Turkey

May 11

Alexandroupoli – sick day

Our side trip to Istanbul lasted 5 days instead of 4 and we returned sick. I started feeling ill at the train station in Istanbul, but on reflection believe that I was already ill the night before. I barfed out my dinner after getting back to the hostel and then felt better, so thought I was OK, just a little stomach upset from the food. I began feeling ill while waiting for the train in Istanbul, I was feeling very sick by the time we got to the border and a several hour wait for the next train, and extremely sick by the time we got back to Alexandroupoli. The night was dreadful, throwing up, diarrhea, body ache.

May 12

Alexandroupoli – sick day

No way I can cycle today, can't eat, Joshua nurses me with soup and fruit juice. At least we're in a comfortable hotel and the theatre across the street has a movie we haven't seen, Spiderman, in English, just the ticket for a cyclist hungry for movies.

May 13

Alexandroupoli – sick day

I'm feeling better but now Joshua is down. He has a horrible day, spewing from both ends. In the morning I'm just barely strong enough to go out for soup and juice but by the afternoon I'm feeling well enough to go to the movie myself. We still don't understand what happened to us, it felt like food poisoning, acted like it was contagious.

May 14

Kesan - 3773 Km, Avg = 16.4, Cycle time = 4 hrs, 42 mn

We finally left Alexandroupoli today, weak and tired from out bout with illness, we headed on to Turkey. We left about 8 am at a slow pace into a bitterly cold north wind. As we headed out of town the wind was blowing from the side but the road slowly turns more northerly, into the wind. So, the first forty Km were pretty hard, especially on Joshua. For the only day of the trip, I was the stronger cyclist today. At Ardani the highway turned on to a new east-west freeway we used for the last 8 Km to the border. Almost nobody was going to the border this morning; only one car passed us, so it was like having a three-lane bike path.

The border crossing was no problem. We were a little apprehensive about crossing this border because of the historical tension between Greece and Turkey. At least for now, this tensions seems more in the past than in the present. After tentative questions we discovered the guards would not object to some snapshots on the border. Our visas from the trip to Istanbul allowed multiple entries and the border police showed no interest in checking our equipment. Well, they did show lots of interest in RoadBoy. Quite a crowd gathered around to examine the bike and in broken English asked the usual questions: how fast, how much, what about hills, how do you start, then waited to see me start.

With the wind coming from our side/rear, we made better time to Kesan. Along the way the Turkish people cheered and waved at us in the friendliest manner. Not since French speaking Belgium have so many people cheered and waved at RoadBoy as I passed by. Kesan seems a nice place, if a bit run down. The people have been incredibly helpful and friendly. Twice, when we asked directions, someone has actually taken us to our desired location. But, we both feel more odd, more the focus of attention than any other place we have traveled. Today, while walking around, we attracted a small group of young children laughing, pointing at us, and reacting hysterically as they induced us to repeat the few English words they knew. The military has a big presence in this area, no doubt to defend against the Greeks.

May 15

Gelibolu - 3840 Km, Avg = 18 km/hr, Cycle time = 3 hrs, 44 mn

Up early, eat breakfast, ready for an early start to beat the heat, I go down to my bike and find that someone has broken off the front gearshift lever. They neatly put the pieces on my bicycle seat but didn't own up to the damage. The bicycle was chained up in the parking area of the hotel, which was gated to the public. We had been assured it was safe by the hotel staff. But, many trucks and such were in the parking lot this morning so quite a few hotel guests had access to the bike. It seems that RoadBoy creates such interest here in Turkey that someone couldn't resist trying all the levers, the one most available was the weakest and it broke. I had noticed earlier in the day, a tendency of people where we stopped to touch the bike, I'm sure if I were not present they would have tried levers and such. In the future I will have to be more careful about how I store RoadBoy for the night. I may even have to start putting RoadBoy in his bag for the night.

