Farewell from Ali

We left Edirne in the morning. Ali joined us for the first 25kms before we stopped in a village for a tea.

The locals were sitting at the tables, were playing cards and drinking tea. It was half lira so we had some too and also bought a large box of ice cream for 3 liras. During the break we cleaned the chains cause it was due despite they were still in working order. We said good bye form Ali, we had a good time with him, it was a nice change before three of us hit the road again.

The road was still undulating; we planned to go till Kirklareli, 60kms from Edirne, but the hills tired us out so we arrived there only in dinner time. Zita and Dani went shopping to the local BIM while I looked after the bikes. It turned out that we put the bikes in the police parking slot, the police captain warned me about it but we could stay there.

During this time I found a suitable place to cook. Along the road we saw plenty spots with chairs and tables outside where people could sit and have tea. There was one like this just behind the police station. We tried to emulate the home flavors but it wasn’t even close. We better get use to it as the farther we go the different the tastes going to be.

Hotel Petrol*** – Kizilcikdere

After the dinner the washing up was my duty. I wasn’t impressed at all and said never again. I’d rather put everything away as it is… The hygiene in the toilet of a restaurant was terrible. It was filthy. Next time I do it in the bushes using our Oertlieb bag. But we have survived that too, and decided to ride a few more miles before sunset.

We reached Kizilcikdere where the locals advised the petrol station for camping. The same place Ali mentioned us. The guy there was very kind and he even invited us to sleep in a place we could lock surrounded by walls and fences. It must have been a storage space. The place was almost perfect due to the tractors going all night long.

Rollercoaster road

We packed uor things quickly then we only stopped to have a break after 20 kms, at a petrol station again. The cheapest ice cream is half lira in Turkey so I can treat my Zita with one and a foot massage every time. We stopped in the village to eat a lahmacun for breakfast and to get wifi as we didn’t have a host in Istambul yet.

The undulating road was very tiring, physically and mentally too. At some point we stopped at a local religious building where Zita found a tap, she took the time to wash her hair. Over here we attracted a large group of kids who we befriended quickly by showing them the reflective bands they really fancied.

After some more hills we stopped again and as soon as we settled a lorry driver came to us with a 2.5l Coke in his hand. He only stopped to give us some refreshment, we are greatful for it. It’s unbelievable what kind of people we meet in Turkey.

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After the break we were flying to the next town thanks to the long downhill. We stopped at a cafeteria where we found a wifi so we could check our mails. Unfortunately there was still no answer regarding the couches… To forget the sorrow we checked your comments. You can’t imagine how much inspiration you can give us. :) It’s great you like what we do and how we do it. Its even better to know that others try to follow the example.

There was another surprise here too, the lorry driver found us, this time he invited us for a tea. We had a little chat, got to know each other a bit more. From the money he left on the table we could have a kebab doner each before we continued the journey.

Edirne’s roundel made by Dani

Recently I finished when we arrived to Ali in Edirne, who was very nice with us; we spoke all night and he told us a lot about Turkey. He gave us not just good advices but also his flat key. Next day he had learning lessons as he is studying chemistry, but I think we already said this. During Ali’s lessons about the medicines, we slept until early afternoon. When we woke up to eat something we just find that water melon which was carried on by Dani in the last 170 km. We made a lunch from the rest edibles. Dani blended the roundel cake from the rest flour bought in Temesvar and I cooked it while wrote this entry. Hurry we just drop up the pancake in the air so didn’t scratch Ali’s pan. For stuffing Dani made bulgur, which is a type of Turkish rice (boiled Turkish wheat): spiced with everything and cut a lemon in that + vegetables and cream cheese. We made such a big portion food that everybody was eating this also in the night. Somebody asked the roundel’s recipe. So here it is (I’s very simple): water, flour, spices. You have to make a pan cake and to sauce (we used to use the followings): pepper, garlic, sage, balm, mint. But you can use also ramsons (bear’s garlic), the taste will be genius.

A Turkish wedding at the building estate

At the afternoon we went out to see Edirne’s sights but just get a sight of a turkish wedding among the panel houses. We stopped and the childrens came to us and also the adults asked us to go with them for dance.
It was incredible: among 4 panel houses, the Turkish music is on, the Turkish people are dancing in a big cycle: with expanded arms they are chucking and stepping and they are enjoying it very much.
After the dance they invited us to also eat with them: the place was very close, not a restaurant just a cellar of a closer panel house, among the store house and boiler room. We went down in a rickety wood plank to sit in plastic chairs and tables for lunch. We got some white soup and stew with potato in a throwaway trays. And also Ayran. All this with a lot Turkish people, who were very kind and curious.

Outwardly this could be very scary that we left the bicycles outside and went with strange Turkish people in a boiling room of a panel house, but this wasn’t scary at all. These guys knew each other and they didn’t let anybody to touch our bicycles. The big surprise was Ali who just appeared. He just came home with his bicycle from the university and saw our bicycles so asked where we are and came to see us.

