Leaving Europe behind - Türkiye I

During the last days on Crete, we are filled with a slight nervousness, paired with immense anticipation. The farewell from newfound friends (both humans and dogs) unexpectedly feels melancholic.

Thank you, Greece! You have guided us well through the winter! Thank you for many beautiful and empowering encounters! Thank you for beautiful trails and lonely roads! Thank you for the wonderful variety of vegetables! Thank you for the running community! Thank you for warm sun in winter!

We will surely meet again someday! Just please, please put an end to the chain dogs, it no longer fits our time!

Eventually, things move quite quickly. We take the bus to Heraklion, from where an overnight ferry takes us to the Greek island of Rhodes. Several more hours later, we arrive with a speedboat in the Turkish port of Fethiye.

Quite shaken - after 2 hours at sea with unexpectedly deep waves.

A night of rest prepares us for new adventures. We look forward to being on the road.

To escape the traffic and because we love it so much, our route repeatedly takes us over the mountains. The roads here, as well as in Greece, are quite steep. The luggage, which has not decreased over the winter months, does not allow for a fast pace uphill. I have to get used to not always making 20km when going from 10m to 800m or 1200m above sea level.

The clicking of the spokes sets the rhythm for me as I slowly pedal up the mountain. We occasionally get off and push for a few meters. In such moments, I mentally go through the contents of my bags and come to the conclusion that I don't need any of that stuff anymore. As soon as I whiz downhill, such ideas are just pure fantasies. When we pitch our camp somewhere later, I am grateful for the chairs, all the warm jackets, the abundant food, etc.

The climate in March is quite mild, the weather mostly sunny with occasional thunderstorms that lower the temperatures.

In the town of Kumluca, we stay for a few days in an apart hotel. Very modest, but with everything we need. Here we meet families who have come here after the major earthquake. Considering the tragedy, they appear quite composed.

On our way to Antalya, we once again take the road through the mountains. A lonely highway leads to Antalya along the western border of Olympos National Park. The 2000m peaks rise in front of and alongside us. So peaceful, so beautiful.

We often encounter unassuming hospitality - in the form of fruits that are offered to us without many words or an invitation for Çai.

I give up my habit of providing food to hungry stray dogs. One of these beautiful animals decides to join us one morning. On a busy road, he runs with us for kilometers - we are unable to shake him off as we are once again going uphill and only progressing at a walking pace. It is not until we reach a downhill section that we can leave him behind. Even days later, my heart mourns for this canine soul.

The second reason why feeding is not necessary is the animal-loving Turkish people. It can be observed that dogs and cats are continuously taken care of. In some areas more, in some less. In Antalya, we finally encounter the fattest street dogs we have ever seen. They lazily doze in the bustle of the city.

Of course, there is not only animal love here. Animal shelters are understaffed and often financially underfunded. The animals often live there rather than just staying. I read about this in various reports on the internet. But there are efforts for animal rights, even at the legal level - not only regarding urban, street, and domestic animals.

Finally, we leave the coast and the Mediterranean behind us. We are now heading up to Central Anatolia. For two days, we are once again climbing uphill - partly quite challenging - when Turcay stops his delivery van and invites us to ride with him. Since we needed more than half an hour for the previous three kilometers on the newly emerging road, we immediately jump on. This kind man drives us three daily stages in just 2 hours! In the end, he gives us several packages of Halva* and Lokum*. Just like that. Because he wants to. Thank you very much!

The landscape is gradually changing. Everything becomes drier, more barren, but no less beautiful! The sea is no longer visible for a long time, as the mountains repeatedly reveal wide and flat valleys.

And it gets cold. Really cold!

In Beyşehir, therefore, we take a break from the cold at Mustafa and his daughter Sude's local tourism/bike/hike and photography club. The temperatures drop to -5 degrees at night. Even during the day, a cold wind bites into our fingers and cheeks.

A visit to the local hamam couldn't come at a better time! We go for the full program - scrubbing, massage, and full-body shampooing.

Beyşehir is a city on the lake of the same name in western Central Anatolia. The surrounding mountains invite for hiking. The local tourism club does their best to promote sustainable tourism here. Rightfully so, it seems to me!

After 5 days, when we can expect warmer weather, we continue with our bicycles. Together with Malie and Yann from France, whom we met here, we head towards Konya.

Konya is truly impressive! Just a little while ago, we were traveling through the most beautiful and remote landscapes, and now we are surrounded by the hustle and bustle of a million-city.

Konya has charm. Here, modernity and tradition meet. Here you can see the diversity of the Islamic religion in the different mosques and the attire of women.

Once again, we embark on a culinary journey of discovery. But some cultural aspects cannot be missed here.

Konya is renowned for its Mevlevi Sufi** order. An order dedicated to meditation through dance. It is beautiful to see the men in their white robes spinning around, again and again...

In these first weeks in Turkey, we have fallen in love. With the landscape, the people, and the animals. Here, a sense of togetherness is palpable, mutual support and kindness are lived in an unassuming way. With our English, we often don't get very far. The picture dictionary, Google Translate, eyes, hands, and tongue clicking help with communication quite well.

We are really looking forward to two more months in this diverse country!

*Halva: Halva is made from ground oilseeds, such as sesame, pistachios, or sunflower seeds, as well as sugar and honey. There are different variations. Sometimes the sweet treat is refined with rose petals, nuts, cocoa, or saffron.

Lokum: small cubes made of sugar, water, and starch mixed with nuts. Often with a rose aroma. Coated with coconut or powdered sugar.

**According to Wikipedia: Sufism or Tasawwuf (also Sufik, Arabic: تَصَوُّف‎) is a general term for streams in Islam that have ascetic tendencies and a spiritual orientation, often referred to as mysticism. A follower of Sufism is called a Sufist, a practitioner a Sufi (Arabic: صُوفِيّ) or a Dervish (Persian: دَرویش darwisch)