Turkey

So much happened in Turkey
that it’s hard to capture it all.

We spent three months in the country.
And it marked a turning point in the journey –
one that would change everything that came after.

Before the border of Turkey, we met Marco,
an Italian bikepacker.
We crossed together –
and the very atmosphere at the border
hinted at what was coming:
intensity, depth, surprise.

In Lüleburgaz,
we spent a few days at a bicycle academy
that welcomes passing cyclists for free.
There, a reunion with Sebastian,
whom we’d met back in Albania.

Then came Istanbul.
The entry? Brutal.
Riding through chaotic traffic into the city center
was far from easy.

We spent Christmas and New Year there –
and I got sick.
Too sick to move on.
But after a few days of rest,
the desire to keep going returned.

Sebastian and I continued –
joined by two German motorcyclists we’d met in Istanbul.
They rode ahead; we followed behind on our bikes.

We had our most dangerous night of the entire trip
just before İzmir:
a violent storm, brutal winds, pouring rain.
In the middle of the night,
we had to take down the tent
or lose it to the wind.
No sleep.
Just survival and teamwork.

The next day, completely exhausted,
we were picked up by a German family in a camper van.
They took us, our bikes, and our gear to safety.
We needed it.

We continued along the western coast toward the south.
Met Dave, a British bikepacker.
Together with him and Sebastian,
we cycled under blue skies
all the way to Antalya.

There, I tried to have a package sent from Germany.
It never made it.
It was returned.

And then, a turning point:
Pascal and I ended our journey together.
No conflict.
Just a shared decision.
Grateful.
Clear.

I moved on –
toward Cappadocia.
One morning, after camping on a hill,
I woke up surrounded by hot air balloons.
It felt like a dream.

Time was running out.
We took a bus north,
closer to the Georgian border.

One last big adventure:
Murat.
A host who had welcomed over 1,000 travelers
to his little hut by the highway –
in the middle of nowhere.
It was two wild, funny, unforgettable days.

And then we rode
through endless tunnels
toward Georgia.

Turkey left a mark.
The people, the culture, the stories –
they changed something inside me.

And to Pascal –
the one I started this with,
the one who helped me see Europe through different eyes.

It wasn’t always easy –
but it was unforgettable.
A part of my journey I’ll always carry with me.

Thank you.
From the bottom of my heart.