We had to dance a bit more, got again some sweets, the half of wedding guest made photos with us so at the end we could leave the weeding place. They were so nice and kind; in my opinion we never met so many kind Turkish people. They were happy for us, but at the end I get so flurried because a few of them were curious about us and not the married couple, this wasn’t our scope just wanted to peep them; but they got more curiosity about us and we were compassed. This Turkish wedding was very interesting for all of us.

Tea in Edirne’s centre

Four of us, together with Ali we went to the city centre and find again an expensive place where Ali find the cheapest item at the page which was the cay; this is a tea and was 3 lira, which is about 340 Hungarian forint. The other drinks were more than 1000 Hungarian forint which was very scary but we didn’t have to be disappointed in Ali again. We had a nice talk along the tea and then went “home”. On the way we met some guy with bicycle (Ali knows them) who were very curious about the reku bike so they

followed us until Ali’s flat and they tried these bicycles in the parking place. After this we had a long talk with Ali in the night, I can’t really circumscribe but I think this couch surfing is a real miracle. People meet each other, talking, exchange of view, raising new ideas in the other one, or just find a common ideas. One of them is at home who is dining the other one; they never met before but the ghost of couch surfing is also in all of them. This is very gorgeous and is good to notice again and again. Ali went to sleep and with Dani’s offer we watched a film, called ˇ”The Way Back Home”. As was very enjoyable, we are offering for everybody.

Sms fromTamás about Edirne – Thanks for the Rudas bath Sinan! :)

Ali detained us to stay longer and we didn’t see yet Edirne, decided to stay 1 more day. We got a perfect guide in sms from Tamás Hujber (Thanks very much for that!). I have to show you this long and particular guide:

“As I can see you arrived to Edirne. I know that Turkey is big, but this is just the entry. You can find already an extra here! From 1362, over 91 years, was the direct city too of the young Ottoman empire (from the Hungarian history known as Drinápoly). Many people thinks that here can be find the most beautiful mosque in the world, which was built by Mimar Koca Sinan (Mimár Kodzsa Szinán) during 6 years. The build was started in 1569 when he was 80 years old (he leaved 98 years), his statue can be found on front of the mosque. He also reckoned this mosque for his classic even he built further 123 mosques, 50 colleges, 31 baths, 27 palaces, 18 türbes, 18 khans, 17 poorhouses, 7 libraries, 7 bridges, 6 hospitals and etc. (In Budapest he build the Rudas bath.) Four, one by one 70 m high, three-balcony minaret stands in the corner of the building; the prime bell start in 43 m, diameter 31 m (bigger than Hagia Sophia’s in Istanbul). – Tamás –“

What can we say for this perfect guide? Thank you so much!
And of course after this text message we couldn’t just pass before to see this mosque.
But before all of this, while Ali was at the university, we went to RIM to shop. Ali offered us, he said this is the most cheapest shopping centre in Turkey. And yes, we checked and is really cheap, like Penny in Hungary: not so many products like in shopping centers, but enough. Everything was in boxes, very frugal but good price. We were very happy; most products were unknown for us. :)

Circumcision party in the park

We just got home; Ali arrived as well so we could go out together for a walk. In the park next to Ali’s home we saw several interesting thing: once we saw an outdoor trainer…it was like a gym; everywhere engines and we could try them. The place was beautiful: at the long hill was a nice park with running track and kinder garden, a nice lake with bridges, ducks and swans. I think this park was built by a grave estate contractor, so he could sell the flats nearby for a higher price, but maybe the government was asking it from the contractor.
The third thing was the most funniest for us: this was a ceremony. Many people came with noisy and decorated cars; two of them were making music with dram and wind instrument. The people started to dance, in the circle a 7-8 years old boy was dancing, who was wearing a gold-white fancy cloth and wasn’t expansive at all. We are describing: this was a circumcision party. This is also a rule for religious Islam Turkish people. They start with this ceremony and then they go to a hospital where a doctor does the operation. Ali describes us the circumcision so now we understand it, the question is why they need to do this like that and for so young boys? For us this is a nice experience but for those kids it is absolutely negative.

