was at, he didn't know the name so he said what road and described the outside as having lots of Chinese symbols outside. I then spent the next 30 minutes of my life trying to find this hostel. I kept cycling past the same man outside his hostel who really wanted me to stay but I asked if he had another cyclist staying there and he said no so it clearly wasn't the right place. Opposite this same hostel seemed to be a village communal lunch for the locals that he even got me in, so I had a full blown lunch of soup, stew and doughnuts for free. This was a definite bid to get me to stay but I had to keep looking for the right place otherwise I knew I regret it. Eventually I found the right place, I was going up and down the wrong road from the start but I got a free lunch out of it despite all the dodgy looks so I didn't care much.

I waited at the hostel a bit, not long and then Jorge came back. We must've talked for about 3 hours but it seemed like 5 minutes. The energy Jorge exuded when talking about Africa made me want to get on that plane straight away and start living it. Honestly the best conversation telling me and showing me everything that any cyclist would ever need to know. I didn't have to ask, Jorge said everything in short, clear English and I'm pretty happy with my initial plans if I'm honest. There isn't much I'm going to change, I'm just more excited now than I ever was! I was pleased I could help Jorge with his questions also and it was great again to meet up with another like minded individual who had met one of the guys I had contacted about Africa. Jorge's bus to Istanbul was at 7 so we had dinner and shared a few stories of different places we stayed. Jorge put my bird watching hut place to shame by simply changing the word "bird" to "elephant" you can see why I'm getting excited now just thinking about it!

I helped Jorge with his bags to his bus and wished him well. A few absolutely priceless hours for me and    it all come from a quick spot in passing by Jorge. So happy to of met him and really really can't wait for Africa. On top of all that, he took up the route to Pamukkalle that I will be taking down so even in Turkey I have some great stops still to come.

When Jorge left I watched a bit of football downstairs then back to my 8 person dorm all to myself to put 5ive mega mix on and sing my heart out in the shower. What an absolute blinder of a day!!!

This Turkey is frozen in the middle! Send it back!

Friday 4th October

After last night's ongoing torture yet experience and a half, you can imagine that it was hard to work out where the night ended and the morning began. Everything just seemed to blend into one bleak, cold and windy chore. The good thing was that I had a light to head for, the man I woke up to who was shovelling cow dung into a frosted wheelbarrow probably didn't have as much determination as I had to get up and leave! Luckily there was nothing to put away as I didn't unpack anything other than the sleeping bag, that again had probably played a massive part in keeping me alive. 

On leaving the village I had to pass Helldog's house to get back on the main road. I did so as quickly as my early morning creaky legs could handle and the horrible mutt must've been sleeping still, either that or it was too cold even for him to run out and intimidate a lonesome cyclist. The good thing about the day was that the bitter wind was a tailwind and I made good miles even though my body was pretty stationary throughout. I managed to find a half decent supermarket that still had 30% of its aisles taken up by chocolate and biscuits. There was 1 extra aisle for pasta and soups which I made the most of and I finally got a loaf of bread for lunch.

The cold weather really wouldn't of been an issue had I had full length gloves and possibly better socks. When your fingers are cold on a bike though, that's all you can think about and trying to get them warm with a strong wind blowing in all directions now is next to impossible. You try the one hand approach whilst doing a variation of things with the other hand like rubbing the thigh, under the bum, in the pocket or just wiggling the fingers. The first 7 hours of my day were spent trying in vain to get blood to my fingers along with wiping snot away from the thatched shelf on the roof of my upper lip. 

Happy warm truck drivers would give me an encouraging beep as they drove past, I couldn't even lift my arm to acknowledge. The day could only turn worse if Nigel decided to give up but luckily it eventually went the other way and as soon as the clouds disappeared the sun beamed down and baked my body. It felt amazing and because I was pretty much head down and cycling hard all day I had covered nearly 80miles before 5pm.

The landscape turned from desolate, flat farmland to mountainous with varying colours as I got closer to Denizli. The warm sun allowed me to stop a few times and enjoy the scenery. I then had to stop again for an event that I was unsure of the result of as I hadn't experienced it in around 3.5 days. I thought for a moment my body had evolved into the ultimate cyclists body and realised that going to toilet was a sign of weakness and would slow any sportsman down so it had decided to stop doing it. No such evolution I'm afraid, the pills I used just worked a treat and I'm sure you'll be pleased to here that we are very much back in full working order. So much so that anyone casually walking past the tree that I stopped at would have a shock and if it comes on the news that there's been a record breaking sized Burmese python found in Turkey then you all know what it really is.

