OTRA – Across the Pond #16

On June 19, 2022June 19, 2022 By KBGearDaveIn Biking Stuff, On the Road2 Comments

Albania/Montenegro/Croatia (Days 90-96)

Sunday (6/12). We have a pretty short list of requirements for a “perfect” day of riding.

1) Downhill. All day if possible
2) Good weather. Definitely not too hot.
3) Beautiful scenery.
4. Interesting interaction with locals.
5) A nice campsite next to water.
6) Tasty, inexpensive food. (nice, but not critical)

So let’s see. Check. Check. Check. Check. Check, and check! Twenty-five miles mostly downhill from Valbone to the ferry on Komani reservoir. After a brief patch of rain, perfect weather. Unbelievable scenery all day. For two hours on the ferry we chatted with U.S. born Daniela. Daniela’s grandmother and mother emigrated to the States when her mom was fifteen. Daniela was visiting Albanian family with Grandma. She was very knowledgeable about all things Albania and graciously shared. Very interesting. We were also treated to a group of mostly young people singing and dancing traditional Albanian music and dances. We found it fascinating that so many young people have embraced these traditions. After the ferry, on the way to our perfect camp site next to another reservoir, we stopped for a delicious and inexpensive meal. I guess we just had ourselves a perfect day.

Downhill, beautiful, and good weather. Three checks.

Monday (6/13). OK. Right out of the gate we knew Monday was not going to be a perfect day. In spite of an early start…it was hot! Plus, first thing on our plate was a steep climb on something we’d be generous in calling a road. OK, so not perfect – but still an experience we will cherish.

We started the day with no real plan. As the mercury soared Sharon did some math. “You know,” she said, “it’s only 40 more kilometers into Montenegro and a beach!” We had already covered thirty miles, but with the Orb of Death melting my brain, that sounded like a brilliant idea. So fifty-four miles after we left the mountains of Albania, we arrived at a small beach community in Montenegro. Katia welcomed us into her cozy little campground just steps from the Adriatic Sea. First time this trip we’ve paid to stay in an actual campground. It was delightful!

Tuesday (6/14). Today we pretended we were on holiday, rather than a sweat soaked suffer-fest. OK, that’s really not how we think of our trip. Well, except maybe when we’re soaked with sweat, suffering up some stupidly steep and/or long hill/mountain. But not today! Today was a day to lounge on…lounge chairs of all things. A day to swim, to read books, to enjoy some choice people watching. (No body image issues here!). It was a day to meet folks in our campground. First was Marcelle and Marianne. She being of Greek descent, they have run a Greek restaurant in their home in Belgium. As we sat on the beach watching the sun sink into the Adriatic, we played ‘compare’ and ‘contrast’ with M & M. Always interesting to hear about similarities and differences of life elsewhere in the world. We also chatted mit Erich und Frau. He was fascinated with our trip. We were interested in their extensive travel history. They’d visited a very different Turkey twenty years ago, and many times since. They always found it enchanting. This was a very good day.

Wednesday (6/15). Montenegro is filled to overflowing with rugged mountains. When these rugged mountains spill into the sea, they create an intimidating roller-coaster road along the coast. Lovely to look out, challenging to ride.

Given the intimidating road situation, we lowered our expectations just a bit. We set out for Petrovac and Perazica Do a short distance up the coast. Petrovac was typically touristic, in large part because the bay and waterfront here are beyond stunning. Which of course means every square inch is devoted to housing and extracting money from…people like us, I suppose.

Mid-afternoon we followed an interesting pathway around a headland and through three long tunnels to arrive at Perazica Do. Not really a ‘town’, this community had an weird ghost town vibe. Towering over the beach stands a massive abandoned concrete structure – Hotel As. At one point, this was the crown jewel of state owned resorts in former Yugoslavia. It had however, like its owner, fallen into disrepair. In 2001 the Montenegro government sold the neglected property in an illegal sweetheart deal to some Russians and well connected Montenegro insiders. Massive amounts of money changed hands, people got rich, and some initial concrete work was done. The rich, having gotten richer, moved on. The empty hulk remains.

We briefly contemplated camping in the deserted penthouse suite, but opted instead for something closer to the water. Probably one of our more interesting camp sites.

Thursday (6/16). Recently the heat and humidity have reached the ‘oppressive’ level on the Dave and Sharon ‘whinge about the weather’ scale.’ Our 6:30 start to beat the heat was only moderately successful. Turns out the heat is an even earlier riser. Sneaky bastard! One positive consequence of the early start was that by 1pm we’d notched a respectably forty miles and were enjoying a shaded lounge chair on a Herceg Novi beach. (It’s a safety issue).

We also used the time to plan some next steps. We thought we wanted to wander up the coast. After dealing with the heat and the intense traffic associated with intensely touristic areas, we’re now having second thoughts. By evening’s end we had some solid ideas.

Friday (6/17). After a pleasant afternoon yesterday we thought, let’s spend another day here. Maybe we could check out Old Town. I know it seems like we’ve had lots of down time, but that has been intentional. One of our goals has been to not constantly move from point A to point B. Instead, wander around and spend time exploring point A. Pull up a lounge chair and relax at point B if the mood strikes. The mood struck!

Saturday (6/18). Five miles up, we were treated to this sight.

By the standards of other Balkan travelers we’ve met, Croatia gets dismissed as too touristy and too expensive. We were prepared to similarly dismiss Croatia. After one day here, I can say that it is definitely popular. But I guess that happens to places that are charming, and historic, and beautiful. We rather enjoyed meeting other cyclists at a 15th century monastery, and riding through a lush valley and vineyards tucked between dramatic mountains. Even though the mountain road was crazy busy, the view of the Adriatic far below made it worth while. And yes, historic Old Town Dubrovnik is over run with tourists…I am reminded of the t-shirt that said, “You aren’t stuck in traffic – you are traffic.” Yep! That’s us.

We can also say that Croatia is more expensive than other Balkan countries. Which means that in this very popular, beautiful place things cost about what you would expect to pay in just about any town, anywhere in the U.S. And in massively touristy areas like Old Town Dubrovnik, maybe even less than similar touristy areas in the U.S. – with one important difference. There is no place like this in the U.S.

Three countries in one week. Countries that all share dramatic beauty and tragic history. All inviting in unique ways. We are looking forward to getting acquainted with just this one country. Until next week – be well and STC!

OTRA – Across the Pond #15

On June 12, 2022June 12, 2022 By KBGearDaveIn Biking Stuff, On the Road1 Comment

Kosovo/Albania ( Day 83 – 89)

Sunday (6/5). Before arriving in Prizren our plan had been to stay one night and move on. Then we saw Prizren! It deserved more than the few hours we were prepared to give it, so we spent an extra day in town. Running errands, exploring more of this ancient city, and relaxing indoors out of the heat.

Monday (6/6). Throughout the day, Kosovar friendliness was once again on full display. On the way out of town we made a quick stop to check the map. Almost immediately Dimi came out and asked if we needed anything. This led to a longer conversation, which of course led to us being given an ice cream for the road. During a rest stop I entered a small market. The clerk asked “tourist?” When I answered “yes” he refused to let me pay. A few minutes later, we had a Google translate conversation with two locals. As we prepared to leave, they insisted on giving us drinks to take along. These, and so many other, goodwill gestures are offered with such sincerity the only possible response is with our equally sincere, hand on the heart “Thank You!!“

We spent the day riding on beautiful country roads, dodging thunderstorms and following some interesting routes offered up by our mapping apps. After a particularly nasty storm caught us, we were sloshing along pondering the unpleasant prospect of putting up our tent in a driving rain. Out of nowhere we chanced upon a lovely restaurant/hotel. A hot shower and warm meal wasn’t a hard sell.

Tuesday (6/7). We normally get excited about entering a new country, but leaving Kosovo was a sad day. In our short time here, we’ve grown to love the people of this country. Again today, at lunch, a gentleman asked where we were from. When he heard “America“, he smiled, put his hand on his heart and said, “God bless America! God bless America! Safe travels.” To that I say, “Thank you! And God bless the people of Kosovo!”

We had heard many good things about Albania. Our first day did not disappoint. From the border we rolled mostly downhill through mountainous terrain. Just before the town of Bajram Curri we stopped on the bank of the Valbone River to camp for the night. We briefly enjoyed the company of a herd of goats, a fisherman, and a family cooling off in the river. After that blissful solitude and the sound of rushing water.

Wednesday (6/8). Noah, the Brit living in France, cycling to Istanbul said the scenery around Bajram Curri was out of this world! Good call Noah. We arrived in Bajram Curri, got new sims, cash and breakfast, and left on a low gear slog to the end of Valbone Valley National Park. Not even riding through a gully washer dampened our excitement. This place is amazing. Near the end of our 3,000 foot climb, the clouds parted enough to reveal just how amazing. Unfortunately the weather will dictate how much we get to see. As if to emphasize that point, the skies opened and lightning struck a transformer, knocking out power to the whole community.

