Dogu Ekspresi train to Kars

The compression of time is noticeable. Last night Ankara, a night in a bus from Sofia, the night before Belgrade, Amsterdam, Arnhem and before that Brussels. That feels like a month ago. I woke up in Ankara and I'm boarding the popular Dogu Ekspresi train on a couchette this evening direction Kars, all of 1300km into the far Eastern reaches of Turkey. From there I'll start cycling, it's grand time.

The targeted travel time is 27 hrs and now that I'm on the train it is more likely to take 30 plus hours. This must be one of the slowest trains in Turkey as it winds through a few national parks and river canyons. At times we're rolling at 15km p hr. It was a two sunset train ride.Read more