This gear shifter had been trying to break for some time now and I had ordered a replacement, brought to me in Greece by Al. Fortunately it didn't take long to replace the shifter so we still got on the road by about 9am. A short climb out of town and then down into a shallow river valley led us to the first challenging climb in Turkey. Not so bad, maybe 5 Km long but rather steep in spots. The road passes through thick pine forests that have almost no brush underneath, creating a lovely park like setting. It was quite wild looking but the rolling hills made it seem easily accessible. In a few places people had crops growing in meadows. From the top we had a rather long downhill ride to the delta for the Kavak River. The delta is quite flat and intensely farmed. Still we saw the odd stork searching for food and even a fox running across the road. At Kavak we turned more southwesterly, heading down the Gallipoli peninsula. Rolling hills, we climbed up and down until a short steep ascent about 10 km from Gelibolu. From the top it was almost all downhill to Gelibolu. This tourist town has more appeal than Kesan. It has a larger military base but once past that we found a lovely little bay, waterfront restaurants, and a lively downtown area. We found lodging in the Hotel Yilmas for on 22,000,000 Lira ($16) for two. The town attracts many Australian tourists who want to visit the battlefields nearby. Australians of all ages come to ponder the sacrifices of their grandfathers in World War I in a badly executed attack on the Ottoman Empire, here on the Gallipoli peninsula.

May 16

Troy - 3916 Km, Avg = 19.0 km/hr, Cycle time = 4 hrs

We had the free breakfast at 7:30am, leaving town about 8:30am on the road south to Eceabat. The wind was already blowing stiffly out of the north so we made very good time on the flat slightly rolling terrain. We got to Eceabat just in time for the 11am ferry across to Canakkale. In Canakkale we stopped at a restaurant for lunch when a man named Sammy approached us, speaking good English, and asked if we would pose for pictures in the local TV and newspaper. We agreed and so after lunch his friend came over and took pictures of Joshua and myself as we got on our bikes and cycled out of town. Both Sammy and the photographer were intrigued by RoadBoy, neither having ever seen a recumbent bike. After Canakkale the hills got bigger, steeper, and more frequent. Also, as the road headed away from the water the temperature increased, making for some pretty sweaty climbing in the hot sun. Finally, about 2:30pm we found the turnoff for Troy and headed on down to this famous city. We stopped at the first restaurant we found, and nice new looking place with an inviting shaded patio, where we downed some cold drinks. While chatting with the owners, who weren't busy while waiting for the tourist season to start, we found out they had a small camping area in back. So, we set up for our first camp in Turkey.

The ruins are quite interesting. The printed guide signs with pictures of each Troy, built and rebuilt over the centuries, make for an informative site. Most interesting to me were the walls of Troy VI, thought to be the Troy of King Priam and the Trojan War. The valley below is much bigger than it was then, having silted up over the centuries pushing the Med further away. We read that Troy became rich hosting ship crews waiting for the “rare” south wind to push them up to the Dardanelles. “Rare” wind you say, what nice news for cyclists headed south.

The unknown valley calls me,
Asking foot to follow foot.
When I can no longer answer,
I hope to hear the call no more.

May 17

Assos - 3985 Km, Avg = 14.1 km/hr, Cycle time = 4 hrs, 50 mn

We got up at 6:30 am and on the road by 7:30 am. It was cold and windless as we started. Working our way back to the highway wasn't as fun as going down but not bad. From the highway we headed south to Ezine where we stopped for breakfast. Not much to choose from as it was too early for lunch. We did find an Internet place with the assistance of some local cops. It wasn't open yet but they found the owner and got us in anyway. I've never seen such helpful friendly people.

From Ezine the terrain gets steeper and more rugged. Sometimes the road climbs very steeply. It isn't hot but we sweat profusely on the uphill. At Ayvacik we stopped for a soft drink at a street bazaar. We seemed to be one of the more interesting things to have arrived in some time. I saw several women wearing very traditional looking clothes, with attractive headgear, like a turban. The road from Ayvacik to Assos has a terrible surface, consisting of large gravel stuck to the surface. The road also climbs and falls very steeply, I had to walk once. It's hard work in the hot sun.

Assos has some nice ruins of an old Greek city. The temple especially has a spectacular site with a stunning view of the ocean and the Lesvos Island. The ruins are quite nice, hidden away here in this quiet corner of the Agean coast. It appears some tourist busses stop but few say. Assos has no hotels, just a few pensions. We stayed in the very nice Pension Dolunay, hand built by the owner, who doubles as a stone mason. During the evening we met a Canadian cyclists staying in the same pension, she is traveling light and going only a few kilometers a day. We had a nice dinner with her and an American couple, Deb and Greg, who work in Saudi Arabia for the oil company. Deb and Greg have a real talent to story telling, they kept us laughing all night. The fish is good here.