Thursday (6/9). Much to our surprise we woke to blue skies. Determined to firmly seize this weather window, we ate and immediately set out to tackle a nearby climb. And climb we did. Two thousand feet nearly straight up. At least it was hot and sticky – and so worth it. Apparently this trail is part of a transnational backpacking / hiking trail known as “The Peaks of the Balkans” trail. We met a father/daughter duo backpacking the route. Sounds and looks incredible. (More details here: http://www.peaksofthebalkans.com/ ) We soaked in the views from our high point… until the first rumble of thunder. We made a hasty retreat to our guest house just as another storm unleashed. That led to a long, lazy, wet afternoon. Our host apologized for the power still being out by bringing two glasses of home made rakija. It was a good day!

Friday (6/10). Rest day. ‘Nuf said. We did learn some interesting bits from our host. One of eight children, he was born and raised in Valbone. His parents survived life under the psychopathic dictator Enver Hoxha. During his rule somewhere between 175,000 and 750,000 machine gun bunkers were built…in seemingly random locations. Paranoid much? They are still visible here in the valley and all over the country. Because Valbone is close to a border, during the Hoxha era 2,000 soldiers were stationed here. Our host said that a soldier would be posted every 25 meters. (Probably more to keep people in than to prevent an outside attack). Hoxha was a true communist believer who cut ties with both Russia and China for not being communist enough. He had as many as 25,000 people killed for not supporting his vision of communist paradise. This while he lived in a private compound filled with every western luxury imaginable. The Albanian people have had to work hard to overcome Hoxha’s “legacy.”

Saturday (6/11). Turns out, our last full day in Valbone Valley was the official start of the tourist season here. This special occasion was marked by traditional music and dancing as part of the festivities. When the dancing ended and politicians started droning, we rode and hiked to the end of the Valley. No matter how much we stand and stare, we just never get tired of the views.

Thus ends another week. In the morning we leave Valbone with only a vague idea of what comes next…as usual. We are pretty stoked to find out. Until then…STC!

OTRA – Across the Pond #14

On June 5, 2022June 5, 2022 By KBGearDaveIn Biking Stuff, On the Road6 Comments

(Days 76 – 82) Bulgaria/Macedonia/Kosovo

Sunday (5/29). Playing tag with T-Storms in the mountains is not recommended. If you get tagged, you’re not “it” – you’re dead. Having played a lengthy game of ‘tag’ yesterday, and with severe storms in the forecast again, I felt comfortable spending an extra day in Sapareva Banya. The city is most well known for thermal pools, popular since Roman times for their healing proprties. There is little evidence of that thermal activity today. A broken down fountain and a small bubbling spring were all I saw on an early morning walk. The town itself is rather agreeable, nestled in the Rila Mountains with a view down across a broad valley. Apart from a few locals enjoying their coffee, I had the town to myself as I strolled through the side streets and neighborhoods.

Talk about noisy neighbors…

The predicted storms did eventually arrive, and repeatedly knocked out power. Seemed like a good day to be inside taking care of finances and working on the blog.

Monday (5/30). Today was the quintessential touring day. No set destination – just a direction. No idea what lay ahead – just curiosity. First stop was Dupnitsa. Like so many towns in Bulgaria, it has a beautiful natural setting. It sprawls comfortably along the banks of the Dzhermann River deep in the river valley. That beauty is somewhat offset by the blight of Soviet era apartments. Eyesores when new, their decaying concrete hulks exude a sad, grim air wherever they exist. I try to ignore them. I found a comfortable spot outside a grocery store and enjoyed my spinach/cheese borek, and watched people going about their lives.

That’s pretty much how the day went. More natural beauty. More towns – some charming, some grim. Always interesting people watching. Hard to imagine a more pleasing way to spend a day. I came to rest less than a mile from the border with Macedonia in a lush clearing in the forest next to a small stream. Once again, well played Bulgaria.

As I prepared to leave this country, I had a few thoughts. The Soviet era was not kind to Bulgaria. It appeared not to have left them poised for success in a modern world. We’ve speculated that a possible holdover is the awesome attitude towards customer service. “Hi!”, me smiling. “I’m looking for this part. Do you have this.” Surly look! “No!” Silence. Menacing surly look. “Would it be possible for you to maybe order this?” “No!!! I can’t help you!!“ Commercial grade menacing, surly look. Repeat at grocery stores, restaurants, bike shops, train stations, etc. This was surprising since most people we met were very pleasant and friendly. What I will remember most…every day in Bulgaria was a visual feast. We gorged ourselves on views of mountains and rivers, forests and fields.

Tuesday (5/31). As usual, I woke early. While still supine I gradually engaged the brain. “Hmmm. Lots of condensation…I’ll have to dry the fly during a stop today. Wow! Look at the size of that spider crawling outside the tent! Wait! That spider is INSIDE the tent!!! I do not like spiders. I do not like them here or there! I do not like them anywhere! Especially two feet from my face! Let’s just say that spider shuffled off the mortal coil rather quickly.

With that little adrenaline jolt, I quickly packed, hit the road, and added another stamp to my passport. Welcome to North Macedonia. They wisely placed the border on top of a mountain, so my first impression of North Macedonia was a ten mile glide into Krina Palanka. The lack of obvious Soviet architecture was a check in the plus column for me. I quickly got a new sim card, a pocket full of new currency and set about the important business of breakfast. I spread out some gear to dry and started cooking breakfast. I was apparently giving off a slightly homeless vibe because two police officers came by to check me out. Satisfied that I was a harmless Americanski senior citizen, they wished me safe travels.

When we parted a few days ago, Sharon went to Sofia as part of a plan to take a train to the sea shore of Montenegro. Great plan, except for the Rube Goldberg routing necessary to make it happen. Plan B? A bus to Skopje, Macedonia. Faster, cheaper and more directly on the path to the sea. Happily it also was on my route across the country.

Starting the day I had a vague idea of trying to cover all 74 miles from the border to Skopje. Opposing that idea were my late start from Palanka, a plethora of ups and downs, and the Orb of Death doing its best to melt me. As the day wore on though, I continued to feel good. I did not see a place that made sense to stop. I continued to calculate time and distance and it continued to seem possible. Twelve hours after climbing onto the saddle, I fell into the loving arms of my beautiful bride. OK…”into the arms” in a figurative sense since I was a smelly, sweaty mess and she wanted nothing to do with me. But you get the picture.

Wednesday (6/1). We set out today to remedy our woeful ignorance of Macedonia. We learned that because of it’s location as a crossroad between west and east, pretty much everyone with an army at one point or another had Macedonia under their thumb. They are immensely proud that on September 8th, 1991 they gained their independence…peacefully. We learned that in July, 1963 70% of the city of Skopje was destroyed in a massive earthquake. It left 200,000 people homeless. Unfortunately, the solution to quickly rebuild? You guessed it. The famous Soviet concrete apartments. In the last 20 years however, the city poured money into rebuilding and beautifying the downtown area. They have succeeded!

As we touristed Skopje, we talked about next steps. After several days on her own, mostly off the bike, Sharon felt ready to climb back on. That decision led us to rethink routes and priorities. With endless possibilities come endless decisions we have to make. Eventually we settled on a route north into Kosovo, then west into Albania. You could put everything I know about Kosovo on the head of a pin and still have room for some dancing elephants. So we shall see…

Thursday (6/2). Ben was twelve years old when war came to his small village in Southern Kosovo in the late 90’s. To escape the bloodshed, many in the region boarded a train to Macedonia. Not sure about all the details, but Serbians with Kalashnikovs either fired on the train or just forced it to turn back. Soon after, he and his family hiked for two days with no food over the 8,000′ Ljuboten peak into Macedonia. The U.S. and European allies arrived in an effort to stop the killing. It was messy and difficult. Life was uncertain. But to this day, what every Kosovar knows deep in his or her soul, is that U.S. efforts saved lives. Their gratitude knows almost no bounds. That’s a powerful perspective we don’t often get to experience first hand. U.S. aid, in whatever form, often has a very real impact on peoples’ lives.

When Ben found out we were Americans, he told us his story and invited us to spend the evening. That was the beginning of a day like no other. We spent the day in Kacanik waiting for Ben to take care of personal matters in Skopje. A handful of people joined forces to help us find a sim card. Then a shopkeeper gifted us some ice cream when he discovered we were Americans. A woman in a park gifted us clothes – just because she was nice. We stopped at a young man’s coffee shop to wait out some rain. We had a lovely chat and he sent us on our way with bottled water and some chocolate. All day long people stopped to chat and profess their love for America.

Ben was delayed, so we arrived in his village of Bigec before him. No problem! Everyone who saw us made it their mission to direct us to the right place and make sure we were comfortable and felt welcomed. We ended up on a neighbor’s porch with drinks and snacks with Albert serving as translator. When it was determined Ben might not make it back until late, phone calls were made and instantly dinner and another place to stay was arranged. In spite of the language barrier, we had wide ranging conversations. Everyone had a gut-wrenching story to tell about the war, and repeatedly shared their gratitude for America’s efforts in bringing it to an end. It was surreal. It was wonderful. It was the best day ever. Eventually Ben arrived and we returned to his home to sleep. Thank you Ben, Albert, Horuni, Ilir, Ibrahim and all the others whose names I can’t remember. Thank you for giving us the best day of our trip.

