DAY 15: Karacabey – Bandırma (Turkey)

Woke up at 4:30 AM.

The town is quiet—all I can hear are the chirping of birds and the distant barking of dogs.

Temperatures today will range from 8°C to 20°C. It will be reasonably warm during the day, but I’ll need to set off in full winter gear this morning.

While I’d prefer to avoid rain and wind, perhaps it’s precisely because of them that I’m able to truly appreciate a clear, calm day.

Breakfast at 7:00 AM.

Sunrise is gradually coming later each day.

I’ll wait until it’s light out to depart. The daylight hours are shrinking; the seasons are slowly moving forward.

Finished eating, packed my gear, and checked out.

When I went to retrieve my buggy from the storage area, I found the rear-left tire completely flat. It seems a piece of wire from the road must have punctured it again. I quickly swapped out the inner tube.

The friendly staff member who helped me at check-in watched the whole process. As I was leaving, he shook my hand and used a translation app to show me a kind, heart-warming message: "I wish you a safe and successful journey."

Reflecting on the past two weeks of travel, I’ve come to feel that, in some ways, the Turkish people are quite similar to the Japanese.

With all these repeated flat tires, I can’t afford to dwell on the negatives. Time to shake it off and put on a smile!

Set off at 8:20 AM.

Just before reaching the D200 highway, a car pulled over, and someone handed me a pizza through the window!

Thank you so much!

Continuing west along the D200 today—about 40 kilometers to Bandırma.

Took a break after 15 kilometers. The sky has cleared, revealing a beautiful expanse of blue.

There are no major towns between here and Bandırma—just a few scattered gas stations and the occasional vegetable stand.

The one thing I really hope to avoid is muddy country roads. [Image]

Today’s route on the D200 was quite gentle. I crossed a few small hills, and the road shoulders were wide with very little traffic.

Just after noon, I decided to sit down and eat some pizza that had been given to me. I unfolded the aluminum folding chair I’ve been using for years, but as I went to sit, the frame snapped—sending me crashing onto my backside. I ended up having to eat the pizza standing up. Metal fatigue, perhaps?

Around 4:00 PM, I checked into a hotel in Bandırma, a town situated along the Sea of ​​Marmara. There was a local market set up nearby.

After dropping off my gear in the room, I went out to explore the town.

I picked up some spicy Adana kebab—made with minced lamb—to go. It cost 420 lira.

I’ve been brainstorming ways to deal with my recurring flat tires.

I even checked a hardware store to see if I could find anything useful, and—success!—I finally found something at the market here in Bandırma.

I bought two strips (150 lira each) to place between the tire and the inner tube.

Back in 2016, while cycling through the UK, I used plastic strips called "Tuffy" to protect against punctures from plant thorns; these should hopefully provide a similar level of protection.

Today’s distance: 40.1 km

Total distance from Istanbul: 332.7 km

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