Boredom in Bodrum?

Every week and a half seems like the normal amount of time between blog posts from me - even though the frequency that my mother sends me messages would suggest that I should blog more often. Not that messages from my mother are a bad thing! The last written update I sent out was from Canakkale and I have covered a fair it of ground since then! My New Years was pleasantly quiet. I spent the day of the road and was sent a couple curveballs as the day wore on. The first of which was a small mountain pass where there were roadworks being done. The nice highway I was on devolved into a single-lane each direction sire road. The pavement had taken a beating from numerous heavy vehicles, and where the pavement could be considered new-er, it was akin to the ridiculous chip-seal I found on Gallipoli where the rocks weren’t crushed further than ¾ of an inch. I was fortunate to be able to follow a dump truck down the other side of the hill. I had a similar experience in Switzerland - following large, slow vehicles means that I can follow them pretty closely without drivers behind me trying to overtake both me and the dump truck! I decided not to camp in the spot I had found via google maps on New Years Eve - I had gotten there relatively early in the day and was concerned that there may still be people coming and going from the little section of olive grove along the ocean. I did find a quiet enough corner in a different olive grove, albeit another 30+ kilometers down the road. I rang in the new year with a cheap bottle of turkish sparkling wine and instant noodles. I continued on from there on New Years Day down to Bergama. I met two other cyclists that day - I even had the company of a guy named Serkan for an hour and a half. He was kind enough to offer his company for that stretch, as well as advice and connections further down the road towards Izmir and Selcuk. I had planned to explore the ancient city of Pergamum that afternoon, but backed out after having cycled to the top of the hill. I wasn’t too keen on the 25 lira entry cost, based on a less than inspiring experience at Troy for the same fee. I cycled back out of Bergama and found a place to camp in anticipation of a third cycling day down to Izmir. My time in Izmir was pleasant, but brief. I spent the first day exploring the city a little, and the second day I spent primarily out in Selcuk, which was a little more than an hour away by train. Selcuk is just a short three kilometers away from Ephesus. Ephesus was amazing, and much bigger than I imagined it would be! I think I spent nearly four hours walking around the site, just breathing it all in! I felt pretty good about how far I have come in Turkey and how far I have yet to go before reaching the ferry to Cyprus in Tasucu, so I made a little detour out to Pamukkale over the weekend. I cycled straight east from Izmir, then jumped south into the next valley to find the quaint little village of Pamukkale. I was able to get a private hotel room - there weren’t any hostels, for a mere $21 Canadian. I’ve been forced to pay more for a campground in the middle of nowhere in Italy. I spent the entire first in Pamukkale up exploring the Hierapolis. If you aren’t familiar with the area, I highly recommend you do a quick image search! Once an ancient spa city, the hillside above the village is littered with structures from as early as the Roman occupation through to the Byzantine age. The Hierapolis also boasts the Martyrdom of Philip, one of the largest intact necropolis sites in the near east, and of course, the thermal pools that Cleopatra may or may not have swam in. Cascades of thermal water flow over the edge of the plateau and into the valley below. Deposits of calcium in the water have hardened into a series of white pools, or travertines, that stand out dramatically from the sparse browns and greens that dominate the rest of the landscape. The high mineral content of the water and an apparent lack of filtration by the municipality wreaked havoc on my coffee making ability during my two day stay. I met a couple American women while at the hotel. We continually ran into each other around the hotel, up at the Hierapolis, and at one of the surprisingly superfluous chinese restaurants in town. Both women are in Turkey to wait out their own Schengen restriction periods - one of them is currently settled in Antalya and has offered to possibly host me on my way through in the next week or two! I say week or two because I still find it hard to predict just how quickly I will cycle from place to place. I left Pamukkale by way of a different valley, heading west through Aydin. I was met pretty quickly in the morning by a pleasant tailwind! I was able to cruise along comfortably through the large, hazy valley, averaging above 25km/h for the 140km I travelled that day. It is perpetually hazy in Turkey. The majority of people use coal or wood fires for heating and cooking, which produces a lot of pollution. That coupled with an apparent lack of vehicle emissions standards means that even on a clear day, it isn’t until the sun is directly overhead that you feel any warmth - the heat has a hard time cutting through so many layers of smog. The total trip distance from Pamukkale to Bodrum was roughly 300km. After doing 140km the first day, I was met by a problem/challenge/opportunity. 160km is a slightly awkward distance - It is probably too far to do in one day, but doing it in two days would make for two really short days. The challenge//opportunity would be to push myself physically and mentally to cycle that whole distance in one day. Among cyclists it is called a century, 100 miles. Now, most people that ride that distance are not encumbered by over 40 kilograms of food, water, clothes, and gear, in addition to a touring bike that weighs at least double its ultralight counterparts. I did make it, it was far from easy! The last 35 kilometers or so were really difficult. I had a number of hills to go up, and come down, in addition to a changes in the wind along the peninsula. I’m booked in a hostel in Bodrum for four nights - which, inadvertently, may be just enough time to wait out the stormy weather that is just beginning to take hold. I’m writing this outside on the covered patio of a Starbucks as the rain continues to fall. Four nights may be enough to wait out the weather, but it may be a couple days too many in terms of things to do. I walked around a little this afternoon to find that the Marine Archaeological museum is closed for renovations, and about half the city appears to be closed for the slow tourism season. Actaully! There is a pedestrian path along the ocean that was all but deserted today, and every third business was either closed or under rennovation! It is still ~15 degrees celsius outside right now, so I guess I shouldn’t complain! I should try to figure out some things to do to keep me out of trouble while I’m here! I’m around 800km from Tasucu where the ferry to Cyprus leaves from. I shouldn’t have any problem reaching there before the end of the month if I choose to. We’ll see what happens! Still living day by day, well maybe more like hour by hour.