DAY 38: Izmir – Torbalı (Turkey



On Day 38, I woke up a little past 5:00 PM.


The forecast for the latter half of this week shows temperatures ranging from double digits (Celsius) at the low end to the 20s at the high end—it’s going to get warmer.


As I head further south, it’s unlikely I’ll feel cold, provided I don’t gain too much altitude.


Full steam ahead, aiming to reach the finish line in 20 days! Today’s destination is Torbalı, about 40 kilometers away.


Breakfast this morning…




Granola with *ayran* (a salty yogurt drink), coffee, a mandarin orange, and a banana. The granola contains raisins, dates, and dried figs.


Started at 7:40 AM.




I followed a back road suggested by Google Maps, but it turned out to be a series of incredibly steep climbs.


It felt like I was crossing an entire mountain.


I encountered similar hilly terrain back in Spain and Portugal.


It was tough even just walking—it took about 30 minutes to cover a single kilometer.




I navigated through a puddle on a forest road that had turned into a stream.


I couldn’t tell how deep it was, but luckily, my shoes stayed dry.




I ran through a desolate, open landscape that reminded me of the Dalton Highway in Alaska.


There were patches of mud and large, pond-like puddles here and there, but with 15 kilometers left to go, I reached the D550 highway.


It was a quiet road with almost no people or cars.


Despite the frequent, small ups and downs, it was a pleasant run.




To my surprise, Irfan-san was waiting for me in the town of Ayrancılar—at the perfect moment!


A commemorative photo with Irfan-san in a park in Ayrancılar.




The Turkish flag was facing the wrong way! (Haha.)


A little past 4:30 PM, after covering 38.2 kilometers, I checked into a hotel in Torbalı.




Just before reaching the hotel, I got a flat tire—what a surprise! My wheels had been behaving so well lately, too…




Talk about bad timing… 


Things I bought today…




A traditional, natural Turkish sweet called "Çerezya Cevizli Sucuk."


It consists of walnuts threaded onto a string, dipped in a thickened syrup made from boiled-down grape juice (*pekmez*), and then left to dry.


It seems quite high in calories, so it might be a good snack for when I’m on the move.


Distance traveled today: 38.2 km


Total distance from Istanbul: 855.7 km


* See photos taken today here


* See the video playlist here (please subscribe to the channel and leave a "like"!)

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