Day 71: Istanbul, Turkey!!!

Stats... 60km in 3hrs. We woke up to yet another bright blue sky and made our coffee on the gas cooker for the last time. We dismantled the tent and loaded up the bikes feeling very emotional. For the first time in 71 days I experienced cycling with the trots! I pumped myself full of immodium and just thought of the nice hotel waiting for us at the end. We were on the road by 9am and after a couple of loo stops we started to get somewhere. I must just mention that we discovered a loo that has a plastic bag wrapped around the seat and after you have finished, it rewraps itself... ingenious. We followed the D100 highway up and down severall huge hills into the city heading for the airport. For most of the way we could use the hard shoulder which was not too bad however it kept disappearing which is when it became a bit hair raising. The most dangerous part is the millions of junctions and slip roads to join and leave the highway. Generally we have a quick look over the shoulder, hope not to wobble too much then heads down, hold your breath and peddle as fast as poss... seems to work! We witnessed a car crash which really is not suprising given the way in which the cars cut and weave their way along. To top it off the road has huge drain covers with slits just wide enough for your tyre to slip through, cats eyes that are solid glass and stand approx 5cm out of the floor and very uneven tarmac surface with a few very large potholes to top it off. As we stopped at the top of a hill for a breather, we saw a small quiet road turning to the right towards the coast which looked very desirable. We decided to head that way which was a great decision. We were of the opinion that as long as we kept between the coast and the train line we would be going in the right direction. We had another short stop when we had the finishing line in our sights... the blue mosque. We cruised on round the coast with only one minor mishap where a car nearly took Kris off his bike which meant he nearly used his dog protection throwing stones as not very happy with the man in the car throwing stones!

We arrived at the blue mosque shortly after feeling triumphant, sad and relieved. We sat and absorbed the atmosphere almost in silence. It wasnt an anti climax as such but we just kind of felt numb. So much so, we forgot to take any photos! We sat and reflected on the 900,000 revalutions, 250 hours saddle time and 4,400 km (2,800 miles). Somewhere along the line we did an extra 600 miles more than expected! Once we had regained our strength we cycled the city to find a hotel. This was not a pleasurable experience as there are millions with each one trying to bleed you dry! After searching far and wide from hostel dorm to 5 stars, we settled on the Amiral Palace where the receptionist was friendly and helpful. It was a little more than we intended but we also felt as though we deserved it bearing in mind we have not showered for 3 days and we have cycled 12 days without a day off. After unloading for the last time we enjoyed some R&R before heading into the town for a celebratory dinner and to watch the sun set over the blue mosque. We had a few beers at the cheers bar and a couple of games of backgammon. We made it!