Northeastern Turkey

The last few legs have included many climbs as I am now in the mountainous northeastern part of Turkey. My focus has thus been pretty much on cycling and eating. Oh, I need a lot of calories these days and particularly dirty fuel - sugar!

Of course, I still have my daily interactions with locals and appreciate their invitations very much. Sometimes I felt bad as it happened to me twice that people paid for my groceries. They don’t even want a penny…
Anyway, my highlight was the encounter with Fatih from Demirözü. Fatih is not only a police officer but also the personal security guard of the district governor. I was just having my lunch and didn’t notice that I was sitting in front of a police station. Fatih came by and we had a little chat. He invited me to come upstairs into the police station to continue my lunch at a decent table (normally I just sit on benches in a park or on the ground in front of supermarkets) - he brought cheese, olives and a coke. Fatih also offered me to stay or just take a shower at his home. Latter I agreed since it has been 11 days since my last shower.

With a fresh smell and full belly, I left Demirözü towards Bayburt. Quick stop at the supermarket where I filled up my supplies before heading to the last remote mountain stage in Turkey.Read more