Day 8: Yalova to Gemlik (Turkey)

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 there are quite a few young people who speak English.

They followed me on Instagram.

They kindly told me to message them anytime if I ran into any trouble.

I bought a pizza to go and had lunch in a park.

It started getting a bit warm, so I took off my jacket.

After entering Gemlik, a man passing by gave me some freshly picked figs.

On my way to a hotel in the city center, I bought a *dürüm* (wrap) to go.

The owner thoughtfully invited me to sit and have some *çay* (Turkish tea), so I took a short break.

They told me they’d never seen a traveler moving under their own power like this before.

The owner explained something in Turkish to the other staff members.

"He's an amazing guy who came all the way from Japan and is traveling from Istanbul to Antalya using only human power."

That’s likely what he was saying.

I thanked them and headed straight for the hotel. The muscle soreness is gone, but I’m feeling a lot of full-body fatigue.

I’ll give it my all for one more day tomorrow.

Today’s distance: 31.5 km

Total distance from Istanbul: 192.6 km

*Photos from today are here

*Video playlist is here