It never ceases to amaze me that I can travel to a country carrying about 5-8kg of gear in a backpack (assuming I am not cycle touring) including my tent and sleeping bag. But I always head home with much more. It’s not even like I buy souvenirs or gifts. But, somehow, the return baggage…
It was a long drive from Safranbolu to Istanbul. Not much happened. I still have 2GB of data left on my Turkish sim card (getting data in Turkey is easy – just buy a sim card) so I spent the drive listening to Ted Talks (on audio – not watching them) about all sorts of…
To say that Sari’s Pension is gorgeous would be an understatement. It’s the very place I need to be right now as I head into my final few days as a digital nomad. My mind is spinning with ideas, possibilities and things to look forward to on my return home. I can’t believe I am…
I wake in the lovely large apartment with an amazing view of the Black Sea out the windows. Even on an overcast day it is gorgeous out there. I am glad I didn’t sleep in the car somewhere on the roadside or try to set up the bivy in the rain. This is a far…
I am reticent to leave Samsun. I really like this town and the Hotel Necmi. It’s relaxing and easy going. But I must head west towards Istanbul if I am to make my flight home on Friday. It’s already Sunday and this next section of road along the Black Sea could take me a while.…
I wake in my monastic room at the absolutely delightful Hotel Necmi and start the day with a run along the Black Sea followed by a delightful breakfast served by the hotel owner. I love that pretty much every hotel in Turkey includes breakfast and that the breakfast is always good. Today I go out…
I wake again to the sight of balloons. But today the sky is blue and the colours of the balloons more vibrant. I watch as they bob higher and lower on the air. A flash of flame illuminates the balloons from within and changes their altitude or direction subtly. Some balloons fly high while others…
I wake up in my bivy bag to the incredible sight of hundreds of brightly coloured balloons lifting off the ground in the Red and Rose Valleys below the camping ground. It is absolutely spectacular. I’d head that there were lots of balloon flights here in Cappadocia but was not prepared for it to be…
Cappadocia was never on my Turkey travel plans. All I knew about this area was that people come here to take balloon trips. And balloon trips are not really something that excites me. Nor does my budget extend to the cost of such an adventure. But then I had the rental car and ten days…
I have read mixed reviews about the Ihlara Valley hike in Cappadocia. Some say that it is full of tourists and rubbish. Others say it is beautiful. There are more knockers than supporters. But as I leave Aksaray I see a brown tourist sign pointing in the direction of Ihlara. I decide to turn off…
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