Fuel? The store was right where it was supposed to be, on the way to Asia.
So I biked to Asia today.That’s right. Add another continent. Biked across Europe and part of Asia. Oh yeah.
Okay, so I had to take the ferry to get across. There is a bridge, and I spent a while (and a fair amount of vertical) trying to find a way onto the bridge. And while I’m convinced there’s pedestrian access across somehow, I couldn’t find a way onto the bridge that didn’t likely include my demise. So, prudence over valor. There were other cyclists on the ferry, so perhaps not the worst choice.
Europe:
Made it to the Spice bazaar today:
It’s so crowded (and narrow in places) that the goods are transported by porters with handcarts. All very Turkish-looking stuff. In boxes labeled “Made in China”.
I forgot to mention yesterday that the “selfie stick” business is booming in Istanbul. They’re for sale on more than every street corner, and business is brisk. I don’t want to say they’ve revolutionized tourism photos , because that typically implies improvement, but they’re in use by significant numbers of tourists. In, of course, boxes labeled made in China.
I miss Marnie, but I’m glad she’s not here cycling in Istanbul. I’ve cycled in capital cities across Europe (and Asia!), and while I’m not entirely happy cycling in heavy traffic, and try to avoid it, I’m comfortable enough on a bike I can usually deal with it. You just have to learn which type of crazy driving it is, and just go with the flow. The traffic in Istanbul is more aggressive than most, likely Class IV+/V. That said, the drivers are similar to those in the rest of Europe (and Asia!), and generally give cyclists as wide a berth as they can. The brakes definitely work.
Tomorrow I change back from semi-pedestrian to full-on cycle tourist, and leave Istanbul. Cycling out of big cities is challenging as well. A number of blogs talk about how not to cycle in and out of Istanbul, and a couple make various recommendations as to the best route (as well as comments that cycling the bridge into Asia is completely forbidden, so more reinforcement for that decision). I think I’ve found better route, assuming GPS help across a couple of critical junctures.
The overall path to Edirne will take a few days across relatively remote landscape. At least I have fuel, and the forecast is good. I’ll likely drop off the radar for a while. Rumors of my demise will likely be exaggerated.