The sun in the late afternoon naturally made a huge difference to my mood and after getting on the  last road needed to get to before my morning target of Pamukalle and cycling past the 3000 mile mark, I was very happy to find a place for the night. I rode past lots of unkept fields out in the sticks that were perfect for wild camping but the road had a barrier running along the side which I wasn't going to bother clambering Nigel over. Eventually I found a break in the barrier and a very suitable Pomegranate farm to camp in. 

My position led me to question actually where I was. What do you call a field that grows pomegranates? An orchard? A grove? I still don't know but I would call it a patch. I would like to think I'm growing as a wild camper and I'm starting to notice the signs to whether I'm likely to be visited by a disgruntled farmer or not. Here were my signs that others can use if they fancy giving it a go:

The track, if its well worn that means the tractor uses it a lot or it is walked a lot and the chances of public interaction are high, for me, I had a lot of weeds and plants growing through the hardened track marks so I was good but not always a guarantee.

Surrounding fields, if they are well kept and farmed or short grass then cover will be hard to find and sound (even if its a distant barking dog) will affect your sleep. For me, one locked up orchard with a tiny shed but two sides were an overgrown and rotting sweet corn field and one was the highway so if I got far enough into the "patch" I was ok.

What's in the farm? If you choose to camp in a field full of beautiful ripe strawberries ready for picking then you're asking for a smacked bottom in the morning, my pomegranates were not ripe yet, trust me, they weren't quite ready, so I was happy my night was going to be quiet and free from interruptions.

I say they weren't quite ripe, they were a few weeks out which meant I still had a go and got a few shots of juice out of them but boy aren't they messy?! I thought about how I must've looked, covered in mud and dust stumbling around the patch due to uneven hard ground, wielding a knife with pomegranate juice dripping from Beirdre in a very similar way to Hell dog had drool. Nobody would've approached me anyway if it was their farm, they would've called the police!

A good meal of mushroom pasta, followed by biscuits and multivitamins for pudding and all of a sudden the freezing majority of the day is forgotten! Lets hope for a good night sleep to finish it all off.

Different people, different planet...

Thursday 3rd October

To say I regretted not just leaving the tent and taking my sleeping bag to the prayer would be an understatement. I regretted it after the first time of waking up and my leg muscles had seized up. After the third time however it was like that night in the car park of the closed ski resort all over again. The wind was howling, the rain hammering it down and my tent was hanging on only because I was in it, I just hoped Nigel was o.k. I weathered the storm and managed to get a little shut eye until something stepped on my head. Luckily it wasn't a cow otherwise I would probably be dead. I shouted out and listened for a bit but there was no noise so I dropped back to sleep. This time I was facing the other way and got woken up again but a foot step very close to my nose. What the? Can they not see the tent I thought? Absolutely freezing still and tired I went back to sleep.

About an hour later at 9am. "Hello? Chris? Come! Come!" Still cocooned in my sleeping bag I really did not want to get up. "1 hour" I said. Selma understood time really well. I thought about going back to sleep as the wind was still giving it some and I hadn't really got any during the night but I thought even though I wasn't in his house, I was still a guest and sleeping in would be very rude. I put on my warm clothes as they were in the bag with me and a "fresh" pair of socks, well lets say different pair of socks. My trainers were in the porch section of the tent absolutely soaked but they had to go on, and i wandered around to the front of the petrol station where Selma's lounge is.

Selma is 21, he says he has 10 brothers and sisters but I've only seen 1 brother so not sure about that and I have no clue if he has any parents. He lives and works at the petrol station which is not closed down its in the process of being changed. I entered the kitchen and Selma had bread, eggs and tea waiting for me. There were also 3 dishes that I had no clue what they were at first but when in Rome I thought, ay? They were all for dipping your bread into so I ate my fried (had a hint of cheese on I could taste also) egg then went in for the kill with the bread. Dish 1: plain yoghurt, yup, strange with bread but wasn't going to kill me. Dish 2: Honey with pineapple in, I liked the sweetness to be fair, out of all the dishes, that one was most dipped! Dish 3: The strongest cheese you have had in your life. Imagine blue cheese ground up and extra blue added to it. 3 very different flavours but a very welcome surprise in the morning so I definitely wasn't complaining .

