Day 2

I haven’t had a long stop in Igdir as I should consider the time, language barrier and I was full of energy and so excited to be on the road again.
I wanted to be out in the nature, to camp, to sleep under starry sky and listen to the nature. I was so impatient.
I left Fatma’s parents and said goodbye to them on the street. I was there on my bike and I was feeling the real journey has begun.
A very hot day while I had to climb a long hill under the heat. Temperature was around 45 C and I was burning!! I had to drink too much water just to provide enough water to my body.
I could have rest for some time and climb that hill in a better weather but I did it in the hottest time of the day at 14:00 pm. The reason I did it because I was in Iran for a long time and I needed to get back to the normal condition of mental ability. Living at home and within people bring lots of fear because people transfer all their fears to you and I needed to wash my soul, so nothing is better than a hard physical activity in a very hard condition.
That’s like washing the ashes off from your soul.
In the evening after I already finished water I had no choice except to get into the next village or town to get some water.
I was tired mostly because of heat and it was about sunset and getting dark. So I just needed water. I decided to ask truck drivers. One was coming and I showed him my empty bottle, he trown a bottle and I went back to get it…it was empty!! Two more cars stopped and they said they don’t have water.
After 3 person give you a negative answer means forget it ! I had to cycle by myself. It was totally dark that I arrived to the village called Digor.
I passed by a supermarket but they didn’t have water. I asked him to fill my bottle from the tab so he did. But one of my bottle which I just took it from the road had a little whole in it and it was licking. I had no choice, I should have keep it anyway. So I tried to find a position for it to keep the water.
I was leaving the shop which I saw a watermelon….oh no! I cant ignore it. I had extra  5kg watermelon + 5 liters of water on my bike to carry to get out of the town and I had to climb to get out of there.  I was climbing hard and trying to find a place to camp but it is too hard at dark !
Finally I just left the road and walked off the road for about few hundred meters and hardly I could find a flat place to pitch my tent.
It was about 10pm that I finished and I was at home!! A lovely watermelon was all my dinner that night because I was too tired to cook.

Day 3
It was a climbing day…almost most of the day I was climbing and I didn’t ride much that day.
I had nothing very special that day and just riding. But the good thing was leaving hot area and climbing means getting in to the cooler places.
It was about 4pm that I suddenly weather changed and I had kind of storm. A very strong head wind which didn’t let me cycle farther began.
for the first time I had to get off from my bike and push it. 45 minutes of pushing bike helped me to go less than 2km, so it was silly to continue.
I found a nice stream down there and very green and beautiful land.
The best place for camping I thought and also let it to have some times to enjoy, taking shower in the river and have some rest. The only problem was not having enough drinking water because I was not ready to camp yet.
I checked and I had less than 2 liters which was nothing.
suddenly I recalled myself of some water purifying tablets which my friend just gave me few days before I left Iran.
hahaha…lets enjoy then.

Day 4
again a day mostly climbing, the hot weather was already gone and it was quite cool even though during the day and under sun light does not make a big different. I passed Ardahan.
but it was green everywhere and huge number of cows on the postures, eating fresh grasses.
I cycled about 80km and in the evening on the middle of a long climb I decided to camp. Again it was about sunset and I too windy.
I found a place like a bowl which was good enough to be protected from that strong wind but I haven’t thought of hard rain!!
There were some clouds on the sky and I thought it could be a good idea to put the cover of my tent too!
I told myself that now I have my tent covered, so it could be nice to have a light rain and listen to the rain, but at the middle of night a very strong storm arrived. It started with a very strong wind and then heavy rain and thunders.
I was at the bottom of a bowl, so water from everywhere running under my tent and my tent got wet inside because of some wholes it has. Anyway it is quite old tent and not good anymore for such a rain!
I have to think of a new one and send my request to the universe though.
Everything were wet it was still fine, but thunder came closer and it was just next to my tent. It was vey loud and scaring. I just tried to keep peace and stay calm and after 40 min I was so happy it is far now.
Next day I had to wait for the sun to raise and dry up everything before I leave again .

Day 5
I was tired because of last night, I couldn’t sleep well. Again I had a strong head wind but I knew there is a town ahead of me which I can reach there and go to hotel to have a good rest.
my speed was too low even though it was a flat road.
Finally I got to the city called Artvin and last 10km was just downhill which was great!! But in the city I had to climb 4.8km on a 12% gradient steep to get into the center and find a hotel! And I went into the very first one and I got a room….I washed all my cloths and hang them all around the room!
Day 6
70km to the sea side which was a good motivation to climb the last hill under rain.
It was amazing and I felt so good to ride under rain. And finally at the sea side. I was planning to get into Rize that day to stay with guy from WS but I couldn’t reach there. I tried to catch a bus but they didn’t take me because I had a bicycle. So I called that guy and I told him that I cant get there, so I just found a place in a park in a little town of Arhavi and slept by the sea.

Day 7
I cycled to Rize and continued toward Trabzon. But 20km before Trabzon I camped. A friend of my friend was also going to Trabzon and she asked her host if possible to host 2 persons and the answer was positive. So I stayed near Trabzon to be able to get there next day easily. It was planning to be a resting day. I had to wait till 5pm when the person could open the door for us, but at 12 my friend called me and said, there was a mistake and the positive answer was not from her host, so she is sorry about it.
I didn’t want to stay in such a big and crazy city when I don’t know anyone. It is not fun at all.
so I passed the town.

20km farther I was cycling which I saw a little sign written Laleh Pansion. It was 3 pm and I just stopped to have a look. It was near a town called Accabat.
It was so nice and had an amazing view over the sea, but price was a bit expensive for me. 30 EUR.
I left but after 100m I returned. I asked him if possible for 20 and he said fine!
I told myself that I really deserve a nice and quiet place to have a good rest. No matter….just stay.
I had an amazing evening with my coffee at the terrace and also hanging all my cloths there to dry.
Of course I was not planning to stay there, so I didn’t have enough food with me and no shops around.
In the morning when I was getting ready, I heard some ones speak Persian. There were 2 Iranian families staying there too which was surprising for me.
we had a little chat and they invited me to have breakfast with them and we had a lovely chat over breakfast mostly about environmental issues in Iran and what we can do for it.
They asked me to have a picture together and meantime when they were getting ready, I also packed and got ready and we were going to leave at the same time.
Sara (One of them ) came and asked me if they can pay for my room to support? It was great and I was so happy to have their kindness.
I told her it is not only about 20 EUR but about to bring more confident for my beliefs. I told her that I feel like the life is kind a huge feast and there is everything we might need and we deserve, just we should take them with no fear. And they loaded me with lots of food and nuts.
I left them happily with a heart full of love and peace.

10 September 2014