Friday (6/3). We could have stayed in Bigec forever, but our goal today was Prizren. Standing in the way was a 23 mile climb to Prevalla. Ben loves to mountain bike and had always dreamed of making the trip to the top of the pass. We set out early and 5-ish hours later arrived. Ben was an excellent tour guide, sharing details about the villages, the mountains, and the history of the area. It was hard. It was fascinating. And all too soon, it was over. After lunch in Prevalla, Ben headed home. Thank you again for giving us memories we will always cherish! Prevalla was so beautiful, we decided to spend the night at 5,000 feet in the mountains.

Saturday (6/4). When you find yourself in mountains so similar to Colorado’s San Juan peaks, there’s only one thing to do…climb higher! And so we did. Along the way we met Tirana the shepherd and walked with him a bit. He knew two English words, so we didn’t speak much. But he pointed out beautiful smelling flowers, and all the other ‘fantastic‘ things he loved about his work place. We parted “Tiran, David – mik, friend”.

It felt good to hike in the mountains! Later it felt good to sit in the shade with a cold drink looking up at the mountains where we’d been. Later still, it felt good to ride down the mountains, even in a bit of rain. Seventeen glorious miles down to Prizren.

It is hard to get my head around how many experiences get crammed into one week. One week ago I was riding solo through Bulgaria. Now Sharon and I are happily hanging in Prizren with…who knows what lies ahead. I love our life right now. I hope you find ways to love your life as well. STC!

OTRA – Across the Pond #13

On May 29, 2022May 29, 2022 By KBGearDaveIn Biking Stuff, On the Road2 Comments

Bulgaria 🇧🇬 ( Days 69 – 75)

Sunday (5/22). Sharon hit a bit of a wall yesterday. She rallied, but again today her heart just wasn’t in it. We biked into Kardzali and found a small bus heading to Plovdiv. Sharon went on ahead to get some mental R & R. That spared her two difficult days in the mountains and gave her an opportunity to relax and explore. On her own for the first time in 10 weeks I might add. The highlight of her evening was happening upon locals practicing traditional folk dancing. Sharon ended up chatting with sixteen year old Stella and got the scoop. People like Stella all the way to oldsters like us meet every Sunday to practice. Apparently every song has its own unique dance steps. Stella loves the dancing and keeping alive this bit of history.

Folk dancing in the park every Sunday

While Sharon was making new friends in Plovdiv, I spent a beautiful day crossing the mountains. Rustic villages dot the rolling hills and valleys. Occasionally the road ascends into lush forests. It all combines for pleasant biking. Unfortunately on this day I struggled to find a discreet place for camp and ended up continuing long after I had hoped to stop. Finally beyond Novakovo I followed a gravel road to a small reservoir, and a perfect place to spend the night. Just me, two stray dogs, and a stork.

Monday (5/23). If you’ve been following our travels for a while, then you know that bicycle touring is not all unicorns and fairy dust. Today proved that. Last night Sharon treated herself to beer, a burger and, it turns out, a generous helping of food poisoning. Her relaxing rest day in an exotic location has been filled with countless short trips between the loo and bed.

During my ride to Plovdiv, the scenery was pleasant…the drivers not so much. A semi driver with a low opinion of cyclists refused to give me any extra room, but did treat me to a 15 second blast from his air horn while passting! Thanks! Twice I had to dive off the road to avoid being pancaked by oncoming vehicles who just had to pass, in spite of my presence in their passing lane. I hope a certain rude gesture translates accurately into Bulgarian. And for some reason, all my friendly greetings received stony glares in return. (I thought I was saying hello…?) So while we have met some wonderful folks here in Bulgaria, not all are “full of the milk of human kindness.” On top of all that, I had two broken spokes that needed mending! Oh joy! Some days you’re the pigeon, other days you’re the statue. Today was definitely a statue kind of day.

The question arises, what to do on the days when you are feeling shat upon by the metaphorical ‘pigeons’ of life? I choose to focus on the positives. And even on this day, there were plenty of positives. Sharon was sick in a beautiful location in comfy surroundings. I was able to make the bike rideable again. That’s a check in the plus column. In Asenovgrad I bought a pastry from a sour looking woman. After a few bites I said in Bulgarian that “it was very good.” Her face absolutely lit up in a smile that made my day! Again in Bulgarian I asked what it was called. “Kifla” she replied and said more that I didn’t catch. I assume she was either complimenting me on my good taste or my fluent Bulgarian.”In the immortal words of rapper Ice Cube, “Today I didn’t even have to use my AK, I gotta say it was a good day.” Seems like you’re setting the bar a little low there Ice, but I gotta say, in spite of it all, it was a good day.

Tuesday (5/24). We set out to join a guided walking tour of town. Instead of finding our guide, we found thousands of participants in the May 24th celebration of the birth of the Cyrillic alphabet. Really! This is a seriously big deal and has been celebrated in Plovdiv since 1851. We abandoned our walking tour plans and just went with the flow.

Following the parade we took a walk through the Kapana neighborhood. For many hundreds of years, this part of town was where crafts people operated. During the Communist era, they kicked out the capitalist pigs and padlocked all the houses and shops. Only since the collapse of Soviet Union has the area been revitalized as an arts district. It is filled with appealing restaurants, bars, art galleries and some seriously cool street art.

After rest (Sharon) and errands (Dave) we joined the crowds for their evening stroll in the Tsar Simeon park across from our apartment. Eventually we came to rest on a comfy perch and just watched people. Parents and/or grandparents with young children, young people in love and others just messing about, friends walking arm in arm, old people in love, people alone with their thoughts…everyone was out enjoying a beautiful spring evening.

Wednesday (5/25). Today Adi shared her knowledge of Bulgaria in general, and Plovdiv in particular. Adi is a “Free Walking Tour” guide. These tours are common throughout Europe. You sign up or show at a specific time and place, and a highly trained guide shares his or her knowledge of a place. The tour truly is free. At the start, the guides say that if we enjoy the tour we can support them with a donation. We have always found great value in the tours, and that was the case again today. It was a little like trying to drink from a fire hose! There is clearly much to be learned about a city that has been continuously inhabited for 6,000 years.

During the tour there is time to chat in between stops. We connected with Natalia from Russia. Very interesting to learn a bit about her life. After the tour we went out for lunch with Jurgen and Andrea from Germany. As always, we enjoyed swapping travel stories as well as exchanging questions and answers about life in Germany and the US.

Thursday (5/26). Somewhat reluctantly we left Plovdiv this morning. We are typically not impressed by large cities, but we found much to admire here. We ended the day after forty-five unremarkable miles, camped next to the beautiful Maritsa River. It provided a much need bath after a 90 degree day. We are now poised to enter the realm of snow capped peaks.

Friday (5/27). With the rushing river nearby and mild temps, it was a perfect night. We began our climb up mild slopes and arrived at Kostenets late morning. Over lunch, we ended up having quite a serious talk. For some time now, Sharon has been struggling mentally with the day to day grind of cycling. We’ve tried different strategies to keep it enjoyable. Finally though, when it stops being fun, it’s time to change the plan. After considering lots of options and different scenarios, Sharon decided to leap ahead by train to a pleasant beach town in Montenegro. Two weeks later, more or less, I should arrive there via bicycle. It will be a major adjustment for both of us to be alone. But hopefully by the time we reunite, we’ll have a good idea what the rest of trip may look like. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out privately.

Saturday (5/28). It was a sad to part ways, but I think we are both excited to see how this works, and to embark on our separate adventures. Sharon caught a train to Sofia. I turned west – and up into the Rila Mountains. For hours while I labored in my low gears, lightning thundered and crashed all around. It was really spectacular. When rain finally came, I’d found a lunch spot to wait it out. When this storm cell blew itself out, I made a break. I was fifteen miles farther down the road before the skies opened again. This time I took cover in a bus shelter in Klisura. After several hours of noise and fury and hard rain with no sign of it stopping, I broke out the rain gear. Ten wet miles later, I arrived at a guest house in Sapareva Sapareva Banya.

And that, my friends, is where this week ends. Two solo travelers spending a last day or two in Bulgaria before moving on. Hope you are enjoying your own adventures! STC!

OTRA – Across the Pond #12

On May 22, 2022May 22, 2022 By KBGearDaveIn Biking Stuff, On the Road2 Comments

Turkey 🇹🇷 / Bulgaria 🇧🇬 (Days 62 – 68)

Sunday (5/15). What a wonderful way to wake up…with the sound of the sea gently lapping on the shore just feet from our door. Thanks again Cuneyt.

This may surprise you, but having too many options is a problem. We booked our return flight home from Prague, so we have a goal. But how to get there? “Ay, there’s the rub.” Everyone who has cycled the Balkan peninsula has shared hidden gems we have to see! But every “yes” to one direction means saying “no” to countless others. What might we miss? Robert Frost said about paths not taken, “Oh, I kept the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back.” With all that in mind, we chose Bulgaria as our next destination. In part because we know absolutely nothing about it, in part because we like getting off the heavily beaten tourist path, and in part because what we’ve seen on the internet looks amazing. That decision led us to north to Kesan for the night.

