The Grand Finale Part I - Istanbul to Thassos

For those of you who haven't heard yet, the grand adventure is over. I'm back home, and I'm safe, and everything is fine. 

Looking back even to my last blog post in February, the virus was hardly on my radar. I had a couple of people warn me to maybe avoid Italy, but in my usual optimistic fashion, I figured it was all a load of media hype hysteria, and that by the time I got there it'd all have blown over. But by the 16th of March, things had gotten so ridiculous, it seemed I had no choice but to give in and get out. The world went a little crazy and it just seemed like the best place to be was home.

With all the craziness, I'd gotten extremely far behind on writing. Even my personal daily journal had a big month long gap that needed filling it. I've finally caught up, but have so many stories to tell about my last month on the road that I've decided to break this last post into three. The first, a few tales from my romp through Turkey and Greece. The second, my enlightening stay in a Greek squat. The third, my daring escape on the last flight out to the UK, as the national borders closed in around me.

Obviously I'm writing now on the 7th of February, but will date the posts at the point where each part ends.

4th of March 2020, Day 204 - 7050kmish (+ a ferry from Keramoti to Thassos and back)

Day 193 - Traffic too hectic to get a picture during, but here's a pic I took in the morning before setting off

The first challenge was to get out of Istanbul. Despite setting off bright and early on a Sunday morning, I quickly found myself in the thick of it on a main road, next to lines and lines of traffic speeding by, my body melting under the roasting hot spring sun. So hot, that for the first time in 5 months I shed my layers and rode in shorts. In the end it took me two days to escape the winding complicated mess of overlapping motorways and endless river of cars. The coast road stretched before me, finally free again from the sprawl, the Greek border beckoning me back towards home.

But not before meeting the Cat Ladies of Tekirdağ.


The Cat Ladies of Tekirdağ

I'd found a host on the warmshowers tour cycling app, an adorable 53 year old primary school teacher. Zerrin had just started to learn English, and was looking for a way to practice, so her son had set her up an account as a way to meet travelers.

Day 194 - The cats quickly took ownership of the bike

I walk in the front door to be greeted by not 1, but 4 different cats, all going crazy about the big strange bike taking up most of the hallway. I'm not sure if it's a particularly Turkish thing, or just good common sense, but as Zerrin lived alone she'd specifically asked to host couples or women. Sending her my blog to look at convinced her I was legit. But just to be on the safe side she had some of the ladies round from work, with one spending the night. She'd cooked up an absolute feast, turning what I'd thought would be a quiet night into an impromptu party.

Day 194 - After dinner tea and cake

Now, I've had a fantastic time talking to all sorts of people in Turkey, but all of those people have been men. The public social spaces here, like the mosque or the tea houses, are all so male dominated that I've hardly had the chance to speak to women.

It was enlightening to finally get the female perspective on Turkey. The men tend to think that Turkey is the greatest country on earth. To put it lightly, Zerrin and the girls were far less impressed. Turkey is a secular country, but with the new highly conservative and religious President Erdoğan, they are afraid things are starting to go backwards. They find Turkish men aggressive and possessive, expecting women to take a backseat at home. Almost all the women dreamed of leaving Turkey to find somewhere they could be treated like equals. I didn't have the heart to tell them how few and far between places like that are in the world.

Almost all of them had given up on men, instead opting for far more palatable feline companions. I spent most of the night looking at pictures and videos of their cats.

Day 195 - Quick shout out to Zerrin, who was so kind in letting me stay, inspirational in starting to study English at 53, and has quite possibly turned me into a full on cat person.

In the morning it was time to say goodbye, but not before Zerrin stuffed me with breakfast, and gave me a cute little cat coin-purse to remind me of my time amongst the disenfranchised women of Turkey.

Winds of Change

From there I had to cut inland to get to the Greek Border station, surrounded by rolling hills adorned in the green and brown checkerboard fields of Eastern Thrace. I'd been unsuccessful in getting any more hosts, so resigned myself to camping for the foreseeable future.

