After 15,000 kms,
12 countries and lots of amazing memories we left the African continent and
made our way from Port Said, Egypt to Turkey by Russian cargo ship with about
50 Turkish truckies. We spent 2 days running around Port Said dealing with
inefficient shipping agents and customs ”fixers” who looked like sleezy
Egyptian Mafia equivalents and were well paid with backsheesh! We arrived in
Mersin 40 hours later after a rather hot, uncomfortable journey and spent 5
hours sorting customs and immigration only to find that we were unable to enter
the country as we did not have a visa. Fortunately our European passports saved
the day!
We then made our
way to central Turkey to magic Capadoccia in Central Anatolia with its surreal
fairy chimneys, columns, pyramids and mushroom shaped rocks, residences and
churches carved out of the sandstone rocks and caves and valleys with plateaus
of white, pink, yellow striped rocks. A beautiful ride along the winding Turkish
Mediterranean and Aegean coast with a couple of stops at roman ruins such as
Apollo and Olympus. Overnight stay at Side at the Beach House Hotel with
delightful hostess Penny from Tasmania. Then to Izmir where we had the bike
serviced and on to historic Istanbul to see the Blue Mosque, Aya Sofya church,
Topaki palace and the colourful Grand Bazaar.
Took ferry to Greek
islands of Kos and then Santorini, a stunning island of white houses perched on
the edge of a caldera of a volcano. Then on to Athens to visit the amazing Acropolis-
in contrast to the islands so few tourists in Athens. We rode through northern
Greece and stopped to see the sights of Meteoroa- monasteries built on the edge
of pinnacles of huge grey rocks in the hillsides. Food was fantastic in Greece!
Stayed in Olomouc,
Czech Republic with old friends following a quick trip through Macedonia,
Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia and Hungary and a delightful short stay in Neudorfl,
Austria with family. Had pannier fixed by Zdenek at www.begr.cz an extremely
helpful guy who went out of his way to help us.
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| Egyptian mafia finally get the carnets stamped |
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| Stunning Cappadocia |
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| Side beach, Turkey |
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| Apollo and still standing |
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| Riding into Marmaris Turkey |
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| Johannes shopping???? at Grand Bazaar, Istanbul |
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| Inside the Harem, Istanbul |
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| Fat version of Ataturk |
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| On the way to Greek Islands |
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| Traffic control |
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| future Touratech riding gear? |
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| It doesn't get better than Santorini, Greece |
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| Bears in Greece?? |
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| Rural Romania |
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| Sophia real estate, appealing? |
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| Work liberates, Bulgaria |
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| Romanians love red and silver |
