Dokkodo: Lonesome Road of Running

Woke up at 4:30 AM. Planned to cover the approximately 30-kilometer stretch from Gürikre to Karacabey. The weather is mostly cloudy, with rain expected starting tonight. Temperatures range from 11°C to 15°C. From here on, until reaching Bandırma, there is a stretch with no accommodation—or rather, only hotels that exceed my budget. Tonight, I plan to camp—my first time setting up a tent in Turkey. Started at 7:40 AM. I am incredibly happy and grateful that it isn’t raining. The D200 highway remains a stressful route, but that’s to be expected when traveling through densely populated areas. Once I cleared the city of Bursa, the traffic finally began to thin out. However, that also meant fewer towns, with little more than the occasional gas station along the road. Today, I didn’t come across any supermarkets like A101 or BIM along the highway. I only stopped once for a quick break, remaining standing the whole time. My only shopping stop was at a gas station two kilometers before the cam...

I woke up at 5:00 AM, only to find the power out. It was restored around 6:30 AM. The rain is coming down hard. It seems there was a live music performance at the bar next door last night, running from 9:00 PM until around midnight. The volume was quite high, but I was able to enjoy the live music even while I slept. Breakfast at 8:00 AM. The menu is almost the same as yesterday’s. Through news on TV and the internet, I learned about the flooding that hit the Istanbul area yesterday. Here is a summary: Severe thunderstorms, centered around Istanbul, caused widespread flooding and landslides. Impact: 1,277 instances of flooding and 15 landslides. A 14-year-old boy suffered an electric shock. Approximately 800 homes, 280 businesses, and 76 vehicles were damaged. 47 people were left stranded, and traffic was nearly paralyzed (at about 90% congestion). Roads collapsed, and a retaining wall at a school gave way. Rainfall: Up to approximately 194mm (in Beykoz-Ömerli). Some areas saw about 10...

A day off in Bursa. Even on days when I’m not running, I wake up early. Up at 5:30 AM. It’s raining, so I think I’ll just take it easy at the hotel. Thanks to digital tools like the internet, I don't get bored, but it makes me wonder—how did people spend their days off while traveling in the analog era? I have just one week left of being 65 years old. I am filled with gratitude and emotion that I’m able to continue this journey. 8:00 AM: Hotel breakfast. It’s much the same at every hotel, but this seems to be a standard Turkish breakfast. Çay (Turkish tea), bread (including *simit*), several types of cheese, ham, pickled olives, cream cheese, honey, butter, a Nutella-like spread, mandarin oranges, tomatoes, cucumbers, plus an omelet and french fries. It might look like a small portion, but it’s actually quite a lot. I only had two slices of bread. After breakfast, I took a walk around the city. I was in the western part of Bursa, not really a tourist area. I walked to a nearby supe...

Day 9: Cloudy skies. It looks like it rained overnight, and the forecast calls for more rain this afternoon. Temperatures are ranging from 14°C to 21°C. I set off at 7:15 AM, right after breakfast, and immediately got onto the D575 highway. The fenced sidewalk suddenly ended, forcing me to unload my gear and carry the buggy over the gap. You can't always rely on sidewalks in Turkey; even if you get onto one, it often turns out to be a dead end. It took about three hours to reach a mountain pass at an elevation of around 300 meters. It was quite a long haul. Although the 7% gradient was steady, a long, drawn-out uphill climb takes a psychological toll. With about 10 kilometers left to go, I turned off the D575 onto a back road. I stopped at a BIM store along the way to pick up a few things. There’s almost always a cat hanging around the entrance of these supermarkets. It was a pleasant road that wound through orchards. It was a relief that there was hardly any car traffic. Afterward...

Woke up at 4:00 AM. Since breakfast wasn't included this morning, I ate whatever snacks I had on hand and set off at 7:00. Today’s route to Gemlik covers just over 30 kilometers. Temperatures range from 15°C to 24°C. There is a mountain pass of about 300 meters to cross along the way. It’s a cloudy day. It looks like steady rain might set in starting tomorrow. I plan to take a rest day the day after I arrive in Bursa. The climb begins shortly after starting. The gradient isn't particularly steep, but it’s a long, steady uphill slog. I make my way up at a leisurely pace, taking short breaks now and then. Reached the top of the pass just after 9:00 AM. The weather is pleasant—neither too hot nor too cold. I enjoy the descent from here. There were a few more uphill sections along the way, but I entered the town of Orhangazi after the 16-kilometer mark. It’s a bustling town, too. A staff member at an electronics shop called out to me and treated me to coffee and water. It seems the...