Over the next 3 days, the wind slowly picked up from a tiny breeze to a blustering gale. As did my growing anxiety about the Coronavirus. Northern Italy had become completely closed off for non-essential travel, meaning some big diversions to get to the other side of the Alps. Maybe there's no point going to Greece? Am I just cycling into trouble? Should I be heading north through Bulgaria towards Austria instead?

Day 196 - Forming a barrier so the wind doesn't blow out the stove

By Day 197, both the wind and my anxiety reach a climax. I decide to go to the town of Ipsala, right next to the border, and plan out my new route. Maybe it's time to give up on Greece and head north. The cross-winds though are so strong, that I can't move on - the strongest winds I've faced to date, well over 50 km per hour. Every time I lift my feet up to pedal, I'm instantly blown towards the sloping drop into the ditch below.

I give up on cycling and just start walking, my body and the bike both at a 45 degree angle, forming an unsteady upside-down V, pushing against each other to brace against the wind. I consider sticking out a thumb to hitch hike, but every time I move a hand off the handlebar, the bike starts suicidally swerving towards the murky ditch water. With 15km to go till Ipsala, I'm starting to lose hope. This is gonna be a long walk.

Suddenly, a beat-up dusty white pick-up truck pulls over in front of me. An older guy jumps out and offers me a lift. He speaks almost no English, not that we could even hope to hear each other over the roaring wind. We get the bike strapped down in the back, and can finally talk in the truck.

Day 197 - The absolute gem of a man who picked me up off the side of the road

I explain I'm heading towards Greece, and would love a lift to Ipsala. He indicates it's no problem, he's going that way anyway. But something gets lost in translation, and we fly past the sign for Ipsala, right up to the border station, where he drops me off, and drives back the way he came, leaving me just as far from Ipsala as I started. Guess my decision has been made for me. I'm going to Greece.

Thrace

Greece it turns out is absolutely beautiful. I'd always idealised it, and was so glad it lived up to expectation. As bicycles are not allowed on the motorway, I was forced to take it easy on the B roads and country lanes, winding through the olive groves and newly plowed fields, finally free of the traffic.

Along the road, small shrines that look like mini churches, with some pictures of a saint or two and an oil lamp. Apparently they are built to commemorate someone dying in a traffic accident, or on the sites of old pagan shrines. A holy spot to provide travelers with a moment of rest and prayerful reflection, organically merging ancient beliefs with modern practices. (see this article  for more detail)

Day 198 - The Shrines

Day 198 - Inside

The smaller back-roads have their own challenges though. All the villages are very small, most not even having a corner store to pick up food. And no more gas stations or cafes to take a break and charge my phone. I found myself constantly running out of water with 10% on my phone battery, desperately searching for a way to re-fuel.

Day 199- In Greece they drink nothing but cold frappe's, so still looking for a good Americano! The gent in the background is a 72 year old Greek Turk, who traveled the world on cargo ships in his youth.

When I did find places though, I was overjoyed to discover the locals spoke Turkish. This area, Thrace, once stretched all the way from Istanbul to Bulgaria, so there's a lot of cultural continuity with it's neighbors. In fact, I found it to be even more Turkish than the European side of Turkey had been. The villages here have their own mosques, they still play the call to prayer 5 times a day, and most of the women wear head scarves.

Day 200 - The mosque tower sticking up in the middle of an otherwise very Greek-looking village

Day 199 - Grandma enjoying the morning sun

Gathering Intel

By now I was feeling well ahead of schedule, so figured I had wiggle room to enjoy myself. Instead of the usual b-line towards home, I could take my time, going here and there through Europe as my fancy took me. I had spotted a national park nearby on the map, and had decided to take a detour to go and see it (East Macedonia and Thrace National Park).

Day 199 - Outside of the Coffee Shop

Day 198, the road cut in off the coast, so I spent the afternoon climbing a deserted mountain back road through the Olive groves. As I get to the peak, I spot Clement and Aurore, two tour cyclist from France in matching red pullovers having a picnic. I join them, adding some oranges and sunflower seeds to the spread.