Monday (5/16). We set an ambitious goal for the day. Kesan to Edirne…65 miles. We started early to beat the heat and give ourselves time. Good idea! At one stop a stranger gifted us a candy bar. At another, a young man who had spent a year in Montana asked if there was anything we needed, then bought us two bottles of commonly used freshening spray. We were invited for tea by a woman who offered help with directions. We had a long, rambling Google translate chat with Birol at another. We traveled out of our way to take a scenic back route, only to be turned back by a closed bridge. A scenic road we’d hoped to ride along the border with Greece turned out to be OFF LIMITS to cyclists. Oh! That’s what the angry, shouting soldiers with guns are trying to say. Oopsies! A quick Forrest Gump wave (we are not smart cyclists!) and we were on our way…a different way… again! Twelve sweaty hours after we left, we arrived, more than ready to be done. We are looking forward to exploring this historic city… tomorrow! After a shower and good night’s sleep.

Tuesday (5/17). As usual, the term “rest day” is a bit misleading. We still logged ten miles biking around Edirne. Unfortunately the famous Selimye mosque is mostly closed for renovations. The portion we did see was impressive…especially for a 500 year old edifice. The old part of town was nice, but not enough to stay out in the heat.

Shout out to Flagstaff…living the ‘Best Life Ever”

Wednesday (5/18). Today was meant to be a true rest day while waiting for severe weather to pass. I did take the opportunity to give the bikes some love and was very disappointed to find some cracks developing on Sharon’s rear rim. They are not as severe as they were on mine, but the cracks are still a concern, and very frustrating. All the cyclists we’ve met have been out far longer with what appears to be much heavier loads – and no one has had these problems. Perhaps Kona chose a rim not suitable for the demands of world touring in order to reach some price point. Perhaps the spokes we’re not properly torqued in the factory. Whatever, I am not pleased with Kona bikes or WTB rims right now. (Update...WTB has offered to replace the rim. Not sure of the logistics of getting a rim shipped and a bike shop to build a wheel in this part of e world – but good on you WTB).

Poor photo of my rim. Cracks like this in 20 places.

Thursday (5/19). Fifteen miles up the road, one of the busiest border crossings in Europe has people sometimes sitting in queue for 10-12 hours to enter Bulgaria. Or…we could enter Greece for 20 miles, and then cross into Bulgaria. No brainer right? The portion of Greece we visited looked eerily similar to Southern Wisconsin. We had to keep reminding ourselves we were far away from the Dairyland. An added bonus was good flat roads, light traffic, and a wind assist. Every day should be like this. And then – we were in Bulgaria. New stamps in the passport. New language (just when I was getting the hang of Turkish). New currency. Unreadable alphabet. And best of all…37,000 vertical feet of ups and downs to cross the country. Let’s do it!

Friday (5/20). Four miles in our lowest gear to start the day, followed shortly by twenty more. Welcome to Bulgaria! Surprisingly, the hills (mountains) were not the most striking feature here. It’s been said native peoples in Alaska have dozens of words for snow. It would not surprise me if folks in Bulgaria have dozens of words for ‘green’. To quote singer Natalie Merchant, “Emerald green like none I have seen apart from dreams…” Lush fields and forests in all shades of green lined the road, with an unreal blue sky for a back drop. Add to that good roads with almost no traffic…well played Bulgaria – well played!

So, the scenery is nice, what about the people? Half the village of Planinets turned out to help us buy snacks from the mobile market. That help included offers of food and coffee. In Kumovgrad, Emre got us set up with a local sim card. Then, as a fellow cyclist, he spent time offering suggestions for various local landmarks to visit. Esre stopped to chat and shared a bit of her life in Bulgaria. Although young, she loves to travel and was intrigued by our trip.

I know! I keep going on about all the nice people we meet. Here’s the thing – we are far from home, family, friends and the familiar. Just a smile or friendly wave is welcome. When folks stop to chat, offer help, show kindness in some fashion…these are special gifts! I feel compelled to acknowledge them.

Saturday (5/21). Bulgaria is becoming a bit repetitive.

If we continued west on Eurovelo #13, it was going to be “Groundhog Day” with the mountains all the way to the border. The mountains are beautiful,, but twenty mile long climbs are tough – even with a big downhill reward. Over pizza and beer in Momchilgrad near the end of the day, we decided instead to head north to Plovdiv. That will still mean another day of climbing, but then we will descend to a broad valley between two mountain ranges. Seems prudent not to flog ourselves any more than necessary.

It has been quite a week. From a beach hut in Turkey, a quick visit to Greece, and now to the mountains and villages of Bulgaria. Remarkable. Until next week, take care and STC!

OTRA Turkey – Final Thoughts

On May 18, 2022May 18, 2022 By KBGearDaveIn Biking Stuff, On the Road1 Comment

To paraphrase the character Ted Lasso, “You could fill two internets with what we didn’t know about Turkey”. Even after two months, I probably still don’t know what I don’t know about life and culture here. Still, I think there might be some value in sharing a few observations.

I’ll start with a question Sharon and I discussed while riding. What did we find most surprising? We agreed. We had no language skills. We were ignorant of the cultural and social clues that allow one to function in society. Family and friends voiced concerns for our safety. In spite of all that, things felt surisingly…comfortable! In spite of the fact that we were foreigners here…we never felt overwhelmed by the foreign-ness of the place. If we stopped and looked puzzled (often) inevtably someone would come to our aid. Whenever we had a question or difficulty someone would offer a ‘no problem‘ and help to resolve our issue or answer our question. Even those who speak only Turkish know the phrase, ‘no problem!’ Rather than fumble around or wonder, we felt very comfortable just asking for help. People, invariably, did!

And as far as safety concerns, we never felt even the slightest bit concerned for our safety. Well, except when we blundered into a forbidden military zone. OK, and maybe on the road in the presence of taxi drivers. But otherwise, no matter where we were, no matter what we were doing we felt safe and comfortable. And this was no Pollyana-ish wishful thinking. Check it out! The crime rate in Turkey is a fraction of that in even small town USA.

We also discussed our main disappointment. For me it was a lack of language skills that prevented us from making more meaningful connections to people. Late in the ninth inning we did have some wonderful experiences, but the feeling remains. To some extent it is unavoidable. It is also on us to fix…perhaps staying with more English speaking Warmshower hosts. Or having the patience to have more Google Translate conversations.

Top of Sharon’s list would be that over half of all people smoke. By all who know and love her, she is affectionately known as the smoking nazi. But truly, the smell is almost impossible to escape. And all those butts end up, of course, on the ground.

There are other disappointments. Given the natural beauty, it was frustrating to see the amount of garbage everywhere. (e.g. ciggy butts) Granted, considering what happens in the forest around Flagstaff when Phoenix comes up to play, we can’t really claim the moral high ground. But at least around Flag, concerned citizens or groups (shout out to folks like Emily Snelson and Kahtoola) care enough to go out and pick up after slobs. Here – doesn’t seem to be a priority. Given the resources of this country, it was also disappointing to hear of and see the financial struggles of so many people. Especially since much of that seems due to a mismanaged economy. An anual inflation rate of 7% in the US is considered a major crisis. Here the annual rate is officially 50% and in reality is probably closer to 100%! Imagine! People here love their country, but intensely dislike how hard it is to make a living.

Finally, I expect that everyone will want to know, “What was our favorite part?” The beauty of the Mediterranean coastline would certainly be in the running. Words fail! The mountains and snow capped peaks would surely receive a nomination. The entire region of Cappadocia is always a fan favorite. Honorable mention goes to the food! And of course, no list would be complete without the history! Thousands of years of history, nonchalantly on display everywhere you look.

Tough decision! The envelope please! The “Favorite Part of Turkey Award goes to… the people of Turkey! People like Bob and Zeynep who gave us a crash course on everything Turkey and who waited to be sure we had no problems with customs. And, who continued to check in on us to make sure we were doing well. The young man on the scooter who helped guide us through traffic on day #1 and drove off with a hearty, “Welcome to my Country! Enjoy!” Gursoy who flagged us down along highway and insisted we spend the night at his home. His mother who fed us dinner and breakfast. The neighbors who all stopped by for an impromptu party to meet the Americans and further our eduction about Turkey. Ali who saw four cyclists putting on raingear in a downpour, and backed up his semi and insisted on taking us twenty miles down the road to a hotel. My “abi” Cuneyt and family who treated us as family. Not to mention all the strangers, who through their smiles, kind words, and deeds, and gifts made us feel welcome.

Clearly, Turkey is no utopian paradise. No place is. But I hope our experiences here have pulled back the curtain and allowed you a small glimpse and appreciation for a wonderful part of the world. Türkiye’yi seviyoruz!

OTRA – Across the Pond #11

On May 15, 2022May 17, 2022 By KBGearDaveIn Biking Stuff, On the Road1 Comment

Turkey 🇹🇷 (Days 55 – 61)

Sunday – Tues (5/8 – 5/11). Over beers with Antoine, Guenola, and Simon at our hostel in Goreme, I think it was Antoine who said,“It is wonderful that even after traveling for so long, we can still be awed by what we see.” Long term travel has not produced a “been there, done that, got the t-shirt” attitude. Just the opposite!! We all agreed – the more we see, the more we want to see. The more we wonder at the sights, the more we ask ourselves, “What other wonders are yet to be discovered?”

