After two and a half weeks of going up and down big hills, our bikes are coping well. I realized my front crankshaft wasn't working well in Kas; I couldn't get onto the lower gears. It took a Turkish Scotsman working at a bike rental in town to see that the front derailleur had slipped. Once the derailleur was realigned, I was fine. Yesterday, Nadya dropped her bike while dismounting, and the light mounted on the rear mudguard snapped off. There are no bike shops here in Dalyan. Duct tape to the rescue? Such are trips when you are traveling under your own steam: you carry spares; you ask around for help; you improvise.

For those of you thinking of cycling the D400 along the "Torquoise Coast" in December, know that much of the time it is T-shirt and shorts weather (though chilly at night), some campsites and most pensions are open and offer discounts, and Mediterranean Turkey attracts high-end tourists so be careful where you choose to stay and eat. Our pension in Dalyan is costing us 1200 lira per night for a double without breakfast (CAN$36); dinner for two this evening (4 dishes, tea, & dessert) cost us 365 lira (CAN$11). The highway is in good shape (it does not have to endure the freeze-thaw yo-yo that Canadian winter inflicts), there is generally a wide shoulder to cycle on, and motor traffic is relatively light (but stinks because it burns diesel). Turks are courteous drivers but have the lamentable habit of slinging their litter out the windows. On the long hills, I count Tuborg and Eves Malt cans and bottles.

Our purpose on this trip is to travel in a slow and environmentally friendly way and learn what we can about the cultures we encounter. We will spend the month of December in Turkey then the three months (90 days) permitted in European countries belonging to the Schengen Area. We plan to arrive in England early April, 2026. We navigate using Google Maps, enabled by a Turktel SIM. Background info on places to see comes from Lonely Planet.

Tony