No more steppe, desert and salt lakes. Humidity and green hills welcome us at the Black Sea.

Samsun is a nice surprise. To be honest I have imagined it as an industrial and grey city but fortunately it is all different. The streets are full of people, there is a well-structured center, bars, markets, restaurants, places with cheap fast food and hotels. On the sea side there are different parks, cafés, playgrounds and statues. After one night in a hotel we moved towards the house of Yasin, who (more…)

The landscape changes every day. This day it is red.

From Ankara in the center of the country we head towards the coast. Soon we can go sunbathing, swimming, cycling downhill from about 1000 meters of altitude down to zero. This will be an easy and relaxed ride. Unfortunately we are wrong. (more…)

Anıtkabir, Atatürk's Mausoleum and one of Ankara's main attractions

Our first impression of Ankara is not a good one. We cycle through road construction sites, climb up hills, get scared by drivers who blow their horns. We decide to stay just as long as necessary. Our first host, Mahir, is very nice and shows us the parks outside the center. We dine at his mother’s place and enjoy a delicious meal. He gives us a ride to the Museum of Anatolian Cultures and introduces us to his friends. The Turkish hospitality makes us be happy every day.
On our second day in town we have already made enough friends to (more…)

Cycling through the Phrygian Valley

Friday, 20^th of April 2012

We leave Afyonkarahisar behind us and cycle though a long industrial area full of marble quarries and factories. I remember the bike shop’s owner’s words just a day ago: “There are only two or three hills, besides all the way to Ankara is flat”, when the fifth of those “hills” makes me break out in sweat. (more…)

Enjoying one day off in Pamukkale

Thursday, 19th of April 2012

When we arrive to Denizli it is getting hotter. We could not find couchsurfing hosts there so we look out for a cheap pension and find a small room for 35 Turkish Lira (15 €) for the both of us. We plan to spend only two nights there but then we get to know our neighbors. There are Shahnaz and her sons Mustafa and Morteza from Afghanistan, Arash from Iran and Maggie from the Dominican Republic. They all live in the Pension and (more…)