Day 9: Gemlik to Bursa (Turkey)

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, I got onto a riverside promenade, but rain suddenly started falling and quickly turned into a downpour. I had to put on my rain gear. The rain was relentless, and my feet got soaked instantly.

With 3 kilometers remaining, I had to cross the D575, but the problem was that I had to use a pedestrian overpass.

There was an elevator, but it was out of order.

With no other choice, I had to carry the buggy and my gear up and down the stairs.

The elevator on the other side was working! However, my buggy was too big to fit inside.

I had no choice but to use the stairs again. On the way down, two men passing by helped me out—a huge lifesaver.

Turkish people are just so kind!

I ended up having to carry the buggy and my gear twice today.

With 2 kilometers left, the rain had turned the road shoulder into a series of puddles—practically small ponds. Poor drainage caused the road to flood instantly.

Navigating the busy Bursa ramps required extreme caution; I had to make a mad dash whenever there was a break in traffic.

It was incredibly hard on my heart.

The hills in the city were tough again today. Even the final stretch to the hotel was an uphill climb.

Tomorrow is a rest day. The forecast calls for continued rain.

Today's distance: 32.9 km

Total distance from Istanbul: 225.5 km

*Click here for photos taken today

*Click here for the video playlist