Stay curious, keep pushing! Read more Steißlingen, Germany
  • Day 48

    On my way to Cappadocia

    May 12 in Turkey ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Along my way to Cappadocia, I took a break at a mosque in Selime. It didn’t take long and Seyfullah, the Imam of Selime showed up. He invited me to watch a prayer followed by a dinner at his house. We had a deep conversation about religion, war and life itself.

    Then I continued my journey to Cappadocia. What I would experience there exceeded my expectations by far.
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  • Day 47

    Gänsehaut-Tag

    May 11 in Turkey ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    Die Nacht an der Tankstelle war sehr erholend. Ich bedanke mich noch einmal bei der Familie und breche wie immer früh auf.

    Die unendlich weite Landschaft und die verlassenen Straßen machen mich einfach sprachlos. Ich komme aus dem Staunen gar nicht mehr heraus und ich genieße es sehr.

    In der Stadt Kulu angekommen steuere ich den ersten Supermarkt an. Es ist Zeit für das zweite Frühstück. Ich wollte gerade aus dem Supermarkt raus und da werde ich auch schon auf Deutsch von Halil angesprochen. Er lädt mich direkt zum Mittagessen bzw. zweiten Frühstück ein. Halil wurde in Wien geboren und hat quasi sein ganzes Leben mit seiner Familie in Österreich verbracht. Nach einem schweren Arbeitsunfall verbringt er jetzt etwas Zeit mit seiner Tochter in der Türkei.
    Nach dem Essen möchten wir uns gerade verabschieden und da kommt ein Mann auf uns zu. Er spricht uns an und Halil übersetzt für mich. Auch er möchte mich zum Mittagessen und Tee einladen. Ich überlege kurz, lehne dann allerdings dankend ab. Das sind die schwierigsten Momente für mich. Ich weiß wie wichtig das hier für die Menschen ist und es fällt mir unglaublich schwer, solche Einladungen abzulehnen. Allerdings kann ich nicht jede Einladung annehmen, ich muss schließlich auch etwas vorankommen. Zum Glück scheint es mir der Mann nicht übel zu nehmen.

    Nachdem ich die Stadt verlassen hatte, bin ich am Salzwassersee Tuz Gölü angekommen. Im Hinblick auf die Natur ist das bisher definitiv das Highlight auf meiner Reise. Diese mystische Landschaft und Stille hat etwas ganz besonderes. Ich hatte vor hier zu schlafen, doch leider holt mich schon wieder ein Gewitter ein. Ich finde Zuflucht in einem verlassenen Häuschen. Ich schlafe ein und verbringe hier den halben Nachmittag. Danach fahre ich noch ein paar Kilometer in die nächste Stadt und gönne mir wieder einen Döner.
    Der Regen hört leider nicht auf und es ist bereits dunkel. Ich fahre zur nächsten Tankstelle mit der Absicht noch einen Tee zu trinken, bevor ich dann mein Zelt am nächsten See aufschlage. Als ich ein paar Runden drehe und mich etwas umsehe, fahre ich unabsichtlich gegen einen Holzbalken (Ich war sehr langsam und es ist nichts passiert). Sofort eilt mir ein Mann zur Hilfe. Er stellt sich als Mohammed Ali vor und fragt ob ich Hilfe brauche. Ich verneine, doch da packt er mich auch schon sanft am Arm und zerrt mich unter das Dach. Bestellt hatte ich noch nichts, doch als ich Platz nehme, wird mir von seiner Frau auch schon der Tee gebracht. Zwei Minuten später das Essen und eine Cola. Dann nochmal ein Tee, dann Kaffee, wieder ein Tee und zum Abschluss Süßigkeiten. Ähhh, okay!? (Bezahlen darf ich übrigens nicht, ich bin Gast). Währenddessen werde viele Selfies gemacht und sie zeigen mir Fotos von ihrer Familie und ihren Autos - Mercedes, Volkswagen und BMW. Als ich ihnen signalisiere, dass ich noch ein paar Kilometer fahren muss und einen Schlafplatz suche, werde ich auch schon wieder am Arm gepackt. Sie zeigen mir einen Platz für mein Zelt. Diesen nehme ich sehr gerne an. Doch dann werde ich schon wieder gepackt. Sie haben es sich anders überlegt und jetzt soll ich im Gebetsraum von der Tankstelle schlafen. Sie geben noch kurz den Wachleuten Bescheid, dann gibt es nochmal einen Tee und schon liege ich auf dem Teppich im Gebetsraum an einer Tankstelle.

    Heute ist viel passiert, das muss ich erstmal verarbeiten. Jedenfalls bin ich all den Menschen unglaublich dankbar. Und das mit den Tankstellen gefällt mir immer besser.
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  • Day 46

    Vast landscapes and shelter

    May 10 in Turkey ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    For the first time since the start of my trip, I feel a little homesick. Yes, I miss my family and friends. I knew that those times would come. But they also go. A journey like this has its ups and downs and this is fine. And yet, I am exactly where I want to be - experiencing the adventure of my life.

    Besides, I have reached those vast landscapes with stunning views. This must be the beginning of no man‘s land.

