Still in Europe but...

Hi from Vize, Turkey.

Last post was from Bulgaria. I did not realize back there that people were kind of reserved there...

Let me tell all about the way between Varna and my nice hosts, and here and my other nice hosts !

Leaving Varna on a mid sunny, mid couldy day, i stared to ride. Big hill out of the city (no hookers as Sophie had warned me...), on a motorway. Then hilly again, then back close to the coast near Kamcija, then hilly again... and the night was comming, and i had to stop in a forest on an up hill after Banja, after i found a flat place without trees but lots of marks of animals, and just stated that they would not come and annoy me, as anyway i would use my ear plugs and would not hear them!

Next day, November the 18th, i saw part of the sandy coast not so alive around Obzor and its hotels and discos, then visited Nesebar and talked to these Australian guys travelling with a van bought in Britain. In the afternoon i arrived in Pomorie and met Martin with whom I staid until saterday the 20th.
A few days living in a beach town, but this one was quite alive. Or alive because i was with a guy who knew where to go and when! Martin was DJing one evening, then next day we went for a walk around to the salt museum (they have some lakes used to make salt from the salted water of the sea), and watched some videos on the PC. Next days i went to the tomb of the Thraces, walked along the beach, and came back in the evening. Then we went to a pub again, playing table soccer and listening to rock'n'roll...

Saterday i ledt Pomorie to go to Burgas. 20km, sunny and warm weather, around 20 Celcius too. Once there, and once i saw where the train station was as i had a meeting there later in the day, i lied down on the beack and nearly swam into it. I just put the feet into the black sea. Medusa around made me forget about swimming !

Around 4pm i met Anja and Dave, Duch guys living in Bulgaria since April and starting a new life there.
On the 1 hour car way to their place (i dit put my bike on ther car!) we talked about me and general stuff, but not too much about their project in Bulgaria as i had to test their web site... which I did later in Kondelovo, and which made them think about getting back to work on the web site before releasing it for the www.

Next day, on sunday the 22nd, we had another warm day and went for a walk in Strandja national park, then back in Kondolovo i could buy oak honney and local rakia. We spent the evening around crepes and talks about eco tourism and sustainable life and lots of other things, and even watched a Black Books episode ! lol.

On Monday i left around 10 am and slowly went to Malko Turnovo. Slowly as the way and weather were just to be enjoyed (I stopped on a Thace site along for instance), but also because the road was soooooo baaaaaaaaaaaaaad! One of my panniers got hurt actuelly and one mission once in MT, after finding the cheep hostel Anja had recommended me, was to find a scew able to solve my paniers' illness.
As i am an expert with finding cheep hostels (around 6.5 E) when noone speeks English and when everyone shake the head the Bulgarian way, and as i am an expert with finding scews in shops that look like anything but a scew shop, everything went fine! I could even visit the main church and find an wireless access there to check my mails!

Tusday stared with a mission : spend my Lev... which happened to be fine for a good breakfast and some biscuits for the way.

I then went up hill to the border, could not visit the Thace sanctuary which is just less than 1km from the border as it seems like you need a special permit to go there, and stared to show my passport around. Maybe 5 times. To I don't know who... Then i finally arrived to a sign saying i had to go inside a building for registration to the Turkish Police, which i did. Once stamped i went to the customs desk and checked that my bike did not need registration. Then i started to ride and saw the difference ! Good road out there in Turkey !
Even if the road is good, i got my second flat tire in 7 month. Back wheel. A huge metal screw went through the tire and inner tube in 2 places... so i just removed it, changed the inner tube, kind of repaired the tire with a tissue and some glue, then but the tire back in p[lace but the wrong way... and forgot to put one part to protect the speeds, but i was too tired to change this when i realized it!

Just as i was going to hit the road after eating (once i realized i had put the tire back in place the wong way!), a cyclist arrived ! Mark, from Australia and Scotland. We then cycled together to Kirklareli where Selcuk was waiting for me, and finally arranged a visit of the city and accomodation for the two of us ! As we entered the town, people started to wave at us, talk to us, nearly stop us... just amaizingly different from Bulgaria where people would hardly respond to a 'Dobre Dan' !

Then yesterday wednesday, i had my 1st day cycling in Turkey on some busy roads. Trucks and cars using their horns, people comming to talk to me in the villages when i stop to look at my map or buy bread, children waving and saying 'hello, what's your name, where do you come from?' all the time.
When the evening arrived i stopped in a field close to a ciment factory and enjoyed the cold evening between the calls of 2 mosques in 2 different villages nearby. Some recals from a trip in Morocco in the mountains some years ago, sleaping in an un heated house. Recals of Bosnia and camping with Franou more recently.

Today I only had around 20 km to ride to arrive in Vize, so i waited for my tent to dry, i prepaired a coffee and fixed a few things on my bike, and slowly reached the town.
Some school girls in uniform (everyone wears it here until university) came by and one intended to speak the usual sentences, but pulling one of her friends by the arm as she did not want to be alone near me i suppose, as i was checking my e mails and my meeting point with Ufuk. At this point another guy came and started to speak good english to me, saying he could help me visit the town and host me as he was on some hosting networks ; Turgay he was. He took me to some internet cafes he and his father own, offered me coffee and peanuts, even called Ufuk to say i would be at some place for the meeting... just helpful and friendly people around !
Later in the afternoon with Ufuk we went around town to the ruins of the castle and of the amphitheatre, then back home to talk, eat, and now write on the blog...

End of the article !

For pictures check :

Tulcea to Constanta.

And Constanta to Burgas.