One puncture, two puncture, three puncture, four

 

Yes, you read that correctly. After just 5 days, I have had a 100% hit ratio, whoop whoop! The funny thing is that it hasn't been from thorns, glass or sharp stones - it's been from snake bites... No, not actual snakes. It's a cycling term, when your rim pinches the tyre when you ride over a stone/bump and it gives two holes that look like a snake bite - hence the name.

Classic example of a snake bite

To top that off, I've had 4 flats from the same location because of the heat is melting the glue in the repair kit. O, that reminds me; that one spare inner tube I had was actually the wrong size! Thanks PedRev for labelling your tubes incorrectly - in the end I extracted the valve body for spares and cut a slither out for a patch JIC.

 

So, about Turkey. As you all know, one of the greatest things about visiting a new country is experiencing it's food. Turkey has not let me down. The kebabs here are second to none - I would go as far to say that they are even better than the ones you get after a heavy night on the juice; adding to that they even smell and look good - Have you ever seen a kebab that looks good? Furthermore, the Turks treat every meal as a challenge; which suits me. They bring an endless supply of freshly baked bakalava, which is pitta on a bigger scale, this is to soak up all the condiments they can't help but spread over and around your food. The only time I have ever felt fuller, is after an all-you-can-eat curryhouse on the outskirts of Wolverhampton!

I have to mention once again how hospitable the Turks are; only yesterday the local farmer caught me pitching a tent in his delightful field ;). Instead of shoo-ing me off his land and threatening to get his 40 year old shotgun fromoff the wall. He informed me that I should be careful of snakes in the grass, by gesturing a wiggly thing, then pinching me on the leg; closely followed by pointing at the grass. I found this information useful, yet it isn't the thing you really want to hear when you know you will be pitching in fields very similar to this one for the next week. He also pointed me in the direction of his local fresh water source and he relished the glory of sharing this fact. To finish it off he picked some Turkish fruit from a tree; handed it to me and jumped straight back on his tractor, not expecting a dime - good lad! I have also been given free Turkish Delights from a shop keeper, fresh fruit from a road-by trader and tea from just about everybody.

Pamakkale

You don't get that type of welcome in London!

Fresh fruit from the farmer

Now to get on to some of the animals I have had the pleasure of meeting are as follows: 'Rabid' dogs, coming at me like flys on s***; thousands of mozzis, flys and ants, who just love to snuggle up to me at bed time; a few bearded dragons; a couple of lizards; hundreds of dead 'rabid' dogs - these smell delectable; a dead tortoise that got stuck in the melting tar in the midst of the day; last but not least, a Praying Mantis, which I nearly trod on while pitching my tent.

A Praying Mantis - Deadly I've heard.

Stuck in the tar

 

What song does this remind you of?

In the next few days my routes should be on Strava - follow the link on the first blog. On one particular day, a tractor pulled me along for 20+ miles. This wan't as great as it sounds; mainly because I had to chip the thick layer of soot off my face and the temperature behind it was comparable to Mount Doom...

Tan lines like never before.

 

Over and out.

 

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