Dave and his Bike

Days 42 to 47

Day 42.

I must say it’s a welcome break after nearly six weeks on the bike. My thighs have stiffened up a bit already, but my saddle sore should recover properly. Having said that, I’m already thinking about the second leg, India. Whilst I’ve got a couple of days until Jane and the girls arrive, I’ve been looking at maps, routes and distances, and I’ve messaged a couple of people on Warmshowers.org, so we will see what comes of that.

I’ve also had a bit of a bimble around Galata, but not ventured too far as I want to explore properly with the others, not on my own. Great fish wrap for lunch, followed by some indulgent baklava. Bedroom picnic tonight to keep the cost down a bit.

I also mended the slow puncture which I picked up in the last 10km yesterday.

Day 43.

Awake as usual at 0630. Stayed in bed for a bit, because I could. Went out for a cheesy bread roll thing and a coffee. The hotel said I’d got until midday to check out which was a result, as theoretically I can’t get into the apartment we have rented until 1500hrs, so the least time hanging around the better.

When I got to the apartment just after midday though, they were more than happy to give me the keys. Result! Especially since there is a washing machine here, so I can clean everything (at last). I therefore spent a few hours loitering around the beautiful apartment in some swimming shorts and my only clean t-shirt. My walk to the shop was a bit cool…

That was the better news of the day. Jane’s EasyJet flight from Toulouse was delayed for nearly two hours, meaning that she missed her connecting flight from Lyon. Fortunately there was another flight at 1800hrs. Another £200+ and she won’t be here until midnight. If she’s lucky. She’s a bit pissed off to say the least.

Liv, Lottie and Joe’s flight was on time. Getting a taxi was another matter. The traffic from the airport into the city was also far from amusing. Meanwhile I’m lying on the sofa with MTV on the telly. I’ve got the least stressful option for the day. And clean clothes.

Once they arrived, a short trip up the hill to the Galata tower for a kebab and some chips was all we managed. Plus some obligatory baklava…

Day 44.

Sunday.

Jane arrived just before midnight. Stressed and tired. I’m not surprised, as she’s also suffering with bronchitis again which is miserable at the best of times. She’s had a long and rather unenjoyable day.

So a bit of a lie-in before we hit Istanbul with vigour. Pastry and cheese thing, plus some pastry and potato thing which I hadn’t tried before (they are actually called börek). I prefer it, but it’s still not the healthiest option.

We headed down into the water-side part of Galata before heading over the bridge and up to the Topkapi Palace and Gülhane Park. Most of the big and iconic sights cost a lot to enter – 50€ each for the palace, so we admired it from the outside.

From there we went to the Aya Sofya (or Hagia Sofia) Grand Mosque, which dates back to 537AD and was originally a church. Again, expensive to enter so we didn’t.

Virtually opposite the Hagia Sofia is the Sultan Ahmed Mosque (or Blue Mosque). Our timing wasn’t great, and we arrived just before prayers, so weren’t allowed in. We were due a cup of tea by then, so took that option and decided to come back tomorrow as we were a bit shattered!

Day 45

Monday.

I had arranged with a bike shop for them to pack my bike today, so we fought with the mid-morning foot traffic over the bridge pushing my bike. We were greeted by the owner who said ‘no I don’t have any boxes, my workshop is closed today’. I was not impressed. Jane even less so! After some determined negotiations, he said I could leave my bike there and collect it all boxed up tomorrow afternoon. It was the best I could hope for, so I did just that. It’s a bit nerve wracking leaving my bike in someone else’s hands. I’m pleased it’s got an AirTag in the saddle bag so I can keep an eye on where it is.

First stop of the day after that was the Grand Bazaar. I had expected it to be similar to the chaotic souks of Marrakech, but it was much more formal, surprisingly clean and tidy, with official shop fronts and a distinct lack of cows pulling carts through the streets. And no two-stroke mopeds choking you to death. The girls did some shopping for gifts and cushion covers, and then we escaped the overpowering smokey and airless atmosphere in the bazaar (mainly cigarettes as opposed to scooters) for some fresh air.

We then headed back to the Blue Mosque. It’s free entry, so we could afford that one. It’s an impressive structure, but was absolutely packed with people and after five minutes inside with hundreds of people with sweaty feet we had seen enough. Beautiful building though, and well worth a visit.

The queues to go into the cisterns were very long, so the cost (30€ each) plus the fact that it will be packed once you’ve queued for an hour put us off slightly. Maybe tomorrow.

We opted instead for a boat ride up the Bosphorus. Affordable, you can sit down, you get a different view of the city. It was great. Liv has been all excited about the cruise ships docked since she’s been here, so being on the water was a must – despite having to take sea-sickness tablets for an hour’s trip.

From there it was back to the apartment, then out for something to eat, a beer and a hookah experience, apart from Jane who is still a bit broken.

Day 46.

Another lie-in until about 0900. Liv & Joe went out for breakfast, the rest of us had bread and honey. We all had a walk up the hill to the tower, and a mooch around the many vintage shops in the area.

Lunch down by the water was a fish wrap (superb!) or a pide (Turkish flatbread pizza). Then it was time to collect my bike. Fortunately it was ready. Fully boxed up, and photos to show how they had padded it whilst packing. To say I was relieved is an understatement. I just hope it’s all there when I open the box.

Once we had carried it between us back to the apartment (1.6km – thanks everyone!), we went back up the hill and found a bar with a roof terrace with great views over the city. The beer was good too.

Jane stayed in again with a yoghurt whilst the rest of us went out for a final Turkish indulgence. Two kebabs for one of us. Not me. A few rounds of Uno then followed before an early-ish night. Early alarm call tomorrow.

Day 47.

When I said early, I meant it. 0430hrs reminds me of night shifts. At least I could go back to sleep.

The taxi was bang on time at 0500. The safety margin for travel to the airport had been decided upon based on the time it took to get here. At this time of day, however, the prediction was not as bad. Better safe than sorry.

Goodbyes all around. It has been fantastic having my family here after a few weeks on my own. I’ve now got even longer until I have familiar company in the form of Steve Lambert, and I won’t see Jane until January. Even longer for everyone else. I’ll try not to think about that, and focus on the fantastic experiences I am having.

I did go back to sleep, and managed a couple more hours. A leisurely cup of tea, packing, and trying to check in online. After several attempts, I got a message that I need to check in at the airport. Probably something to do with visas, or the bike. Either way not a problem. My seat has already been allocated, so that’s positive!

I checked out of the apartment at 1040, and ordered an Uber. It arrived in about 2 minutes. The journey to the airport was hassle free, so I was there by 1130. With the already-announced delay of my flight, I’ve got 9hrs 30mins to wait. The check in desk doesn’t open for another 6 hours. Oh well. I’ve had my panniers wrapped so they are now one piece of luggage, so I’ll just sit and wait, and keep tabs on everyone else to make sure they are back home.

I have managed to change my outstanding lira into rupees, which is good. Got a load out yesterday to pay for a taxi, then it got paid via the Uber app, which Lottie and Liv were told they couldn’t do. I’ve now got to get my head around another new currency and exchange rate, but at least I’ll be there for a few weeks so I shouldn’t get confused for too long.

The check in opened earlier than I expected – about 1600hrs. There was no issue with my bike, some slight confusion over my visa which was soon sorted, and then I was free to roam the departure lounge. The biggest relief was being able to go to the toilet without worrying about the bike!

I boarded the plane on time. It was quite full. IndiGo is a bit like an Indian / Turkish version of Ryanair (despite the name it is operated by Turkish Airlines), so no food or entertainment for 6 hours. In a middle seat. That’s the price you pay for not paying the price.