Distance: A very difficult 42km
Just so you know, the tıtle of thıs post has nothing to do with its content. When we awoke it was hot. Not hot like Thailand but still hot. And we were sticky from not having showered since our swim yesterday. Shanna has a t-shirt she has been wearing for almost a week now. Neither of us can remember when she last washed it, but its keeping the wild animals away, so she thinks she might stick with it for a little longer. Thıngs arent a whole lot better for me... The runs have come back (not in an athletic way either) although not as bad as Asia, so Ive just bought some more drugs from a Chemist. By the way, ıf you are wonderıng why I havent been usıng apostrophes (or why I just said -you are-), ıts because these Turkish key pads dont have them. They also have a few other funny letters so it can be trıcky and slow to type. Well I will stick to this excuse anyway. Gettıng back to the day. By mıd-morning we had hit the slopes. The bumpy, but at least for this stage semı-paved roads had gone up, up, up ın a steep spiral. And gasping for breath we saw ahead of us that the road turned into bumpy rocky gravel. Over the next four hours we probabaly spent more time pushing our bikes up hill than actually ridıng them. We were both struggliıng up the hills in the hot sun wıth not enough water when an Australian guy on a big loaded up motor-bike passed us and Shanna flagged him down. He and the girl he was with, who was from the UK somewhere were great, and we stood and chatted for a bit, exchanging stories whıle he filled our water bottles for us. A little bit happier but still unsure when we would find food and more water we kept pushıng through the hot sun and thinking about how great the bumpy ashphalt had been compared to the rocky road we were on now. At around lunch time while cycling through a tiny village an old man approached us (see photo), told us to sıt on his porch and gave us two bottles of home made butter milk, some bread, spring onions, goats cheese and tea and then his friends came and joined us. None of us could communicate but he knew how grateful we were, and we realised that the pain of the morning had been worth ıt, if only for ths chance encounter. An hour later and the road turned back into ashphalt. We stopped in another small village with only a corner shop and a tea house and bought some drinks. The shop keeper spoke English so we asked how far it was to were we could buy food. He told us that there was no where for another sixty kilometers, so hesitantly we bought some more things from him. (We later found our it was only 10 kılometers!!). Flying down the street and the road once agaın met the beach. We were exhausted, so seeing a beautiful place we stopped to camp. Here we had the best meal, hands down, of our entire trıp so far- freshly caught and perfectly cooked fish, roasted chicken, peppers and tomato wıth delicious fresh bread and the best salad we have ever eaten. We sat and ate on a table rıght beside the ocean, our only companion a friendly stray dog, and decided that life couldnt get any better.
2 Comments
Distance: 83km
Shanna got spooked in the night, thought maybe there was a ghost under the house in the cellar we were sleeping next to. I agreed, then she was angry...! Lost an important part from one of our bags in the long grass somewhere... Luckily we found it... phew!!! Hungry now, starving actually. Breakfast: Yesterdays salami, cheese, tomato and bread. Ayran Turkish buttermilk, Limonata Lemon drink, dried cranberries and apricots. Back riding on the main highway after throwing our bikes over the fence. Itchy form the grass. There is a cycling event on here by the water, looks like professional Turkish cycling teams. First time we have seen proper bicycles (enthusiasts) in Turkey! The beach looked beautiful, and we were sweaty, so we put our bikes in the bushes and ran across the sand into the cool water. Ayah. Got lost form each other for a little while again in the last busy town before we turn off the main road. No worries. Very bumpy road, feels like I need suspension on my bike, the family jewels get whacked on my seat!! Very hard to find somewhere to camp. Eventually we found a cemetery high on a hill. You could see the water, and hear a party going on far into the distance. We said goodnight to Mustafa, who slept underground whilst we slept above. Distance: 87km