Day 198 - On the B road above the motorway

When tour cyclists meet, there is always an initial sort of one-upsmanship that goes on. Not always a full on... trip-measuring contest, but you wanna see where you stand. How long have you been traveling for? How many km do you do in a day? Do you usually camp? What's your km total? By now I usually win this contest as I smugly reveal my stats.

This couple's way of getting accommodation surprised even me though. They have a tent, but say they hardly use it. Instead they just go from door to door until someone lets them stay for the night. Much braver than me. I wouldn't be able to take all the rejection. Clement and Aurore say it gets easier the more you do it. The worst someone can say is no. I've heard of this sort of ballsy approach before, but I have to be offered a place to stay or it's not gonna happen. For me, forcing people into being hospitable kind of sours the whole thing.

Day 198 - My bike doesn't have a stand...

Then there's the all important exchange of information - good places to stay, roads to avoid, that sort of thing. They suggested I shouldn't bother with the National park, it mostly just being farms and little villages unless you go right down into the wetlands on the coast. However, I had a sneaking suspicion I'd have a good time there, and I was curious about the big island you could get to by ferry on the coast.

They do mention something though which has my curiosity piqued. Some thermal baths, with a squat nearby where you can stay, a few days ride down the road. You have to check it out, they say. You'll love it.

Crazy Homeless Bag Man

Day 199 - Vistonida Lake, just off Porto Lagos

Day 199 - Beautiful sunset off Porto Lagos. Notice the weird mulchy packed ground, it felt almost like a sponge.

I decided to trust my gut and went right down into the wetlands on the coast. Porto Lagos, the first stop in the National Park, was absolutely beautiful. A huge lake full of every sort of bird, all taking refuge here on their own pilgrimage to warmer climes.

Day 200 - Turns out these are bee boxes, with two big bags of sugar inside for food. Which I found out when I took the lid off one, running away from the disgruntled half-asleep bees just coming out of hibernation. Thankfully managed to get the lid back on

Then I ride back up the valley to the river crossing, and down to the port in Keramoti, just in time for the late ferry. I had no idea, but the island, Thassos, is sort of a big deal around here. I was expecting some tiny village, but from the swanky resorts, restaurants, and sailing clubs, I can tell I'm about to get well out of my budget here.

Day 200 - I'm a terrible camera man, I swear the sunset was much redder in person!

Day 200 - Again, couldn't quite capture it, but you get the idea

I go up to the deck to see the sunset, which is absolutely spellbinding. The sun, a deep blood red, mirrored in the sea below, lighting the water aflame. The island itself is like a half submerged mountain, rising sharply up into the clouds, painted pink by the sun to form a glowing halo.

Mid revelry, a group of 6 greek guys come up to the deck and start taking pictures. So many pictures. But not particularly of the sunset, more of them selves, from ever more imaginative angles. At one point, a guy is literally laying on the ground taking a photo of his friend sat up on the rail. I cannot fathom why. Maybe to make his shoes look big? Every one of them is wearing brand new clothes, clean and sparkling.

I cannot help but giggle, and one of the boys looks at me. Suddenly I become extremely aware of how I must appear. I'm sat there with three plastic bags of food around me, my whole travel pantry spread out on the chairs. A chunk of cheese in one hand, a loaf of bread in the other, alternating a bite from each, covered in crumbs. Today is my 6th day without a shower, sweating under the Greek spring sun, camping every night. The trackies and jacket I'm wearing haven't been washed since Istanbul, so are carrying every colour of dirt and mud Thrace has to offer. And my beard. And my hair. 7 months on the road, and for some reason I decided to not shave the whole way.

I have never felt more like a crazy homeless bag man in my life.

Day 200 - Earlier that day, Crazy Homeless Bag Man makes a cat friend

Thankfully the photo-shoot doesn't last for long and I'm left in peace to enjoy rest of the sunset.

Thassos

I arrived rather foolishly in Thassos at 8pm with absolutely no where to stay, but thankfully the woman at the ticket booth rang around to find me a place. I spoke to the owner on the phone, and managed to argue the price down from 30€ to 20€ by promising to stay an extra night. The room was perfect. A queen-sized bed, kitchenette, and most importantly, a warm shower. After that first shower in 6 days, I felt reborn, like a snake that's just shed a crusty old layer of skin.

