Knowing today was going to be a massive effort, probably more so than yesterday as my legs would be a lot less energetic, I aimed to wake up at the crack of dawn. Why when I do this, does something always go wrong?
The weather was perfect, slight chill in the air as the sun was still waking up but I'd rather put the miles in now and rest during the sweat box period between 1 and 3pm! I said goodbye to the lizard thing that was scuttling around my head for most the night and set off at the very reasonable 8am. I couldnt actualky see the lizard thing i just shouted "goodbye" really loudly. Not even half an hour had passed and I looked down to find the back tyre flattening. I knew what it was but I was sort of expecting it yesterday, I had suspected the patch wasn't quite glued on properly.
I stopped at a petrol station and had a bit of an issue trying to get the tyre off. The tyres are fitted very tightly and it took me around 10 minutes to carefully lever it off without doing what I did last time and pinching the tube. I checked the tube and I was right, I kept hold of it as I will just repair it properly later and got the tube out that I repaired yesterday after I eventually found its puncture. I put the tube on, carefully again put the tyre back on which takes less time than taking it off but I wasn't going to rush it. As I went to pump it up there was nothing, the pump wouldn't work or the tube wouldn't allow it, I didn't know either? I tried my pump and that wouldn't work. A while had past and I'm still struggling, then the guys at the petrol station thought it would be a good idea to wash down the forecourt producing a river of oily water straight through where I'm working and soaking my bags!
This was not greeted with a smile and my frustration was starting to grow. It jumped up a notch when my pump broke and then even more when a few a people arrived with deflated tyres and left with plump ones. The valve must've got dirty and I couldn't do anything about it! So the tyre came off again which took a while and a completely new tube put it. That one was fine but by the time all this was finished, I was a tad frustrated and it was 10 o'clock. What is it with me and simple tyre changes? By the end of the trip I will be like the Ferrari pit crew but recently it just seems I'm annoyingly making a right hash of things.
Exhausted and hungry I had "brunch" and bought some food for later. I was not going to stop again unless I absolutely had to. Antalya has to be reached today! Five minutes down the road the incline began, I was happy that it came sooner rather than later but hoped that it wasn't one of many! The sun was heating up, my legs were getting heavier and I was back to looking out of one eye thanks to the sweat dripping from my head. I did what I did yesterday and changed the tachometer to showing me my fastest speed. It's the only setting that I can look at and it won't change that much which means I won't keep clock watching and hence making the day and ride completely unbearable and slow. If I watch the time I know I'm aiming for around 7 hours - bad. If I watch the mileage I know I'm aiming for 75 miles even worse!
Despite the pain, I managed to take time in what was to be my last day cycling in the Middle East/Asia to enjoy what I was doing. Southern Turkey is absolutely beautiful and I would jump at the chance to come back, with a rental car or money for taxis and boat tours. The weather is decent most the year apparently, the scenery is my sort of thing and the people are a good laugh so a big thumbs up to Turkey which is definitely something I wouldn't of believed before I got here.
Granted the ride was tough but it taught me a vital lesson that I'm pleased I've learnt now. Deadlines are horrible. I'm a man that hates planning, hates having to be somewhere or being restricted to certain places by other people's plans etc. It was my own fault that I booked the flight I know (I think I got carried away with the excitement) but now the ride will be about the ride and not about my schedule that I made up at home over 2 months ago. After 25 extra miles I cycled past Olympos that Jorge recommended and even though I couldn't see the coast through the forest, I just knew I was missing out on something decent. There were lots of tourist attractions I had to fight past today purely because I needed to get to Antalya. This annoyed me a little but I made the most of it by enjoying burn in the legs and the sweat and dust on my body that the challenge was bringing.
The work hard, play hard/glutton for punishment part of me relished the challenge even if the plan hating part of me didn't. Africa will be a different story though. If somebody tells you that you are going on the experience of a lifetime, you're not going to want to fly through it in 4 months are you? One thing is for sure, I do not want to leave Africa with regrets, I don't mind the want to go back, I have that with NZ where I used to live and that pain is bad enough. Regrets however for missing things because you had a deadline that you didn't really need to make, that's a different story! I hope this decision will only enhance my experiences and allow me to meet even more fascinating and inspiring people.
I was true to my word and didn't stop the whole day. It's harder to stop a steamroller and start him up again I figured and my legs were as heavy as one as I battled through the midday sun so I just kept going. The road did ease and I had some very nice downhills taking me into Antalya. Exhausted and relieved to have made it I tried to find a bike shop that I had searched for previously. I knew where it was roughly but all the streets were in similar looking blocks and my map gave me no detail at all to gauge where I was. I pretty much saw a road, turned into it and out of hundreds of roads that I could've chosen, I only went and nailed "Bike town" first time! I need to get Nigel a cardboard box for transport on Saturday. If this place didn't have one then I have just tomorrow and just three more widely scattered shops to choose from. I asked, they didn't have one. I was gutted, I thought by my lucky choosing etc that this was going to be the place. I asked if they could help in any way. An English speaking customer helped me as the worker had no clue what I was on about. Apparently they have some bikes coming in tomorrow and there should be some boxes then. I will have to wait and see and hope and pray about that one!
I headed for my hostel where again I knew where it was roughly. This enabled me to cycle through the commercial part of the town before reaching the old town. Antalya is a lovely little town. Americanised yes but the old town is full of cool little streets, loads of restaurant and bars and shops that my mum would love milling around in. I would like to come back here again very much but like a lot of the places I've been to, a special someone is needed as company I think.
I found the hostel pretty quickly and they said they had an issue with my room. I may be getting kicked out tomorrow due to building work going on which will be a real hassle as I already have lots to do! I won't have to pay anything but I will need to find another place to stay and then sort Nigel out etc.
I went out and had some food, had a ridiculously overpriced milkshake which I'm still annoyed about and was feeling pretty exhausted so called it a day at 9pm. Tomorrow is a massive day of prep. If all goes well I will be done by 12 and can relax, if it doesn't, well that's all part of the adventure!
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