I was lucky to find a place to stay just close to the center and the streets around the house is filled with old men and women selling veggies, fruits, soap and books. One can explore the strange russian/nouveau riche/alcoholic/friendly atmophere here for weeks.

I crossed the border to Georgia a few days ago, it was in fact already late when I came into Batumi, a town on the Black sea and reading the shear madness in the traffic I knew I would have to stop somewhere soon. Here it is not a matter of left or right, it is a matter of where there are less holes in the road and where there is free space to run the car into. In northern Europe we would call it madness. I picked a house, or rather a shackle, not more than some planks and some corrugated iron stiched together, just outside town to get some water. A short man without teeth offered me to come in and have something to eat.

The livingroom in the little house, a table, two couches and a small tv was hosting already six people. I was seated and the food was brought in. The men, three brothers and I were eating melted cheese with butter, sausage omelett, soups and bread from some small plates. Soon the vodka was brought in and since we finished the first bottle for fast another one was sent for, and another. By that time I was well drunk and I promised to attend a wedding that was going to take place in the village the day after. I do not remeber quite well, half a liter of vodka on an almost empty stomach after 145km of biking, that is just more than necessary.

I woke up in a room next to thew livingroom, in a bed shaped like a bathtub. The morning was spent drinking coffee and resting. Around three the brothers that apperently slept somewhere else arrived and we were of to the wedding. It is another story but for sure it was quiote and experience to live through that mount of food, people and wine that an georgian wedding suggests.

I got my kit together on my third day in the country, ready to get myself going. I bed farewell to my hosts and rolled of into the streets where the traffic still was a complete mayhem. Soon I understtod that my back rim was just too crooked to continue, I did an atempt to get this sorted but after another 60km I had to give in a get a minibus to Tblisi. It is all well, it was an experience as well and after seeing how they drive I know now it is the small roads with less traffic that are the only feasible option.

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For starters, there are several channels broadcasting music videos, of varying quality. The best features nice cars, some impressive settings with proper light work while the videos on a tighter budget scheme might be set in a shady room with bizzare light work. What these videos all have in common is the ladies, weather they are the lead role singer or just an act they have drop most of the cover and appears strangely big breasted. 

This is not uncommon anywhere I guess but I get the impression that here it is mandatory. The hiphop vidoes are as always vanguard when it comes to public expo and this with complete lac of rythm in the dance. There is usually a number of guys in the background looking luke perry over their sunglases and are trying to look brilliant while spasticly moving.

Moving on to more serious matters, like the news we again encounter the big breasted beauty queen in all her glory. I’m not saying you can’t be a great journalist and still look like barbie, but here it is rule, not an exception.

Furthermore and to something compleatly different, why does everyone in turkey have two or more cellphones? I have seen farmers with two flashy cells mustering their cows with a stick. Is advertising that good, god i got to learn turkish!

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At night fall I met Leon, a British biker coming from South Korea heading home. We decided to camp togheter and that night we decided, since we now had company to hit Nemrut Dagi, a stone head mountain just south of Malatlya. The morning after I realized that my back rack once again had given up and cracked in yet another place. bugger, luckily enough the Turks are skilled aluminum welders and I got it fixed for free in 5 minutes.

After a late start we only manage to climb the first hill, at the top we realize that there certainly would be more to come before we would reach our destination, only 40km on the map but for sure a hell lot more considering the serpentines. Kids along the way started to be annoying, constantly asking for money and things while pulling our kits got on our nerves. We had heard about people getting rocks thrown at them but we had nothing of that and luckily no dogs either. Just uphill, sun and a flat tire.

last bit to the top can be seen in the background

We reached the top of the ridge at 2000m on the second day out and we were celebrating what we thought was the end of the climb. After a short downhill and around a bend we looked up to see how the road turned and kept going up, seeming to aim at the top of the very highest peak around. That was a shock for the motivation. A deep breath and we climbed the last 400m gravel road while swearing and hoping that the sight at the top would be worth the two days of climbing.

So, however, we had to go down again, 10km of hand layed garden stones led us to our stormy camp site for the night. We had to snuggle into my tent both of us when Leon’s tent just about gave up for the gale force winds. Not much sleep that night, waking up just about every minute when the wind gusts lifted the tent.

The next morning we both realized that our rims were broken, we had to solve that and we stayed a night in a hotel in Siverek to figure it out. Siverek seemed to be a PKK stronghold and while asking the people on the opinion on Atakturk vs PKK the first got thumb down. It nowhere resembles the west of turkey, the people are different, they are more open and friendly but at the same time less considerate. My poor foot got ran over by ca car and the driver just shuddered his should like saying I should have watched out better.

