Since Goreme - Amaysa and Trabzon Turkey

Just wanted to get everyone up to speed since Goreme. We set out from Goreme to beautiful blue skies, puffy cottonball clouds and had one of the best days of riding since the beginning of our trip. From the support vehicle, Carmen noted large farmlands with farmers driving their tractors loaded with their workers behind in the trailers. Many tents on these farms suggesting that these workers may sleep there or possible refugee camps. Many herdsman walk along the roadside with their sheep and cows untied. The land moved through gentle slopes passing through various old villages. The support vehicle and bikes met up at a service station for lunch. Carried on to Amaysa, Turkey and aside from some light drizzling rain, it was a perfect day. The quaint town of Amaysa is really quite lovely and after another traditional turkish dinner a suprise birthday cake was brought to one of our riders, Jacquie. She was quite surpised. Next, Trabzon.

This was a day where riders and support vehicle did not meet. Instructions were to head north and travel along the coast road. The riders had beautiful sweeping curves that went along the entire Black Sea Coast stopping for lunch at a coast side restaurant with beautiful views of the Black Sea eating pizza and pitas. The support vehicle however took the long way around and ended up in the mountains with gravel narrow roads where one side of the road is straight cliff looking down. By the time the support vehicle arrived at the Secilya Hotel in Trabzon, the rest of the group was finishing their second pint of beer after showering. Now, we are sitting in the lobby, blogging as we wait for news on our ferry departure to Sochi, Russia. We've just heard that it might leave at midnight tomorrow and we have to be at the ferry for 2pm. It is a sixteen hour ferry ride to Russia where we will sleep on heaving deck in our sleeping bags. So, when we write next we will be in Russia beginning the next leg of our adventure. We'll keep our rubber side up until then.....

Sat. and Sun 26th and 27th, (Day 15 and 16) Goreme Sıghtseeıng

The hot air balloon ride ended with a Champagne toast and everyone receiving a certificate that we were passengers aboard one of these flying balloons. What an amazing way to start your day and see the sunrise. We returned to our very own cave house at the Shoestring Hotel where we start with a view of Goreme lookout. The group took a tour of the "underground city" that was eight levels below the ground showing dugouts of holes that were established during the war leading from one chamber to another with various rooms of bedrooms, kitchens, church etc. We also visited the location for which Star Wars was filmed which is called the Selime Monastery where many frescos lined the ceilings in the monasteries. Take a look at the photos of Cappadocia which is chiseled out of rock forming "fairy chimneys" and caves from mother nature's erosion process. This has been an amazing place to have two days off to relax. If anyone is interested, many cave homes are for sale. There is a picture of one of our rooms at the Shoestring Hotel/Cave. Photos to follow before heading out to amasya, Turkey for tomorrow night.

Saturday, June 26th (Day 15)

Frıday, June 25th (DAY 14) Safranbolu Turkey to Goreme, Turkey

Göreme located among the rock formations, is a town in Cappadocia, a historical region of Turkey. Getting to Goreme from Safranbolu was once again another story and adventure. The team separated; support vehicle never met up with bikers due to technical difficulties- no phone, no GPS therefore the storm that we hit just before Goreme was witnessed from different perspectives. From the support vehicle the storm was a picture of beauty from the riding perspective it was a tornado where the winds were so blustering that if you didn't pull over it could take you into oncoming traffic. Most of the riders took refuge in an abandoned shed with nothing in there except the smell of human excrement. There were a couple that pushed through the storm as they were already wet and nuts. Pictures are suppose to tell a thousand words but these pictures do not tell half of the story.

Thurs. June 25th (Day 13)

Making our way to the ferry, we cross the Bosphorous as we would have had to buy tickets to cross the bridge so this was the quickest and cheapest way to get through the craziness and mad driving experienced in Istanbul. This day was mostly highway driving, cool and approx. 450 kms of riding and at one point, elevation was four and a half thousand feet high. We passed a major steel works industry that looked like something out of Mad Max. We passed through Karabuk and arrived in Safranbolu, a Unesco World Heritage Site since 1994. This is home of the saffron; a purplish flower with 3 reddish stigmas in the centre which is the part used to make saffron. We learned that saffron was used in all their meals, sweets (Turkish Delight) and for cosmetic purposes. We were greeted by a young couple and baby and stayed in a boarding house with several rooms for all of us. The two Micks did minor repairs to the paniers on our tour leaders bike and the rest of us walked around the small town where we sampled some bread, lots of Turkish Delight, visited the Turkish Bath and took pictures cobbled stone streets and old buildings with their wooden half timbered houses preserved along with the Ottoman cuisine that has been established as a stop along the silk road. Everywhere throughout Turkey, whether it be in the modern areas or small older traditional muslim communities, prayer time happens five times a day except on Thursday, the day in which they have six prayers due to Friday being the "holy day".

