to Kesan: pedaling downhill......

June 1, 2015

"I think I'm hallucinating... I thought that sign was for Burger King" says Rachel and Patrick replies, "me too". The past 30 kms from the Turkish border into Kesan has been what Rachel calls a 4-H ride, hills, headwind, hot (though the wind helped in that way from being really hot) and "hellish" (because of the first three).

You know, those rolling hills where under the right conditions there is enough momentum to get up the next hill. But today, we have to pedal to go downhill because of the wind. We get closer to the sign...and it is Burger King!

The ride to the border was good and we make good time. This border crossing is the first time we have needed a visa. We have a printed copy, but these days everything is electronic. We pass through Greece Immigration and Customs, then on to a bridge that crosses the Maritsa River. There are armed military and we ask if we can take a picture of the Greek and Turkey flags, then continue on to the next sign indicating we are in Turkey. There are also armed military on this side of the bridge. We ask to take a picture and one of the guards takes our picture. As we cycle past the border, there is a line of trucks waiting to get into Greece that must have been 4-5 kms long.

We enter Kesan and climb up to the city center. We are looking for Campus 22 guesthouse the British cyclists had told us about. There is chaos in the streets with traffic, we get close to where we think the guesthouse is located. While we are stopped, men outside a shop ask to help us. They figure out we are still a few blocks away. We reach the guesthouse, Patrick checks us in, our bikes are stored in a garage and the owner helps us carry our gear up then Patrick goes out for Cokes and snacks. The room is very basic, but clean and with a shared bathroom. There is knock on the door, two girls with towels, ask where are you from, when Rachel says American, they give a thumbs up.

First impression of Turkey, people in western Turkey are very friendly, helpful and still like Americans. We hear the call to prayer from the mosque, some women wear headscarves, most don't, we walk around town and have our first Turkish meal...donner kebab.

Check out the yellow warning sign for bicyclists on the opposite side of the road.Leaving Alexandroupoli.

Landscape with Mediterranean on the horizon.

We actually turned right here.... The sign wants to send you to the new interstate to the border, old route 2 goes right and cuts off a corner.

One more Greek village with an orthodox church on the horizon.

On the bridge in no-mans land that separates Greece and Turkey. There are armed soldiers from both sides on the bridge, but as one Turkish soldier reassures me: "there hasn't been any trouble for forty years".

Country #11. A Turkish soldier took this photo for us.

We are welcomed by a stiff easterly wind. Of course we have to ride due east today to get to Kesan.....

Long rolling hills. We have to pedal to go downhill....

We both notice this sign way in the distance. As we draw closer it becomes clear: Kesan is home to the Whopper! We pass on this opportunity today though.

People in Turkey are very friendly. Here a bunch of guys helps us locate the guesthouse we were told about by the English cyclist. A warmshowers host in Kesan gave us the address but we still had some trouble locating it.

Today's ride: 85 km (53 miles)
Total: 3,392 km (2,106 miles)

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