Siverek

We decided in the end that we had to back to Ankara to fis the wheels, here we are after a night on a bus driven by a man with a death wish. We had to argue for a while before they would let the bikes on the bus, we were persistent and at the end they had to give in. Still makes me happy I only have to deal with that very rarely, on the bike there is no one to tell you what to bring on and what not. just the rim giving up occasionally when not considering the force of gravity

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filip resting from some stomach issues

We got stuck in Kayseri, Filip had a bit of stomach problems. Today was a good day though, on the whole. Got up with the early birds to shoot (photograph that is) the city waking up. At six I was too early, bugger, found a bakery and had some good old bread – that cheered me up for sure.

Kayseri is this big city in the middle of nowhere, well like most places are depending where you are at when considering it where “where” is. It does not shine but it does not suffer either, it is not beautiful but the people are and at the end of the day, today at least, that matters.

At night, just before the fourth prayer, the one that breaks the fast for the day I found a park where people seemed to be serving food. With my camera I approached and started snapping away, people went from the hunger at their tables to pull me over to have their portrait taken. I spent a good hour documenting most of the guests at the place. have two hundered shots of happy hunger smiles and plates of food. I did not fnd out for sure but it seems like people from the nearby mosque were giving out food for the less fortunate. It was not really for us but when the people from the mosque insited that we would eat with them we sat down and had some soup and meat stew with break and water melon. This is the best side of traveling, the hospitality and smiles from the people. Turkey is, let me use the word: brilliant for this.

We have some of that rainy weather moving in from Istanbul and we are planing to run of up to the hills, to hide out there, if Filip is doing better tomorrow.

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Heat has been our traveling companion and the sun our ever son present guidning light. We have slept through the hot part of the day when the temperature has reached 35 and compensated by getting up at dawn in freezing mornings. That is all good. The landscape is beautiful in the low sun and having a bit of bread with some obscur preserve like spead huddeled up in the sleeping bag is just as good as it gets.

Riding along with Filip has been a blast so far and sharing the highs and the lows is good. We are doing another two weeks before Filip returns for job in Sweden and I’ll have to decide wheather to spend the winter in georgia/Armenia or in the Middle East. Time will telL. For now, after a full day exploring the old christian barba papa style houses dug in to the bed rock we are going to sleep, early start tomorrow and some climbing to get out of the kettle here. Kisses and hugs.

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Soon I was zooming down Via del Corso breathing a mozzarella pizza here and something sweet there. Tourists everywhere.

All I knew was that my friend lives close to Colosseum and she had given me the address but without a map I had no chance of finding it. I decided to cook up the last load of pasta and Wait for her outside Colosseum. Deal.
I think people passing by one of the most famous monuments of the world was surprised to see a blond and dirty swede with a huge bike attempting to cook pasta in the street. A group of french people approached me bravely to ask if it was pasta I was cooking, as I answered yes a wave of smiles over their lips and then encouraging words as they left.

After receiving another set of directions I found my way to the apartment and once inside I had a shower and a bit of wine. Brilliant.

I have Been zooming down from Levanto by Cinque Terre on the north coast. On day to Pisa where I stayed with a man I had found on couch surfing and from there a 145km trip through the inland and the coast. I spent the night on a beach not far from Grosseto, where the waves kept rolling over each other on the shallow shore. I got up at 5:30 to hit the road yesterday. I know it would be a real challenge to make it in one day and by lunch I did not think I Could make it.

Night on the beach outside Grosseto, this was the most brilliant spot to stay

I kept Eating and drinking better then before lunch and this really helped to keep me going. My mind started to work on some distant subjects to keep me from thinking to much of the present. This works for me and enables me to ignore tiredness and difficulties.

some of the roads on the Pisa - Rome tour was just not fit for my kit, got stuck and had to carry the bike out

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The first bit was easy, riding on the shoulders of shear luck pushed through Dalarna. Though I was slow I kept going and did not think much more about that, keeping in mind that I have been inactive for some weeks, waving at some people who honked me with their car horns along the way.

Around five in the afternoon I had to stop for the third time to gather some energy. I talked a bit to a girl who was working in a gas station, we realized that we were not alike on the wanting-to-travel issue but she offered me a second cup of coffee and I was happy. I called a friend/family in Uppsala to see if I could stay the night.

No problems so I decided to go the last 45k in the dak with the aid of two small diodes on my bike. I won’t do that again for a while. too much traffic and the buggers meeting me did not mind turning their headlights off very often. I arrived around nine in Uppsala to find that the front wheel break had been pushing the front wheel, making it half way braked probably through my whole trip. Ha ha!

I would like to recommend Groa i Wassbo for people biking in Dalarna or anyone else for that matter, It is a beautiful organic green house café, right between Falun and Borlänge with “Sverigeleden” passing right by, “Fika” is excellent by any standards and they have a 10% discount for people on bicycle! Wohoo – check it out!

SVT:

Heading to bed!

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