The Cappadocia region certainly has the power to instill awe. It is not just the fairy tale quality of the landscape around Goreme. It also the vast sweep of history represented throughout this region. Everywhere you look you can imagine the presence and lives of ancient people – from the Ihlara Valley, to the underground cities, to the churches and homes carved into the stone around Goreme.

The days have passed quickly here. Filled with hiking, socializing, eating, marveling at the sunrise balloon launches, crepe making lessons, more eating, we daily consider how blessed we are to have arrived in this place. As Guenola says, “eet iz fantasteek!” (It sounds really cool when she says it).

And just like that…our time with Antoine and Guenola came to an end. Bonne chance with the rest of your journey. And just like that…we made new friends. James and Jane (UK) are seasoned travelers out for a few months. We met them in the famous Love Valley. We also met Nadine and Toby (Germany) on a two year break from work world tour. Late into the night we downed Efes and swapped tales of life on the road like old friends.

Wednesday (5/11). Just as in days of old when camel trains passed through here, Goreme has proven to be a cross roads for travelers. After relaxing, exploring and enjoying this magical place for several days, eventually everyone is moving on. Binni, Chris & Patricia, Antoine & Guenola, Milli & Daniela, Toby & Nadine, James & Jane are all continuing to the “-stans” and points farther east. Rather than following the eastward migration, we will take a night bus west to Canakkale. Sixteen hours on a bus seems like one of Dante’s levels of hell. However, it will save us three to four weeks, extra time for cycling through the Balkans.

Thursday (5/12). The reality of the long bus ride was not as bad as the anticipation… even with the bus breaking down. A replacement eventually deposited us on the outskirts of town. Like many others in Turkey, Canakkale is a modern tourist town with history oozing from its pores. Nearby, ancient Troy lies close to WWI monuments to those who fell during the battle of Gallipoli. These are in the shadow of fortresses built by sultans. Simply amazing.

Friday (5/13). Sharon and I spend a lot of time together. 24/7 time. Fortunately we kind of like each other! Still, its nice to have some space once in a while. So after a lie in and breakfast, we went our separate ways to explore the city. Sharon sought out a massive produce market, among other places. I made the rounds of bike shops and neighborhoods. While it does cater to tourists, Canakkale is a real city. Tourists do not outnumber locals as they appear to in other places.

Eventually we met for waterfront beer to discuss not only our day, but our future on this trip, as well as our future travels for the next year. Normally we wouldn’t look that far ahead, but sometimes it is necessary in order to make sure it happens. It was a good day.

Saturday (5/14). As we biked north along the Dardanelles Strait, we began reflecting on our time in Turkey. Specifically, we pondered three questions. 1) What was your favorite part? 2) What was your biggest disappointment? 3) What surprised you the most? For number two, I suggested that the language barrier prevented us from really connecting with folks. Fast forward to late afternoon. We had stopped to survey a beach as a possible camp site when Cuneyt (say Ju-NATE) came over and invited us to have tea with his wife Zerrin, and daughters Azra and Beren (and parakeet Mavish). What followed was magic. We struggled with our Turkish. They practiced their English. Google Translate filled in the gaps. We talked of work, school, boyfriends, life in Turkey, life in America, travel. We laughed freely and often. My “abi” (brother) Cuneyt plied me raki and the whole family laughed at my reaction. When finally they had to leave for home, they insisted that we stay in their hut. An offer we gladly accepted. It was a perfect end to our time in Turkey. çok teşekkürler Cuneyt and family.

Cuneyt, Azra, Beren and Mavish, Zerrin, Azra’s friend Zeynep and her little brother

By next week we will have said good bye to Turkey and entered a new country. Check in next week to see which path we followed. Until then, STC!

OTRA – Across the Pond #10

On May 8, 2022November 10, 2022 By KBGearDaveIn Biking Stuff, On the Road2 Comments

Turkey 🇹🇷 (Days 49 – 54 )

Sunday (5/1). Turns out Chris and Patricia’s super power is controlling the wind. I know you’re thinking, “Dave, that’s just not possible!” #1. I’ve seen Halle Berry do it in the X-Men movies! So clearly, it’s a real thing! #2. Every time we ride with them – we have a tailwind. Every time we split up – we have a headwind. Coincidence? I think not! This Sunday we left Konya heading east without the kids. You guessed it – headwind! Speaking of: the aforementioned air movement gave us additional time to observe both the quantity and variety of garbage strewn across the plains here. It was especially noticeable around many of the tired looking villages. It’s never a good look when people dump trash, here or in the forests around Flagstaff.

Having said that, the people have not changed. After enduring the wind all day, we were eager to camp some place sheltered. Late afternoon we stopped at a gas station when a local inquired about our trip. Eventually he asked, “You camp?” We answered in the affirmative. “Then you camp here!” and proceeded to show us to a perfectly sheltered location. Thank you kind sir!

Monday (5/2). Down jackets were all the rage this morning. Clouds and contrary wind were compelling reasons to just get the miles done. So we did. We were cheered on by dozens of children in some small villages. Countless drivers offered up friendly ‘beeps’ and waves. At one stop, a family gifted us with bread and pastry! Well played Turkey, well played! By mid afternoon we had reached two milestones. The city limits of Aksaray, and 1,000 miles on this trip.

It took us two long days to cover the 95 miles from Konya to Aksaray. Chris, Patricia and a new friend from Germany did it in one! Now, I don’t want to throw shade on what they accomplished, and it might seem a bit petty petty to mention it, but they did have favorable winds. Jus’ saying! Truly though, an amazing effort, which of course called for copious amounts of food – and beer to celebrate. Lots of German heritage in those youngsters.

Tuesday (5/3). Today was an errand and chore day. Chris, Patricia and I endeavored to resolve a shifting problem on Patricia’s bike. (success!) I searched local bike shops for spare spokes. (no luck). Sharon and Patricia took a deep dive into the local culture by visiting a hamam. They returned, cleansed and absolutely glowing!

People have lived in Aksaray since 8,000 BC! Much later it became an early center of Christianity. Later still, by the 11th century it was an important stop on the Silk Road trade route. All this history matters because at dinner time, we now have a rich and varied menu from which to choose. And having chosen lots of local food recently, the discovery of a decent pizza shop was reason to rejoice.

Wednesday (5/4). With ambitious goals in mind, Patricia and Chris needed to keep moving. We said yet another good-bye to our wonderful travel companions. It was such a random occurrence that our paths crossed in Bodrum, and that we began traveling together. Any one of hundreds of decisions made differently – and we might never have met. Instead we had the pleasure of their company for most of four weeks. We parted with promises to stay in touch and hopefully meet again! Being under no time constraints we, however, were quite happy to spend another day in Aksaray.

Thursday (5/5). It never ceases to amaze and delight us – a day that started as one thing ended as something completely other. The day started with a plan to visit Selime and the Ihlara Valley. This area is famous for a monastery complex and homes carved inside rock. The valley was first inhabited in the early AD centuries by hermits and priests as a place of solitude. Eventually the safety offered by the rugged gorge attracted new converts to Christianity, some fleeing persecution by the Romans. At its peak Ihlara Valley is believed to have had 80,000 inhabitants, with a huge number of dwellings and churches cut directly into the rock.

After a cold windy ride to get there, Ihlara Valley offered exactly what we expected – an amazing glimpse into ancient life. Given the wind weather, and forecast, however, it seemed prudent to move on. Here’s where things got interesting. Aided by local knowledge we took a short cut out of the Valley which involved walking and pushing, but saved us many miles.

A few hours later, we began looking for a sheltered spot to spend the night. We weren’t having much luck when Unal stopped to offer advice. He told us of a volcanic lake with hot springs and hotels only 10 kilometers up the road (more like 20)! Sounded promising! Just then Antoine and Guenola stopped. They’d spent the last half year cycling from France. They also were interested in Unal’s information. We set off together and rode several miles when the skies opened. While we rushed to put on rain gear, Ali stopped. Normally he carries twenty tons of potatoes to Ankara in his truck. Today in an act of kindness, he insisted on carrying four soggy cyclists twenty miles into Derinkuyu! Amazing! So, we ended the day in place we hadn’t planned, in a manner we could not have anticipated, having unexpectedly made several new friends. How can you not love bicycle touring?

Friday (5/6). Rain. Temp: 39. Wind chill: 32. Wind: 15 mph from the north (aka head wind). What would you do? Antoine and Guenola would probably say, “suck it up you wimpy Americans!” No, they wouldn’t. They are far too nice. However, they were going to press on to Goreme while we waited for better weather.

But first we visited a large underground city. Various people groups have been excavating living spaces here since 2,000 BC. The Derinkuyu site is the largest in the region. It encompasses an area of 4-5 square kilometers and eight levels reaching a depth of 280 feet underground. The city includes living spaces, animal pens, storage areas, kitchens, wineries, churches, schools, and even a morgue. All this was meant to be a place of refuge when enemies arrived intent on doing harm. When danger appeared, people headed underground for up to three weeks at a time until it was safe to emerge. Hard to get your head around how difficult and dangerous life must have been that it made sense to expend all the time and energy necessary to excavate such a massive area. Kind of puts some of our first world problems into perspective.