From the park we went to the town by bus and walked through a bazaar (Zita was very happy for that), in some old streets, 2 mosques (the second was the Selimiye one, which was mentioned by Tamás. Was beautiful and monumental also from inside and outside)

The lunacy of Islam and other culture’s, how I see…

Few words about islam, how I see as an outside viewer. They pray 5 times a day, those times are different in every day of the year; recur yearly and are counting from the standing of the stars. When this time comes – 5 times/day – the Müezzin’s voice is audible from the horns of the mosque tower’s. This is very brutal when you hear at the first time. On Ali’s opinion this is like “God is great”, but the sound is very sedate. For our ears this song is very loud and un-understandable. Before the prayer, the believers are washing their hands, legs and faces in the water of wells founded on front of the mosque (we, tourists have to do this also before the entry of a mosque). They go into the church, where cannot find any benches (like in our churches) but a big carpet which covers everything. Is painted a equal model on the carpet for everybody, where can kneel down and lean towards Mekka while the pope (or I don’t know how is called in islam religion) is speaking, singing, standing back of the believers also leans towards Mekka. While we were kneeling on the carpet in Selimiye mosque, just spoke to Dani, that we should write a Müezzin program for mobiles which remember us for the prayer 5 times a day with the melody, shows the relevant prayer, moreover if the mobile has GPS, it could show also the way to Mekka. The only problem is that probable somebody already did this and gets reach. Never mind! We have the 5 euro/day party and low budget – high fun bicycle tour. Which is also interesting, that in effect women are properties – like jewels – this is why her faces and everything are hided. The way like this any other man can’t get closer to them and can’t seduced, can’t see them just their husband, because they are their properties, just theirs. This is a bit brutal but Dani just explained us: when they marry they get a flat from the parents of the husband. In the wife side, her parents help to buy the furniture. So it’s like they bought the women, but this is very weird.
We never saw boys and girls group together, in the pubs there are only men drinking tea (nobody is drinking alcohol); the women’s place is at home washing, cooking, making clean and raising children. Or don’t know what they do, even cannot see them, they are praying in a different place even in the church. So islam religion is very weird for us, like our can be for others. For example: why we spend our more month salary at the end of the year to buy more expensive products to our family, which will be throwing away a few years later as they are going wrong, obsolescence or because the neighbors have nicer or more expensive. This is stupid! This is why I’m working all year? Or just to buy a car so I can get 30 minutes quicker to work, where I can work for the petrol which needs the car and also for the taxes. And if I have luck, maybe I can buy the plasma TV at the end of the year. Oh no, this is already obsolesce, the LCD is the hip now. But enough, I went far away.

In the next part you will know how we could get from Edirne to Istambul. 4 days with lots of adventures, it is good to remember…

Alexander, Lubomir and the story of the 100 km watermelon

The starting from the church garden wasn’t so easy that we thought.
Dani woke me up and I started to pack, leaved Zita to sleep. I packed the tent, so she was just lying down in a little blanket; only the outside sheet was there when she woke up. We had our breakfast in the park between the church and shop, the menu was bred with margarine and honey.
After the first hardest 10 km (when we are in the sleeping-bag yet in mind and our muscle are stinging) was everything quicker. Before the first top of hump, we met a pair with country bike and not so much pack, just one of them had a backpack. We started to talk with each other: they were Alexander and Lubomir, father and son, who were bicycling for 5 days from Sofia to Burgos and back. They are reeling 200 km per day which is very hard, even if they are doing this “just” for 5 days. We were talking just for few minutes, didn’t want to retard them so everybody can go further to reach their goal. At the hump we started to laugh very much as just remembered that we are carrying a gift watermelon more than 100 km. We made also a video from this but as our camera is so new and made in HD version which is so big (more mega) – we cannot upload or play or to just over code with our notebook. The solution will be the following: we will use the old, spare camera for making videos. One of us will make the videos, the other one the photos.
:)

Way to the Turkish border – the kilometer cavalryman and his kilometers

After the hump we arrived with crunching wheels to one Lidl. This is the last chance to buy cheap and junk, western products. We didn’t buy any competent thing: chocolate, ice cream, sweets, hazel fritter. Dani was tired; Zita wanted to wash so started to find a right place: somewhere where Dani could sleep (anywhere) and somewhere where Zita could wash (where can be found water) and where I can have an internet connection. The last would be the hardest work, but after 100 meters just find a free net connection. (we used to do the following: I’m going on front with my mobile to try to find the wifi and if we have luck, we just stop).

We just stopped in a restaurant near to a camping: we ordered a bear with Arpi, Zita went to wash and I started to use the net. The bicycle pair from the morning and Arman said as well that the road between Svilengrad (Bulgaria) and Edirne (the first town in Turkey) can be done by bicycle but I wanted to double-check. The first website shown by Google was Sofa’s and Felix’s blog. Zsófi és Félix They were here last year and choose the Greek side to Edime but find motorway. But just read that they choose the couch-surfing to Edirne. Why we didn’t thing for that until this? I just wrote for few guys who were online not so long, maybe I can have some answer for the last minute couch request. Last minute, maybe we can arrive today evening to Edirne. As I knew that I can be online for a one more hour at least, I left time for the answer. I spend this hour to upload pictures and at the end, I got answer from Ali on coach-surfing: he is waiting for us in Edirne. Joy and happiness, I wake up Dani and Zita is coming back as well so we can decide: bicycle to Edirne and sleep in house. We were very happy for good news, we merit it.