I finished my food and was nibbling away at my last piece of bread and Selma stood to pack away the fried egg pan and said "your mutter?" I thought he must've been learning overnight! Selma had a Turk/English dictionary that helped us a bit yesterday. "Yes" I said "I have one mother and one father and you?" I repeated myself a few times as Selma didn't reply then eventually,"Your mutter ok" he said and he turned around to the hob. Maybe he didn't understand me I thought, so I just turned and carried on pointlessly watching the Turkish soap on tv. Two minutes later two eggs got put in front of me again, "Oh, for me?" I said, Selma nodded then rushed off outside to help the guys with the petrol tank. I sat there for a moment then when it clicked I burst out laughing. I double checked the dictionary to be sure, yeah I was right, "yumurter" means "egg" in Turkish. Classic error ended me with two extra eggs! Bonus!

I walked back to my tent to find a pregnant dog standing there looking at me, ah so you're the lazy beast that stood on my head twice then! As I packed away, the same two ladies watched me but this time from the window of their house, must've been too cold even for them this morning!

I said goodbye and thank you to Selma, he just said goodbye back and waved me on my way. I pedalled off into the freezing wind, FREEZING wind, what was this all about? I did not sign up for this! I worked the dates so I should get good weather and this wind was coming from the Arctic! It was a no music day which gave me a bit of time to think about the events of the last 24 hours and how I'm almost taking hospitality for granted. So I cycled slowly past Selma's window to start. What would the majority of people do? Maybe a curtain twitch then sit back in their chair and carry on watching tv or wait until I had cleared off. What did he do? he came rushing out to greet me. Then I asked if I could camp around his house, I did this once in England and the man said, "no sorry that's not possible" and he had acres of space!! Here I was offered a warm room. The next day I'm cooked breakfast and given seconds and then offered everything Selma had in his cupboards, this wasn't a lot which makes it even more amazing. The best bit for me is how he just said "goodbye" like that was it. As if he normally invites random bikers in and cooks them breakfast and then asks for absolutely nothing in return! Astounding, really does go to show how kind some people can be. I have met a lot of people so far that have changed me and at the age of just 21, Selma, I will always remember. 

After a couple of hours of riding and marvelling at the goodness in the people I have met I had to stop, my fingers were like icicles and not even marvelling keeps them warm. I have realised how particular the Turks are about cleaning the front of their roadside restaurants or shops. They get very annoyed when Englishmen attempt to prop their bicycle on the front pilar/flower box after they've just hosed everything down nicely.

Yesterday the bloke almost sprayed me and today I could see a group of them talking and looking at my muddy shoes as I locked Nigel up outside this very strange restaurant/supermarket combo. I walked in to find some lunch in the supermarket section and all the lights were off. Strange I thought, maybe a power cut with the wind or the manager is cutting costs. As I continued to walk around I was getting some dodgy looks from workers but nobody said anything. The food in Turkish supermarkets is basically the same as in the petrol stations. All they eat is biscuits, crisps and chocolate bars and if you're lucky you might see some cheese for sale. I am yet to see bread for sale and I tell you what, when they discover sliced bread then they will be open to a world of possibilities if they use their kebab making knowledge.

I picked up some biscuits for pudding later and went over to their fast food section for a kebab. Then it dawned on me, the place wasn't even open yet! Luckily I only had to wait an extra 5 minutes. Kebab was good but I've really got to find a proper in town supermarket and stop buying lunch out. As I went to leave I could see one of the workers from outside still looking at my shoes. I looked down and clocked it, a big piece of clay mud hanging from the arch of my shoe. If I shuffle my foot I can drag it out the door I thought, I don't want to be the dirty Englishman twice in a row. I went for it quickly but it was no use, I felt it flick off behind me and I wasn't going to stop and pick it up so I just looked forward and sped up. I think I have been successful in muddying our good nation's name, especially in this part of Turkey anyway.

