Two days ago we took the ferry from Istanbul to Mudyana then rode 300 km east to Cannakale on the Dardanelles Strait. Major problems with my bike - both carburettors not delivering enough fuel, fuel cock starving the carburettors and oil leaking from the right hand tappet cover all over my boot (not a great problem, they looked very shiny at the end of the trip) and the brake pedal (major problem - it became very slippery). But I wasn't Robinson Crusoe! We've probably been lulled into a false sense of security over the last few days - thinking that we're on top of the problems with the bikes - but everyone was snapped back into reality by a series of major setbacks. That included the Leader's bike breaking down and being towed for the last 600 km!!
Waiting to board the ferry at Istanbul. They loaded us last!
But most of the bike problems have been fixed and everyone has made it to Kum on the Gallipoli Peninsula. We're camped on the beach just south of ANZAC Cove and today I rode around Lone Pine, ANZAC Cove and Helles Point in perfect weather, This is only the second time I've erected the tent so it's good to get some use out of it,
Camping at Kum
A common scene - fixing bikes
Off to Greece tomorrow - and our final border crossing, back into the European Union. We should make Alexandropoulis which will mean mixing it with city traffic. Istanbul wasn't the nightmare everyone was expecting. Or maybe we're just getting used to muscling our way through.....
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