Just a quick note to let you know that all’s well here in Turkey but we’ve been having some long hilly rides over the last few days, as well as some cold and wet weather, so blog writing has taken a…
A day to myself in Kars (rest day)
From the sound of the talk at breakfast I’m glad I took myself off to my room when I did last night, there were several hangovers amongst the group this morning! I’d seen a very nice looking cafe as I…
Out and about in Kars (extra rest day)
Yesterday was a warm day so I slept with the window open which was fine, except that sunrise is at 0545 in Kars at present. As anyone who’s been to Turkey knows there are a lot of mosques in any…
To Kars we go (not stages 101 and 102)
By the time we went to bed last night we felt like we were taking part in a murder mystery television programme. I mentioned yesterday that the hotel had been re-opened just to accommodate us, and obviously it had been done in…
Trouble in paradise (stage 100)
So this morning we have a new plan for the next few days after an attack by members of the PKK (The Kurdish Workers Party) on Turkish soldiers which happened overnight, with nine people killed and others wounded. There’s not been…
Farewell Iran (stage 99)
Not a very restful night, as Andreas put it Came for the mosquitos, stayed for the barking dogs. so everyone was up and about earlier than strictly necessary, myself included, and ready to get out and riding. The good news…
Leaving Tabriz (stage 98)
We were moving earlier than planned this morning – it seems that I’m now programmed to wake up at 0500 and despite the fact that I didn’t need to this morning I still did. I dozed through till 0615, then…
Fascinating Tabriz (rest day)
Awake shortly after 0700 which isn’t too bad I guess, though I’d have been quite happy for that to have been later. One thing I’m really looking forward to when I get home is a decent breakfast, with things like…
Down to Tabriz (stage 97)
Something of a sleep in this morning with breakfast at 0700 at which point it was a rather crisp 3ºC, so while I’m happy that the afternoons have become somewhat cooler I’m not impressed with the mornings being so chilly…
The endless valley (stage 96)
Never mind death by a thousand paper-cuts, the middle of today felt like death by an endless 1% climb – in the end we spent 95km climbing gradually through the same valley which was starting to send me slightly crazy…