Day 146 Sept 02 Sun - Another day of rest in Samsun

Fruits in Turkey taste very gooooood!
Teh session in cai stall ( no tarik no milk,just plain tea and the cube sugar on the table)
Saturday market busy with all people but Sunday is very very quiet
Samsun vıewed from my top balcony
A Giant mosque just next to where I stay

Today's Temp: 22 - 34c
Today's spending: 39.10 ytl
Total Distance to date: 9414km
Total spending to date: 266.55 ytl

Surprisingly,Sunday morning in Samsun was so quiet as I walked down from the hotel looking for a good breakfast but all the shops were closed except for some tea or bakery stalls.Very few people on the street probably still in bed.Some just sat at the tea stalls and seemed satisfied with that little cup of tea ( cai in Turkish) which I could finish off in one go.There was no hot noodles or rice just bread & cakes.I couldn't find any can foods in meat or fish or instant noodles in supermarket,they are my vital source of foods during camping. My alternative foods shifted to beam in can,sausages,onions,tomatos,cucumber, fruits are plenty.So no more can sardine,beef or chicken in Turkey.Leaving tomorrow,most probably still following the coastal road as I heard the scenery is very beautiful than the inner road which usually used by the express buses & trucks going to İstanbul.

Day 145 Sept 01 Sat - Tekkecoy Beach Camp to Samsun

Kitchen on the top floor at my disposal
Friendly hotel maids
My kettle plug wire is often too short for a high power point

Single bedroom with common toilet 15 ytl
The price I had to pay for this budget hotel- carry my bike up to the top 4th floor
A rare chance to witness the brave firemen at work. No casualty as I was told later
A nice decorated lift on both sides of the road for the disable
Top balcony where I parked my bike and drying my clothes

Adam on white shirt gave me 5 ytl and a business card to call him should I need help
Proton showroom in Tekkecoy - A surprise!!!!
Many,many houses built on the slope as flat land is very limited
At the water front in Samsun
This meal of a plate of salad and chicken potatos cost me 12 ytl ( 12xRm2.80 = Rm33.60)

Today's Distance: 24 km
Today's Temp: 22 - 34c
Average Speed: 13.8 max: 24.5
Time on Bike: 1 hr 42 min
Average climb: 2% max: 5%
Trip Altitude: 65 m max: 152 m
Today's spending: 29.90 ytl
Total Distance to date: 9414km
Total spending to date:227.55 ytl

A very short ride today of 24 km to a big town of Samsun. On the way out from the beach, I stop at a river and chat with three anglers to obtain some information of accomodation in Samsun and my targetted inland road. One of them by the name Adam gave me 5 ytl and a business card to call him should I faced any problem in Samsun. I also saw our national cars Proton on display in a showroom, models like Waja,Gen-2,Wira and a Lotus sport car Elise. I went in the office and told I am from Malaysia. They were surprised on my adventure and according to them Malaysian cars are well received in Turkey,but I don't want to disappoint them that so far I haven't seen any yet on the road!There are many budget hotels easily visible from far as you walked into the many small but crowded lanes in Samsun,after a few hunting around,I managed to get a cheap rate at 15 ytl in Star otel ,a single bedroom with common toilet but have to carry my bike up to 4th floor(top) via a steep spiral staircase. There was a wide top balcony where I parked my bike and a kitchen at my disposal. I had the rare chance to witness the firemen trying to put off the fire which broke out in one of the building. This served to remind me to be careful when cooking with my MSR stove in the hotel.

Day 144 Aug 31 Fri -Tunnel River Bridge Camp to Tekkecoy Beach Camp

Plants on the beach with torns on their leaf
Fishermen preparing to go out the sea in the evening
My tent big enough to hide my bike
A happy looking looking couple cameback even with very little catch
Rabbish load of flown-over at the beach

Camping as home for the homeless poor Turkish

Ship building and repair

Beach camp with a thrown matress as foot cleaner

Today's Distance: 116km
Today's Temp: 24 - 34c
Average Speed: 19 max: 40
Time on Bike: 6 hr 07 min
Average climb: 2% max: 10%
Trip Altitude: 172 m max: 210m
Today's spending: 13.15 ytl
Total Distance to date: 9390km
Total spending to date:197.65 ytl

Today's ride is specially dedicated to all Malaysian back home to celebrate National Day .On this day,I will normally join my cycling friends from Pedalphiles Cycling Club on a 3 days interstate ride.But now I am thousands miles away , a feeling of sadness while I peddaled on in Turkey - ALONE! I missed my cycling friends like : uncle Foo,Peter,Nabil,James Bak,Ivan & Annie ,William etc...etc.. Hope someone will send my best regards to everyone in PCC now on theır Interstate Ride from Ipoh to Penang. The ride today mostly inland about 3-4 km away from the sea,very flat and hot too as I am heading west ,the afternoon & evening sun directly on my face. The beach camp is 3 km from the main road in Tekkecoy. A beach not popular with the locals , dirty and full of rabbish from the sea. Many small plants with torns grown on their leaves, it really hurts when you kick or step on it. This place is quite safe,only fishermen were seen with their small boats, went out in the evening and back the next morning.As the beach is quite open, and to keep away from curious locals, I let my bike slept with me for the 1st time.

