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
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