{"id":1699,"date":"2023-05-26T19:35:33","date_gmt":"2023-05-26T19:35:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/madbikerides.com\/?p=1699"},"modified":"2023-05-26T19:46:12","modified_gmt":"2023-05-26T19:46:12","slug":"34-soke-to-gulluck","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/madbikerides.com\/?p=1699","title":{"rendered":"34. Soke to Gulluck"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Martin slept. I slept a bit! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The hotel saga got better!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We had opted for an early-ish start\u2026to get the hell out of this immemorable place (actually very memorable!). So we met in the back reception area\u2026.hoping to find someone to open up the transit\u2026to release our bikes! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We were laughing about our night. Calls to prayer\u2026setting alarms to change batteries\u2026worrying about bed bugs\u2026etc. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

And suddenly there was stirring from the couch (tucked round the corner on the right of the photo!)\u2026and a guy we had not seen\u2026mumbled what sounded like obscenities\u2026\u201dFFS I am trying to sleep\u201d\u2026sort of thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So we quietened down\u2026and went searching for the young manager who had fixed things up. No response from the bus. No response from the van. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We phoned up the hotel\u2026on all its numbers. Nothing! Wasted half an hour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And then decided we had to wake up grumpy guts for some help!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Without one word\u2026..not one!!\u2026..he stretched\u2026..farted\u2026..fumbled around in his pocket\u2026.found keys\u2026..stood up\u2026and wandered out to unlock the van!! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Irritating\u2026but really comical at one level!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A quality place\u2026not! This is the fire exit door from a six storey hotel\u2026.completely blocked by a concrete planter. (Quite glad we only found this out in the morning!).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

So we were on our way\u2026still quite early really\u2026.(& quite happy to leave Soke)\u2026..for 30kms straight! And when I say straight\u2026I mean it! Not even one slight bend to relieve monotony\u2026for 30kms. And on a fast dual carriageway to boot!!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Turkey\u2019s roading system is fantastic really! If you are in a car! And very safe really for biking. But when building these roads.. they destroy the ordinary roads\u2026so..there is all too often no choice but to use the big roads. Not ideal!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But gladly we were able to turn off\u2026\u2026and take a road less travelled! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Great breakfast\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

And then\u2026a GREAT ride\u2026.which took is away from the coast\u2026so no shit developments etc for nearly 60km!! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Lovely!!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Lots of ups and downs\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u2026before it flattened out (..that is Bodrum airport in the distance)\u2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We spent a while finding a rote avoiding the merging of motorways to circumnavigate the airport!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This was our route under the main airport approach\u2026.! It did not look too bad\u2026but got deeper and deeper\u2026and full of sticky mud\u2026so we both came very close to a wet fall!!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

From here only 6kms or so to our destination. Gulluck! Picked off the map as the first coastal place for sixty kms or so (since breakfast!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And it is delightful! That is the view from my hotel window\u2026a luxurious step up from last night!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Pretty\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2026relaxed\u2026..<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u2026and lots of real life (serious fishing!)\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

And SO close to the airport. It sort of reminded us of riding past Split airport last year\u2026where we rode through lovely beach places\u2026.right next to the airport. But folk are possibly put off by the airport\u2019s proximity!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But this place is really\u2026ok!! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes\u2026I could spend a week here! Not Foca pretty\u2026but\u2026..the water was not Foca cold either!\u2026as I took only my second swim of this trip! At least five degrees warmer\u2026and after a good day of biking in the heat\u2026it was gorgeous!!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So\u2026no second layer\u2026for two days on the trot..ALL day!!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maybe summer has arrived! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We even had a beer on arrival\u2026..when I discovered I still had my room key from last night in my pocket. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I asked the guy here about it\u2026and he threw it in the rubbish bin!\u2026.probably entirely appropriate!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Footnote: as we pulled in to Gulluck\u2026I just passed the 2,500km mark\u2026so (according to prior estimate)\u2026half way exactly!!
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Feeling good. Body working (surprisingly well in fact!). Bum surviving. And LOVING it!!
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It really is such a great way to travel. Not for the feint-hearted\u2026.but it is forever exciting\u2026challenging\u2026sometimes awful\u2026sometimes terrifying\u2026.but actually almost always wonderful\u2026.!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Martin slept. I slept a bit!  The hotel saga got better! We had opted for an early-ish start\u2026to get the hell out of this immemorable place (actually very memorable!). So…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1699","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-collioure-to-istanbul-back-2023"],"yoast_head":"\n34. 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