Turquie
 Serou - Mersin : June 14 to 29, 2007
 Mersin - Akyaka : June 30 to July 15, 2007
 Akyaka - Bodrum : July 16 to 21, 2007
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Turkey

We decide to cross the southern border of Turkey because the northern area of the country was supposed to be more mountainous. Our legs begin to be tired after more than 21 000 km and we feel than we need something easier. It would also be very good to enjoy the Mediterranean coast. We were a little worried when we crossed the border because people advise us against the Kurdish people. Also, the border was located unless 50 km of Iraq. When we get to the border, we saw about ten Tanks that descended to the south, without counting the military controls place at every 40 km. It was a bit destabilizing because no body was able to explain to us what was going on. They do not speak at all English.

The Kurdish has been very hospitable with us. Every evening, we stop in a very small village and they always welcome us to share their daily routine. It is special to knock at the doors of all these unknown people and to be welcome that way. In a general way, we are invited to take tea and then, a meal. The funniest thing is than we do not exchange any word because we do not speak the same language. It is a good lesson for life to be treating so well by unknowns peoples wish are so different. During this journey, we face so many unfunded prejudices about countries that we underestimated but, they teach us that you have to pass over what’s people said and made our own experience. As our friend Rob says, you should go and visited the country that you fear the most to discover if your concept is thru or a bunch of stupid propaganda. These ideas are often founded only by one source: the Medias, but who controls them?

Now, we just get the Mediterranean coast after 15 long days of hard working on the bicycle. The coast is indeed superb and water is incredible clear. We could believe that we land on an island. The thing is, it is very hot and humid. We might have to ride in the morning and swim and relax in the afternoon, that’s gone a be very very unpleasant!!.

Mersin - Akyaka : June 30 to July 15, 2007

We took quickly the rhythm of vacations. We follow the cost of the Mediterranean Sea, its show us some pretty nice corners. We really liked to visit the more tourist cities as Antalya and Alanya. The road was indeed demanding, especially between Tasucu and Gazipasa, where the mountainous land obliged us to climb several climb. The climb reached an altitude of 300 to 500 meters in 5 or 6 km and repeated themselves to all 20 km. What allowed us to get thinner silhouette and help to lose our small potbelly, credit of the Kurdish hospitality. The road, the heat and the lack of pose exhausted us; in 29 days we only took 2 days of pose without any km of bicycle. After having contacted members of Warmshower, we had decided to take a pose in Mugla. Following different circumstance, we met in a small city named Akyaka, 25 km of Mugla.

We stay presently on the seaside, in a pretty camping situated in Akyaka. The village of Akyka is a small agglomeration of house in border of a bay. The bay it throws in the Mediterranean Sea and in the Aegean Sea. People are there very nice, compared to all big tourist centers of the Turkey: Antalya, Alanya, Marmaris, Bodrum, etc. In these centers the shop must fight to attract customer, that’s very unpleasant especially when they are aggressive!

Our journey in Turkey made us discover innumerable treasures of architectures. The whole country overflows with historic monuments, some can date of the 7 centuries before Christ. Several empires followed each other; you can count 16 of them: Romans, Greeks, Byzantium, Pierce, Ottoman, etc. All let traces of their passage; at every turn of the road you discover ruins: castles, tombs, buildings, theaters, etc. As would say the aunt of Ge, every time you stop to make pee you discover a statue, a ruin.

Only one point was unpleasant; it’s the contacts that we maintain with people since our arrived on the coat side. All are in vacancy and seem to be interested little in us or due less, people aren’t helpful. Every time we ask for help to someone to find a place to plant the tent or to keep the bicycles during some hours for allow us time to visit, we face problems. Often people, instead of trying to help us to find a solution, they rather try to find a problem in order to get rid of us. It is one of the first shocks that we live since we get to " Europe ."

After having taken our strengths back, we will attack our last km in Turkey. Our choice is the follow one: we will reach Bodrum by follow the bay by using a small secondary road where we will meet lest traffic and more good brake spot like small bay. In Bodrum, we will take a boat that bring us to Greece on the island of Kos, then we will take two or three other boats that lead us on different islands and finally in Athens.

Akyaka - Bodrum : July 16 to 21, 2007

In Akyaka, we met a member of warm shower, Firat. With his help, we have been able to decide where we should go next. Finally, we decide to follow the coast until Bodrum. The landscape was breathtaking with those turquoise bays! We have done our way thru some of the most beautiful villages in Turkey and had observed the villagers in their life. No circulation on the road, we were into paradise.

When we reach Bodrum area, once again, we are so much tired because of the heat and the road. It is too much steep. 5km before Bodrum, we realize than the forest had been victim of a forest fire, 2 weeks ago. It was very difficult to find a place to install the tent. We finally find a small place behind a restaurant, where nothing had burn.

The owners notice our presence and try to know what we were doing there, in their backyard. We explain them, we were tired and we needed a place to sleep for the night. At that moment, we have been really surprise when they offer us to join them and to stay there as long as we want. We had a room and the best meal that we ever eat, we were their guest. She was a marvelous cook; she prepares sumptuous dinner. You just cannot imagine how good it was and it was. We stay with them 3 days. They take care of us. This vacation was one of the best since a long time. Exactly, what we needed at this moment. Just enjoying! Thank you to Nilgun and Altin.