May 18

Edremet - 4042 Km, Avg 15.7, Cycle time = 3 hrs, 36 mn

We didn't leave until about 9 am as we spent the morning talking with Deb, Greg, and Jennifer. Jennifer planned to head back the way we had come but we had read of a coast road that should avoid the difficult hills more inland. Along the way Jennifer decided to join us for a few days as we made our way to Bergama. Cycling along slowly, we ended up going only as far as Endremet. Jennifer seems happy to have some other people to cycle with, and we're happy to have some new company to liven up the conversation. She's lively and pleasant, and has learned considerably more Turkish than we know. I think she's inspired Joshua to learn more so he's spending more time with his dictionary.

It turns out that the road along the coast from Assos to Kucukkuyu about which we had read but that doesn't appear on any of our maps does exist. This road is much better than the access road we used yesterday, quite flat and cooled by ocean breezes. Almost no traffic made this a very pleasant morning ride. Once we got to the main coastal highway we found that the road was quite poor compared to what we had before turning off to Assos yesterday. The road surface is very bumpy, little or no shoulder, and lots of traffic. It is flat, following right along the coast. About 5 Km from Endremet we started to find passable frontage roads which at least got us away from the noisy smelly traffic. Jennifer cycles in a skirt in order to reduce unwanted attention from Turkish men. I suppose it works but it seems to me that for the first time on our trip RoadBoy doesn't attract much attention as cycle past. Poor RoadBoy, no longer the center of attention.

May 19

Ayvalik - 4088 Km, Avg = 15.4, Cycle time = 3 hrs, 2 mn

An easy day, we cycled with Jennifer in the morning arriving in Ayvalik about 11am. We went to a pansyon in an old stone house with lovely terrace gardens and cooling thick stonewalls. After a lunch and a nap we were all feeling better. I stayed to read while Jennifer and Sal headed for a scenic peninsula Jennifer was eager to see. Just about dark I was sitting in my room when another guest rushed up to tell me Joshua needed my help. Rushing down stairs I found Joshua and Jennifer getting out of a taxi. While returning from the bike ride, Jennifer had fallen and scraped herself up pretty badly. It took us until about midnight to get her patched up.

May 20

Rest day.

We stayed around to help Jennifer who is limping pretty badly. It doesn't look like she'll ride again on this trip to Turkey. Lounging around at the Pension was very pleasant. It's not usually my taste to lounge around but this is just so pleasant it's hard to resist. We had breakfast out on the terrace, slowly eating bread, jam, cheese, olives, fruit, and a soft boiled eggs. We lounged around on a divan, under the shade of a lattice covering for the terrace. Finally, it was time for lunch so Sal and I went out for food. Jennifer stays behind to spare her knee. She seems to be feeling better in the afternoon and should be able to move on, by bus, tomorrow. We've agreed to meet her in Bergama.

Later, after she returned to Canada and obtained medical care she found out that she had torn the ligaments in her knee quite badly, badly enough to require surgery and a long recovery period.

May 21

Bergama - 4160 Km, Avg = 19.7 km/hr, Cycle time = 3 hrs, 37 mn

We got up early but didn't get on the road until about 8 am. We headed out of town for the main highway to Izmir. The road surface is rough with a coarse gravel coating, which in turn is covered with larger bumps and semi-repaired potholes. The road passes through virtually flat land with only the occasional shallow hill to slow the pace. Just outside of Bergama we stopped by the road to check the map and were called over to a shade tree by some Turkish men escaping the heat. We couldn't chat but enjoyed the shade and a few snacks.

Arriving in Bergama we found the main road into town dusty with road construction. Hot in the noonday sun, we finally sweated our way through the outskirts of Bergama into the old town and the Athena Pansyon where we found Jennifer. She was doing well, having arrived by bus some hours before. The Pansyon is located in an old mansion, it's two stories with an enclosed patio where we can eat and talk with other travelers. It has the comfortable feeling that we've come to expect in the Turkish Pansyons.

Later in the afternoon we followed instructions to a hole in the fence through which we could hike up to the Pergamum acropolis above. What a way to see the ruins, approaching the summit along the old road, much of the pavement stones still intact, past old buildings, city walls, and enjoying the magnificent view of the valley floor. We could easily let ourselves dream of life in the fourth century BC. Unfortunately, Jennifer hurt her knee again while walking to the ruins.

May 22

Rest day.

