Today I biked 40 kilometers to explore a 5-level underground city buried for 3,000 years. Here is what I found.
Route Recap
Start: Lisbon, Portugal
End: Tokyo, Japan
Total Distance: ~10,000 miles (16,000 kilometers)
Key gear: stove, patch kit, tent, ciggies
Key stops so far: Lisbon, Barcelona, Rome, Istanbul, Cappadocia
Key stops coming up: Mardin
Below the Surface
I rolled out from the Kale Konak Hotel around 11 am (squeezed every last second out of checkout) then flatted almost immediately. I’ve patched well over a hundred tires in my life. So I might be able to do it blindfolded at this point.
Top 3 flat fix commandments:
Find the sharp thing. Get obsessed. Look. Feel. Poke. Rub. Do whatever it takes.
Let the glue dry all the way before slapping on the patch. If it’s cold or damp heat it up a little.
Reinflate to spec. Carry a valve adapter so that you can use an air compressor when you get the chance.
A few miles down the road I met Maxim—a Frenchman pedaling from his home country to Australia to attend the world championship of bicycle couriering. He let me take his €6,000 recumbent for a spin (he scored it for a sixth of that), and in the first 10 seconds I understood why people ride those goofy-looking things. They are extremely comfortable.
We pedaled the last 12 km together—then took the plunge into Derinkuyu.
Cappadocia is a region of Turkey and it’s hands down the most otherworldly landscape that I’ve ever seen. The fairy chimney’s look like Gaudi could have designed them. If he was tripping on LSD and decided that he no longer cares about math. And not just the chimneys. Every available surface has been carved into. Homes, shops, storage rooms. Sometimes I’d see a cavity and wonder how the hell someone even dug there.
From up high, the land ripples out in waves. So many textures and layers. Then when the sun cracks the horizon everything catches fire in pink and gold and orange.
Early christians did not stop at the surface level architecture. They went full subterranean, carving out entire underground cities to escape Roman persecution. Churches, homes, stores, stables. The deepest of these is Derinkuyu. At first it feels like you’re descending into someone’s wine cellar—a narrow staircase, cool and dry. But then it opens up. Massive caverns. Then more stairs. Then more. Down and down until your ears pop.
By the time I surfaced I felt more like a mole than a human being, blinking and disoriented in afternoon sun. An impressive reminder of what people can do when they work together. And when their lives depend on it. Throw in a chance encounter with a likeminded stranger who felt more like a friend—and today was the kind of day that reminds me exactly why I’m out here in the first place.
Last Week’s Videos
031 - Helmets are Dumb and Other Controversial Takes (AMA)
032 - Slice of Life in Turkey
033 - How to Stay in a Hotel for Free
034 - Sleeping in an Old Schoolhouse
035 - Arrival to Kale Konak Hotel
036 - Is Cappadocia the Most Beautiful Sunrise in the World?
Traveler Tip of the Week
Cappadocia’s temps swing around wildly. Frosty in the morning and blazing hot by noon. Take a page from us Minnesotans and dress like an onion. A stylish, windproof onion.
Progress on the Map
Turkey is not flat. So daily progress has slowed considerably. I’m averaging closer to 60-70km/day instead of my usual 100.
Last week’s distance ridden: 245 miles (405 km)
Total distance ridden: 3,180 miles (5,128 km)
Looking Ahead
Still no update from the Islamic Republic of Iran regarding my visa. But the safety situation is currently okay (it changes month by month). Maxim has a connection in Iran—last month his connection recommended that Maxim stay away, this month, he says Iran is fine.
I am spending some time this week on a bug out plan. If things turn bad quick, what do I do? Likely a beeline to Tehran and a flight to anywhere.
Happy Mother’s Day to My Mom
Have a lovely week,
Ian
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