The illegal fishermen seemed to want to talk to us, even though it was clear we spoke no Turkish and they spoke no English. We'd been awoken by loud talking and the rickety motor on their boat. When they noticed the tent they came over to investigate... we were happy to communicate in sign language at first, but when they came back for a third visit we made it clear we were trying to sleep. When their boat left at 3am after dumping it's diesel fuel into the bay it was a welcome return to silence. The quiet of our solitary spot enabled us to sleep in later than we expected, and the day was already warm as we rode out, past the horses being bathed nearby. It was another beautiful day of riding along the coast. Small waterways, crumbling buildings and ornate bridges dotted the road. There were some steep, long climbs during this day, and the heat of the sun made for some sweaty riding. We'd often be flagged over by people on the side of the road, eager to welcome us to their country and shake our hands in approval of our journey. As the sun started to dip we decided to try and find a place to wash and camp. A village approached so we exited the highway and made our way towards the coast. It was a Turkish tourist town though, and the land was developed all along the water. We kept riding out of the town, but the development continued. We found a small market and bought some bread, cheese, salami and tomato to eat once we found a place to camp, but it was looking increasingly hopeless. The road led us back to the highway. The town had given us no options. We rode along, not sure what to do... We could try to find a place to camp inland, but we really wanted a swim to wash the sweat off. Sam spotted a dirt track and we decided to follow it. We were disappointed to find houses, until we realised they were incomplete houses. It was a whole village of house shells, abandoned long ago and now crumbling and overgrown. Perfect. We headed towards the water to wash before returning to set up camp. We were stopped by a group of people who were a little too excited to see us. We got hugs, kisses (gropes!) and were invited to sit and eat with them. It became clear why when an English speaking lady arrived to offer us a place to stay and have some food, 'money no problem.' When we pressed them to let us know how much the favor would cost they replied a little sheepishly 'only $100 Euro!'. Ha! We laughed, wave some fond good-bye's and left. Along the coast we jumped off the path into the cool, clear water while a group of children sat watching us on nearby rocks. A young girl spoke to us in her best English, asking our names and how old we were. A nice elderly man came out of his house with juice and glasses to offer us some refreshment. And as we rode back to the housing estate ruins we heard a bike bell and saw the young girl from the beach riding her bike behind us, waving furiously. Distance- Around 40km over two days.
We stayed for two days in Istanbul, and loved every minute of it... well, almost every mınute. The cuisine here has been the best we have experienced so far, and can be found very cheaply if you look around. We sampled rıce puddıng (far more delicıous than it sounds), pasta, traditıonal Turkish meat balls, lamb shish, doner kebab, a tasty pancake thing wıth potatoes and herbs, Limonata- a traditıonal sweet Turkish version of lemon soda, fresh orange, strawberry, apple and carrot juice (very cheap!), lentil soup with delicious fresh bread, tasty cheeses with crusty rolls, salami and tomatoeş and a varıety of mouth watering gelatos. Other foods we recommend trying here are Turkısh Viagra, a strange but tasty concoction of nougat, nuts, Turkısh delight and somethıng else we arent sure about, dried cranberries and butter milk. The only thing that we had to look out for (especially if you visit the more touristy areas of Istanbul) are the overzealous (sometımes angry!?) spruikers out the front of hotels and restaurants. We found that givıng our tummys a rub as though we´d already eaten was a good way to avoid too much excessive attention. On our second day in Istanbul we visited the Blue Mosque, The Grand Bazaar, the Spice Bazaar, The Basilica (amazıng and spooky underground cistern) and the Hagia Sophia Museum. There are many other amazing things to see here but we didnt have the time, and so the following eveniıng we began our journey towards Gelebolu (Gallipoli). The crowds were thick and the cars, eager to get home for the long weekend, made it challenging and scary getting out of ´old town´ but soon enough we were back cycling beside the water, dreaming of new sights and sounds, and yet more great Turkısh food (seriously it is fantastic!). That night we found a huge abandoned area full of demolished buildıngs, ruins and bushes that sat right on the edge of the Ocean (around 20km from the city) were we set up camp atop a derelict swimmıng pool less than 20 metres from the water. We sat out by the water eatıng crusty bread, tomatoes, chocolate and buttermilk and for the first night ın almost five months never saw a single mosquito. Drıftıng to sleep to the rhythmic sounds of the ocean wıth the lights of Istanbul sparkling across the bay we decided that this was our best campsite yet... Well until the midnıght spooks arrived... Distance: 26km to jars, 66km towards Phou Khon