Back on the road and back with the wind. This time it was going my way and for the first time in a while I was in a mood for a war cry!! The sun came out for a bit and as I flew past a dog that didn't even get the chance to get a woo out let alone a woof I let out a massive WWWWAAAAHHHOOO! A good war cry adds to the feeling of being alive and keeps reminding me why I am where I am and to enjoy what I'm doing.

I decided I had had enough for the day and that just over the crest I would stop in a field by the side of the road. I got to the crest and looked over the other side to find a vast expanse of flat land with no place of cover or shelter at all, but there was a road leading to a tiny village that I decided to head for instead. As i cycled up to the first house full of confidence, happy with the days work I had already planned where I was going to pitch up and the thought of not being able to camp there had never come close to my mind! I got about 5 metres away and forget any dog encounter I have mentioned before, as this one topped the lot. I had almost came to a stop, he must've heard the slight squeak of the brakes. I looked up to see bolting around the corner Satan's very own guard dog, foaming at the mouth with spikes around his neck from his collar that could joust children like chicken shish! My "happy go lucky face, expecting a pitch no probs" combined with "Marco's throw the bike down and show them whose boss" soon got thrown out the window let me tell you. I put the foot down and did not look back!! I must've woken him and he was working the night shift on the gates that day because he did not look happy and I was not going to wait for the typical bent over old lady to come out and save me from him!

This impromptu cycling lead me into the middle of the little farming village where there was a bent over old lady collecting water. I tried to ask which one her house was and then consequently ask if I could camp near it. This was impossible with the walls of language between us although she did point over to a house and gesticulate that sleeping there was ok, I thought it was her house at first but it wasn't as it was derelict and had no windows. No tent to bother with I thought, and the ground will be warmer, yeah let's do it. I managed to get Nigel in the one door that would open and we situated ourselves in what I would've guessed would've been the lounge. I had a look around first, no signs of current living, no glass bottles and no blood or bodies so felt pretty happy that I was safe.

The darkness came in pretty quickly and with that the wind and the freezing temperatures followed. The lack of windows didn't help and despite me hiding myself in a corner I was still getting attacked from two directions so the sleeping bag was soon in cocoon mode. I lay there looking at the front door. I had stacked some rocks in front of the door as a security alarm if anyone wanted to join me during the night. As I lay there in the corner of a derelict house in the middle of mainland Turkey I could hear a noise every 2 minutes that sounded exactly like the clicking you hear when going upwards on a roller coaster. I was trying to work out if it was an outside of noise or inside noise, that's quite hard to do when you have no windows then all of a sudden BANG!!! Bolts of shock zipped down my spine, as if hell's dog wasn't enough! I've really chosen a village here haven't I! I lay back down absolutely freezing, the same thing happened again and again, constant clicking then banging before I realised what it "probably" was. The wind was moving a very creaky door then every now and then the door would slam and cause me to poo myself. (That situation is still ongoing, it's been a few days and I think the way is shut!)

I tried to close my eyes and sleep but it was just too cold and with the banging every few minutes, I knew that I was in for yet another sleepless night. On top of this, the loud speaker from the mosque came on and it was village prayer time so I had loud chanting for a few minutes. It was then, for those few minutes, I looked at where I was and thought....weeeell its something to tell the Grandkids!! I was in a completely different world. It's hard to write all my experiences down as they happened and what I'm actually thinking at the time but at this moment in time I really was thinking, this is one heck of a story!

Freezing, chanting, creaking and banging in a house not even the locals want to stay in, in the middle of nowhere!

Going cold Turkey!

Wednesday 2nd October

Well if yesterday was chalk then today was pineapple. After a cold night, during which I woke up twice with a dead arm I finally arose to a brisk morning with a body that was raring to go. An earlier wake up of 8:40 was also a good sign compared to the lazy 10 o'clocks I had had previously so all was good apart from the smell. I had experienced it as I was setting up but the wind was blowing the other way and I got in my tent pretty sharpish so I didn't have to breathe it in constantly. I was camped by a river and the water may as well of been stagnant. It was the black liquor flowing water which was kicking out a smell that reminds you of the sewers from a party island on a lads holiday. This morning, the smell was in my tent and it was fighting with my sleeping bag so that gave me all the more reason to get up and start pedalling early.

