Istanbul - Ispartakule - Kapıkule

On the night of Saturday, January 19, 2019, we only get a visit from a bus driver at the bus station in Karabük, but he lets us stay. So we can rest in our quiet corner until shortly before nine. Then I start searching for a Wi-Fi hotspot and start the day with coffee and a kind of pudding in a small café. Back at the bus station, I continue to look out for minibuses to Eskipazar and Bolu, initially without success. I strike up a conversation with a young man who has just dropped off his girlfriend in a bus and decides to help me organize my onward journey. As the day progresses, it turns out that he is a student who is avoiding studying - a clear case of procrastination. Nevertheless, I am grateful for his help. We try to board some buses and convince car and truck drivers to give us a ride, but both attempts are unsuccessful. The attempt to buy a transport box for Rango in the city center also fails. We search for a solution using BlaBlaCar and a Turkish hitchhiking Facebook group. Meanwhile, I am treated to a small lunch by a new acquaintance (a freight forwarder), and they try to organize a ride in a truck to Istanbul. When confidence is restored, thanks to the considerable feedback on Facebook, we meet the mayor of Karabük at the shopping center. After a phone call, I can take Rango on the regular price bus to Istanbul. You just have to know (and meet) the right people. There is still some time until departure. Back at the bus station, the responsible traffic policeman (someone has to approve Rango's ride) invites us for coffee in his office. Then I buy my ticket and board the bus at three o'clock. After a half-hour break near Bolu, we arrive at Esenler Bus Station in Istanbul around ten in the evening. After a tea, I check in at the Lider Hotel directly at the bus station on my second try. Then I take a stroll around the neighborhood and organize dinner for Rango and myself. After a shower, I doze off shortly after midnight.

Sunday starts for me with breakfast at the Lider Hotel. Then I return to my room and prepare for the next leg. In the evening, I want to take the night train to Sofia. There is some time left until we have to meet at Halkalı Station, a northwestern suburb of Istanbul. So I stroll with Rango to the Terazidere S-Bahn station, feed him along the way, and then take public transport to the center of the metropolis on the Bosphorus. Near the Sirkeci train station, I have a cup of coffee and some baklava. Unfortunately, the investment does not pay off, as the Wi-Fi offered does not allow for uninterrupted conversations with home. After the coffee, I have better luck at a nearby kiosk and can announce my upcoming arrival at home. Unfortunately, the sunny weather has gradually given way to a thick cloud cover, so I decide to slowly make my way to Hakalı. At the Sirkeci tram stop, a security guard tries to dissuade me from taking the train, but without success. We board the next train and ride to the Bağcılar terminal. From here, it is another 2 hours' walk to the west. We go over some hills and through several suburbs until we reach the train station around eight. I buy a ticket for Rango and myself and go to the platform. After a small dinner, I decide to take another stroll as it is too cold to sit around until 10:40 p.m. As we walk past the ticket counter, a police officer approaches us, there are problems with Rango. Suddenly, I am supposed to pay for a whole cabin (tickets for 4 people plus cabin fee). It would have been too easy... After some back and forth (there seems to be room for negotiation), I get my money back and somewhat frustratedly make my way to the next stop to take a regular passenger train to the Turkish-Bulgarian border in the morning. I had hoped to find accommodation along the way or at least be able to take a bus for part of the journey, but I have no luck. So we reach Ispartakule near the train station at around eleven. To make matters worse, it started raining along the way, so I look for shelter overnight on the covered terrace in front of a bridal shop. The responsible security guards show understanding and let us sleep until the next morning, even waking me up shortly before eight in the morning.

So on Monday (January 21, 2019), I pack up my stuff on the terrace and head to the train station with Rango. When we leave our sleeping spot, the shop owner comes into his store and isn't too pleased with our appearance. Hopefully, the understanding security guards won't get in trouble because of me. At the train station, a short search on the timetable reveals two options for heading north. At 8:40 a.m., I can go to Uzunköprü, at the Turkish-Greek border, or in the evening to Kapıkule. I decide to take the morning train and go to Uzunköprü to see if I can find a way to continue my journey. We board the train on time and can take a seat in one of the carriages without resistance. We reach Uzunköprü station around noon. As it turns out, it is several kilometers away from the village, and I can only reach Uzunköprü by taxi (the bus wouldn't take us). So after chatting with a local, I decide to go back two stations and then take the evening train to Kapıkule. There is still some time until then, so I make myself comfortable in a tea shop at the train station and exchange some words with the people there. In the afternoon, I ride back to Alpullu and take a stroll in the village. I can't find a cafe, but I can organize a small dinner for Rango and myself. Since it's quite cold outside, I spend the time until the evening train in the heated waiting room of the train station. I write a travel article and have a snack. The evening train is also on time, and we finally reach Kapıkule shortly after ten-thirty in the evening. I decide to make another attempt to get on the night train to Sofia. Until then, I make myself as comfortable as possible in the waiting room.