The morning air was brisk, and a light drizzle was falling. We put our jackets on for the early ride to the fields where hundreds of jars made of solid chunks of rock have lay scattered for thousands of years. We weren’t sure where to go, but we asked at a hotel aptly named Plain of Jars Hotel and were pointed out of town, where we would then take a left. There was no sign to say it was the correct street, but we asked a passing tuk tuk driver who made the shape of a jar with his hands and nodded that we were going the right way. Eventually there were signs confirming it too. We headed through a village and past rice fields, and followed the signs to the site. We paid 10000 kip each for the entry fee (just over $1) and walked up a dirt path to the top of a hill, where the jars lay. There were jars of all different shapes and sizes, some in perfect condition and others broken or missing pieces. Some lay smashed at the bottom of the bomb craters left from the Vietnam War. We couldn’t believe that such a amazing place, thousands of years old, had been bombed. Further along we saw trench lines and realized that this location really played a big part of the action. Bomb craters were all around and it was amazing that so many jars were still in tact despite the Americans' relentless bombing of a remarkable iron age archaeological site. Even though we don’t know why the jars were made, we enjoyed our time walking around them and decided our side trip had been worth it, despite the short time frame and Sam's travel sickness. We checked out of our hotel, ate some more food, and began our journey through the mountains - this time on the bikes. The start was ok, not too steep, many flat sections, and it felt great to be back riding through the friendly villages. We set ourselves a target to reach the place called Nom Chat that featured on the distance stones. It was 80km away, and would leave us about 60km for the second day. As we made our way through the afternoon we were confident we would make it, until the big hills began. They were steep. And long. And we had a lot of weight on our bikes still (despite all our culling efforts). The light started to fade and we were still 20km from the town. We realized that we didn’t even know if there would be a guesthouse anyway. We decided to find somewhere to camp. We came to a house perched on a slight rise above the road with a very large area of land, grass and jungle undergrowth and thought we'd ask to camp on their property. As we approached two men came out of the house and we indicated to them that the time was late, the sun was setting, could we set up our tent? They said no. Maybe they didn’t understand. We tried to explain again. Still no. They pointed up the road. We couldn’t believe it. They were refusing us? We desperately tried one final time. The road was dangerous – we didn’t want to be on it in the dark. But to no avail. They were sending us back to the road. We were already partway up a big hill so we struggled away from their property and continued up the hill. Another couple of kilometres and Sam spotted a flat section off to the side of the road (elevation approx 2000 metres) that was actually partially hidden from the road by some massive reeds. We pushed our bikes up a steep muddy incline and as the sun was setting we retaught ourselves how to put up the tent – it had been a while! At least we had the tent, and Sam could be happy in the knowledge that he hasn’t been carrying it around for nothing. It amazed us how easy it was to be caught short of our destination because the hills slowed us so much. As it grew dark we sat in the tent, dirty and smelly, eating Indian leftovers we had bought with us and rice crackers we had in our bags still from Thailand. Exhausted, we talked for a while before deciding we needed sleep. But we were in a tent in a remote part of the Lao jungle, and there were noises around us… Tuesday 26 January 2010