As I pushed Nigel towards the road I saw the farmer or should I say boy that was herding the cows. He asked me for a cigarette I said no, sorry and that was that. It feels strange being asked for things as I have nothing and look like I have nothing so most people wouldn't bother asking unless they're planning on going on a cycle tour themselves. Ive been asked for money (which ill have to get used to) cigarettes today and amazingly on around 5 occasions in different countries some people have asked me for directions. I'm sorry but if you pick one person out of the crowd to ask for local directions, are you going to ask the hairy dude on the bike with his compass out looking at the sun? No you're not! Well amazingly people did and despite helping the girl in Switzerland with using a map on her phone, I was not much help with the rest surprisingly.

I couldn't believe the difference some food had made and the added reassurance/lack of care with regards to my bowel situation. (As it stood, the only thing running was my nose!) When doing a tour like this you can really feel the effects of food types and how much you eat etc. I don't obviously mean, when you eat a dodgy curry because that's the same back home. I mean, you can appreciate how much energy you can get from one chocolate bar or one apple and it makes you utilise food so much more efficiently then back in the 9-5 world. Instead of eating because its that time to eat, I eat when I'm hungry. In the 9-5 world you have no idea that eating 5 biscuits can make you cycle for 45 minutes longer than eating 3 because you just eat the 5 and carry on watching the movie. (This is not a scientific fact as it depends on your body, your cycling conditions and what type of biscuit you're eating but you get my drift)

So with this in mind and having had a productive yet cold morning I decided to stop at a restaurant to get some decent food and then cycle straight through till the end of the day. The restaurants at petrol stations are like canteens for truckers. I have decided after today that they are cheap if you look at your meal as if you ordered it from a menu in a normal restaurant. They are not cheap if you look at your meal as if you ordered it from a canteen at work or school.

I had some lightly fried kofte with 3 chips, rice and a mushroom soup with bread (which is free) and a fanta (fed up of water) this came to about £8.50. Some restaurants could get away with that but there is no way I would be happy with paying £8.50 for sausage, chips and beans and a drink from any leisure centre canteen! This is why I will not be doing the restaurant thing everyday and its also going to smash my budget if I do. After my meal I had to add some extra layers, the wind was really cold and I could sense rain. I say sense rain like I'm turning into some modern day Crocodile Dundee, I just saw a massive rainstorm ahead that I was riding straight into but technically yes, I still had to use my senses.

It's always a gamble for me after a stop whether my body is going to accept being back on the bike or cry about not having enough rest. Today must've been the right amount of food and rest to continue the momentum of the days cycling. Sure enough it started to rain but I was happy. Happy to be alive and cycling strong in the cold, wind and rain and getting a right face full every time a lorry sprayed past me! The clouds really dropped making visibility pretty poor so the newly acquired hi vis jacket was put on (thanks again Sakarya cycle team) and I carried on through not one but two separate downpours.

Eventually, the land started to open up and I was presented with more of a mainland Turkey that I had imagined. Still much greener than I had thought but a lot more open and flat as if it could host its own cowboy films. At around 5pm I had enough, still damp and with very cold hands, I could see another rain cloud ahead that I didn't want to get involved with. I saw a house literally in the middle of nowhere which I had already decided was going to be where I was staying. As I got closer, the house turned into a hotel/restaurant which was attached to a closed down petrol station. I didn't care, there was a field out back and that's all I needed. I cycled slowly past the closed down petrol station and could see 2 guys sat in the building, shall I stop? I thought. As I was thinking this they both came out and shouted, where you from? When I hear this, I know I've got myself a winner. Selma and Isaac their names and within 5 minutes my spot around the back was established. Selma is trying to learn English but as always, conversation was about as fluent as a car journey through the centre of London.

As I began to make my tent, the wind picked up, rain began and my fingers decided they wanted to be stones. Two women just watched me and said things that i had no idea about. They were easily the worst conditions that I've had to set up in yet and by the end of it, I was even colder, wetter and muddier than anytime during the day/tour. As I went to dive into my nice cosy sleeping bag and zip up for the night, Selma called me over. He showed me around the old petrol station to a nice warm, carpeted prayer room. "Here you sleep" he said "it's ok." Well if there isn't a prime moment for "now you tell me!" I gratefully declined, the tent was already up and it's probably best I stayed in it to stop it flying away, plus my snoring may put the locals off their morning prayers.

