Well, hello again to all of you! A new morning, and a new chapter of our adventure. Day 7 lies ahead and it’s going to be a good one.
It’s likewise another day waking up to the enhanced version of “the sounds of nature,” and today, we have the sound of the sea!
Let’s get going because today is all about reaching a milestone. With everything packed up, I head quickly and directly to the border, which, as it turns out, is right there.
First Impressions at the Border
First impressions? What an imposing border! You can immediately feel that we’ve entered a different paradigm. Everything is on a grand scale, both in size and control.
A Hiccup at the Border: Insurance Hassles
I pass through the first passport control – everything’s fine. Then, the second passport control, motorcycle documents, and insurance… not fine! Well, having Portuguese blood in most cases – including mine – means dealing with things either the day before or, in some cases, on the very day.
That’s what happened with the territorial extension of my insurance. The day before, I realized it might be better to handle this. I spoke to my insurance agent, paid for the territorial extension, and happily continued my journey.
He sent me the new green card, which I, being myself, printed without looking and kept. Well, papers at the border control, and I’m informed that I don’t have Turkish insurance. What? How come? I paid, and I have the receipt… I’ll call Portugal.
Small problem, in Portugal, it’s around 7 AM…
How I got Through the Border
Well, I asked if there was insurance available inside the building, which also has duty-free shops, etc. The answer was yes. So all I needed to do, was to go there and come back with the brand new Turkish insurance. Superhero meets regular problem-solver type of thing.
And so, 30 minutes later and €54 lighter, I had a three-month visa… and motorcycle insurance… If I, by any casual twist of faith or nomadic delusion, don’t want to return to Portugal, I have three months of insurance. Not everything is bad… I tried to buy a Turkish SIM card, but it’s sold out! The reason was, that while I hassled back and forward, several tourist buses arrived and snagged all the SIM cards, ruining my plan to have internet, at least for now.
We proceed to the third border control. This time here to check… well… everything again – passport, insurance, motorcycle documents… Everything’s okay, let’s go!
Direction: Istanbul
Direction: Istanbul. We have a good road, two lanes on each side. Getting to Istambul should be a walk in the park… Why shouldn’t it be? It’s all in the details, and sometimes they come as road signs, engraved with a speed limit of 70 km/h.
I promised myself hundreds of times that I would never complain about the Portuguese speed limits ever again. It turns out that when it comes to speed limits, we (the Portuguese) are speed lunatics, which in turn, makes the Germans totally unconscious!
70 km/h with speed control on-site, dozens of police checks… Well, clearly in Turkey, I’ll try to respect…I keep going, stopping to combat sleep and boredom because, in addition to everything else, the road is mainly endless straight stretches…
Making Stops Along the Way and Meeting the Locals
First stop for coffee, coffee, caffeine, I don’t know what they call it… Gestures with my fingers… nothing… I heard something that sounded like “txei”… so I promptly signaled yes, hoping to receive tea! And that’s exactly what happened. I don’t know what it was, but it was good…
Sign indicating “Tostas” (toasts)… well, I also have no idea what that is, but I ask for the simplest one. And… I nailed that one. A beautiful cheese toast comes out.
Unexpected Sights
We continue on our way, and what do I see? A plane by the side of the road, like the old plane on the second circular road (for those who remember those Lisbon past times). If that were the case, I could embark on a whole new journey and forget about the motorcycle idea, as I’m already worn out! Just kidding!!!!
The plane turned out to be a restaurant, quite nice inside, actually. I didn’t eat because it was still officially closed, and I also didn’t want to waste time. The idea was to arrive early in Istanbul and try to avoid the most chaotic traffic hours. After all, there are 20 million people in the city!
Another pleasant conversation with one of the employees who spoke reasonably good English. Inevitable football talk and a first perception of how I would be received on this first day in Turkey, wherever I stopped.
Arrival in Istanbul
We continue for a few more kilometers until we stop to refuel, just before reaching Istanbul. Time to test gasoline at €1.30 per liter. So good!
Another very nice conversation with the two guys at the gas station, this time at their suggestion using Google Translate on one of their phones… They really wanted to know about the trip; they were surprised and pleased with the idea.
Here’s the photo and the promise that they would follow the journey, and I would post our photo!
Here it is, my friends, in case you see the text on Google Translate, a hug, and thanks for the kindness!
Welcome to Istanbul
Istanbul… well, Istanbul is massive, gigantic, almost indescribable in the vastness of this city as we cover kilometers and kilometers of the city center. The traffic is less friendly and chaotic, just as I expected, but it’s also part of the experience.
Let’s get to know Istanbul.
See you!
