DAY 14: Karacabey (Turkey)

It has already been two weeks since I left Istanbul.

Although the distance I’ve covered is minimal, I have plenty of time left, so I intend to move forward without any rush or panic.

High costs for dining out and accommodation are simply unavoidable.

"If you travel with a 'Japanese' mindset, you won't be able to enjoy the experience."

This is something I learned during my trip to Spain and Portugal two years ago.

Traveling in a way that mirrors the lives of the locals—that is what’s important.

Bringing a Japanese perspective along on your travels often leads to nothing but complaints and dissatisfaction.

A day off in Karacabey. I woke up at 4:30 AM.

Perhaps because I’ve been consuming too much caffeine—from all the *çay* (tea) and coffee—my sleep has been quite shallow.

I had a dream that I was standing at the front of a classroom again. Dreams about school almost always involve some kind of trouble or unexpected incident! (Haha.)

Today, I plan to find a park with a water source to clean my gear cart.

I also need to repair a broken spoke—for the second time.

For my next trip, I’d like to use puncture-proof tires and titanium spokes.

The low was 8°C, but it warms up during the day.

The weather looks stable for the foreseeable future.

From tomorrow onwards, I’ll continue heading south along the coastline.

To prepare for that, I need to make sure both my gear cart and I are well-maintained.

Breakfast at 7:00 AM.

This morning’s breakfast: an unusually large portion of pickled olives.

It looks quite lively with all the different jams, but there’s no salami or ham to be found. Oh well, that’s fine...

A view of a Sunday morning from the 5th floor (effectively the 6th) of my hotel in Karacabey.

A kitty I spotted this morning in Karacabey.

I headed to Atatürk Park, intending to clean my gear cart.

As it turned out, there was no water source.

I tried using a tree branch to scrape off the dirt, but the soil is clay-like and stuck on so firmly that it’s proving quite difficult to remove. [Image]

The wheels still spin fine, so I think I’ll just let the mud dry, then break it off and peel it away.

Back at the hotel, I replaced a broken spoke.

My supply of spare spokes is running low. The ones currently on the bike might be suffering from metal fatigue.

I’m working in my room—planning the next leg of the trip, editing the upcoming newsletter, and organizing photos and data.

Around 3:00 PM, I headed back into town to pick up some supplies.

Tomorrow’s ride to Bandırma is about 40 kilometers, so I don’t need much in the way of food or water.

However, the 70-kilometer stretch from Bandırma to Biga has very few amenities—just a single gas station (51 kilometers past Bandırma)—so it would be wise to carry extra water and supplies.

Distance traveled today: 0 km

Total distance from Istanbul: 292.6 km

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