Day 201 - The Bay of Thassos

Thassos is simply stunning, a beautiful little old port town nestled in the bay below the mountains. Every bit of Greece overflows with history. As you walk through the cobblestone streets, there are ancient archaeological ruins, dating back to 600 A.D., just casually strewn about between the cafes and shops.

Day 201 - If you look real close, you can see an old man in the middle of the rock fishing

I spent the day hiking around the northern tip of the bay. Clearly there used to be a well cared for footpath there, with signs and chain fence lining the walkways. Even lamps for night walking. But at some point in the 90's with the Greek economic recession, they'd run out of money. Now the ruins were joined by artifacts of a different era, all rusted, broken, and covered in moss. At one point I had to scale a huge fallen tree to keep going.

I'm glad I did though. Eventually the path opened up to the Acropolis of Thassos. What surprises me is how nothing is fenced off or protected. It feels as if you are the first person to stumble across the crumbling towers and walls, hidden away in the forest and undergrowth. I guess they have so much old stuff here, they don't bother looking after it all.

Day 201 - The path up to the Acropolis

It was supposed to be Carnival weekend, but all the festivities had been shut down by the government. It was starting to dawn on me that this Corona thing was maybe a big deal, and that people were taking it seriously. Or should have started dawning on me.

Instead, I met two gristly 60 year old British guys who came to the island in the 80's and never left. Apparently they'd spent that whole time in bars, because they then proceeded to drink me under the table.

-

Bonus Photo Dump of Thassos

View of the whole town from the top

Some of the old engravings still remain. Here is Hippocrates healing a boy and a horse. You can vaguely see the snake and staff  in the man laying down's hand.

Like I said, you can just walk right up and touch buildings that have been there for centuries and centuries

The view from the top looking the other way

I took a selfie using my phone timer!

The Asia Awards - Cide to Istanbul

23nd of February 2020, Day 192 - 7090kmish (+ a ferry from Yalova to Yenikapi)

Of all the milestones on this trip, reaching Istanbul has to be the biggest. I remember seeing the very first sign for Istanbul right as I was about to cross the border out of Georgia. 1264km. Half a life-time away.  Since then the signs have been slowly ticking down, 45 kilometers at a time, as I crept closer and closer to the end of of my time in Asia. A whole continent, spanning thousands of kilometers of desert and plains and mountains and rivers, Conquered in a 6 month pilgrimage west.

So take me back to Constantinople
No, you can't go back to Constantinople
Been a long time gone, Constantinople.
Why did Constantinople get the works?
That's nobody's business but the Turks

ISTANBUL

The last 600km have been absolutely wild, but I really want to get on to the Asia Awards, so will tell the story through a big dump of photos.

Day 174 - A Tea break after escaping the up and down of the coast from Sinop

Day 174 - The View of Amasra before dropping into Bartin

Day 175 - My boy Shener, who spent his youth travelling round the world on shipping tankers. Has had a far more interesting life than I could ever hope to have. Took me out for dinner and had a great chat in Bartin, then he saw me off the next day

Day 180 - After 3 days stuck in Zonguldak by the snow, the sun came out enough for me to brave the roads. Made this snowman in the break.

Day 180 - The bus stop at the top of the pass from Zonguldak to Akcakoca

Day 180 - Decided to camp on the beach, which was half covered in snow. Last day on the coast of the beautiful Black Sea.

Day 181 - Woke up to a beautiful sunrise, but turns out I'd somehow become dehydrated and given myself heatstroke despite cycling through snow. Made it 10km up the road before stopping at a hotel to rest up and rehydrate.

Day 183 - Made it over the climb to Duzce

Day 183 - As I pulled into Duzce, a car pulled over and this whole gang jumped out. Turns out it's the Duzce Cycling Club, plus two lovely cyclists from France heading to Mongolia

Day 183 - The Cycling club took us out to lunch, and gave us a great place to stay

Day 183 - But not before interviewing with a local TV station. After hearing I went through China, all the questions were about the Coronavirus. Thank goodness I got out before that started.