Ali is waiting for us in Turkey and to arrive in a new country like this, will be a good feeling. Even so when I crossed the beach going to toilet and saw the pools, I was thinking to stay and take a rest, swim and write our memoir. I knew, Zita would love it and the cavalryman would excuse for his kilometers. If we would stay longer would cost 7 euro/person so we decided to go further, this will be better also for Ali. Was a good idea to carry on because later started to rain as well when we across Harmanli. Started mildly but at the end we had to take on our rain jackets, we were happy that didn’t straw it away 7 euro/person for this weather.

Rainbow-gate to Turkey

As we could carry on with 30 km/h, the rain didn’t disturb us too much. In Svilengrad we stopped to take a rest and to dry. Now Zita ordered a café for 0,8 Lave (about 100 Hungarian forint), we wrote some letter to Ali double checked the meeting place with him and carry on: go to the border. We stopped once more to change money. The border was monumental like a flight terminal. In a gas station Dani just stopped to upload his horn with bar and we outrun him. We thought that he already passed the border so we were “running” and we showed our passports and passed the first gates. We just went under the terminal terrace before the rain when Dani wrote us a sms that he is in Bulgaria yet and looking for us. We answered him and about 20 minutes later he arrived and got back our loyal itinerary mate. Before Dani’s eyes happened the guard changing, this is why he was late. At the Turkish gate we asked the Turkish visa for 90 day, it was 15 euro/person. After this we showed our passports twice at the Turkish gates when the immigration officer asked the bicycle’s papers. We said to him, that it doesn’t have engine so we could pass. We just started to go into the middle of rainbow, into Turkey. Because main time from Bulgaria the sun just woke up and made a big, full and from one side a double rainbow. It was beautiful and we had to pass this to get to Turkey.

Ali in Edirne, who knows exactly what we need

We felt the culture shock even at the border: huge mosques next to the gate, the Turkish songs are audible at the terminal; you can read the text about Turkey in LCD TV’s. We had 15 km more to Edirne. We were carrying on in the turn-out because the way it looks like a motorway without any overpass, we could turn it left just with lamp from the interior zone and wasn’t rare the 30,40 km/h tables as well. In a word, there was a 2 meters bicycle zone at the edge of the road. Once we met 4-5 big, white dogs who were barking and chasing us. Wasn’t nice t all! At the next gas station we stopped but felt the adrenalin yet. We didn’t use the Dazer dog alarming until this, but after this Zita got it as her bicycle horn wasn’t working. At the gas station we had a fight with the mosquitos so we carried on fast. We had to pass all Edirne until we met Ali and his friend at the meeting place. At this hurry I was very stressed, we were late, had to write sms, had to run, and were also traffic, slopes, and as the rain was very warm but didn’t want to stop as we didn’t want to be so late from Ali.

Ali and his friend were also by bicycle so we could go further together to Ali’s flat, which was a 100 foursquare flat at the 3rd floor. We put the Ortlieb bags into the shower and washed the mud from it. Ali was very helpful and as he is also a big bicycle man, he knows exactly what we need. We went together into a close restaurant and had dinner. After it we had showered, Zita went to sleep and we were talking a bit with Ali. It was very nice, this couch surfing is incredible. 1400 km away from home, you arrive in a nice place with a local guy who knows your problems, is good to speak with him and is very helpful. He posted about us in a Turkish bicycle forum, , helped us in the itinerary managing until Istambul, he narrowed a lot about Turkey: he said that if we would like to use our tent, we have to find a Apec gas station, as they have a grassy garden and usually they let people stay there, they are open all day which means that we can use the nice and clean toilets as well.

Ali offered us that we can stay longer if we would like and we decided to stay: we deserve a rest, to upload ourselves with energy, have time to write our itinerary report, wash our clothes, cook and eat a good and also to see better Edirne. Ali narrowed a lot from the city and at evening also got a correct guide in sms from Tamás Huber, thanks him very much for that. Ali said that he knows that dogs who were chasing us, once he had the same and he also felt with the bicycle, but thanks for luck, the dogs stopped yipping and left him. He thinks that dogs get angry because of the moving of the wheels, and he also has that Dazer dog alarm which is very good, so he was salving us in the dog thing and also in Kurds. I showed him where we would like to go across in Turkey and he said that on that way won’t be any problem with Kurds. End of soothing section for parents!

Ali left us alone in the flat as he has learning hours all day (he is a 5th year medical student, will be a chemist so he is a grave guy). Zita already switched on the washing machine, went down to the shop for some food, Dani blended the roundel cake from the rest flour bought in Temesvar and I cooked it while wrote this entry. Now we will eat and go to Edirne, at evening I will try to recover the behindhand entry about the Serb boarder and Sofia.