Thurs. June 24th - Saying Good-Bye to Lauren and George

We stayed two nıghts ın Istanbul Turkey and now we are goıng on to Safranbolu Turkey. Thıs has been made a Unesco World Herıtage Sıte sınce 1994. Unfortunately two members of our group our leavıng us ın Istanbul. Lauren (Patrıcks wıfe) and George (who joıned us ın Rouen France) both have oblıgatıons so we have to say Good-Bye. They wıll be dearly mıssed as we have come to value how much they both looked after the entıre group and theır frıendshıp wıll be a voıd as we wıll be down to a total of seven bıkes and a support vehıcle of two. But emaıls and bloggıng wıll keep us ın touch. Take Care Both of You. Were thınkıng of ya!!!!!

Turkish Tour Guide

In Turkey, we had a tour guide show us the city. She is dressed in white and took us to the Blue Mosque, The Sophia Mosque and The Palace of Istanbul. Upon entering the Blue Mosque, you must remove your shoes. The Ottoman Empire leaves it's mark and still is present in Turkey today. We pulled up to the hotel in the pouring rain (we were soaked) and the manager of the Hotel greeted us with Turkish Tea and cake. We ate at a restaurant on roof; thank God it was covered as it was pouring out. Once again, the meal was to die for. In the morning we brought our laundry to the laundromat and they had it done by 5pm (had to be there by 8am). We went to the Grand Bazaar (a maze that you can get lost at) and at The Palace I was taking pictures of the Palace Jewels and I was taken back by the "BIGGEST DIAMOND THAT I HAVE EVER SEEN" (bigger than Elizabeth Taylor's many diamonds put together) when I slapped on the hand forbidding me to take any photos. Of course, it didn't turn out. Many went on to the underground cistern (waterway system) which my feet couldn't continue on to.

Turkish Souvenirs

The Turkish essence is felt everywhere in Turkey. Everything is soooo colourful. Turkish carpets, the pottery, the "Turkish Eye", the brilliant light fixtures are amazingly displayed everywhere you look. I'm not allowed to buy anything as I, as usual, am the one that has the MOST luggage. Thank God everyone has a great sense of humour and are all gentlemen. I'm going to put a few pictures and write-ups on Turkey as we are staying in Istanbul 2 nights.

The Turkish Border

We left Nesebar, Bulgaria and headed for the Turkish Border. It was smooth roads all the way. When we got to the Border, I think we all thought it would be a walk in the park however we had a scare there that we were going to be held up for a bit. We had to go from one station to the next (four in total). First we went to show our passports. They sent up to the Visa station as we had to purchase Visa's (Canada was the most money of the bunch). Then back to the passport dep't where they stamped it and then back to the front gate as we had to register the bikes through. Once we did that, we had to purchase insurance and then we went to the final stamp of approval and everyone got through except the support vehicle, Mick the tour leader, the second Mick from Tasmania and myself. They needed a document from Mick's company stating that he was the owner and had permission to bring the vehicles through. He was going to send Murray with the group ahead as it appeared this might take a day. But, a few phone calls to his wife Veronica and we were headed to Istanbul. The last picture shows the types of roads that we rode from the border toward Istanbul. Beautiful!!!! This link allows anyone to track us by satellite. Check it out. http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=09B4ohNlYgxs6Tz4RRMpuCljQUmZsZaY0

Bucharest Romania to Nesebar Bulgaria

Leaving Bucharest, we saw many different sites. We observed a 50 million year old Stone Forest, many prostitutes at the truck stops doing tricks. I forgot to mention that I got a "lei" a day while in Romania (I'm talking about currency of course lol). Crossing the Danube, we were in Bulgaria. Once hitting Bulgaria, the roads were autobahn (paved, smooth and multi lane divided roads). When we got to Nesebar, Bulgaria it was like we arrived at Walt Disney World with theme hotels like Pirates of the Carribean. We stayed in the old section (another medieval city) which displayed ruins from Roman times. One of my bags was lost in the expedition so far so that meant a mini shop for a type of Bulgaria type pair of jeans. I ate shark that night (a first) and then next day we were off again, after living the good life, to the Turkish Border. Ohhh!!! The Turkish Border.....