Saturday (5/7). This morning was very much like yesterday morning. Key difference? No rain!!! We’ll take it! Several hours of cold, but pleasant biking brought us to Uchisar, a village perched above the valleys most people associate with Cappadocia. Long ago a volcanic eruption laid down a thick layer of ash which eventually hardened onto ‘tuff.’ Wind, water, and humans have sculpted tuff into an other wordly landscape. Descending from Uchisar to Goreme revealed a small sample of the visual buffet we hope to feast on for the next few days.

So, looks like we have our work cut out for us. Supposedly the rain will be on vacation for a few days. In its absence we need to find a base camp near town, then get to work exploring. “Tough job, but somebody has to do it!” Right? Until next week – STC!

OTRA – Musings from Across the Pond

On May 4, 2022November 23, 2022 By KBGearDaveIn Biking Stuff, On the Road4 Comments

Random thoughts from the road (5/4/2022)

Yesterday I followed the Melendiz stream as it wandered through our current home town of Aksaray. I followed it through neighborhoods, past businesses and people basking along its banks. As I walked, I thought about our lives on the road. Places we’ve been. Things we’ve seen. People we’ve met. I thought about what this trip has meant to us, how it has changed us! One word kept coming to mind…humility. Humility has been defined by some as the absence of pride or arrogance.

It is easy to be humble when after seven weeks, the average two year old here can communicate better with his/her parents than we can. I’ve learned the basics – please, thank you, entrance, exit, yes, no, it was very good, yummy, I would like… (fill in our favorite food item). If it were not for Google Translate and the English language skills of the locals – we would have a difficult time navigating any but the most basic of interactions. And we regularly need to interact with and request the help of locals. Asking for and accepting help is also a wonderful way to stay humble.

It is easy to be humbled by the challenges of traveling by bicycle. You’ve maybe heard the saying, “the older I get the better I was!” While we are quite pleased by our ability to still handle the hard days – the miles, the hills, the headwinds all take their toll. This all used to seem a lot easier. The occasional rest day has become more of a necessity than a luxury.

One might forgive a bit of pride on our part for planning and executing a five month long bicycle trip far from the comfort zone of common language and culture. Yet, we are regularly humbled by the people we meet. In addition to traveling, volunteering and working all over the world, Patricia and Chris have now been on the road for seven+ months. When we finally part ways, they are going to continue east – through Iran, several of the -stans, the Pamir highway into China, and … who knows? Binni – our most recent acquaintance – left his home in Germany last August. He has no end date in mind. The couple cycling with their 10 year old daughter were in the midst of a 2-3 year trip. So many of the people we’ve met have done more, traveled farther, and have larger dreams than we can imagine. Suddenly our “grand adventure” seems like just a brief holiday.

Years ago on a kayak trip off Vancouver Island, we met a couple from Seattle. As they talked about why they participated in medical missions to the Philippines he said, “We all recognize that we won the lottery being born in a wealthy, western country.” I’ve carried that thought with me over the years. It came to mind again recently as we travel through the less prosperous areas of Turkey. While we may whinge a bit from time to time about the challenges of the trip – we are here by choice. We have the freedom and the wealth to indulge our rather frivolous desire to travel. And if we should tire of faffing about, we can wave a plastic card and quickly be transported back to the comforts of home. All this largely due to the fact that we won the birth lottery by virtue of our U.S. home towns. Many people around the world have no choice other than to make the best of what may truly be a bad situation. That is a humbling realization.

Finally, just the act of being exposed to different places and ideas keeps one humble. We are proud to be Americans. Having said that, while we are proud of our 250+ years of history, civilization has existed 20-30 times longer than that in this part of the world. That is humbling, and truly awe inspiring. We have also come to realize that America does not own the patent on all the best ideas of how to do things. Some humilty in that regard might do us all some good.

So, just some random thoughts during one of our all important rest days. Hope you enjoy following my mind as it meanders along.

O.T.R.A. – Across the Pond #9

On May 1, 2022May 1, 2022 By KBGearDaveIn Biking Stuff, On the Road1 Comment

Turkey 🇹🇷 (Days 41-47)

Sunday/Monday (4/24 – 4/25). Antalya. We decided to spend a few days in Antalya. Given it’s size and status as major tourist center, we thought we’d be able to take care of some chores. I was hoping to send away some items deemed unnecessary. However, the DHL quote of 120 euros for a small package meant a hard pass! Next chore – cleaning and adjusting our bikes. Done! We struck out on replacing some broken bits of camping gear. Patricia and Chris arrived on Saturday, so we were able to spend time with them searching out good eats, and enjoying some adult beverages. It is always a treat being stationary for a few days.

Tuesday (4/26). The carefully crafted, finely honed plan was to cycle through Antalya and down the coast some 50-60 miles. Since we would be saying farewell to the sea, bonus points if we could find a place to camp on the beach. Right! The cycling part went mostly to plan. However, by afternoon we entered a region of ultra posh hotels. We cycled by, filled with self-righteous scorn at such decadence. As a joke we pulled up to the opulent entry of one such and Sharon inquired about a room. Unbelievably, this “all inclusive, all meals, all alcohol, three pools, waterslide resort” cost … wait for it…$70 per night. Scorn, derision, and the moral high ground are all rapidly jettisoned!! Sign us up! “Another mojito? Please and thank you!” We spent the next 24 hours being pampered, filling our faces, basking in the lap of luxury. It was disgusting. It was marvelous.

Wednesday (4/27). The accommodating staff allowed us to hang around the grounds after our noon checkout. Thus we enjoyed more food, more mojitos, beer and wine all while lounging by the pool(s). Finally by 3pm! we had worn out our welcome. Very reluctantly (Sharon! Patricia!) we continued our journey. Our very nice campsite seemed a bit…common… after our brush with the 1% lifestyle.

Thursday (4/28). Several days exploring Antalya. Flat cycling along the coast. Living an episode of “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous!”. We knew it couldn’t continue. It didn’t! Today was hot, sweaty climbing – as only Turkey can offer – all day long! “That’s all I got to say about that!”

Friday (4/29). Again, this is why we don’t plan. End of day yesterday I thought I pinched a stone and sent it into a guardrail. It was, in fact, a spoke breaking on my rear wheel. A fact that became obvious first thing this morning. That’s annoying, but no big deal since I had spare spokes from the bike shop where I’d replaced my rear wheel. Oh, except he gave me the wrong spokes. Ok, that is a problem.. Then I noticed my chain acting up. Turns out the spoke broke with such force, it also broke my chain, and chipped my disk brake. All of that meant instead of a few days of riding, we flagged down a bus. Forty dollars lighter and several hours later, we were deposited in Konya near a bike shop. As expected, no spokes available in the Konya shops. Plus the Eid al-Fitr holiday means all shops will be closed until Thursday. We opted for a monkey wrench fix and irrational optimism that the wheel will endure. So with the bike as fixed as it was going to be, we retreated to our hotel with plans to errand and explore tomorrow.

Saturday (4/30). Side note: It is always important to remember that when we travel to a ‘foreign’ country – we are the foreigners. Nowhere has that felt more obvious than in Konya. We had wanted to get away from the touristy coastal areas. Konya definitely met that requirement. It is a bustling, dense, massive city. City streets were clogged with cars, public transport, scooters, people. A moving sea of humanity filled sidewalks and market areas. These were locals just getting on with their lives, not gawking tourists. It was a bit overwhelming at first, then exhilarating. That’s why we travel!

Saturday morning on the streets of Konya

The day started early with a timid knock at the door. We had been told “no problem!” Our bikes would be safe locked behind the hotel. It might have been “no problem!” but we wanted to make sure. Before bed we brought them to our room. This morning, the very kind man from the hotel saw that our bikes were not behind the hotel where they had been last evening. He came to our room at 6am, a bit frantic assuming our bikes had been stolen. We felt terrible and apologized for worrying him so.

We spent the rest of the day running errands and just wandering the city, trying to absorb it all. Patricia and Chris made an epic ride and arrived mid-afternoon. That was cause enough for celebratory Efes (beer) and dinner.

Tomorrow we say farewell to Konya and (temporarily) the kids. If the weather stays fair and the dodgy bike repairs hold, we should arrive in Cappadocia in three -ish days. But then, anything can happen, right? So until next week – STC!

OTRA – Across the Pond #8

On April 24, 2022April 24, 2022 By KBGearDaveIn Biking Stuff, On the Road5 Comments

Sunday (4/17). Today’s forecast called for gale force winds and rain. In other words – perfect biking weather, not! We opted for a “rest” day exploring the ancient city of Patara…as well as just resting. In spite of only using human power to travel and being outside all the time, we have a hard time allowing ourselves permission to not fill every day with activity. “We should explore this town. We should visit that ruin. Etc.” After getting blown around most of the day, we finally relented and hunkered down in the hotel room with some good books. Ah, luxury!

Monday (4/18). Patera to Kas. In addition to all the ancient cities and ruins, this stretch of rugged coast was at one time home to a large and active pirate fleet. It was such a problem that the Roman general Pompey was given unlimited resources to finally deal with the issue. Which, by the way, he did by resetting many pirates as farmers. The rest? Well, you can guess… Cycling along the coast, in and out of the countless bays and coves, it is easy to imagine pirates laying in wait for juicy merchant vessels to lumber by.

