As the journey continues the weather improved slightly on a daily warmer. In recent days, the 70's and it is my weather. Today I got the Mediterranean Sea, as I was following the Agean Sea.
This morning, I have decided that the bus to Fethiye, who finished in 5 hours of travel. I have a flight back to Istanbul 2 May onwards Anathya therefore a certain distance each day to this destination. As the bus climbed the mountains, it reminded me very much, we the Sierra Mountains in California. We are moving through the pine forests and green meadows. The trees are much smaller than what we have at home, and many are deformed, and the shade, looking like a great Bonsai trees. It is likely to have to do with the number of rainfall here. The road was narrow and winding and we reached a height of 5000 meters, which made me glad that I decided to start the bus. I was hoping that the driver had been more cautious than we are about through the gorges and cliffs. It is a peculiar way that the property manager a coach who regularly that an aisle seat with a bottle and squirt a little (and the hand cleaner?) Of open palms. People rub their hands together, along with some rubbing their faces. I tried a number, and the smoke still good.
On Fethive I deboarded and tried to find the direction of the city Ouldeniz that much in my reviews guidebook. As I have a way out of town and carry a good way, I was a tortise in the middle of the road. He was about 9 "in diameter, and I do not think he would probably be before the entire muserretut vehicle. I stopped and pulled him and took him to a safe location off the road and bring him to the grass. I think that is not where he wanted to be there where he is a slow 180-degree turn and head back to the roadway. This man is the wish of death, so he applied for his dangerous journey, and this time place it about 30 feet in every area and that it down. I looked back, I cycled off, and he seemed to remain. It was the first I tortise, but the day was left, I saw a lot more, some of which have been included in the asphalt. Every so often, it would be a sign to the sea turtle crossing.
I had not seen anything one way or the mileage signs Oludeniz for some time and stopped someone asks how far he could be, and as in many other places that I've done, but the distances people know that the time required, so the bus or car. They do not seem to know if the odometer for the head. I could see what has been a difficult climb ahead, and sure enough it lasted, I had the quality. It was a 4 mile climb requires that I move my lowest gear. It lasted more than an hour to cover the 4 kilometers and then the descent was even steeper and I got to ride my brakes on much of the road as the road descended on the sea from the coastline. The remaining miles Ouldeniz was very pleasant, I cycled from the coast, and a beautiful view of the sea.
Since I was moving Oludeniz, Islamic songs, the evening was made by loudspeakers and mosques across the region. This is one thing for Turkey, that I am not going to leave, when I get home. Ouldeniz, just like any other coastal town, I have been, there is no beach, but small stones. It was just warm enough that I wanted to make the sea and took a towel and set a Sunday Despite my thermostat, the temperature 71 degrees, it felt more than 80 degrees. Beach stretch for at least a mile and was about a dozen other people in the sun on a warm day. Within two weeks, the real rush will begin to arrive. Tourist areas are employees as they clean, paint and spruce for the coming hordes. Most hotels, shops and restaurants close during the off season from October to mid-May After a short, relaxing nap in the sun, I began my search for a night. I found a new hotel and I can be the first guests to stay when all seemed to be brand new, and there was no prior use. One of the most popular activities in this PARAGLIDING because this city is a deep gorge with steep cliffs up to 2,000 meters. All day people take vans to the top of cliffs, and send them Paragliders from the rock from the direction of the sea, where the wind currents can increase is glider to fly at least 1 / 2 hours before landing on the beach.
Beautiful image of the village of Kas
I was asked to predict a nice buffet breakfast was included in the room in a nice hotel. But, as you, it was the same offer that I have had in the past. Olives, tomatoes, goat cheese and a kind of cold cut meat. I loaded onto the bread and jam. It was not long distance to the sea this morning as calm as could be. It would have been really hard-wheel bike this gap, the sea, so I went to a local SEARCH dolmus if they would transport people back to Fethive that the coastal area. A little luck, I found a network willing to depart from, and there was room for me and the bike was top of other luggage. I hoped that I could get the driver to stop at the top and then I was pretty descent Fethive, but I could not understand him so completely that the city, including all fell away. All the men and women greet each other, kiss each other's cheeks.
My cycle is a very nice today. I rode along the 30 miles of the valley. On the other hand, the state of coastal mountain range and in my other hand, the snow-covered mountains. I stopped and took a picture of the snowy peaks. I had not thought of that, it snowed here. Valley was a part of agriculture and industry workers excavating the Cover of planting a lot of hands. Some workers were watering the new plants planted by hand with the hose on a tractor with a water tank. A bit of water each new planting. As I have, I cycled along, I was looking at the mountain areas ranging from the distance, and I hope that the beautiful valley would be a flat somewhere around the mountains. This time, luck was not on my side, as was 10 kilometers climb spending a lot of effort. A view from the top was a reward if I could wait for a large blue sea and see the many excellent small islands from the water. Here was the great prize discent the coastline. Traveled to the coastal states rocky road along the coast. , I cycled from one small bays where the turquoise sea ice seams.
