Monday October 28
Cycle: 30.22km//2hr2min//14.77km/hr
Ah, there's nothing liking tenting under power lines and an electric roadside billboard. Zap. Snap. Shuffle. Shuffle. Shuffle. Buzz. Hummmmmmmmmmmmmm. So much for crickets softly chirping. Packing up the tent revealed a massive hole Madalene managed to fill with rocks, sticks, and broken honey boxes in the dark of night. Industrious indeed!
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| The hole, now covered with honey box pieces, sticks, and stones. |
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| Aeropress coffee still makes up very happy every morning. |
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Nothing like the hum of power lines to lull you to sleep.
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| Power lines, road signs, how I'll miss you! |
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The ride into Marmaris was, as usual, very mountainous, with plenty of long steady 10% grade climbs and two flats for Madalene. The first just meters away from our camp. The second, at the top our first very long hill climb. Determined not to have another, I inspected the tire and found a massive thorn poking through the rubber. Once that was out, it was smooth sailing. As always, the many long ascents paid off with excellent views descending into Marmaris, nestled as it is into the hillside and fronted by a cove and small islands. Out in the bay were hundreds of sailboats and Turkish gullets. This is definitely a marina town.
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| Flat numero uno. |
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| Flat numero deux. |
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| The offending thorn. |
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| Ingenious. Safe? Unknown. Seen leaving Marmaris. |
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| The Turkish water bottle problem thwarts the side of the road. |
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| Glamour shot Madalene. |
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| Chilling on the descent into Marmaris. Taking in the spectacular views. |
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| This is the view I was admiring. |
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| Look at all the boats! |
We made our descent into town, and found an Internet cafe to look for a bike shop, and somewhere to rest our road weary heads (and dry our wet grubby gear). The Internet cafe: imagine a small room, 14 even smaller computer cubicles, and at least 12 adolescent boys, all gaming. Gaming includes, of course, yelling across the room as loud as you can at the person you're playing against. It also includes adolescent boy GAMER hygiene standards. We hurried to find a bike store, book a pension, and then sanitize everything that touched a surface inside.
An hour later we rolled up to Maltepe Pansiyon. A little old Turkish woman Yara, and her incredibly fat cat greeted us at the gates with a big smile. In keeping with the Turkish way, we had to sit for a cay before checking in, or doing any other business. We were served a homemade hot apple tea that was delicious. Then, and only then, were we shown our rooms. As usual, an explosion occurred in the room seconds after the door was shut. Sleeping bags, mats, tents all sprung from their compression sacks, pleading, drrrrryyyy me.
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| Maltepe Pansiyon |
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| Flowers in the garden. |
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Waiting for my tea in the garden of the Maltepe Pensiyon.
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| Resident genetically fat cat. |
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| The Turkish cycle tourist showering experience. #1) Yes, the toilet and shower area are as one, #2) Leaves clothes on, and clean whilst showering -- socks will feel funny, #3) pots, pans, and cups can come in too, and also will be cleaned in the process (not dish soap sitting on toilet tank). Multi-tasking 101. |
Another hour later we were at the bike shop. Jenn's rear freehub is shot. A couple broken pins that cannot be repaired. The best option: replace the entire hub, including freehub, with a Deore in stock. Great, what'll that cost? Well -- less than the parts in Canada, and an entire wheel build thrown in for good measure Crazy, 60 CAD parts and labor, and it'll be done in a couple of hours! Fingers crossed that the mechanic is a decent wheel builder.