I went back to the tent to cocoon myself in my sleeping bag and have a dinner of sesame seed sticks, cheese crackers and the best white chocolate chip cookies in the whole of Turkey. 

A massive difference in 24 hours, if a couple of days ago I felt back in the camping game, today I was definitely back in the cycling game. Bring on tomorrow!

Call it a "ride" off

Tuesday 1st October

Ever woken up and felt completely immobile? Felt like your muscles have melted into the ground below leaving just a skeleton (with hair)? This is how I felt this morning. I had a good 12 hour sleep which I was happy with but was still drained and sitting up only made me dizzy. How am I going to do this? I thought. I was really struggling. 

I packed everything away and pushed Nigel back up onto the highway. The weather was overcast so at least I wasn't sweating through 30 degrees like yesterday but the headwind was giving me the shivers. The highway winds in and out of some very close mountains and this causes a Venturi affect that blows strong winds along the valleys. Unfortunately again these winds were not blowing the way I wanted and I was moving along at a pathetic pace.

After an hour I knew today wasn't going to last that long. My legs were gone from the moment I woke up and the only thing that wasn't giving up more than me was the wind. I stopped, I had to eat something I thought, this is just ridiculous. I had an energy bar and a fanta, I needed sugar, I needed a boost. The sugar rush lasted about 5 seconds as i returned to a long incline that I had spent most of the hour on. That's when I made the decision that I was better off stopping for the night eating something substantial and just dealing with the consequences either during the night or tomorrow morning. One thing was for sure, I was a danger to myself carrying on in my state and if one of the dehydrated truck drivers was in the same way then the result doesn't need to be thought about.

After a measly 20miles I found a little grassy area away from the highway. By the amount of cow poo around it I guessed it was used for grazing now and again. It was perfect for me though, gutted I was stopping but in all honesty, too tired to care. I was happy to find a field that if I had to get up in the middle of the night, I wouldn't be disturbing anyone or get a shock visit from anyone else.

I put the tent up, it was around 2:45 at this time and I just collapsed into it. Nigel was tucked away and I was just happy to be safe. As I lay there dissolved, the rain began to patter on the tent. Amazing I thought, I love the sound of the rain on the outside of the tent and the fact I wasn't struggling to cycle in it took the disappointment away from my decision to stop so early.

The rain sent me to sleep and i woke up every now and then to the sound of cowbells. The rain was still coming down so I didn't bother poking my head out of the tent to confirm i was ok to camp where i was with the farmer. He couldn't of been too annoyed though, as when i woke up properly there was nobody around, the farmer must've just herded them past me! 

I made up a half decent sized of pasta and then I finished off a packet of biscuits. After dinner I lay there awaiting the rumbles from a grumpy stomach. It's very annoying when you can't really control how productive your day is going to be because your stomach  is being a temperamental little so and so. Thoughts of taking a b-line for the port entered my head today because I'm getting fed up now. I know I will regret not taking my time when I'm fully fit but its very hard to want something to last longer if that something involves you feeling horrible and not only that, having to push against a wind that is unforgiving and endless. 

At least my empty legs have been filled and only time will tell to see whether it will last till the morning. If it doesn't then I will be creating a man nappy or some sort of saddle contraption that connects to a sterilised tank. I am not going without food anymore, its bad enough when Beirdre starts getting involved when I'm eating an ice cream. I have never had to use a napkin so much when eating an ice cream, normally my tongue is sufficient. However, now Beirdre has a moustache that resembles a poorly thatched roof of a bus stop I had to clean her with every lick. I never actually ended up eating the ice cream the other day, most of it was mopped up in the napkin!

One of my favourite things to do is eat, and at the moment I have two things stopping me from do it! One I can't control and the other I'm taking Lopermid tablets for. (Don't even think about telling me to lose the face hair, i maybe annoyed with her but i understand that nobody's perfect!)

Short day "cycling" but let's hope the long rest has helped more than anything else!

