July 28: All Signs Point to Istanbul
Today I continued east along the southern side of the Sea of Marmara towards Istanbul, passing through Karacabey, Gorukle, and Gemlik before stopping for the night just a few miles from the Osman Gazi Bridge that will take me back to the European side of Turkey tomorrow.
After parking my bike right in front of my seaside hotel last night in Bandirma, I walked through the crowded narrow streets, taking in the spice vendors, tea shops, and local food options, many of which catered to the largely Arabic population. Settling on a restaurant that specialized in soup, I pointed to a particularly hearty looking stew and a side of something that seemed to be stuffed eggplant.
Hearing the waiter greet someone with the traditional Arabic expression, “salaam alaykum,” (“peace be upon you”) I grinned at him and gave him the common response “alaykum salaam” (“and also with you”). He whipped his head around and beamed, both of us making a small connection in a world where neither of us speaks the other’s language. When I left, I made a point to say, “shkran,” (thank you), eliciting another smile from the gentlemen. What he may not have known is that was the extent of my Arabic vocabulary!
For breakfast, I chopped up the perfectly ripe white melon given to me by the roadside farmer yesterday and put it in some yogurt from the nearby grocery store. The fruit was so moist and tender I could cut through the skin and meat using only my plastic knife.
Heading out on Adventure Baby, I plotted a course east that was intended to avoid tolls. However, somehow Google Maps switched routes on me, and I found myself at a booth with no credit left on the toll card I had purchased when I first arrived, despite the fact I had doubled the recommended total. Fortunately, the operator let me switch lanes (backing up at least 20 yards) and pay with a credit card.
Today’s vistas continued to be pleasant, with locals selling fruit on the side of the road, fields and farmlands covering the rolling hills on both sides of me, and numerous stunning examples of bright yellow sunflower fields. I was also able to occasionally glimpse the Marmara Sea and also Lake Iznik.
Occasionally when riding through towns, I could hear the Adhan, the Islamic call to prayer that is usually recited five times a day in a mosque, typically from a minaret. One time the music came on so suddenly and was so loud, I startled and wobbled the bike before continuing down the road.
Pulling into my hotel at the far southeastern side of the sea, I was delighted to find a parking space right out front and a fun photo opportunity with the hotel’s flags reflected in the large dirty window in front of me. I figured the fact the glass was so grubby didn’t really matter because my bike was covered with dried mud as well. Another great day on the bike!