    During the day, I noticed a few storm clouds by the horizon. The weather forecast was not very reliable in recent days and I trusted my instinct. Luckily, I didn’t pitch my tent on a mountain but cycled some more kilometers hoping to find somewhat shelter. There’s a gas station which I headed for. The gas station attendant came straight to me and talked something in Turkish which of course I didn’t unterstand. After a few gestures and words in Turkish, he understood that I was looking for a place to sleep. He pointed to an abandoned building right next to the station. AWESOME! This is more than enough!
    While I was preparing my dinner, his wife came by with a plate of rice, chicken, vegetables and yogurt. She insisted that I would take it. I gratefully accepted the meal. After two dinners, I am caught with a full stomach in my office chair which I had found before. No problem, the veranda is the perfect spot to watch the happenings at the gas station and the thunder storm from a safe distance.
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  • Day 44

    Howdy Asia!

    May 8 in Turkey ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    I was really looking forward to continue my journey after 6 days in Istanbul. Instead of cycling 70km through the city, I caught the ferry to Yavela. I had never thought that almost the entire ferry ride would go along the coast of Istanbul. The dimension of this city is just breathtaking.
    I arrived in Yavela. That means bye bye Europe and howdy Asia! Yes, that feels like a real milestone!
    Luckily, I got to meet the boys again and we cycle together for another day. But the next day, it’s time for me to follow again my own rhythm. We had a fantastic time and hopefully our routes will cross again soon.

    Anatolia, which constitutes most of the Asian part in Turkey offers numerous high plateaus and steep mountain climbs. As of now, it’s not necessarily the kilometers that matter but the elevation gain and particularly the gravel roads that slow down my progress. But this doesn’t matter, I enjoy the views and lone sections very much.

    And by the way, the Turkish people are very generous and talkative. Invitations for a tea, Turkish coffee or a coke happen every day. Sometimes people even buy you chocolate in the supermarkets or shower you with fruits on the road.
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  • Day 36–42

    Istanbul

    April 30 in Turkey ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    Cycling in the city of Istanbul with over 15 million residents was by far not as bad as expected. The route was planned carefully before. Lasse and I were cycling together from the Northwest and then along the Bosporus. No doubt, there’s pure chaos the further you get into the center. And still it felt organized. Just watch the motor scooters, follow them (sometimes) between the cars and defend your space. All good!

    Divided by the Bosporus, both the European and Asian part offer countless sights. To visit all would probably take months or even longer. The impressions you get from such a city where cultures from all over the world come together is exceptional. It’s hard to capture all this in photos. I think you have to experience the views, smells, aromas and noises yourself.

    Spending 6 days in Istanbul was a fascinating and yet tiring experience. My highlight was of course the shared time with my sister Sandra. We had a relaxed and lovely weekend. Though in the evenings we were both exhausted of huge crowds and full bellies - also because my body showed first signs of food intolerance. I guess this is just a small taste of what to expect further east.
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  • Day 35

    Night at the airport

    April 29 in Turkey ⋅ 🌬 15 °C

    Instead of sleeping somewhere outside in our tents, we had the brilliant idea to spend the night at the airport. We arrived at a police control after leaving the highway. They had a few questions but we made up a good story that we want to pick up a friend at the airport. We were allowed to pass.
    Having arrived at the airport, we noticed that you need to immediately go through the security control to enter the building. Alright, let’s have dinner first and then give it a try. So, we locked our bikes, took our panniers and went straight to the procedure. They checked a few things in our bags and wished us a good flight! Yes, made it! It was not the most comfortable night there but at least we could charge our electronic device, restock our toilet paper supply and dry our clothes.
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  • Day 32–34

    The Turkish Bicycle Academy

    April 26 in Turkey ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    We’ve arrived at the Bicycle Academy in Lüleburgaz. It is a brilliant place founded by the municipality where people can borrow bikes for free. The place also offers free accommodation, showers, laundry and tools for cyclists like us. Last year, the Bicycle Academy hosted around 470 cyclists from over 40 different countries.

    İnanç is the responsible manager. He’s one of the kindest and helpful persons I’ve ever met. As a well-networked person, he knows people from all over Turkey. It’s also comforting to know that you have him as a support in case of emergency.
    Together with his wife, he dreams of cycling the world to visit all the cyclists who stayed at the Bicycle Academy. His other dream is to move to Germany and find a decent job. I can assure that he’s a hard worker and willing to improve his German. If you’re aware of a job vacancy or anything else that would help him relocating to Germany, please drop me a message.
    Dear İnanç, thank you so much from the bottom of my heart. It’s been a great pleasure to stay at the academy. See you soon!
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  • Day 31

    Merhaba Türkiye!

    April 25 in Turkey ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    I teamed up with Lasse, Noah, Elias and Joel from Chiemsee, Germany. Cycling with others is different and I enjoy it very much. The days are more easy-going compared to when I cycle alone and without being in a hurry for no reason. It’s good that I get to learn this way of cycling too and enjoy the moments a little more.

    Together, we’ve crossed the Turkish border, enjoyed our first mouth-watering Turkish Döner and cycled along farmland in the backcountry. The locals are very talkative and use every opportunity to talk to us. To our surprise, most of them speak German. Some give us fruits, give us advice and show us restaurants with good Turkish food. I have the feeling that Turkey is gonna be another great adventure.
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  • Day 30

    Just cycling

    April 24 in Greece ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    Today‘s leg included lots of burned land, a safari tour with river crossing (unfortunately without seeing any wild animals except dogs and snakes), and headwind. Latter is one of my most loyal companions on my journey. Still, I managed to make good progress today and arrived in the city of Alexandroupoli, roughly 40km away from the Turkish border - now with over 3000 km on my tachometer. There, I met a group of four Germans in front of Lidl. Coincidentally, their final destination is as well Kyrgyzstan if everything goes according to the plan.
    We pitched our tents at the beach and maybe cycle a few kilometers together the next day.
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