Hello and welcome to another issue of BIKING ACROSS EURASIA. This week I pedaled from Kavala, Greece to Istanbul, Turkey. A lot of contrast in one short stretch. Christian to Muslim, Euro to Turkish Lira, souvlaki to börek. Let me fill you in.
Route Recap
Start: Lisbon, Portugal
End: Tokyo, Japan
Key stops so far: Lisbon, Barcelona, Rome, Thessaloniki, Istanbul
Key stops coming up: Cappadocia
Last Week
I met a guy named Kostas on the road. He let me grab onto the back of his pickup as we veered off course to his house, where he introduced me to his family and dropped some elite local road advice. When a man with over 20 bikes (yes, twenty) and membership in the village cycling club speaks, you listen.
His route suggestions landed me on scenic coastal roads and a front-row seat to a real-life dung beetle pushing a ball of poop. Before Kostas I was headed for another day slogging along highway service roads.
Kostas
This Week’s Traveler Tip
Bring a small gift. Something cheap but thoughtful. I tried Turkish Delights—zero takers. But having something to offer sparked good energy, so I’ll keep workshopping it. Open to suggestions on what Turkish people actually want.
Quick Thanks
I also wanted to give a big thanks to Andrew Ehrenberg for signing up for a paid subscription. I’m trying to make this whole thing sustainable, and that kind of support helps tremendously. I don’t love asking for money—but if you get value from these videos and writing (and $5/month won’t wreck your budget) I’d really appreciate it.
Last Week’s Videos
013 - Can I Outrun My Drone at 40 KP/H?
014 - US Travel Advisories are Ass-covering Nonsense
015 - Why You Should Travel to Dangerous Places
016 - Everyone Has a Pocket Preference, Even if They Don’t Know it Yet
017 - Greece → Turkey Border
018 - What 99% of Biking across Eurasia Looks Like (Drone Shots)
Progress on the Map
Last weeks’ distance ridden: 341 miles (549 km)
Total distance ridden: 2,577 miles (4,280 km)
Looking Ahead
Right now I’m staying with a Warm Showers host in Istanbul—a high school history teacher who opened his home to a smelly cyclist. I haven’t rested more than two nights in a row in nearly a month, so I’ll take a couple days here.
I want to show you the cats of Istanbul—still my favorite part of the city. My uncle arrives later this week. He’s just finishing a 10-day meditation retreat in Muğla, so I expect some enlightening (and possibly unhinged) stories from that. Can’t wait.
Have a lovely week,
Ian
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