Stevie Ruggling

Monday 30th September

It was a great surprise and a very generous offer to be given a night in the hotel for free again. I managed to charge all my electrical equipment and the only thing I woke up to that wasn't charged was my body. I had a good sleep but after my usual routine (you know what that is by now I hope) I laid on the bed still drained at 11am. I really wanted to get going but I knew it would be another struggle.

I left the hotel at 11:30, these late starts really aren't ideal for me as I find myself rushing against daylight to put any significant mileage under my belt. My new philosophy is take my time that's true but its also very demoralising when you look how far you've gone on a map after a few days and you haven't managed the width of your little fingernail! For this reason I should get a more detailed map but anyway I cycled away from the hotel in a rare direction - Due South. I was heading straight down today, no diagonals, just as the crow flys to South Africa. On the same good highway with an extra lane for slowcoaches and me I managed a good pace without my legs feeling the burn.

This lasted an hour until the wind picked up and unfortunately for me it was a headwind. At some points I almost came to a stop when cycling down hill, a combination of headwind and literally nothing in the tank. I'm supposed to be eating around 4-5000 calories a day with the amount of miles I'm covering. Today I was nil by mouth and all my energy I consumed yesterday was lining some pipe works no doubt. I had to have a rest and maybe a small something. I chose a nice bit of grass at the front of a Total garage and went to sleep. Just a nap of 30 maybe 45 minutes I thought and that should help me with maybe 2 more hours cycling. I woke up at 3:30. I had stopped at 2!!! It did feel good though and I had an energy bar that one of the cyclists from the club gave me yesterday so I had that and was determined to put some more effort in, wherever I could find it from!!

The highway followed the dried out river basin so thankfully was pretty flat throughout. Turkey provided me with some very green, very mountainous scenes which I was not expecting. I couldn't get a perfect picture though as there were always roadworks, railway works or factories just plonked in the middle of what in some countries would call "national park" status surroundings. To add to random factories, there were a lot of plastic bottles and bags littering the edges of the roads. I couldn't help but notice the contents of most the bottles revealing to me that there are some very dehydrated lorry drivers in Turkey! Ray Mears recommends a light straw colour which is what I aim for but in recent days my morning colour has been a mix between common fox fur and Irn-Bru! The bottles were filled with liquid of very similar coloration also.

As I wasn't stopping to buy food and had no real energy to ride I chose not to speak to anyone today. One man called me over as I was waiting at a traffic light. He was sat with about 15 others on the terraces of a cafe and offered me tea. It was just after my sleep so I declined but said thankyou. They're tea mad over here! I thought the Brits were supposed to be the stereotypical Tea drinkers but in Turkey, its almost a substitute for oxygen. I never had tea in England, too much effort for very little flavour. If the Turks offer me an orange juice/squash then I'm all theirs, I used to drink squash neat out of a tumbler when I was younger and pretend it was whiskey. Tea however, and then sit their for 10 minutes to let it cool down, ill just carry on thanks.

So today was a very quiet day, I didn't even talk to myself! The only time I said something other than no thanks was when I was approached by the dreaded random dog, two in fact. They were up ahead a good 20 metres and as I was going so slow at the time I could put Marco's theory seamlessly into practice. I didn't throw Nigel down, I just slowed almost to a stop and walked along whilst still straddling him (there was no way I was mustering the energy to get off the bike completely) I puffed out my chest like a dominant silverback and gave the two of them the coaches/teacher stare. It's been a while since I've done any coaching but I still know how to crack out the stare that makes kids freeze without a noise leaving my mouth. Boom! The dogs got the stare combined with a long drawn out "Noooo!" and boy did they cower. Barking was stopped immediately, I thought one of them was even welling up. I walked past them like Eric Cantona in his prime. As I cycled away I threw out a "YES Marco! Get In!" and that's pretty much all i said all day.

I found a great camping spot off the highway down an unused track and felt for the first time that I was back in the bush camping game. It seems ages since I've had to find a place to sleep away from civilisation but I love the outdoors and was ready for a bit of nature today. In the end I managed to cycle nearly 60 miles in 4.5 hours so was really happy with how I scraped the barrel today despite the very tough start.

I really hope tomorrow brings a healthy start, a restored body and an increase in confidence when passing gas! That's all I'm asking for!