Difficulty - Shanna 9, Sam 9 Distance - 60km Weather - Hot! Sunny, windy! 36C We never made it to the $5 movies in Nambucca Heads. We visited four caravan parks and their prices were all too expensive, and without a place to leave our bikes and possessions we couldn’t go to a movie. We still had an enjoyable afternoon in Nambucca though. We went down to the waterfront and it was spectacular – so beautiful! We pulled up to a table and Sam cooked the rest of the spaghetti bolognaise we had left from Kempsey while Shanna swam in the river. After eating we talked about what to do for the night – did we keep riding to the next town? Or find somewhere to camp. We both decided in favour of free camping somewhere around Nambucca. So we had the whole afternoon to enjoy the spot we were in. Sam joined a game of cricket with some boys visiting from Brisbane, and it was Shanna’s turn to try and sleep on a picnic bench (didn’t work though). We discovered a shop across the road where you got two massive scoops of Peters ice-cream for $3.50. And the flavours were delicious!! (At least the four flavours we tried were!) We talked to some curious locals who asked us questions and then about an hour before the sun set we found the perfect, secluded spot to set up camp. We were all set up and enjoying the sunset when we became aware that a group of teenage boys had also decided it was the perfect place to camp. They were in the process of lighting a fire and getting ready for a big night of fun. Sam explained to them that we needed to sleep and get up early to ride and took their photo to put up on this site (also as insurance... ) We both had a restless night sleep – the air, like every other night since we started, was muggy and there was no breeze. As we’d experienced at other spots near the beach, hoons brought their cars down during the night to do burnouts. And the boys’ laughter woke us from time to time. Sam was up well before the alarm at 5:30 and we were packed up and ready to leave at 6am. The plan was to reach Woolgoolga, about 75km away. The first 35km of the day took us over many hills and our legs quickly felt the strain. We also encountered the worst headwind we’ve faced yet. On one flat, straight stretch of road we were struggling to go 14km/h as we battled into the wind. By the time we were entering Coffs Harbour (about 50km) the heat and lack of sleep were making it difficult to be motivated to keep going. When we reached McDonalds on the outskirts of Coffs Harbour we both knew we were stopping without even needing to say the words. Shanna quickly realised that not only was her shirt filthy to look at, but she smelt like a homeless person (which Sam reminded her she was). Too embarrassed to sit within 100m of other people, she grabbed a ‘clean’ (aka, cleanER) shirt from her bike and changed, and then gave herself a basin wash. Now she felt human again and worthy of the fine family restaurant. Sitting in the cool air-con we couldn’t imagine riding another 25km. But we couldn’t bring ourselves to stop in Coffs Harbour when our goal for the day was to pass Coffs. An internet search revealed a caravan park 6km north of the Big Banana with a pool, washing machine (Shanna decided it really was time to wash all our clothes!), not too far off the highway and within our budget. The 10km ride to the park was not easy though – the wind was worse, the sun was hotter, and the final few hills steeper than any we had encountered so far that day. We even stopped at another caravan park along the road, just 5km before the one we were headed for, just in case they could do a similar deal. Their office was closed though so we pushed on. After summiting the worst hill of the day we paused briefly at the big banana when Shanna convinced Sam it would be un-Australian to pass it by without getting photos. There have been some disappointments since arriving at the park – the reception lady wouldn’t give us a key to the fridge without a $10 deposit but we’d have to wait until 8am tomorrow to leave if we want our $10 back… The place she put us to camp was right next to a mosquito infested lagoon so we had to ask to be moved, and the hamburger shop up the road she sent us to was closed for the public holiday… so we went hungry until we managed to track down some baked beans, eggs and toast, which we barely had a chance to taste before it hit our empty stomachs. We’ve met some really nice people though – including a retired couple who said we can keep our milk in their fridge – and the pool was SO nice. And, of course, our clothes are now washed. We remember thinking throughout the day that the steep hills were very un-Australian – how could anyone expect people to cycle over them?! But as we reflect on the meaning of Australia Day, we realise that the hills are very Australian, because when they were building the road they couldn’t be bothered leveling the land or finding a better alignment, so the hills stayed. Happy Australia Day everyone and Happy Birthday Dad Evans! 