It was a warm start today but after Uzbekistan’s heat, I felt invincible. You’d think I would be smarter than that but egos have a way of getting around logic.
I fixed a few things on the bike, tightened some bolts, put the camera cage on and loaded up. I’d eaten breakfast at the hotel but left feeling on the verge of peckish which is never the right way to start a day.
I did the rounds of central Gönen in search of a cafe. There were plenty, but there were none selling coffee that I could see. An espresso machine is usually the giveaway. The cafés were full of old guys smoking, drinking tea and having their morning chat. It must be good for their mental health but not much else.
I stopped at a supermarket on the way out of town and loaded up with water. I would drink 5 litres of water today, and that’s an indicator of the heat and effort required.
I took the easy way too. I’m only doing a thousand vertical metres. The more direct route was upwards of 1600 and I’m not exactly feeling masochist enough to go for that. Hence it was a fairly relaxed but dull ride out of Gönen to the east on a secondary road. It still had a wide shoulder and a good surface and again, I thanked the road gods for providing it. Clearly, the Stans has affected me in that I’m far more appreciative of sealed roads
Along the way, I spoke to Guido from Toulouse via Argentina who really couldn’t talk about the football world cup result from two nights ago, as his heart was still broken.
I knew after turning south that it wouldn’t be far to Manyas, where I was intending to stop for lunch, but there were a few challenges. Firstly mud, dust and water from some roadwork conspired to force me to make a small detour. Next, I noticed that the town was at the top of a fairly high ridge, and I was well below it. I searched for other places to eat but if I didn’t eat here, then Balikesir would be my next opportunity at the very end of the ride
So, up the hill I went only to discover more roadwork. It follows me, or maybe I’m drawn to it, but it’s everywhere I go. I asked one of the road workers if I could go down the unfinished street and get some food. He recommended a little place 50 metres away.
It may be the world’s most oppressively warm doner kebab place but it is also the kindest I’ve ever been to. After my meal, the owner refused any payment, gesturing with his right hand on his heart. Before the meal, he saw me parking the bike and asked where I was from and that was enough for him to be very generous. This only enhanced my perception of the Turkish people.
I got more water in Manyas and hit the (unfinished) road … I then realised the difference between roadwork in the Stans vs roadwork in Turkiye. In Turkiye, there are road workers doing stuff and in the Stans there never seems to be much happening.
Istanbul will spoil any English speaking visitor to Turkiye. It seems that everyone speaks some English there. Here in the countryside however, very few people speak English. I haven’t had this since I was in China so it’s a bit of fun. My miming skills are pretty good and I reckon with some training I could be a professional charades player.
After Manyas, the road went rural with a gentle climb and descent followed by a big climb. By now, it was hot but I rode within myself, and though it took a while, I made it to the top without any trouble. It’s much easier here with a half decent surface to ride on.
All along the way, there have been concrete water troughs, some with taps and some with a constant flow of water. They are great spots to cool down as there’s often shade and one had a communal drinking cup. I didn’t trust the water so I just used it to wash my face and generally splash it around in the vain hope of cooling down.
There was one more climb (there always is) before I joined a major road with a huge perfect shoulder which then became a segregated bike lane. It was a shady, fast and fun descent to Balıkesir.
The city was a big surprise. It’s quite a metropolis with lots of shops and restaurants. It’s even got a Carrefour supermarket, and Starbucks but thankfully some nice cafes too.
I’ll have a rest day here. It was a very very hot 87kms and I’m in no real rush. Besides tomorrow is five degrees hotter.
For dinner, I went to a small kofte place run my a lovely couple. It’s out of the way and they only speak Turkish but the food, although simple was superb. I was really hungry, so perhaps I should temper that evaluation for now.
A highlight was when two chickens entered the alfresco area, looked around, pecked a bit and left. It’s the inner city, so it was a little bizarre.