Another early start, this time from Drama, and Dennis was there to say goodbye...
There is hardly a road sign on the higways in Greece, that have not been subjected to graffiti...
The wet weather that had dogged my trail since Croatia was there to bid me farewell when I left Drama… The rain continued to fall throughout the morning, and only stopped close to the Turkish border…
The 240 km I had ridden from Drama were made in one hit, through light rain to start off with, then a constant drizzle, all the way through Xanthi, and Komotini, and then down to Alexandrapouli on the coast…
I stayed on the E90, wanting to get through to Istanbul as early as possible… The hour I spent at the border though, thwarted my plans somewhat…!! On the Greek side, I sat down to have a cup of coffee, and take a short break, before my passport was checked and I was waved through to ride over the Evros River and into Turkey…
Parked at the border while I take a break...
On the bridge over the Evros River, we entered Turkey...
Then the formalities, which I had last experienced in Africa, began… At the first gate, my bike registration was entered into a computer before I was waved on to passport control, a few hundred metres away. There I was told to go and purchase a visa at an office a short distance away…
I paid €15.00 for a 90 day, multiple entry visa, before going back to the passport control office to have it stamped… I rode on to the final checkpoint, where my Green Card was carefully scrutinized, and then rejected, as it did not cover Turkey…
I had to park the bike again, and walk a few hundred metres back to the Duty Free building, where I paid €5.00 for my Turkish Green Card… Back to the final control point I went, and from there I was sent to the customs office, where yet another stamp was put in my passport… Then back to passport control to ensure that I had covered all the formalities required, before I was allowed to point the Big Fella in the general direction of Istanbul…
With it's massive tourist industry in mind, Turkey welcomes tourists to the country...
Istanbul was only a few hours away, and signified the end of the third leg of the GBWT...
This massive tower stands on the western edge of the city, and from here, traffic builds up rather quickly...!!
A double laned highway took us through open countryside for the most part, until it dipped towards the coast near Tekirdag, and from there, it entered a long and unending string of small towns and well developed areas until we reached the outskirts of Istanbul…
This sprawling city, said to be the 5th largest in the world, straddles the Bosphorus Straits and is technically the dividing line between Europe and Asia… Once known as Constantinople, after the Roman Emperor Constantinus I, Istanbul has been at the crossroads of trade between the Orient and the Occident for centuries… Records show that Greeks first settled here in 660 BC… Since then it has become a melting pot for many cultures, and this year, the city has been awarded the title of “Cultural Capital of Europe”…
In my book, it should also get the title of most congested city in Europe…!! The traffic was a nightmare…!! I had set my GPS to take us directly through to the district of Sultanahmet, part of the “old town” of Istanbul, where the Blue Mosque, amongst many other famous landmarks, was located… The last 2,5 km took almost an hour to cover, such was the snarl up on most of the narrow one-laned streets leading into the area…
Colourful invites into the city...
There are many modern architectural designs on display...
This is the HQ of one of Turkey's largest banks...
After locating the hotel that Willi had advised me to find, and finding it fully-booked, I managed to locate another nearby that suited my needs, and those of my wallet…
I had hoped that Turkey would herald a change in the high prices I had been paying for accommodation in Europe, but I was sadly mistaken…!!
Despite the “high season” being over, hotel prices are still much higher than I was comfortable with paying, especially considering how very basic some of them are…
The Big Fella had to be content with a spot out on the pavement near the front door of the Istanbul Holiday Hotel, and I took a few extra precautions to prevent the dozens of cats that patrolled the area, from making a temporary home under his cover…
The narrow road outside the hotel is on the main bus route bringing tourists into the area, and a constant stream of them are either parked outside throughout the day, or revving their engines to get up the narrow street leading to the Blue Mosque…
Sharing my bed with half my gear...!!
I managed to get all my gear into the tiny room I had been allocated, which left very little room for me to move about in… In fact, I am sharing my bed with two of my bags and my riding gear…!! There isn’t even space for a cupboard in this room…!!
And all this for the princely sum of about R500 a night…!! In Africa, a room such as the one I am in would not cost more than a fifth of that…!! But at least I have a roof over my head, and with the weather as foul as it is, that is a very good thing…!!
I may visit the baths to get a few of my travel wrinkles ironed out...
I am within walking distance of most of the “must see” places in the city, there is a small supermarket around the corner where I can get fresh fruit and other items I need, and the staff are very friendly and helpful…
In fact, the Turks seem to be much friendlier than many of the countries I have traveled through recently… For the first time in ages, I have been invited to share a cup of tea with some locals, and when I refueled in Inecik this morning, the petrol attendant introduced himself to me and asked what my name was…
This restaurant is decorated to look like a traditional country village...
Turkey has a few long standing issues with some of it's neighbours, but I am not sure where the Chinese fit into the picture...
He then went into the store attached to the fueling station and came out with a city map of Istanbul, which he gave to me with his compliments…!! While I was paying for the fuel, I noticed that the maps were selling for €2.00 each… I bought a few Snickers bars and gave one to him to thank him for his kind gesture…
At my hotel, I inquired about the addresses and directions to the various embassies I needed to visit, and after checking on all the details I asked about, the manager gave me a few tokens to use on the trams…
“Do not use the taxi…” he said, “It is too expensive…!! Use the tram system… I will show you where to go and when to get off…!!”
He would also go on to check weather conditions for me, and even contact his family in the east of the country to find out if the snow that I had been warned about, was falling there…
His assistance would make my stay here in Istanbul far easier, and I was able to relax and try and get a feel for this bustling city…
Turks are a proud nation, and flags fly from many homes and buildings...
©GBWT 2010
Istanbul sure is a colourful place! Love the architecture too. Weather does not look great for riding. Good luck.
I love “Random acts of Kindness”. They revive my belief in the goodness of mankind. The fuel attendant giving you the map was so thoughtful and selfless. Thank you for recording that.
Enjoy Istanbul. I have been told that while some of the people there are amongst the poorest in the world, they are also the most hospitable. Hope your experience confirms this.
Enjoy , it is a great city……. Have the iskender Kebab !