16-1-2010 Difficulty- Shanna 8, Sam 9 Weather- Sunny with some cloud 31c Distance- 48 km Well, we've experienced our first two days of real cycle touring!! And made it to Newcastle. On Friday we arrived at Pete (Sam's brother) and Rochelle's late in the afternoon. We spent the evening going through our stuff to eliminate any unnecessary weight and we packed and repacked the panniers. In the morning we loaded our stuff into the car and got driven to the ferry wharf at Palm Beach where the tour would begin for real. We were running late and got to the ferry less than a minute before it was leaving. Pete and Chelle helped us run all our stuff onto the ferry just as the boat was leaving the harbour. The next ferry wouldn't have left for almost two hours so it was a close shave and the adrenalin was still pumping by the time we finally sat down (kind of, Sam had to stand at the back of the ferry with the bikes). The ferry arrived in Ettalong on the Central Coast and when we finally got all of our gear off- in front of a massive audience waiting for us to remove our things so that they could get on- we packed our bikes and tried to ride... It was the first time we felt the weight of the loaded tour bikes and wondered how we could even make the bikes move, let alone push them up mountains!! After wobbly starts (getting used to the balance) we set off up the coast towards Newcastle. The day was spent tackling the hills around Kincumber, Avoca and Terrigal and while it was tough going, it was easier to keep the bikes moving than we'd feared. It also took some getting used to with the gears and Shanna's chain came off about 5 times on the first day. It was hot and we hadn't slept much for days so Sam took advantage of a beckoning slab of concrete under a tree right next to a busy road to catch up on some much needed sleep. On the first day we made it from the very south of the Central Coast to the northern point at Nora Head. At Nora Head we found a nice beach and picnic area to have a swim and cook our dinner. The swim was short-lived though when Sam looked down to see a sting ray right where he was about to plant his foot. After eating we decided to set up camp so we found a nice overhanging tree where we could set up without being seen. Unfortunately it was close to the road though and all night we could hear the bogan drivers and drunkards of the area (of which there are apparently many). 17-1-2010 Difficulty- Shanna 9, Sam 8 Weather- Hot and Sunny 35c Distance 55 km In the morning we loaded up to head to Newcastle. On the way Sam made friends with a magpie that was eying off his bike. Despite our initial fears, that it wanted to open his pannier and eat our food (if you've been to Wilsons Prom you'll know what we mean!) he soon realised that it had actually spotted a huge huntsman (spider) on his bike. Sam and the bird made eye contact and had a silent understanding that the bird could approach and eat the spider while Sam was still holding the bike. The magpie circled the bike and followed the spider, eventually jumping up on the handlebars and grabbing it. It then jumped off the bike and promptly munched it's snack. It was a tough day of riding. Very hot and some big hills on the Pacific Highway between Lake Munmorah and Swansea. Shanna lost a pannier at some traffic lights but everyone politely waited for her to collect it from the middle of the busy intersection, rather than honking or running her down. All in all - the facilities for cyclists on the Central Coast and Newcastle have been great - lots of wide shoulders and marked bike lanes. The drivers have also been very considerate - much better than Melbourne. We arrived in Newcastle at Stewart and Michelle's (Shan's sister) mid-afternoon, about five minutes before a torrential down pour. We've since caught up with Shan's school friends, family and enjoyed sleeping in a bed for the first time in about a week. We'll spend a couple of days catching up with people here before setting off for Brisbane. A couple of weeks before we left Melbourne we gave stealth camping a practice run and tested our gear. Lessons learnt - try to set up before it gets dark! And make sure you've always got some food that doesn't need to be cooked in case your stove doesn't work (you won't always be able to drive to the nearest servo when you realise you've forgotten the lighter).
|
AuthorSam and Shanna Evans are from Melbourne, Australia Archives
September 2012
Categories
All
|