Slowing Down in Turkey…

I had always planned to spend some “slow time” along the coast of Southern Turkey… I had expected to be here a month sooner than I actually arrived, but various delays during my crossing through Africa, and additional days spent in great company along the way in both Africa and Europe, saw me cross into Asia in October rather than September…

Sunset over Ayvalik...

The owners and management of the Megas hotel gave me a friendly send off...

After nearly 8 months on the road, I must admit that I feel a little jaded… Subtle changes in the way I am looking at life around me have crept in… I have begun interacting less and less with the people I come into contact with; riding past places that a month ago I would have stopped and visited…

Perhaps it has been the change in the weather… Dark skies and endless rain definitely have an adverse effect on my mood, a reason why I would rather have my eyes put out than ever live here in Europe… There are just not enough days of endless blue skies, something we take for granted in Southern Africa…

Not being able to experience the turquoise blue waters that adorn every postcard and brochure on Croatia and Turkey have also been a major disappointment… I wonder how well tourism here would do if they brought out brochures and travelogues that only feature flat grey seas, drizzle and cloudy skies…?

Riding a bike around the world and trying to be “where the sun always shines” is impossible of course, and I accept this, but it doesn’t mean I have to like it…!! Still, I have tried to remain positive and still look forward to riding to new destinations…

I am also trying to shrug off a few physical niggles that have developed over the last few weeks… My left knee, which I twisted in Istanbul, still bothers me at times, and I now also have a hassle with my right elbow…!!

I’m falling apart at the joints…!!

Clouds hang over the bay in Marmaris... It had rained on my parade all day...!!

After leaving Sarimsakli, south of Ayvalik, I rode along the coast, mulling over all the great information I had received about places to visit en route to Marmaris… There were the ruins of Pergamon, with its Acropolis and Temple of Dionysus; a scant 9 km off my chosen route east of Bergama; the coastal villages of Ephedos and Kusadas; the Church of Mother Mary in Selkuk… The owner of the Megas Hotel had very kindly taken the time to describe the various archeological sites, and provided me with a map where he highlighted the places I should stop and see…

While our bikes wait below, Willi and I check look for better accommadation...

But the combination of rain and the six hour ride I knew to be ahead of me, made me decide to skip all of the above… After barely an hour on the road, I wanted to be off the bike and sitting in a dry room somewhere…!! I had arranged to meet Willi in Marmaris later that day, and he was riding back there from Fetiye to see me again, so I had no choice but to put my head down and ride…

Yilmaz and his team from Best Motors in Marmaris...

It rained for most of the 425 kms I covered that day, and after my arrival, it took a while before I was able to relax and enjoy the sights and sounds of Marmaris… Willi and I spent two days together there, riding down to the harbour area and enjoying the good food on offer at a few of the waterfront restaurants… I went for a few long early morning walks on my own, thinking about the changes that I felt coming over me…

The thought of heading off into Asia, and effectively back into the long lonely days of difficult riding was not filling me with the excitement that I had expected it would… There were suddenly too many arrangements to make, too many little hassles that in Africa, I had taken in my stride… Now, I was struggling to make decisions, and that in itself was an annoyance that I found difficult to deal with…

Europe had made me “soft” I think… I had crossed 38 borders and hardly ever had to present even a passport, let alone reams of paper to get the Big Fella legally registered to ride in any particular country, but now, and all to sudden it seemed, I had to worry about visas again, Carnets, my riding gear, tyres, services… It all hit me like a wave, and I was mentally unprepared for it…

Willi’s continued suggestions that I change my route and head for South America instead, did not help matters…!! Even though his advice was sound enough, it did not fit into the plans I had made before I left South Africa… And I stubbornly wanted to stick to those plans…

On the way down the coast, on the steep and winding entry to Marmaris, I had decided that it was time to change my front brakes… On a particularly sharp corner, I thought I felt them “let go” a bit, and that was a feeling that I did not want to experience too often…!! I was advised to visit Best Motors in the main street of the town and there met the owner Yilmaz, who at a very reasonable price had his mechanic replace my worn brakes with the new set that I had been carrying all the way from South Africa…

I still cannot understand how my brakes have lasted this long…!! Over 64 000 kms on one set of front brakes…!! I think that will take some beating…!! My rear brakes had taken me over 56 000 kms…!!

Roadworks slow me down on the road to Fetiye...

After two days, Willi and I parted ways, he to ride further along the coast to find a ferry to take him and his bike to Cyprus, and I to meet with Simon and Monika Newbound, holders of the World Endurance Record for Continuous Riding…

I wanted to take advantage of the fact that we were both in Turkey at the same time, and accepted Monika’s suggestion to rendezvous with them in Fetiye, with alacrity…

Our few days spent together were my most relaxing so far here in Turkey… We chatted about their amazing feat, traveling over 189 000 kms to smash the world record, crossing Europe and Asia from Dublin to Japan, and riding across North America, from coast to coast, five times during their ride…

You can read all about the Newbound’s on their website www.bmwunstoppable.com

The Big Fella parked above the Bay of Fetiye...

Simon and Monika Newbound, Endurance Champions of the World...!! All smiles...

Pomegranates are a common sight in Turkish markets...

Prior to leaving in 2002, Monika had to learn how to ride a bike, as she had never ridden one before…!! The determination and positive attitude that this couple exudes is truly inspiring…!! Their “never say die” attitude, and motto of “Never Give Up”, went a long way to hardening my own resolve to succeed…

We spent our days together visiting the local hangouts and meeting and making friends; took a trip into Fetiye to see the rock tombs above the town; and sat in the middle of a busy market and ate pancakes while we watched the locals going about their daily business…

The pancake stall at the Fetiye market...

Feta and Spinach pancake...

Jane Parker from London, enjoying her lunch with the Gypsy Biker...

Colourful collection of pumpkins in the market...

View out over the town of Fetiye...

Rock tombs dug into the mountainside above the town...

Monika bids me farewell as I head back to Marmaris...

Simon arranged for an interview with the local newspaper, the Aegean, and its owner and editor, David Davies spent an evening with us, chatting about our journeys and making notes for an article he planned to write…

Then it was back to Marmaris, where I planned to park the Big Fella, while I flew back to Istanbul to arrange for my Indian visa, and to enquire about flying my bike out of Turkey…

More about reasons for that in my next posting…

Early morning over the bay in Marmaris...

©GBWT 2010