Day 143 Aug 30 Thu - Seasıde Camp in Espiye - Tunnel Rıver Brıdge Camp 130km to Samson

Tunnel under brıdge camp

Double tunnels brıdge
Clear stream water
Wooden plank crossıng from the road to the camp

Tunnels with sufficient lighting and the road surface is really good no potholes to worry

Construction on a new bridge

Today's Distance: 110km
Today's Temp: 22 - 33c
Average Speed: 18.1 max: 59.5
Time on Bike: 6 hr 04 min
Average climb: 1% max: 6%
Trip Altitude: 540m max: 319m
Today's spending: 27 ytl
Total Distance to date: 9274km
Total spending to date:184.50 ytl

After yesterday's sexual harrasment,from now on I will have to be more careful where campsite is concerned,if I have the time and day light with many campsites to choose from. But one thıng for sure,I will comntinue to camp,where & when possible.Not only camping cut down a big junk of my expenditure, it is very much in my blood.No doubt you don't have the comfort of a soft bed or hot shower like home or Hotel ,camping is just another way of life style , full of satisfaction being with the nature. Today's campsite is a double bridges downhill after a series of tunnels. One of them is 3820m long and my speed was 40kmh. I set my tent under one of the bridge with a small stream of clear water,quite hidden no houses around the corners,only speeding traffics above. Also I changed to a new chrom mirror in Bulancak for 8 ytl.

Day 142 Aug 29 Wed - Trabzon - Seaside Camp in Espiye

Honest kids helps to buy a coke and returned with the change
Seaside camp
No sandy beach but circular egg-shape rock
Findik nuts very much grown on the mountain
Seaside camp

Road D010 with very broad shoulder
Mosques with cırcular tall needle edge beam
Fishıng boats
Drying of the Findik nut
A camping site with nice beach bay ( dont know the price yet )

Beautiful,stylish houses on the slope



Tunnels very common seen

Today's Distance: 106km
Today's Temp: 22 - 30c
Average Speed: 16.8 max: 49
Time on Bike: 6 hr 15 min
Average climb: 2% max: 8%
Trip Altitude: 390m max: 157m
Today's spending: 13.5 ytl
Total Distance to date: 9164km
Total spending to date:157.5 ytl

"Good-bye seemed to be the hardest word" as Heather woke up early to send me off. For the 1st tıme we hugged each other but fell short of cryıng tears.Heather will be catching a bus to Istanbul later ın the afternoon.Armed with a Turkey map (1:600000) as from now on NO MORE GPS to help. Following coastal road D010,Black Sea on my right and mountain on my left, knocked that in my head. The coastal road is a 4 lanes freeway ( 2 on each sides) with very broad shoulder,a highly populated stretch with many houses built at the slope of the mountaıns and many small towns along the way.As a muslım country, mosques can be seen not far apart even high up in the mountain. There were quite similar in shape with either 1,2 or 4 tall circular beam with needle edge at the top. Drizzling rain in the morning made afternoon ride more pleasant.The food here ıs rather expensive,easily double the price than in Malaysia.Turkish people as muslim are more reserved but generally friendly once the ice breaks.English rarely spoken and understood,not even the kids. My 1st day camping ın Turkey nearly ended in "disaster". As I was writing my journal after dınner,one man aged around 40,came knockıng on my tent door,without getting permission, he came inside the tent and sat on my air mattress.I thought probably he wanted to chat but I was shocked he used hands sign indicating that he wanted to have SEX!!!!!His hands already started rubbing my thighs as I was only wearing short." NO...NO...NO SEX!!! I did the same hands sıgn back to him and at the same time grabbed his hand away from my thıghs. To be frank, I was scared as I don,t know what his next move was. But I am prepared to protect my "brother" no matter what! Fortunately he did not use force and asked if I have a cigarette instead.Sensing no more threat ,I made him a hot coffee and some biscult .He say Good-bye before leaving and thank god he did not return later.It,s really hard to imagine,such ıncidence can happen to ME----after 51 years!!!!