Sand > Grass > Pebbles > Rocks
That morning we woke up and Selim was having some back pain. We talk about this a bit in the YouTube video we just made about bikes and bike gear. We think that maybe his position, somewhat bent over, on the bike resulted in some lower back pain. He would like to try mountain bike handlebar extenders and see if that helps at all. For sleeping, Selim uses a mattress pad and is quite careful about the surface he chooses for our tent. I always let him pick the exact tent location because I can fall asleep anywhere, mostly with no repercussions in the morning. His idea of a four-star camping spot is sand, for sure. I think second place is grass followed by asphalt then small pebbles. Big rocks are the worst for him. In the beginning of our wild camping journey, I would start to set-up the tent thinking I was being helpful. Once he saw me, he would approach and start laughing because for him, it was a total no-go. Now, I let him pick the tent location or ask his consent first. There are many factors he thinks such as the direction we are facing for the sun-rise and if we will be shaded. Oh, he also thinks about noise, street lights, car lights, etc. So if you are camping with someone with sensitivities in regards to sleep, let them handle campsite decisions. Selim is also great at finding beautiful locations. If I were wild camping by myself, I’d probably just always sleep outside of gas stations but I’ve learned the extra effort can be worth it to find a great spot. Maybe not every night especially when we’re exhausted, but from time to time.
This morning, we woke up on pebbles and realized soon after that it was also a grazing spot for cattle as there were small patches of grass. Selim directs all animal-related questions towards me. Except pigeons, Selim is the pigeon expert as he had pet pigeons. He asked, why is the cow looking at me? What does he want? I do enjoy being the animal whisperer in our relationship and am proud of Selim’s progress as he is becoming much more comfortable with dogs and cats.
After that intimate encounter, we headed out, giving the cows some space to enjoy the campsite.
The Magic of Gas Stations
After a bit of cycling, we took a break at a gas station. This one was Petrol Ofisi, I believe. I would like to give a huge shout-out to all the gas station attendants, bus drivers, and truck drivers that we met on our trip. I really feel like they were “our people.” What I want to say is that I really felt a kinship with these folks. It felt like we had similar struggles. We knew the road intimately, whether it was hilly or not, how long until the next town or village, etc. We were all looking for good rest stops, places to sleep, to get water, to take a break, to enjoy a view. I can not count the number of times that we had pleasant encounters in gas stations. Selim even developed a bit of a stand-up routine. As we were cycling into the station, the guys who fill up your gas would greet us and Selim would approach and ask for fuel. He would point to his legs and they would get so confused and then he said, hazelnuts and bread or something to that effect (meaning for cyclists, the fuel is the energy we consume). The men usually thought this was hilarious.
We were able to refill our water bottles at gas stations, use the restrooms, wash our faces, charge our phones, have çay, cook… the list goes on. One time in the South, we approached an attendant and he immediately showed us an easy camping spot right across from the gas station. Oh yeah, same thing in the North…we were directed to a campsite behind a veggie market by the guy working at the gas station.
Gas stations are the best! They’re also a good place to meet friendly dogs and sometimes there are even dogs who live at the gas stations, doghouses and all.
Yellow Vest for Safety
Before arriving in downtown Samsun, we passed a Decathlon. Though it sounds like I get free stuff from Decathlon, I don’t. I flagged Selim down so that I could buy a yellow reflective vest. I had been listening to a podcast called Overlanders, it’s in French and I highly recommend it! But anyway, I heard an episode where an entire family goes on a bike trip through the Americas. The parents talked a lot about safety because their children were young at the time. They said it was a good idea to fly a flag on your bike and wear reflective vests. That is why I started wearing Selim’s vest (because I would be in the back) and when we had the opportunity, I would buy a second one. I think it’s a good idea especially when on busy roads as anything we can do to help trucks and cars see us is worth it.
We Really Like Starbucks
We enjoy trying Turkish food, frequenting teahouses, guyscafés, etc. But when we have the opportunity, Starbucks is a real treat. There are no Starbucks in Tunisia as of now so it’s a strictly on-the-road option for Selim and for me, it’s just comforting. I think it’s also interesting to see how international giants use their brainpower to customize their offerings to each country while preserving the brand identity. In Turkey, a filter coffee is about 20 TL or $1.11 USD and an americano is 24 TL or $1.33 USD. Selim prefers americanos as he’s not so familiar with filter coffee. In fact, when we were in Djerba, he learned how to use a drip machine. In the US, most households have a drip machine so this was fun for me to watch him learn how to use it. It’s funny because actually his mom has a drip coffee machine but he doesn’t drink her coffee.
“I think I ate too much”
For lunch, Selim was in ravenous mode so we had to find a hatay-style doner shop. Here was his first encounter with the Zurna doner. A zurna is a musical instrument like a flute so a Zurna doner is just a long doner. I pulled a throwback move and had a grocery store çig kofte with (bonus) Baharatlı chips and (mandatory) ayran. Baharatlı just means spicy or seasoned but they’re one of the more popular chip flavors here. Selim enjoyed all of his doner and promptly said “I think I ate too much.” I can’t count how many times I’ve heard that phrase.
I’ve done some deep digging on this topic, so why?
1) Selim says he can’t leave food on his plate or throw it away. He said he learned while he traveling that food is really important so he tries not to waste it. He says this didn’t affect as much because it didn’t come from his parents but he has also heard that if you leave food on your plate, the devil will eat it.
2) Sometimes he eats more than he wants because he anticipates that he will burn many calories later or would like to be full for a long period of time.
For more in-depth reporting, stay tuned 😉
Habibi, duş!
We camped out on the beach that night right next a public shower. Amazing. There’s nothing like the feeling post-shower when you’re cycling all day and are not sure when or where your next shower will be. Samsun is basically the city of showers as there are so many public showers on the beach, for free! In fact, there every maybe 1/2 mile. If you like showers as much as I do, I encourage you to make a stop in Samsun. You will go to sleep clean, just like us.