When I ride the longest of this tour I'm old-fashioned seashore village of Kas. It was 4:15 am and I had, I cycled 78 miles. Kas is located in mountains to the sea. The small streets and paths to go away and residents were busy climbing up and down these streets. The car is a rare location. Many small shops and nice restaurants. Many nice small hotels. I found a single room overlooking the sea and there is a restaurant and bar in the roof. At dinner time, I went for a walk around the village and chose a small outdoor restaurant seating. I ordered a fillet steak with mushroom and cheese. The first piece of beef I ate on this trip. By that time, 7:30 pm, and you think that there are people in restaurants, but I was the only customer of place. I had to sit in the open air terrace with a grid that covers a bright red bouganinvillea. After the meal, I came to my table, plate full of food. That was what I wanted, and I was pretty darn hungry after my long day of the saddle. Not Much! No! this is the leakage of food at the dinner table. It is a sign of bad manners. Well, a sudden and complete surprise, that cute little kitty jumped into my lap and I have caused the leak. I thought I was in trouble, if it was seen as the staff to expect. I put the cat back to the floor and he was there and looked at me on his big eyes. When the waitress did not SEARCH, I cut a small piece of meat, and gave it to the cat. Then I have a napkin over the leakage, and it would not have noticed, and was able to pay my bill, to escape without language, without starting from the waiter.
The climb Mt. Olympos
I awoke to another beautiful morning as the sun shone Frequencies, and was not a cloud in the sky. I climbed the stairs terrace restaurant for breakfast and looked out over the Mediterranean Sea. The water was like glass with ripple. I am a very peaceful scene of boats and yachts have a calm sea at such an early hour. Also on this point of view, thus the road east of the zig-zaged the other side of the mountain region. I asked the waiter if this is the way to Antalya was the next and final destination. "It is", he said, and told me the road increased by 15 kilometers of the summit, and then at a distance. I found ... why are suffering more than I need, and the head in the otogar. I thought that I had enough, and I want to climb mountains ring next. I took the bus is 60-mile jaunt on a small village Linike and deboarded. Once, it was a good decision on my own behalf, because the road was very steep, and the bus driver had to remain in a low gear much of the increase.
As I have PEDALEDA along, I could look over the valley and the entire region was the mass of warm homes. They grow a lot of these vegetables and fruits in this region. It is a warm house for at least 10 km. Later, I could see another mountain chain, and surely enough, I had to make the climb. I had a huge cliffs on one side and the long bounce and on the other hand, as I weaved my way road. This was a difficult climb, and took all the resistance to continue. I was forced to make the final part of the way the top if the legs were screaming that the rest. I went and took a rest, and drank a soda, although my heart rate was back to normal. I sat in a large rock watching heavily laden trucks and tractors traveling slowly to the mountain slope. Most of them were traveling is 5.6 mph, which I can make only about 4.5 mph. Some of these trucks were loaded with so slowly and it was so close to me, that I had the need to adhere to the back and get a free. The volume of the exhaust system, pollution, and gave me my thoughts on using these tactics. An hour later I was in a restaurant that is located over, so I went to get something to eat. I had assumed that this is the top and I could easily go here. I learned later that this was not at all and was out of the mountains. I had a good lunch and a good view of the valley below, where I had started a few hours ago. Many large to see the views along this path and I finally reached the summit in 2100 m on the same area off significantly, the roles are changing too easy. Just at the top was the link, the Mt. Olympus where the eternal flame is lit, and since the beginning of time. At the end of the exit you have to walk for about 30 minutes, the real flame. I do not have this side of the trip, if I do not think that is the way my bicycle and gear. That the descent is much more fun! I was 15 miles down the constant coast. On my way to the bottom, I came to Holland for a few cycles. , I cycled in the past and the Netherlands is completely flat. The mountainous terrain of Turkey very difficult these cycling tourists. Today, I cycled 15 miles so far, and they plan to camp in the road about 25 km. Another problem was that they were cycling north and the prevailing wind along the coast of the north. They have had head winds when cycling near the sea, but I have had a tail wind, I was traveling south.