Jennifer's knee is no better this morning and we don't feel good about leaving her on her own. The pansyon Athena is a nice little place with a congenial cast of characters but we don't mind taking another rest day. Near the pansyon they have a fish restaurant with a big platter of fried fish for about $1.00. The pansyons in Turkey are way too comfortable, they keep tempting us to stay. The thick walls and terrace gardens seem designed for whiling away the day, talking, reading, eating.

May 23

Izmir - 4265 Km, Avg = 22 km/hr, Cycle time = 4 hrs, 48 mn

Up about 5:15am with first call to prayer, we packed and said our goodbyes to Jennifer, getting on the road about 6:30am. Jennifer planned to stay in Bergama a few days, and then go to Izmir with a couple we met at the pansyon, Jason and Jill. From Izmir she can catch a ferry to Istanbul. A few shops were already open so we bought some tarts and rolls. It looks like the shops open about 6 am or earlier. The wind was blowing hard out of the north so once we got out of town we made very good time.

From Bergama to Aliaga we had the typical Turkish highway, rough surface, no shoulder, repaired potholes overlapping each other. At Aliaga the road changes to four lanes with a right edge impossibly bumpy. We took over the right wheel channel created by the truck traffic, which turned out to be very smooth and nice. The traffic didn't seem to mind and because we were out in the lane they didn't try to squeeze by. The truck traffic creates two channels in the pavement, depressions in the asphalt where the tire rolls. By riding in the right hand channel we partially blocked the lane, preventing drivers from attempting to squeeze by. It was safer for us and they didn't seem to mind since they had another lane to use.

About Menemen the urban development began, soon we were riding in thick traffic and choking clouds of diesel fumes. The 20 km of highway north of Izmir provides some very unpleasant riding on busy roads. As we approached Izmir the highway became a full freeway that more than once led us onto other busy highways form the left, merging across up to three lanes of traffic to reach the shoulder. Sometimes we had to cross two or three lanes of traffic to stay on the main route and not exit. Finally, after getting off and asking directions we found our way into the downtown where we stopped to look at the guidebook and try to find a hotel. As we were looking at the guidebook a couple policemen came up with maps and other tourist guides to Izmir. Only in Turkey have the people been so helpful. After asking directions a couple times we found Otel Mikmet down a wonderful little covered road. The entire road has a vine covering providing a shaded walkway for pedestrians and occasional cars.

May 24

Selcuk - 4343 Km, Avg = 22.7 Km, Cycle time = 3 hrs, 23 mn

Up at 5:15am and out the door at 6 am we found a bakery for breakfast and tea. So, we actually got on the road about 6:30am. Leaving Izmir presents about the same difficulties as getting in. We headed for the main four-lane highway near the Basmane station; it's limited access but not busy this early in the morning and it seems to allow bicycles.

Pedaling along we came across someone with a cart selling boiled eggs, so we stopped for some more fuel. The next 15 km consisted of moderate traffic and the usual irritants of heavy truck traffic with their noise and smelly fumes.

As we headed south on the 550 we crossed a true freeway that didn't allow bicycles, about Gaziemir. We kept to the 550, which remained busy until we crossed the freeway again. From that point the traffic declined but the road remains four lanes, no shoulder. This four-lane road passes over a set of shallow hills and then ends at Torbali where we found well marked roads heading to Selcuk. The road has the by now familiar rough gravel surface and patched potholes, with a narrow mostly unusable shoulder. But, the drivers show the usual courtesy and for the most part give us a wide space.

Another set of low hills with occasional sharp climbs brought us to the outskirts of Selcuk. We made very good time today. When we left the urbanized area around Izmir we had been averaging only 17.5 km/hr. By the city limit of Selcuk we had raised the average to 23.4 km/hr. Later, after walking around Selcuk a little the average dropped to 22.7 km/hr. Arriving in Selcuk we easily found the tourist office. The ubiquitous carpet hawkers enticed us to their shop with the promise of free Internet access. Joshua checked for messages from Jennifer while I watched the bikes. Eventually the carpet dealer realized that we simply would not leave our bikes out on the sidewalk while we went inside his shop to drink tea and look at carpets. So, he had to settle for a promise that we would come back. He did take us to a nice Pansyon with a laid back landlady and nice clean rooms. I wonder what commission he got but the price was the usual 10 million each. Selcuk has many tourists coming to see Ephesus; many stay overnight. Still, it's nice here and we'll enjoy the tourist restaurants and frequent ease of speaking English to most people. The ruins at Ephesus are spectacular. It's unusual to find such a large relatively intact Roman city with so much of what was part of the regular civic life still available. Not since Pompei have I seen such a well preserved ruin, so complete.

