Canakkale Update

How much coffee is too much coffee? I think I nearly found the answer to that question while visiting Istanbul last week. All in all I visited twenty different coffee shops throughout Istanbul. Perhaps too many. I did have a lot of fun doing it though! The weather in the week leading up to Christmas was a little dreary. most days did not see the mercury rise above 10 degrees, and the sun was entirely hid behind a dull grey ceiling. So, spending time inside coffee shops was a sensible way to warm up while walking between different sites in the city. From my hostel in Eminonu I ventured out regularly to Beyoglu/Karakoy/Taksim. It’s a nice walk across the Galata bridge where the rails are constantly lined with fishermen, and up the hillside to one of the entertainment hubs of the city. I also went across the Bosphorus to Kadikoy, on the asian side of Istanbul (once on purpose and the second time because I got Kadikoy confused with Karakoy when taking a ferry). I took full advantage of the 85 lira (28 CAD) Istanbul Museum Pass - rather than paying admission to every museum/heritage site. This helped me bring out my mennonite side, and visit more museums than I would normally go to, if only to make the most of that 85 lira purchase. I was able to see the Topkapi Palace and Harem, the Archaological Museum, Aya Sofia, Hagia Irene, the Islamic science and technology museum, and a couple more mosque/museums in the Balat neighbourhood. There is definitely no shortage of sights to see in Istanbul! In Istanbul I had a renewed distaste for other travellers - specifically when visiting active places of worship. I went to the Blue Mosque and a number of other mosques in the city, I hate feeling that I am lumped in with the hordes of tourists with cameras in hand, taking pictures while people are trying to pray. I felt bad in the Blue Mosque especially - there are so many tourists, many not paying attention to the posted signs directing what is permissible and what is not. I’m not trying to say that I have never been part of that majority, but as much as I can I try to be respectful of the people who are in the space. Christmas in Turkey was weird. My hostel was relatively empty, people apparently finishing travel in the week leading up to Christmas, or planning to embark on their travels in the weeks following Christmas. Monday came and went like just about any other day. There was a limited trace of Christmas-y things in some of the market stalls around the Egyptian Bazaar and in the Grand Bazaar, but on the whole, it would be easy to forget it was Christmas at all! I had a relaxed Christmas. I spent the morning drinking coffee at my hostel while watching any sort of Christmas cartoons I could find on YouTube. I was able to find favourites like Frosty the Snowman, How the Grinch Stole Christmas! and even the Muppets Christmas Carol! In the evening I was able to connect with family and friends in Canada as they were just waking up on Christmas morning. During one of my visits to Kronotrop Coffee in Istanbul I started chatting with a man named Martell. He caught my attention for a couple reasons, primarily because he was speaking in english without an accent, and secondly because he was talking with one of the cafe workers about the coffee. I quickly discovered that he is one of the people behind Arabica Trading House, a recent start-up which is importing green coffee into Turkey for roasters in the specialty coffee market. It turns out that I had inadvertently purchased four different bags of whole bean coffee that he had a hand in importing into the country! I was able to chat with him a little further on the 26th at ATH’s office in Beyoglu and learn a little more about his company, and what he is doing for the coffee market in region! All of the coffees I purchased in Istanbul have been top notch! I’m looking forward to heading back through Istanbul in the spring on my way to Bulgaria - Martell and ATH may even have some coffee from China’s Yunnan province available by then. I left Istanbul on Wednesday early in the morning. Rather than trying to ride all the way through the city I made the decision to take the ferry from Istanbul to Bandirma on the southern coast of the Marmara Sea. The only ferry on that day left at 7am, which meant a 5am wake-up time. The Ferry got to Bandirma before 10, so I was still able to get a full day of cycling in. It was relatively slow going. Perhaps ten days off the bike is too much! I didn’t feel nearly as strong on the bike as I have felt in the past weeks. My muscles tired easily - partly in fact to the large number of hills. The road from Edirne to Istanbul had hills as well, but I feel these ones were larger. At least I had good weather though! Probably somewhere around 15 degrees and sunny! Much more preferable cycling weather than the arctic outflows gripping the better half of Canada right now! The second day out of Istanbul I crossed back to Europe at Gallipoli and cycled the lower portion of the peninsula. Again, it was slow going - partly due to my lack of strength, and partly due to the headwinds. I’m not sure I cracked the 100km barrier on either day, and I definitely did not have an average pace above 20km/h. I decided to cycle a little later on Thursday to take a ferry back to the asian side to avoid the immanent rain. I settled into the only hostel in Canakkale and was spared from trying to pack up my tent in the rain! On Friday afternoon I ventured out in the afternoon to the archaeological site at Troy. It was really cool to see the excavation of different layers of the city, build one upon the other over the centuries. On the whole Troy was a little anticlimactic, the excavations are not terribly deep, or the city was knocked down so far that there is very little left to excavate. It’s hard not to compare it to other archaeological sites I have visited on this trip, Pompeii, the Roman Forum, the Acropolis, all are more preserved, though, I suppose not quite as old as the oldest sections of Troy. Today I am waiting out the rain. Visiting the war sites of the Gallipoli Peninsula, and the ancient city of Troy are the two main, accessible things to do here, aside from that there isn’t too much going on. I woke up to pounding wind and rain, and decided it would be best just to wait one more day before making the three day trek to Izmir. It’s roughly 330km from here to there. I’m slightly nervous that I might encounter some snow along the way. Cycling down the peninsula there were areas sheltered from direct sunlight that had little mounds of snow. A quick glance at the route south shows that there may be a place where I have to climb to 1400masl, hopefully that isn’t the case! There is only one good looking option, so I guess I will find out tomorrow! I’m going to be on the road for New Years - as much as I would love to be celebrating with friends at a cabin on a lake in Ontario like last year! Perhaps I’ll find a bottle of sparkling wine that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg to enjoy after cycling. That said, days when I camp on the side of the road I am rarely awake past 9pm, so there is no way I would stay up until midnight! I’m not normally one for resolutions - why should this year be any different?! I guess I have some hopes for the new year, I hope to find a way to find a way to take aspects of the lifestyle I am living on the road and live that in Canada as well. I am enjoying living more within the confines of the natural order. When it is dark I go to sleep, and when it is light I wake up. Not always having a connection to the internet has been kinda nice when cycling from place to place. I still have technology, but am not bombarded with notifications, and I also don’t have the internet to turn to when I am bored and can’t think of anything better to do with my time. To build upon that, I want to spend just as much time outside in nature. I have really enjoyed the opportunity to be outside on this trip! Even when I am in hostels I usually find a way outside for meals, or to make some coffee. Here in Canakkale there is a semi-covered balcony where I have been enjoying meals. Fresh air is, refreshing. I would love to make sure that I keep space for time outside when I return to Canada.  That’s enough from me! Happy New Year! Best, Gavyn.