Day 52 (Turkey): Yörükcepni - just after Kesenler

today’s distance: 100km
total distance: 4198km
riding time: 5-6h

I was woken up by the morning prayer call - unsurprising given that I was sleeping next to a mosque. I turned around though, it was basically still dark and too early to take off. When I did, I was in search for quick food. It took a while, but I started putting calories into myself.

When in Eskisehir, I started taking care of some things. Greasing up my shoes, trying to find some small plastic screw top containers, updating the website and mailing some letters. The latter proved more difficult than the former tasks. I enter the post office building. A security guard sees me and signals that it’s OK to leave the bike inside. Good. I want to go up. No. 2 comes down and goes into my face right away. He was up the ladder from No. 1, that much was clear. He wants the bike outside, I refuse. Get ready to leave. He pushes the bike around. It seems that we agree on a spot 2m away, still inside. Too much traffic outside I thought. Things seem settled. I go upstairs. No. 2 talks to someone and motions me over. His supervisor apparently, No. 2 indicates that he speaks English. I ask what was wrong and super says nothing. Just looks at me and finally shrugs his shoulders and utters “nothing”. I ask whether everything is OK and he nods emphatically. Meanwhile No. 2 storms downstairs again and I didn’t have a good feeling about it. I reach him as he is about to move the bike outside. I motion to leave it there … and if not that I would do it myself by leaving. For some reason he starts shouting. I realize a young woman watching us. Bike is outside, he smiles sardistically I thought. The woman appraoches me and says in perfect English that the building also houses the local courts. I tell her what went on upstairs and she wants to stay with the bike or ask a judge. I was taken aback by her kindness, tell her that had studied law as well and we get into a short conversation. I didn’t want to take up her time with waiting for me and said I would seek another post office.

Sure enough, on my way to Seyitgazi one comes into view. I mail my things off without a hitch. Should have known about that one and I would never have gone near the first one. I also made a feeble attempt to get another container in a hardware store. That has been a thoughie for a while. I need it to keep my dish soap. Needs to be tight. I ask the owner and we can’t find anything. Then I come across this … it is perfect. I shout out. He stares at me and says I can have it. Seems like he wanted to get me out of there. Just kidding. Problem solved.

I move on over more hills and suddenly hear a clink … part of the pedal has come off. I can attach it again by tightening the screw in the back, but the screw heads holding it in place from the top are gone. Just gone. Here you can see what I mean, you have to look kind of close, the right one being the damaged one.

Will have to see what can be done about it. Welding maybe, if I can find an aluminum welder, which might be difficult. If all else fails, Speedzone will send me a pair of new pedals. I talked to Dieter today and heard that Dirk has crashed while riding his bike and can’t work for the time being. All the best to him. If you’re so inclined, please drop him a line at info@speed-zone.biz.

I get to Seyitgazi and get my hair cut (the guy goes nuts, what I thought was a 10 minute affairs turns out to take 40), find a small bottle to put oil in, buy my supplies for dinner (and because there is no store with tomatoes, people send me to the local restaurant, where they give me tomatoes, cucumbers and dish soap), am surrounded by tons of kids. These two were part of the last holdouts.

Eventually I reach a great spot under some will trees next to a little stream. A farmer in an adjacent field offers the whole place, indicates I should camp where I want. After a big pot of pasta and a salad, I hit the cookie jar … life’s good. Some fruit as well …