Cycling Yogi From Ipsala to Thessaloniki in 2 weeks
-my first solo tour-
Some of you know me as a yogi and, indeed, I am a yoga lover, but on two wheels. I adore cycling and it has been a growing passion in my life for the last 3-4 years. Visitors of Istanbul would definitely tell you that it is not a bike friendly city, but indeed we have a critical mass here to defend our rights and claim that "we are traffic".
It was around February last year when I decided to go on a bike tour on my own. I had some experience from the former years about camping, cycling and cooking on the roads, but I had never planned a trip on my own before. So it looked like a totally exciting plan, especially considering my abilities to get lost even in the cities I know so well.
After making my decision, it was time to choose the route and begin to get prepared. I first started by making a list of what I need. The list needed to be short as I would carry them all, but still it had to be well designed to match all my needs on the roads as there would be no one to cry to! I bought cycling bags, repair tools, tent and amongst other stuff and began to do regular trainings. I was on bicycle nearly all weekends and trying to learn practical things for emergency cases, such as how to fix a broken chain or a flat bike tire.
I needed people to encourage me; so I begun to hang out with people who would do that. I would host cyclists from all around the world via warmshowers (it is a website for hospitality exchange for touring cyclists similar to couchsurfing) and I had so many questions to ask those travellers for touring tips.
I needed the nectar of their experience. It was very helpful and I learned a lot; their biggest help was the motivation they provided. They all said “of course you can do it!” and they never let me stay with dark thoughts spreading from my fears. I also became a member of “Bicycle traveling women”, a Facebook group and read the amazing experiences of those brave women travelling alone.
25TH June 2016: I took a bus to the Turkish border and began to cycle towards Greece. It was the first time that I was leaving my country on my bicycle and my experience was so amazing from the very first moments.
I was cycling 40-60 km a day, through villages, cities; resting under the shadow of a tree or having a cold frappe if I found the opportunity. I was enjoying everything madly because it was so well deserved. Some people thought I was crazy, some applauded me, some didn’t care; but the thing is when you are following your dreams it really doesn’t matter what others think. I learned a lot. I realised that I can find my way anyway. I had great time with myself.
I cycled 500km between Ipsala and Thessaloniki in two weeks, staying in tents at different sites every single day. My world widened. I slept under the stars, met amazing people, read many books, remembered how wonderful the world is and that opportunities are endless. I didn’t activate 3G on purpose, so with limited internet, I had more time to spend in nature; more importantly, to live the moment. When I had wifi connection, it was always like a gift to be able to connect to my loved ones. I swam in the purest waters, I ate the most delicious seafood and despite forgetting my passport at a camping site, which kept me from going to Thassos Island, everything was so smooth and nice.
At the end, I feel like I became a better friend with myself.
Most common question I was coming across was if I’m getting bored. First of all, I didn’t have time to get bored. In such a simple life model, you have to be doing something at all times to survive. I was either putting up my tent, cooking, washing my stuff (as I had just 2 shorts & shirts with me) or planning my route for next day. And when I had time to enjoy, it was always so precious. I remember some moments that I was listening to music while watching the waves or enjoying my frappe while chatting with a local. Totally simple experiences adverse to the daily routine. Totally sweet!
You can find a more detailed version of my experience on instagram if you'd like to know more and if any of you have a tendency to travel on bicycle, I am here to motivate you. I will help you to overcome your fears and share all the knowledge I have. Now I know that nothing can stop me and I am ready to explore the world…
Please visit my cycling blog for a more detailed version of the tour: biletsizyolculuklar
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