May 25

Selcuk - rest day

Joshua is going to Izmir to meet Jennifer and bring her here. Jason and Jill, who we had met at the Pansyon Athena in Bergama, had promised to take her to Selcuk by yesterday, but as it turns out they didn't really want to do that. So, Jennifer had stayed in Bergama. In fact, the manager of the Pansyon Athena had pressured her to stay today, trying to make her feel like she wasn't appreciative of the help he had given. Maybe it's his way to make sure she feels welcome to stay, who knows.

Selcuk is having a fair today. The town square is filled with vegetable and fruit stands selling the best looking food. I think we're all wishing we had a kitchen and time to spend cooking something fresh. Many of the shops also bring their merchandise out on the street. Jennifer can't walk so Joshua carries her around, looking at the shops and the people. I think the Turkish people seem to have just as much fun watching Sal carry Jennifer around. We passed a streetside hardware vendor selling hand tools and other odds and ends. Joshua found a couple axe heads he liked and with my encouragement decided to buy and carry them. Now, if I could just get him to buy the anvil I might be able to keep up with him on the hills.


May 26

Rest day.

We took Jennifer to Simmer and the ferry to Istanbul. She's unable to walk but I think she can get a taxi in Istanbul to a hotel, and then another taxi to the airport the next day. We took the dolmus back the way we had cycled. The dolmus certainly is faster and with air-conditioning much more comfortable. Several times now Jennifer has travelled around by dolmus with her bicycle. These busses are smaller and wouldn't accommodate a large group of cyclists, but I think that two cyclists could pretty much depend on using dolmus when they didn't want to pedal.

May 27

near Akkoy - 4437 Km, Avg = 17.1 km/hr, Cycle time = 5 hrs, 29 mn

We left about 6:15 am today headed for Ortakier, Soke, and Priene. The road climbs steeply out of Selcuk, up over a pass and down the other side into the large valley of the Buyukmenderes River. Prienne looks interesting but you can't see much of it from the highway. We didn't want to use the cool hours of the morning dallying at Prienne so after a short snack we continued south toward Heletus. About 20 km of flat mostly straight roads brought us to the famous crumblies. The theater was superb, and the old bathhouse huge. It was interesting to see the old harbor, now silted up and so far away from the coast.

We had lunch near the ruins. The parking lot in front of the old theatre has 6 or 7 outdoor restaurants, all but one appears to be closed. The older lady proprietess of a semi-closed shop was willing to make us a sandwich and sell us some cold soft drinks. Lunch and a short snooze later, we started checking on lodging only to find that no lodging exists in the immediate area. We cycled through Balat and on to Akkoy where we asked for lodging. The kiosk operator spoke some English and was able to point us toward Dydma where 6 Km later we found a characterless beach side hotel and restaurant. I believe we are the only guests.

The coast along here is very beautiful, lightly developed with nice views of the off shore islands. We cycled today along lonely roads, with just the occasional bus and tractor to compete for our space. The road surface is the common rough gravel texture with bumps, no shoulder, but with little traffic we mostly rode abreast of each other, talking and sweating in the humid air. Nearing the end our trip, we're both in a quiet reflective mood, perfect for lingering over a slow dinner in an almost empty hotel, enjoying the sun settling on the Agean Sea.

May 28

Milas - 4506 Km, Avg = 16.6 km/hr, Cycle time = 4 hrs, 11 mn

Left about 6am, riding the 6 km into Akkoy as the sun rose above the horizon. I went ahead while Joshua finished packing only to face the largest pack of dogs I've seen yet. Four good-sized dogs raised the alarm as I approached and began to form a welcoming committee. I stopped to pick up some stones and headed on toward the reception. I threw and missed the first dog but he clearly knew what the rock thing is about because he yelped without even being hit. This made the other dogs a little more shy so they waited till I passed and then gave chase. As I rolled on down the road with my raucous parade one dog came up menacingly on my side, looking as if he might make a grab for my hand. A rock in the face made him think better of his plan and decided to rejoin the pack at my rear.

