Cycling into Turkey - Day 74

Tuesday 11th November 2014 - Wake earlyish. Feel worse. These past few days have been an almighty struggle. Cycling big distances when you can't breathe, have a sore throat, sore head, stuffy & runny nose and have the sickness sweats ... all the fun times!!

But Istanbul is sooo very close now!!

Can hear the lorries outside, continuously passing. Argh.

Misty outside this morning again. Head back up to the petrol station to stock up. Cherry croissant for brekkie, which was nice.

Same road, ride the white line, lorry's, few hills. Think I pass a dying dog at one stage. Either it's been knocked down by a vehicle, or its only waking up. I tell myself its just waking up, as I can't stop and wouldn't be able to do anything for it if it was, or if I did.

Blocked ears makes the traffic quieter today - trying to think of positives of bring ill. Can't smell any horrific smells with a blocked nose either.

Petrol station in Svilengrad. Sit for a while after having some flavoured popcorn and croissants. Try and muster up the energy to leave.

Petrol stations in Bulgaria still have men working on the forecourt. They have a job on their hands here though, trying to choreograph the big lorries pulling in and out, mixed with the cars.

Onto the motorway now toward the border, quiet big hard shoulder of smooth tarmac.

Bottles of urine and shredded tyres litter the road side.

Come up to a newly built, but not open wide road. Traffic is diverted into single file, I continue on down the lovely new tarmac road and have it all to myself!

Lorries stopping about 10km from the Turkish border, queued up, waiting.

Eventually pass them all and arrive at the border. First check, just show my passport.

Next check I end up having to wait an hour, as the Bulgarian side had no electricity!! Get cold.

Pass through the next checkpoint, cars driving through without stopping,  but I get yelled at and called back.

Wait for several minutes, no one comes speaks to me or comes out. Go to cycle off again, then get shouted at again. They finally take my passport and put details on computer.

Next check, guy barely looks at my Turkish visa on my phone before he stamps passport. Okay.

Next one cycle on through, as it's just the vechile registration plate check.

Finally, I'm into Turkey - my 14th country I'll have cycled in this trip.

Along the hard shoulder of the D100.
Then head into Edrine. Getting dark after all that phaffing around at the border.

Can't believe the aliveness of the city when I arrive. Lights, people, shops, restaurants, noise, music, chatter everywhere. My senses are assaulted, my eyes take time to adjust to all the colours.

Feels so alive compared to the last few weeks through the towns of Serbia and Bulgaria.

Find hotel in centre, B&B for under £20.

Do some washing in the bathroom sink. Then crash out, as still totally bunged up with the sickness.

Day 74 - 11.11.14
Haskovo, Bulgaria to Edirne, Turkey
4h 48min cycling
100.2km
2829 calories
591 metres asc

Sick, so sick of Bulgarian Lorries - Day 73

Monday 10th November 2014 - Wake with a really sore throat. Haven't been feeling 100% since leaving Sofia, but feel awful this morning.

Go for breakfast in the big fancy dining room. No buffet breakfast. Only order an option of menu. I go for French toast. I get pancakes?? The waitress assures me its French toast. Its clearly not. I can't be bothered with any hassle so just eat it.

Feel so grim.

Head off, stop at petrol station for water and take a couple of paracetamol. Can't hardly swallow, throat is so sore and dry.

Head off.

Main road now, not motorway. No hard shoulder.

Sweats, not exercise ones, sick sweats. All day. Urgh.

Back to riding the white line and lorries skimming me all day. Seems to take forever to do 40km.

Plovdiv - eat at McDonald's. Meant to be nice town, don't have time to go look. So not in a touristy mood either.

Back onto road. Hardly any stops today, just keep going. If I stop I reckon I may not start again.

Can't even drink or look around the road is that busy and dangerous.

Amused by all the little mice along the verge. They scurry away and disappear into their holes, which pock mark the length of dirt and grass along side the road, when I come past.

See lots of cabbage and dead animals.

Put lights on, it gets misty, then dark.
See a road from a petrol station into town, instead of the main road. Decide I'll use it when I get there now its dark, it'll be a safer way into Haskovo.

Turns out there's a motel beside the petrol station. Think it's a truckers place. Into the dark yard behind the building. A big dog barks over in  dark corner, rattling the chains it's on each time. Clank up some metal steps in my cycle shoes to find a man in the bar, watching telly, in a plum of cigarette smoke, with the door locked.

Nice man, hardly any English. 35lev for room, bike comes in too!! Save any hassle riding round town in dark.

Throat still sore. Feel wick.

Day 73 - 10.11.14
Pazardzhik to Haskovo, Bulgaria
5h 34min cycling
109.8km
2892 calories
532 metres asc

Cycling out of Sofia - Day 72

Sunday 9th November 2014 - Early start. Up and away before anyone else awake. Posted the keys of the gate in the letter box before leaving.

Rain overnight, so roads wet, therefore I'll be getting wet and dirty this morning!

Sunday morning so the roads were quiet ish. Cycled through the centre of Sofia, hardly any traffic there, so was able to do my sightseeing without any hassle on the way through. Definitely the time to cycle in the city, early Sunday mornings!

Onto main road out the east of Sofia, which then turned into a motorway, the A1/E80. Bicycles allowed though and eventually there was a nice wide hard shoulder to use. Sun coming through too and nice scenery off in the distance.

Come off motorway, thinking it'd be nice to ride on a quieter country road. No. It's not. Too many climbs and pot hole roads... Find my way back to the motorway.

See a sign - 110km to a McDonald's.

Hard shoulder for miiilllleeesss. Hassle free cycling, if a little boring. But some of the views were amazing and the colour of the trees everywhere was lovely.

Also had to go through a tunnel. It was okay though, as there were lights through it and the shoulder also continued through it. Then it was downhill for ages after which was fab, if a little chilly!

Get to mcds and feast.

45km to Plovdiv, can't be arsed riding in dark, so cycle into and stop at Pazardzhik, which I'd only a few km from the McDonald's on the E80.

Find most expensive hotel in city of course. Bargain with the woman on reception and get €20 off the room rate. The water is cold though. The bed is comfy. Not feeling great.

Day 72 - 09.11.14
Sofia to Pazardzhik, Bulgaria
6h 04min cycling
121.6km
3584 calories

936 metres asc

Rest Day Sofia - Day 71

Saturday 8th November 2014 - So I decided I would finally take a rest day, after continuously cycling for the past 17 days.

Lay in, then eventually went out to the supermarket for food.

Fooooooood!!!!

So much nice looking things in the supermarket and they also had an amazing hot food counter. Purchased a big bag of a random assortment of food & drink to feast on.

Giant scallions and cabbages for sale at the stalls on the side of the street.

Ate food. Lay about.

Supermarket again in the evening. Started to rain though. Pack for morning. Nice girl I chatted to from Japan in the dorm. Also shared with an Italian guy, who was constantly on his phone trying to sort out some kind of bank transfer between Italy and Bulgaria. Quite annoying to have to listen to after about the third call....

Day 71 - 08.11.14
Sofia, Bulgaria
Rest Day