DAY 19: Biga – Gürece (Turkey)

On Day 19, I woke up before 5:00 AM.

Today’s destination is a town called Gürece, 36 kilometers away.

The route includes a couple of hills, each about 100 meters high.

Compared to the areas around Istanbul—where there are many large cities—this region has less traffic, and the air is still clean.

I’m moving away from the interior and back toward the shores of the Sea of ​​Marmara. It’s about 90 kilometers to Çanakkale.

I could potentially reach it in two days, but there’s no need to push myself.

The main thing is to focus on the present—to enjoy the here and now—and to think only about wonderful, pleasant things.

I dried my tent and other gear, which had been left wet from yesterday, inside the room.

By morning, everything—including my laundry—was completely dry.

My gear is my travel partner, so I treat it with care.

When traveling alone, staying in tune with one’s equipment is essential.

I never forget to say "thank you" to my gear.

Breakfast—this comes with a fried egg and Turkish coffee.

The trees are already taking on the colors of autumn…

The temperature difference between day and night is causing the leaves to gradually change color.

In Turkey, mountain passes often lack even a name, let alone a sign.

After all that hard work climbing up, there’s nothing there—just a spot where the wind blows through.

In Japan, most mountain passes have names, and signs often indicate their elevation.

Since Japan is a mountainous country, passes are everywhere, and perhaps they hold a special place in the hearts of the local people.

Riding through the Turkish wilderness… enjoying a touch of the wild.

Before heading to my hotel, I stopped by "Deniz Market"—the only shop in the town of Gürece.

The owner, a man with a wonderful smile, kindly let me take his photo.

I arrived in front of a motel in Gürece just before 3:00 PM, but there was no one around.

I’m not even sure if it’s actually open for business. I asked a local resident, who kindly made a phone call for me, and then I waited for a while.

There were so many hills today that I’m completely exhausted. Luckily, I reached my destination before the rain started.

I was waiting in front of the hotel when the rain began to fall.

About 30 minutes later, the owner of Gürece Motel arrived.

We quickly agreed on a price of 1,500 Lira (breakfast not included).

The building is old, but the room itself was clean.

There was a small shop on-site, so I bought some water.

It’s a tiny town with no restaurants.

I’ve only had drinks since breakfast this morning.

For dinner, I ate the leftovers from yesterday’s *pide*, along with a banana and some mandarin oranges.

Today’s distance was 36.2 km, but the constant ups and downs really took a toll.

It seems the other motel in Gürece—which still appears on Google Maps—closed down a few years ago.

If Gürece Motel hadn’t been open, I would have been left wandering around, struggling to find a place to stay.

Today’s kitties…

Distance traveled today: 36.2 km

Total distance from Istanbul: 439.8 km

*Click here for photos taken today.

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