DAY 13: Gölkiyi – Karacabey (Turkey)

Woke up at 6:00 AM at the campsite in Gölkiyi.

It was so cold that I had to get up twice during the night to use the restroom. It was too freezing yesterday to even take a shower—I didn’t want to risk catching a cold.

Although I spent nearly 12 hours in my sleeping bag—my first time camping in a tent for a while—I kept having strange dreams and couldn't get a good night's sleep.

Once it got light out, I started packing up.

After breakfast, I discovered a flat tire on the rear-right wheel of my buggy and set about fixing it. A piece of wire from the tire casing had punctured it in two places.

I set off just before 9:00 AM.

The campsite owner treated me to some *çay* (Turkish tea) at the café.

A police officer, a friend of the owner, was there too.

The journey along the D200 started off pleasantly, but the road eventually turned into an off-road track, and it began to rain.

A spoke broke—again, on the left side.

What started as a packed dirt path gradually turned into a quagmire—a true "mud hell."

Sticky, clay-like mud caked the soles of my shoes and the tires, making it impossible to move forward.

Every few meters, I had to stop to scrape off the mud; my energy was draining away, and time was just slipping by.

It was only a stretch of about 2.6 kilometers, but it was incredibly exhausting—both physically and mentally.

Even now, just thinking back on it makes my stomach ache.

I’ve had similar experiences in the past, but I had completely forgotten about them.

After struggling for two and a half hours in the rain, I finally managed to pull myself out of that mud hell.

When I finally reached a paved road and got back onto the D200, I was moved to tears.

I kept asking myself: why on earth is a guy over 60 putting himself through something this grueling? "Listen well—this is a training journey meant just for you. Proceed with purpose!" a voice from the heavens declares.

I saw 2 cats today. One is at gas station and the other in front of A-101 in Karacabey.

At 3:00 PM, I reached my destination: a hotel in the heart of Karacabey.

There’s always a special joy in returning to civilization.

I did some laundry by hand. I also washed my shoes in hot water—they were incredibly filthy.

I’ve pushed myself hard, so I’m going to treat myself: tomorrow is a rest day.

I still need to fix a broken spoke, but first, I have to deal with my mud-caked bike.

I picked up a hot sandwich to go.

The man running the shop and his son were both incredibly cheerful and kind.

The hot sandwich was packed with salami, cheese, French fries, ketchup, and mayonnaise. It was more than enough to fill me up! Cost: 130 Lira.

Today’s distance was 18.9 km. It doesn't sound like much, but I’m absolutely exhausted.

Distance traveled today: 18.9 km

Total distance from Istanbul: 292.6 km

*See photos from today here.

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