At Akkoy we stopped for boiled eggs, sesame donuts, and juice. The widespread availability of boiled eggs in Turkey provides the hungry cyclists with a good start in the morning. Better than the usual continental breakfast available elsewhere except France. France, home of the quiche, still holds a special place in our hearts. We expected a hard day with the hills but the first part into the Bafa Lake area was fairly easy. Along the lake the road goes up and down steeply right along the waters edge. Just before Camici we climbed a small pass and started down a long gradual descending road toward Selmiya. Just past Selmiya we came across the ruins for Euromos, a short 100 meters off the road. We didn't stop to see the entire site, settling for some pictures of the temple to Zeus. Back along the main highway we continued with our gradual descent on a bumpy rocky surface. It was actually nice cycling despite the road surface; with a light wind at our back and a slight downhill grade we were making excellent time.

Just before Milas we had to climb over a steep little hill, from which we descended into the town. The center of Milas is a tangle of narrow winding streets, unlike most of the towns we have seen in Turkey. The map in our guidebook didn't help but with some assistance from friendly townspeople we made our way to the center and found a hotel. It turns out that Tuesday is market day so the streets were crowded, with locals and tourists. Every Tuesday a good number of tourists come from Bodrum to Milas for the market. By night they had all gone and we had the town to ourselves. I did see a family pull into town on bicycles but couldn't get out to them in time before they were gone. The father had a kid in a trailer and the mom had a youngster on a tandem attachment to the rear of her bike. Seeing them in the hot sun at 3pm, I was glad we had the freedom to get up early and get off the bikes by about noon.

May 29

Bodrum - 4559 Km, Avg = 17.2 km/hr, Cycle time = 3 hrs, 4 mn

Our last day of cycling, we got up at 5 with the first call to prayer and started out about 6 am. The streets were quiet as we pedaled toward the highway for Bodrum. We have only 50 km today but in fairly mountainous terrain. Were quiet today, none of the usual conversation and laughter, I think we are both a bit melancholy about the end of our trip. I'm feeling excited to be meeting my wife and generally pretty tired of cycling. Yet, if given the time I could keep going. I could keep up this pace indefinitely and I love the feeling of being on the road with time to spare and unknown adventures ahead.

The highway from Milas to the airport, maybe 30 km from Bodrum had the usual road surface, but from the airport to Bodrum the road improved dramatically. We had four lanes with a wide shoulder. Most of the way the road surface was smooth and even. The traffic maintained a steady but not oppressive flow. Finally, climbing over the last pass we could see Bodrum below. With a slightly heavy heart, I cycled on down, stopped at the tourist office for a map and the local cafe for a drink, then found a nice little pansyon.

Bodrum is overrun with tourists, throngs, crowds, in lines, milling around, buying, eating, drinking, and waddling their way around the town. We haven't seen anything like it in our whole trip. Spain and the rest have this type of resort but we didn't see them during their high season. Istanbul was too big for the tourism to make such an overwhelming impression. Even Selcuk was just a little too far off the beaten track.

We found that the ferry goes daily to Kos and from there we can take a daily ferry to Athens. So, by the morning of May 31 we should be in Athens, ready to become one of the thronging tourists that invade Greece every year.

May 30

Ferry riding to Athens.

May 31

Athens

Arrived in Athens early in the morning, we checked into a small hotel in Pireus. After some breakfast we started in on our chores: find a place to store RoadBoy and Shirley (Joshua's bike) for the next month and find alternative lodging for tonight. We called the airport and found that we could store the bikes at the baggage check service, so we only needed to figure out how to get the bikes to the airport? I knew from last summer that riding to the airport would be an all day affair thru dense traffic. We decided to call a taxi in the morning and see what happens. In the morning the taxi drivers decided they couldn't take the bikes in their cars. The desk clerk, seeing our predicament, checked with a friend who had a truck, but at first he wanted more than we would pay. We resolved to ride the bikes. Getting ourselves loaded and psyched up for the ride, the truck driver changed his mind and came down to our price. When we got to the airport it turned out that the baggage check didn't want to accept our bikes. I couldn't believe it. I decided I just wouldn't take no for an answer. We had gone to some expense to get our bikes to the airport and we had no other place to take the bikes. Well, some angry words later, about how we called, how we've come all the way from Athens, how we must leave the bikes there, the clerk finally relented and decided to accept our bikes. I'm guessing other people should make other plans.

Back to Athens, we got some beds in a hostel near the acropolis, went out for a last dinner, and generally felt a little blue about the end of the adventure. The end of one adventure, it was time to start planning another. Next year, the Great Divide.