Day 183 - Ozman is an absolute pro. My bike feels good as new now

Day 184 - The gang heading out, with me heading west to Istanbul, and the rest of the gang pushing through the snow to Bolu.

Day 184 - The Duzce Cycling Club also put me in touch with the Cycling Clubhouse in Sakarya where I stayed the night. The sign reads "Cyclists Only!"

Day 186 - With no where to stay in Izmit, I was starting to get worried as the sun went down. But these lovely students saw me cycling, stopped, and offered to let me stay. Ended up staying 2 days, they cooked for me every day, and wouldn't take a penny.

Day 187 - On the advice of the two french cyclists, I decided to go to Yalova, then take the ferry from there into the city center. Perfect way to skip the traffic into Istanbul, which is especially bad on the Asia side.

Day 187 - The late ferry. Ended up arriving at my hostel at 1 am.

Day 188 - Hagia Sophia, minutes away from the hostel

Day 189 - Posing in front of the impressive Blue mosque

Day 189 - The ceiling inside of the mosque

Day 189 - Spent the day hanging out with Sebastian and Dana who I met at the hostel. Here we are navigating the narrow streets around the spice bazaar.

Day 190 - The view from outside Suleymaniye Mosque

Day 190 - Wet and rainy view from the top of Galata Tower.

Standing On the Shoulders of Giants

Istanbul is such a significant milestone because it's traditionally the point where Asia stops and Europe begins. Here they very casually say, Oh yeah I'm just popping over to Asia for lunch, taking one of the multitude of ferries over the bustling Bosporus strait that runs between two continents.

There seems no place more fitting to sit and write a big farewell to Asia. But I've had so many crazy experiences and thoughts and feelings that it all seems too much to reduce down to a few paragraphs. Instead, I've taken inspiration from the blog that inspired it all, which I read many moons ago at my desk in Japan while pretending to do work, daydreaming of the faraway lands I now find myself surrounded by.

An American couple did the same Japan to the UK journey back in 2012 and their blog, West from Japan has essentially been my bike touring bible for planning this trip. When they got to Istanbul they gave out the 2012 Asian Awards.

To carry on the tradition I have taken it upon myself to be the sole judge in the 2020 edition, using my extremely coincidental personal experiences to make sweeping generalisations about entire countries. The nominees are Japan, China, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Georgia, and Turkey, with Kyrgyzstan making their debut appearance at the Asia Awards (because I took a short cut through there whereas they took the long way round.)

So without further ado, the 2020 Asia Awards.

The 2020 Asia Awards

Best Food

I wish I could say I've eaten every local delicacy each country has to offer. But when it comes to food, you have to remember I'm travelling on a tight budget, and I need a butt load of calories to make it through each day cycling. But I also can't spend time searching for the perfect place, so usually just go for somewhere that looks cheap, fast, and local. As I result I have a very unique specialized knowledge of the best cheap traditional fast food throughout Asia. It pains me to have to pick one, but for me it's the noodles in China. By the end of it I was sick to death of them and so happy to eat bread again, but for variety of flavors, price, and calorie count, China can't be beat.
Runner up: Georgia on the strength of one dish I had in Batumi which is mind-numbingly good. Cheese butter and egg baked on the top of fresh bread, which you mix together and eat in the most satisfying mess.

Worst Food


For me there was no worst food. Every country has had its own flavors and unique recipes, each with it's different strengths and weaknesses. If I had to choose, its a split between any time you try to eat western food in China, and a plate of dumplings at a gas station restaurant in Kazakhstan, which was literally unflavored mince meat in doughy dumplings, covered in pepper and unsweetened mayo.

"Pizza"

Best Accommodation

I really really wish I could give it to Turkey. I've been staying in such bizarre places - Camping here there and everywhere, found a bunch of people willing to let me sleep on their floor, the amazing time I had at the hotel in Sinop. But the winner is Kyrgyzstan for the most home-away-from-home hostel in Bishkek (Imagine Hostel), where I first began to feel like I was part of this greater community of backpackers and cyclists travelling the world, and my very favorite home stay with the Duishenbiev's in Kara-Balta. Georgia also comes in at a close third, quite possibly the most consistently cheap and nice places the whole way.

