Foça

This morning was one to test my resolve. When I looked out of my warm room it was overcast. After the shower the first drops of rain were falling. The rain got worse through breakfast. As I wheeled the loaded bike out I saw that the tire was completely flat, then I remembered that checking the innertube was one of the tasks I set myself for the day off the bike.

One patch later on a tube that was looking rather sorry & I was under way. An hour later & it seemed that the same issue of air slowly evacuating the rear tube was continuing to plague me. At the next service station I put in a new tube. I've never had this many flats since changing to high quality puncture resistant touring tires. While fixing the flat I noticed that I'd also broken a spoke. I hope this is just a coincidence. On positive note, the rain clouds seemed to have passed on by the time I'd finished the repairs & had a cup of çay.

It continued to rain on & off all day, with occasional patch of blue sky & Sun. I had been following the main highway down the coast to Izmir until Aliaga then turned onto a minor road to Foça. Aliaga was clearly an important industrial town, its bay was filled with container ships & it had all sorts of factories billowing smoke of a variety of colours.

Once the factories were behind me I began to enjoy the road, especially after Yenifoça.
The road went up & down a lot but the coast was so spectacular that it was all worth while. I spotted some lovely camping spots along the & would have stopped had I thought to buy provisions in Yenifoça. As it was it was a good thing that I made it to Foça otherwise I wouldn't have stayed at the pension Iyon & met Selçuk & his girlfriend & been invited to their place for dinner.

By the time I arrived in Foça it was too late to think of camping so I headed to the budget pension option as recommended by the Lonely Planet, the Iyon. When I found it looked a great choice but resolutely closed. I asked at a kiosque at the end of the street. They tried to track down the proprietor. When I was about to give up & try somewhere else along came someone, Selçuk, to open the place up.

The pension was in a state of disarray, the rains had flooded some of the rooms & the whole place was under renovation. I got a nice little room with a bathroom, which was nice for a change. The proprietor's mother lent me some house shoes as the stone floor was rather cold, all my socks were wet.

Later I had a delightful evening at Selçuk's place with his girlfriend & parents. I turned up with my socks still wet & was provided with a clean dry pair & slippers. We had a great conversation about the politics & food of Turkey. I'd like to try & keep in touch with them.

I cycled 97km in 5 hours & 41 minutes