On the road to Kas.

It is also easy to see why Kas, along with so many other cities along the coast, have become tourist magnets. Kas is fronted by more of the unreal Mediterranean blue, and backed by a mountain ridge named Sleeping Giant. The town itself is charming in spite of being given over entirely to charming the cash out of throngs of tourists.

At dinner we started chatting with the couple at the next table. They were both taking full advantage of working remotely by traveling extensively. Tomorrow they leave for Iraq…next month Iran. Having backpacked in Asia previously, she argued strongly that Indonesia should be our next destination. Maybe! Super nice folks. By evening’s end, they’d offered us their flat in London if we should make it that far. That may seem hard to believe, but is just another example of the kindness and generosity we’ve experienced in our travels. It is also why we open our home from time to time wandering souls. What goes around comes around.

New friends…world traveling digital nomads

Tuesday (4/19). It’s hard to make progress when every place we visit begs to be explored. Kas was such a place, and explore we did. I hiked up Sleeping Giant while Sharon wandered around town. We spent the evening with Chris and Patricia and somehow managed to find both a disappointing pub and restaurant.

Wednesday (4/20). Kas was hard to leave! Literally! It was hard to leave.

The huge day of climbing was worth it as we coasted 13.8km downhill into Demre and a choice camping spot.

Thursday (4/21). In our time here we’ve grown accustomed to endless steep climbs. It was an unbelievably pleasant change to have relatively flat cycling most of the day. Per usual, the scenery ranged from pleasant to breath taking. A major uphill late in the day led us to call it quits at a funky beach town of Andrasan.

Friday (4/22). Long day yesterday, so we set our sights a bit shorter today on a (supposedly) quiet cove south of Kemer. The ride was great. The cove was pretty. We met Atilla and Zelda when they invited us for evening chai (tea) and snacks. In spite of the language barrier we had a great time pantomiming stories and laughing at our efforts to communicate. Unfortunately, half the population of Antalya had also discovered this quiet cove. For this crowd “camping” and “sleeping” did not necessarily go together. Our night on the beach felt like camping on a carnival midway on the infield of a Nascar race. The icing on the cake was that during the rare quiet moments I got to enjoy Sharon’s spot on imitation of the classic Husqvarna chainsaw sound. (To be fair, Sharon’s often been on the receiving end as well). On balance, we may have chosen poorly.

Saturday (4/23). Thanks to all our ‘considerate’ neighbors, getting up early was no problem. As soon as the sun cleared the horizon, we said gule gule (good-bye) to Zelda and Atilla and headed off.

A few weeks ago, Antalya seemed like a distant dream. There was so much to see and the terrain was so challenging, it seemed we’d never arrive. Yet with our early start we’d covered the 30 miles of coastline before noon and entered the outskirts of Antalya. We have no special fondness for any city of 1.2 million people. But for us it marks an important milestone. After a few days to rest and regroup, we are heading away from the popular tourist areas to head inland. This likely will be an entirely different Turkey.

Back to the main road

This seems like a good place to end for the week. Just shy of six weeks on the road, we’ve covered almost 800 miles. The very difficult terrain has been more than offset by the 25 hotel nights vs 15 camping nights, the amazing/affordable food, and as always, the interesting folks along the way. Until next time, do as Sharon says, “be reckless and take chances!” STC!

O.T.R.A. – Across the Pond #7

On April 17, 2022April 17, 2022 By KBGearDaveIn Biking Stuff, On the Road1 Comment

Turkey (Days 28 – 34)

From the comfort of home, five months on the road seems a long time to be away. Now with five weeks already gone it seems Pink Floyd got it right. “You run, and you run to catch up with the sun but it’s sinking, racing around to come up behind you again.” Five months is nowhere near enough time to see the wonders of Turkey and all the other places we hoped to see. We’re already beginning to hear the clock ticking. Small wonder most cyclists we’ve met have been out much longer…and have no end in sight! Not complaining – just commenting.

Monday (4/11). Dalyan didn’t impress at first glance, but it does have a certain charm. The river walk was pleasant. We were especially impressed by the 4th century BCE burial tombs visible on the opposite bank.

A few hours later we were on Iztuzu Plaji. Once a popular place for humans to nest, now a protected sea turtle nesting area. We were able to meet some of the locals rehabbing after being injured in the wild.

Endangered Green sea turtle recovering from a propeller strike.

Camping was strictly forbidden anywhere near the beach – and rightly so. Plan B landed us in Dalaman, a bit closer to our goal of Fethiye.

Tuesday (4/12). What a glorious day! Even the Buzz Lightyear hill (to infinity and beyond) didn’t matter. Snow capped peaks over here. Blue-green Mediterranean over there. A bit later $2 drafts on the shore. We keep pinching ourselves. When is the dream going to end?

Wednesday (4/13) Rest day…sort of. Our happy foursome explored local ruins and took steps to assure proper hydration. We all very much enjoyed Fethiye, especially the amazing waterfront park. Between running, hiking and cycling around town, we’d covered twenty miles on our “off” day.

Thursday (4/14). The short ride to Oludeniz – far and away everyone’s least favorite road. Insanely steep. Dusty. Hot. Loads of traffic. The payoff, however, was immense. By mid-day we were sitting on another lovely beach watching scores of paragliders land. Hanging with Chris and Patricia. Camping on the beach and listening to the waves roll in. Life is good.

Friday (4/15). We were all reluctant to leave the beauty of Oludeniz. In part because we were all mesmerized by the contrast of snow capped peaks looming over too blue to be real sea. Finally at noon we faced reality and started the long, veeeery slow slog south and up! Lots of hike-a-bike. Isn’t this supposed to be a “bike” ride? By the time we arrived at the tiny mountain village of Karaagac, we were all sporting stylish salt stained shirts. We’d also had more than our fill of defying gravity for one day. Pause for some fresh squeezed juice. Watch a virtuoso gozleme making performance at a road side stand. Then out of town a short distance to camp. Oh what a day! Glorious!

Saturday (4/16). Tempus Fugit. Time flies. Close to five weeks on the road. Ten days spent with Chris and Patricia. That last stat was about to change. They wanted to see some sites farther east. We wanted to continue down the coast. So with that plan in mind, we strapped on our hike a bike shoes, topped out just under 4000′ above the Mediterranean and we parted ways. We are all hoping it is auf wiedersehen rather than good-bye. Puppy Dog and Princess Knallhart are enchanting traveling companions. Hopefully our paths will cross once again.

Solo once again we enjoyed the fruits of two days of climbing. We coasted most of the way through stunning landscape, more friendly people, and rustic towns all the way to Patara. For a tourist town near a famous beach and ancient city, Patara seemed a bit…grim. The plaji (beach) was closed to camping so we found a very nice, very empty hotel. And that, dear readers, is where we will leave you. Tomorrow we will celebrate Easter. And depending on the rain…either relax in our hotel or visit the ancient city. Until next week – Happy Easter and STC!

OTRA – Across the Pond #6

On April 10, 2022May 16, 2022 By KBGearDaveIn Biking Stuff, On the Road6 Comments

Turkey (days 21 – 27)

Monday (4/3). Easiest day of biking so far. Of course “easy” is a relative term. Only one “two and a half” hill. That’s the name we’re giving to hills so steep that either walking or riding we can only manage 2.5 mph. After the first nasty, it was a rare wind free day with normal hills into Bodrum.

Our plan is to catch a ferry from here to Datca tomorrow, so we embraced our time in town with eating and sightseeing. We were in for the night when Sharon connected with someone from her women’s Facebook page who happened to be…in Bodrum! Seemed like we were meant to meet. Absolute highlight of the day! Lindsay took a massive leap to leave behind work and home to explore the world for a year! I know what you’re thinking. How is it that we keep meeting all these cool people? I know, right? If you’re interested you can learn more about her at @ipulledthepin on Instagram and youtube.

Tuesday (4/5). This is why we don’t plan. “Let’s take the Tuesday ferry to Datca” we said. Great plan! Except the ferry was canceled today because of high winds. OK. Well, we could take a different ferry to Kos and Rhodes and then into Marmaris. Great plan! Except those ferries don’t run until May. Guess we’ll relax in Bodrum for a few days. Great plan!

Wednesday (4/6). Schedule for today: Sit by the sea shore. Relax. People watch. Relax. Check out the international sailing competition. Listen to a book on tape. Did I mention relax? Sounds like a full schedule, but we managed to fit it all in.

Thursday (4/7). We’d chatted briefly with Chris and Patricia at the harbor. From Switzerland, they’ve been touring for quite while and had just arrived in Bodrum. We ended up at the same hotel, and then on the ferry. By the time we arrived at Datca, we all decided it would be fun to tour together for a time. Interesting how often that happens. Just a few miles up the road we crossed paths with another group of cyclists…a young German couple and a couple with a young daughter. The two couples had met on a ferry some three weeks prior and had been cycling together since. They were all on the road indefinitely and had some amazing adventures.

Two tickets to paradise? Well, to Datca anyway.

