Bodrum to Kaş

October 30, 2022 to November 7, 2022

A short ferry from Kos to Bodrum signified the end of my journey in Europe and a brand-new country (and continent) Turkey! I was delighted to discover Turkish breakfast upon my arrival and after two portions and a new sim I was ready to hit the road.

After having not seriously ridden in a couple of weeks I was still very much in holiday mode and found it hard to get back into the flow of things. The scenery helped though and as soon as I left the city, pine forests dominated the landscapes, the traffic free shaded roads and the smell of pine made for very enjoyable riding.

I found as soon as I got into the countryside, people were incredibly friendly and often waved me by. I soon got invited for çay (Turkish tea) with a group by the road and even though it was difficult to communicate, the friendliness and generosity of the locals was evident.

The hope that cycling along the south coast would be a flat and easy route was a little naive with the minimum elevation gain most days being 1000m. There is no rush though and I am happy taking it slow and having regular stops to swim in the deep blue Mediterranean Sea.

In an effort to eat more locally I have switched my vast peanut butter consumption to tahini. Was pretty shocked when I noticed that I had consumed a whole jar (2000Kcal) over the course of a day (who's a fatty boy?). This in addition to the abundant local honey and endless calorie dense sweet treats such as baklava and heleva made the Turkish food experience a cyclist's dream. I later discovered kaymak too which is pretty much a mix between clotted cream and butter, it makes for a great 1000Kcal+ desert mixed with honey and fruit (how can you go wrong with 60% fat?).

Camped in Köyceğiz one night and enjoyed fresh fish and traditional Turkish music from a local band long into the evening. The energy was amazing and people were soon getting up and dancing (and making me join in).

With the intention of avoiding the main road as much as possible I Took a mountainous detour to my host Oguz whom I had met previously on the ferry to kos. Although it was a lot longer and more challenging, the route opened up many more opportunities for adventure and meeting people, I had loads of lovely experiences traveling through the mountain villages.

I took a nap in a quiet field not far from Oguz´ place and was awoken by a stampede of dopey goats eating everything in their way, including an attempt at my rucksack, I took this as a sign to move on. Waited for Oguz in İncirköy with a mouthwatering £1 Kofte with a very friendly dog.

I was warmly welcomed into Oguz´s place and introduced to his wife Cern and daughter Denize. Oguz was an incredible cook and prepared many delicious meals over my stay, including a mammoth feast every breakfast. He was also very helpful when I noticed I had some fat cracks in my rim and drove me around town to find me a replacement. Although I couldn’t find any decent rims in Fethiye I decided to get a temporary £10 rim to cycle to Antalya with before I could find a proper replacement.

Kate and Keiran whom I had met in Bulgaria were also staying near Fethiye and it was great catching up over pomegranate juice before their flight to Australia! After they left, I explored some fascinating ancient tombs built into the rockfaces by the Lycians.

We were invited to a meal with Oguz´s scuba diving friends and on the drive there I took the play fighting too far when I squirted water down Deniz's neck when she was biting my finger (I think she still hasn’t forgiven me). The meal of freshly caught fish cooked up by Mustafa on the BBQ was heavenly though.

The final day with the family was enjoyed at the beach out of town and whilst my bike was loaded on the roof, I was offered a 300m head start up the 1100m pass which I was very grateful of. The climb still took a couple of hours but I was rewarded with a meal and a fantastic view on the other side. Most of the night I was kept awake by a large thunderstorm, apart from a few momentary breaks in-between the deafening crashes.

Slept in late once the storm died down and came back to the restaurant for çay and Turkish breakfast. Chatted to a Belgian man hiking the Lycian way, I want to come back here to hike one day as the scenery is other worldly.

Met some other bike travelers for the first time in a while, Pierre and Solen from France. They were returning home after a 10-month trip to Iran and had some great advice for me traveling eastwards. Also met a lovely woman called Hande along the coastline who offered me tea and food from her car. She was also traveling/camping but had a car load of luxuries I wish I could carry. She also told me I would be able to stay with her cousin in Kayseri if I ever pass that way!

Arrived into Kas after dark so ate some delicious fast food in the center and walked out to find a spot to camp. I walked past an ancient ruin built by the Lycians 1500 years, a perfect spot out the way to sleep. Was very surprised to see a man sitting on a rock inside, turning this quarter into his temporary office cubicle. Feeling a little awkward and confused I spoke to him and found out he was editing a video for his scuba diving business. Sec lives on a boat most the time but enjoys working in the ruin also, seems we both have an eye for finding good spots. We spoke for a while but he soon had to rush off to catch a bus to Istanbul.

Woken by the call to prayer once again, had big intentions for the day after packing up early out the ancient ruin. Headed straight to the next ruin, the 700-year-old, 4000 seat amphitheatre. As I was leaving, people were setting up for a yoga class so I thought I'd join in. Was a long class but my body thanked me for it. Was even offered a job looking after somebodies' cat on a boat during January, very tempting... Ate breakfast with Peter the instructor and later caught up over the phone with Leon and Teresa whom I met in Czechia.

Finally got going in the afternoon sun up the brutal 20%+ hill, covering 200m in just over 1km, then another 600m on top of that. Felt great cycling though the villages on the small roads, everyone greets me as I ride past. Wish I knew more Turkish to have conversations with them.

Found yet another Lycian ruin to camp near and cooked rice and beans over a fire under the full moon again. Felt like Bill Oddie later in the evening spying on the pack of huge hogs surrounding my tent. Even saw a hedgehog!

Today's ride: 300 km (186 miles)
Total: 7,045 km (4,375 miles)

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