(I'm gonna stop adding photos because I've posted them all before in previous blogs, but you can click on the hyperlinks to see the full stories.)

Worst Accommodation

China. No doubt. The constant struggle to find a place to sleep, only to be turned away because they can't take foreigners. Unable to camp because of nosy policemen shooing you away. Kicked out of my room twice in the middle of the night when the police showed up, moving me to a more expensive "foreigner friendly" hotel in the back of a police van. Then there's the half-collapsed "hotel" I stayed at in Bozhou for 40 yuan which was the most disgusting place I've ever been. The shower was a cold bucket of water, the toilet had never been cleaned I'm pretty sure. The sheets were full of cigarette burns, and the third floor was half caved in after never being completed. And I still stayed for two nights because it was so cheap and the owner didn't seem to mind I was foreign.

Best Cycling (Scenery and General Mood)

It turns out I love mountains. I love seeing them. I love the challenging climbs. I love the sense of accomplishment you get from reaching the top, and the hard-earned euphoria you get when whizzing down the other side in a cloud of adrenaline-fulled glee. It's difficult to pick out a favorite. The road from Xi'an to Pingliang in China, where I did my first 100km+ day. The whole way from Tblisi to Batumi across the beautiful mountains of Georgia. Maybe even the stunning coastal climbs on the cliff road from Joetsu to Toyama on the very first day. But the winner has to be the road from Sinop to Bartin in Turkey, which may just be the most challenging and beautiful tour cycling anywhere.

Worst Cycling (Scenery and General Mood)

The wind. The harrowing, soul destroying wind. And the worst wind was in the desert at the end of Gansu in China. It's flat and dry and cold, with 50kmph winds that whip unpredictably across the narrow road, throwing you into the giant lorries who are the only other passengers on the road. I'm so glad I caved and got on the train to Urumqi, I doubt I'd have made it on my own.

Best Road Conditions and Drivers

Here we have a tie. China surprisingly has the best roads for cycling on. The cities are newer, and designed with wide lanes on the side that only bicycles and scooters can use. The drivers, while extremely unpredictable, are used to having all kinds of craziness going on, so seem to be paying more attention. However, they NEVER look when merging, and I was constantly forced to stop for them despite me being on the main road and having right of way.

Turkey has the best roads so far, which I hope is a taste of how things will be in the rest of Europe. Well maintained at least on the major roads, almost always a big hard-shoulder, and clear traffic signals which almost everyone follows. However the drivers here hardly notice you're there, drive past way too close and way too fast.

Worst Road Conditions and Drivers

Basically every major city I've had the misfortune of cycling into has been an absolute nightmare. The road systems just don't take into account how a cyclist might be able to get around, especially in countries that don't have much of a cycling culture. Specifically the ride into Almaty in Kazakhstan, Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan, and Tashkent in Uzbekistan. I think Uzbekistan just about sneaks it, because not only did I almost die 3 times pulling into the city, but also the roads are an absolute mess outside of them. My arse will never be the same again.

Best Dogs

This could go to Georgia or Turkey. Both really take care of street dogs in the cities, to the point where the dogs in the center of Istanbul are all actually super chunky. They aren't TOO aggressive outside of it either. Georgia just sneaks it though cause of the dog that followed me for over 40km. I almost considered trying to take her the rest of the way with me.

Worst Dogs

In Azerbaijan they have these absolute units that guard the flocks of sheep. These things are trained killers, who just about lose their mind when they see a bicycle. Apparently they regularly take down wolves. As soon as you see a flock of sheep in Azerbaijan, even far in the distance, start sprinting as fast as you possibly can. Soon enough, 3 or 4 hell hounds in the throes of blood lust will come streaking across the field at you, spit flying from their open snapping jaws, and they'll keep chasing you for a good 2 kilometers just looking for a good opportunity to get your ankle in their mouth. I've definitely become more of a cat person on this trip.