Friday (4/8). The Datca peninsula on the way to Marmaris is lovely. Mountainous of course, we were treated to amazing views from on high and rides along the sea shore. We are getting into a comfortable groove with Chris and Patricia. It is always such fun spending time with and getting to know new friends. Everyone has a unique story to tell, and Chris and Patricia are no exception.

Marmaris is a fairly posh, ultra touristy resort town catering mostly to Brits on holiday. Didn’t care much for the town. Got some filling if not especially tasty lunch. Enjoyed a beer on the stunning harbor. Then saddled up for the slog to our home for the evening.

Riding through Marmaris

Saturday (4/9). Backroads ruled today. Several times we left the main highway and traveled on secondary roads. Often slower, they offer a much more appealing view of Turkey. By days end we’d covered 35 miles and arrived at beautiful Koycegiz Lake. Given the sticky, smelly condition of all travelers, we’d hoped to swim, but couldn’t access the shoreline. Oh well, we all stink equally so no problem. Chris and Patricia are lovely traveling companions. They are funny, laid back, and generous. It is very enjoyable riding with experienced cyclists. Even prior to their current bike tour, they both have traveled extensively and have interesting experiences to share.

Sunday (4/10). Breakfast today was a communal affair. Chris played chef and we all provided ingredients. The end result was fit for royalty…both the queen and princess were satisfied. A brief ride then brought us to the famous Sultaniye mud bath/spa. Seventy-five cents each allowed us to enjoy the miraculous healing power of the mud baths. This was followed by several hours of lounging in different hot pools. A grueling adventure this bike touring!

A few miles down the road we arrived at Dalyan. Clearly another town popular with Brits on holiday. It is not a particularly interesting town. Still, we managed to find very nice (inexpensive) accomodations for the evening. Now that we’re here – decision time again. What sites to see. What direction to travel the next few days. What to eat. All daily decisions we’ve grown accustomed to making after a month on the road. Where will be be next week? We have no idea! But given the country and the company, I have no doubt it will be an interesting ride. Until then – STC!

OTRA – Across the Pond #5

On April 3, 2022May 16, 2022 By KBGearDaveIn Biking Stuff, On the Road3 Comments

Turkey (day 17 – 20)

“I can’t think of anything that excites a greater sense of childlike wonder than to be in a country where you are ignorant of almost everything. Suddenly you are five years old again. You can’t read anything, you have only the most rudimentary sense of how things work, you can’t even reliably cross a street without endangering your life. Your whole existence becomes a series of interesting guesses.”
Bill Bryson

Thursday (3/31). Thank you Bill for perfectly describing life outside one’s “comfort zone.” We were, however, very much in our comfort zone on our perfect hillside perch. Out across the Aegean Sea, the Greek island of Samos was visible. Most times the only sound came from waves on the rocky shore far below. It offered the best night of sleep since leaving the U.S. After the dog pound the night before, we needed it.

By noon we arrived at the site of ancient Ephesus. Stunning! Walking along the ancient main street you can easily picture life in Ephesus 2,000 years ago. I can’t think of any modern city that could hope to match the beauty and “wow” factor of ancient Ephesus. And then to think we walked the same streets and strolled around the same Agora as the Apostle Paul and possibly other famous historic figures…powerful stuff.

French cyclists traveling the world…no plan…no time limit.

The word ‘awesome’ has almost lost all meaning through over use. Ephesus inspires awe…it truly is awesome. Once again we are very happy to be here before tourist season.

By the 7th century, Ephesus had been sacked, hit by earthquakes, and fallen prey to a silted up harbor. Despite its previous glory, Ephesus pretty much ceased to exist. Most people had moved to the nearby town of Selcuk, which is where we enjoyed more local cuisine and hot showers.

Friday (4/1). I have been bicycle touring since high school. I’ve never been manhandled by the wind like today. Several times a headwind brought us to a complete stop! Other times the sidewind was a giant hand sweeping us completely off the road. As an added bonus, this particular wind coated us with a fine layer of sand being carried all the way from Africa. We we’re inching dangerously close to “not fun” territory. Still, we managed to claw our way forward for twenty-five miles before calling it quits. There was no way our tent would survive this wind, so we took shelter in a pension room for the night.

Saturday (4/2). Biking south from Guzelcamli and Soke, Gursoy parked along the road and motioned for us to stop. He and his mother had just arrived for a stay at their summer home near Akbek. He invited us for dinner and to spend the night. It was farther than we wanted to travel, and not in the direction we had planned, so of course we said “YES!” Best.decision.ever! By evening’s end we had enjoyed a lovely meal. We met family friends and neighbors. We learned so much about life in Turkey, and had so many of our questions answered. Thank your Gursoy, Mother, Turhan, Elwun and Fertik for a most wonderful evening.

Sunday (4/3). We enjoyed another meal as guests of Gursoy and mom before heading out. What a great experience. And based on the collective wisdom of last night’s gathering, we chose a backroad over the mountains and through the woods towards Bodrum. Beautiful, interesting…with lots of 2.4 mph uphills! We were thinking our new ‘friends’ were playing a cruel joke on the gullible foreigners.

Tonight we’ll attempt to avoid sheep and an angry shepherdess and get some sleep. Tomorrow we head toward Bodrum to start checking off the “must see” list given to us. It has been an awesome first week in Turkey!

OTRA – Across the Pond #4

On March 31, 2022May 16, 2022 By KBGearDaveIn Biking Stuff, On the Road3 Comments

Welcome to Turkey

Sunday (3/27). The morning started as the night had passed…calm with the gentle sound of waves lapping the beach. We are so far ahead of the tourist, the beach villages are deserted.

Hills steep enough to require walking lay between us, Chios, and our ferry to Turkey. We gave ourselves plenty of time to enjoy the ride back to town, and one last tasty gyro for the road.

For newbies like us, there is always some uncertainty surrounding border crossings. Are we in the right place? Where are we supposed to go? Do we have the right paperwork? Etc. Fortunately we met a couple from Istanbul who gave us a crash course on everything Turkish, and even followed us through the Greek exit and Turkish entrance, just to make sure we had no problems. Tesekkur (thank you) Zeynep and Bob (originally from Philly).

On our way from the port, a young man looked at us, stopped his scooter and said, “Welcome to my country! Enjoy! Another young man opened his cell phone store and spent an hour getting us hooked up with new sim cards. The owner of a hotel/apartment insisted we take a much larger room for the same $24, “so we would be more comfortable!” Enough food from a market to provide a filling dinner set us back $3. So far, we’re liking Turkey!

Monday (3/28). Today is a day to explore Cesme, get our bearings and plan our next few days. Not even 24 hours in the country and a shop owner brought us cups of tea while we enjoyed her (amazing) baklava.

Tuesday (3/29). Today we begin our Turkey tour properly. It was not the day we planned. The riding was unremarkable as we made our way east off the Cesme peninsula. Just before lunch I picked up a large screw in my rear wheel! Whilst changing said flat, I noticed that my rim was cracked in several places. Only a matter of time before the rim completely fails. Didn’t plan for that! With global bicycle supply chain issues – and in a foreign country – what are the chances of finding anything compatible??? Zero to none, right? But hope springs eternal so instead of turning south down the coast, we headed east to the awesome Bisiklet Izmir shop. Ibrahim and crew searched their inventory, and after some trial and error, found and installed a replacement rear wheel. Can’t say enough good things about everyone in the shop. Enjoyed chatting with Ibrahim “Tuna” while work progressed. He and Guiseppe gave us a list of “must see” places along our route.

It was getting late by the time we got back on the road. No problem. We’ll bike a few miles down the road and find some place to camp. We’d seen plenty of likely places all day. Miles later we still hadn’t found a good candidate. Eventually we rolled into the tiny village of Bademler and a small park of sorts. “Why not?” we thought. We asked a shop owner across the street (with Google translate) did he think there would be a problem? No, but we needed to talk to the muchtar (village headman) for permission – and wait – here’s his brother right here! He’ll call. “No problem!” We were told – but we have to notify the gendarmerie. Mr. Oz (the shopkeeper) happened to know the sister of the police chief. After an animated phone call, all appropriate permissions were received, all appropriate parties were notified, so we rolled into the park. Mr. Oz accompanied us, and with more help from Google translate, made sure we were properly settled. By the time we had our tent up, a very sharply attired business man drove up and introduced himself as the village muchtar (thanks again Google translate). He checked our passports, made sure we had everything we needed, and said good night. The perfect end to a perfectly unplanned day.

Wednesday (3/30). The park would have been lovely – had it not been for the pack of wild dogs who barked and fought outside our tent much of the night. Oh…and except for the birds with intestinal distress who crowded onto the one branch overhanging the tent.

After a rough night in Bademler we enjoyed a relaxing day wandering along the coast. Made even more relaxed by the Turkish army. They were conducting live fire exercises that closed the only road south for two hours. Fine…we’ll sit on the beach and relax for two hours! Many hours and many, many hills later, we ended the day perched on a perfect hillside (of course) above the Aegean Sea. No dogs. No birds. Nice view. Perfect!

Other than the steep nature of the country and the abundance of wild dogs, we are falling in love with Turkey…and we’ve only just started. More to come later. Until then STC!

Seizing the Carp!

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Turkey (Days 28 – 34)

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