DAY 24: Çanakkale – Ezine (Turkey)

Day 24 began with a 4:30 AM wake-up call.

It looks like another chilly, rainy day ahead.

Taking two days off makes the body feel sluggish.

Rather than feeling refreshed, the temptation to just say, "I’ve had enough of this hard work," starts to creep in.

Still, I keep moving forward because the journey brings so many encounters, discoveries, realizations, and lessons.

Today’s target is 45 kilometers. I’ll make sure I’m well-prepared for the rain and cold before I head out.

I set off just before 8:00 AM, handling the self-checkout myself.

Come to think of it, the owner here left for Thailand yesterday for work.

After leaving the city of Çanakkale, I passed through what was essentially a continuous stretch leading into the town of Kepaz.

I followed a back road along the coast for about 9 kilometers before merging onto the D550 highway.

I had traveled this route by minibus two days ago to visit the ruins of Troy, so I was already familiar with the lay of the land.

I managed to cover 20 kilometers by the end of the morning.

The wind is strong and cold, but fortunately, it’s a tailwind.

The photo shows an olive tree.

Around 1:30 PM, the rain began to fall.

It continued intermittently throughout the rest of the day.

Thankfully, it wasn’t heavy enough to soak through my shoes.

The strong tailwind (blowing from the north) actually helped push me along, even on the climbs.

I had to cross about three hills today.

In the rain, the only places to take a break are spots with a roof—like bus stops—but there were hardly any to be found. I ended up taking a few short breaks while standing.

It’s been a while since I last covered over 40 kilometers in a day.

Just past 5:00 PM, after covering 46.1 kilometers, I checked into a hotel in Ezine.

Even though I arrived without a reservation, they offered me a large room for 2,500 Lira, equipped with three beds (two singles and one double).

The forecast for tomorrow shows some lingering rain in the morning, but it should be mostly cloudy by the afternoon. The wind is strong, just as it was today.

I’ve finally surpassed a total distance of 500 kilometers since leaving Istanbul.

Distance traveled today: 46.1 km

Total distance from Istanbul: 543.6 km

*Click here for photos taken today.

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