Most Hospitable

This is so hard, because everyone has been so kind. There have been innumerable times when I've thrown myself upon the mercy of the universe this trip, with no idea how I'm gonna get out of the bind I'm in, and each time it's people, ordinary everyday people, who are there to catch me. People are good. Humanity is tender and giving. Give peace a chance, and all that jazz.

Japan, multiple people treat me to dinner and the onsen. China, there was hardly a day I didn't get free things. Kyrgyzstan, a family took me in when I had no where to stay. Georgia, every farmer and shop owner from Tbilisi to the border called me in for wine and cakes. Turkey, where I've had more free cups of tea from friendly passers by that cups I've bought, and more floors to sleep on than anywhere else. Even Uzbekistan where I was having a terrible time, a kind restaurant owner let me sleep the night.

The winner though is Kazakhstan. These people have very little and will give you everything they can with no questions asked. I slept in peoples homes. I ate for free. I even had a guy I met at a train station for no more than 30 minutes spend his whole evening arranging my transport to the Uzbek border through messenger, and stayed up to 1 am to make sure I arrived at my hotel ok.

Least Hospitable

Uzbekistan. I may have been a little harsh when I wrote about it last, and it just so happened I was in a low point with my mental state. Lots of other people have had a great time there, don't let my bad experience put you off.

Best All-Rounder

This is the big one. It's gotta be Turkey. The food. The cycling. The people. The culture. It's got it all. If you go tour cycling in one place ever in Asia, Turkey is the place to do it. However, each country I go to feels like the best I've been to. China was probably the wildest experience, it just feels so long ago it's already turned into a set of stories I tell, losing that excitement I feel every day of riding from A to B, discovering hidden depths of the culture, and meeting brilliant people.

Miscellaneous Awards

Most Macabre Experience

I'm powering through the rain in Turkey on the side of the motorway, when I notice a dead dog. There's a lot of dead dogs when they run free all over the place. As I get closer I realise there is another dog who has torn open the road-kill's stomach and gorging himself on his former pack-mate. As I pass, he looks up at me, muzzle covered in blood, before going back to his revolting dinner. The closest I've come to vomiting while cycling.

Best Tea

People drink a lot of tea in Asia. Like a lot. In Japan it has become the refined art of the tea ceremony. In China it's much more working class. Workmen put a bunch of tea leaves in a flask, and fill it up again and again with hot water, so that they're never without. In the "-stans" they drink it weak with milk and sugar. But by far the best is Turkey, with it's whole culture revolving around men sat about chatting in tea houses. You go through small villages in the middle of nowhere with one shop, and three tea houses, and all three are packed.

Best Coffee

If you like coffee, don't come to Asia. It's been a constant battle getting my preferred source of daily caffeine. It's basically just granulated nescafe all the way to Turkey. Even then, it's the Turkish coffees, which are delicious, but more like an espresso, with a thick coffee grounds sludge at the bottom. Honestly I haven't had a really good Americano other than in Baku, Azerbaijan, where the parents and I found an amazing coffee shop while shopping.

Most Helpful Police Officers

Definitely China. They're everywhere, and more like community wardens that will go out of there way to help you out. As long as you aren't in a hotel you aren't supposed to be.

Best Border Crossing and Visas

I showed up at a deserted border crossing station from Azerbaijan to Georgia. Didn't even have to unload my bike, was through in less than 30 minutes, and they took one look at my passport before giving me a stamp for a ONE YEAR visa, no questions asked. If I ever have to flee the UK for whatever reason, Georgia is clearly the place to go. Runner up goes to the Kazakh side of the China-Kazakhstan crossing, where after more than 3 hours of intense interrogation by the Chinese, the Kazakhs were overjoyed to have a tourist come through. Everyone was smiling and happy. It felt like I was a celebrity.

To Home

Since I arrived in Istanbul, a bunch of people have been saying oh wow you're basically home! Which is somewhat true, but I still have a little over 100 days of cycling and 4200km riding to do before I show up in Europe. I did a bit of route planning today and will stick it below for you to have a look at.

The posts won't be as exotic as the Asia ones, but if you guys will keep reading, I'll keep writing. Here's to the last three and a half months. Cya soon.