It was 3 when I have a beautiful city of Kemer, just as I had turned off the main road exit from the road, KA-POW! KA-POW!, I have two flat tires. I had, I cycled a whole big patch of broken glass. I spent my last two patches to make corrections, and hoped that I could find a bike shop in Kemer starting tomorrow. This small town was also very nice. Clean and nice. A very nice beach, harbor, marble inlaid brick pavement and pedestrian pathways. It was the first-class hotels, restaurants and shops. I have noticed that everyone seemed to be relatively expensive compared to what I had in the past its own route. It is a favorite vacation retreat as the Germans and the Russians and has direct flights from Munich to Moscow and the wealthy individuals who leave here. At the moment, these countries are still hit by the winter, and that makes it very popular, it is a lot warmer here this time of year. The city was full of tourists, and it seems that the majority of the German here. Maybe I seem almost all the German traders greeted me in that language. I'm not Russian. I have spent much time looking for a cheap hotel the high prices, but that was just opened in the period, $ 10
The achievement of Antalya
My journey is almost at the end, for only a few days. Yesterday evening, when, I cycled around the city, I have not found a bike shop. There is a lot of shops that sell bikes, but it did not have parts and accessories. I decided to try to ask the local Tourist Office, but it should wait until tomorrow, when it was closed before I got there. So the Tourist Office told me to go to an industry in which I would like to find a number that worked for bicycles. Road bikes are not very common here, and I still could not find a tube 700 bicycle at any of these repair shops. They told me, this size can only be found in the big city. I could not find a pre-sized patches, which fits in my pipe, but has been able to buy several mountainous areas bke for the pipes and I want to be up to a smaller size.
Now I had a number of spare patches, I cycled on Antalya and Kemer. It was a beautiful and easy 35 miles and I did not have tire problems. It was the middle day, when I am the city, and I went to a road sandvic (sandwich) shop and had a nice lunch. Antalya is a fairly large city 510000. I've heard in my guidebook and map, and, I cycled from the "old quarter", an ancient city built behind Hadrian's Gate, built in 130 AD. This was a great place to look for accommodations on the field maze of small streets and Alleys that are lined with businesses that have invested in the old buildings, which are from 1000 years or more. There are houses, hotels, shops, restaurants and many other visitors. The whole area is very strange. The outer surface buildings have retained the old look, but the inside is quite up to date. I found a nice little retirement, when breakfast is included in the room. The owner was a sweet little woman, who spoke French as only a few words, and English, but it will be able to do all contineous hand gestures. At least it worked for me. During the dinner hour I went to a Chinese restaurant and then go to the street Atuturk have dessert together ht terraces with the pedestrian shopping area. I also have a lot of people watch while sitting. Every village, town and city in Turkey is a street named Ataturk. The streets are designated as a national hero from the war in 1922.
Time to go
I was early, as usual, and it was a breakfast in the hotel's courtyard. French sweet cooked French toast, and it is served fresh orange juice. Yum! The best breakfast I had the whole trip. Then, I cycled from Turkey, so that the airline's office, where they offered a shuttle for the 10 miles to go to the airport, where we started on the flight back to Istanbul. Arrive at the airport in Istanbul, I took the bicycle luggage, and made a challenge to find its way into the city and in my previous hotel. It took me a little more than an hour to maneuver through the city traffic and the support of my city map, I find a way. I got my hotel at the end of my journey, and after cycling 551 km in Turkey.
I have the evening to be packing all the gear, and so was able to go out, and some last minute shopping. I asked the reception to give me a wake-up call at 4 pm, when the flight leaves at 7am. I am also an alarm clock, and I was glad I did, such as never receiving a call. I had to wake up even the Night and the clerk to call him a taxi. When he went to the airport and board my flight from San Francisco via Zurich.
Final thoughts, bits and pieces
Turkey is a beautiful province of many natural wonders and a very old history. I felt that I really need is an additional 7 to 10 days to do more justice. When the length of the flight get delayed any longer would have been. A large part of the country was the economic recession, but I had the opportunity to travel to the economy is far better to increase the number of tourists. I think the timing was also the number of tourists has been minimal compared to what is already a few weeks. The weather could be a little warmer, but what I am and at least it does not rain. My travel to the country fell by about 20 percent since the off-season. My room accommodations were excellent throughout, except in Istanbul. My room prices average around 10 dollars per night, and all were clean and had great locations. The hotel Isatanbul was only passable at best. The food industry was good, except for the traditional breakfast offerings. When it comes to eat, I'm not a very advertureous. If I have one or two things I want, it's what I intend to continue to subscribe. A great surprise for me was to be mountians. Mountains, hills and mountains. More striking, because I was a bicycle. Another surprise was the low profile, or a complete absence of women everywhere. Turkey is a male world. I can not remember a woman driving a car track. It is one thing that I found a strange .... It is certainly a lot of guys with the name of Mustafa!
