It ain't Easter, if you're at home, vol. 4. Destination: Caucasus

by Kostadin Mutafchiev

9719km in 27 days · 3749 views

Day 1, Thursday, April 5

254km in 3h · 71km/h

Traveled 38km in 48min
18:19 Stop for 2min
Traveled 131km in 1h 15min
19:38 Stop for 3min
Traveled 60km in 52min
20:33 Stop for 7min
Traveled 25km in 22min
21:04 11h 46min First tastes of the upcoming language barrier - the waiter at the Makaza Complex near the town of Kurdzhali has a hard time speaking bulgarian.

Day 2, Friday, April 6

703km in 8h · 72km/h

Traveled 41km in 21min
09:12 Stop for 2min
Traveled 28m in 8s
09:14 18min Going into Greece. Border patrol urged us to get to the front of the queue.
Traveled 127km in 1h 32min
11:05 19min First set of border checks for entering Turkey
Traveled 2km in 4min
11:29 24min Second, and thankfully, final check on the Turkish border.
Traveled 97m in 1min
11:55 Stop for 4min
Traveled 28km in 15min
12:16 16min First fuel stop in Turkey. First meeting with the peculiar way of refueling in Turkey - slips containing your license place number are carried around.
Traveled 8km in 6min
12:38 Stop for 7min
Traveled 63km in 35min
13:21 Stop for 2min
Traveled 20m in 3s
13:23 52min First ferry for the year.
Traveled 41km in 29min
14:46 1h 04min Highly necessary stop for a refresh and stomach refill
Traveled 62km in 37min
16:28 Stop for 2min
Traveled 38km in 34min
17:04 Stop for 18min
Traveled 109km in 1h 15min
18:38 Stop for 11min
Traveled 53km in 34min
19:25 Stop for 4min
Traveled 26km in 25min
19:54 Stop for 16min
Traveled 104km in 1h 06min
21:17 1d 11h Rest day after 700 km in Selcuk. Time to go full tourist. Efes and it's ancient history awaits.

Day 3, Saturday, April 7

Day 4, Sunday, April 8

501km in 6h · 67km/h

Traveled 118km in 1h 23min
10:35 Stop for 20min
Traveled 22m in 5s
10:56 Stop for 2min
Traveled 51km in 32min
11:30 Stop for 16min
Traveled 49km in 30min
12:17 1h 17min A gift from some invisible force saved us from the rain and hunger.
Traveled 99km in 1h 06min
14:42 Stop for 25min
Traveled 21km in 12min
15:20 Stop for 3min
Traveled 13km in 8min
15:31 Stop for 8min
Traveled 25km in 22min
16:02 Stop for 5min
Traveled 47km in 32min
16:40 Stop for 4min
Traveled 5km in 6min
16:51 54min The ancient city of Myra and its tombs carved in the rock faces.
Traveled 73km in 1h 15min
19:01 Stop for 6min
Traveled 1km in 1min
19:09 Stop for 2min
Traveled 10m in 4s
19:12 Stop for 16h 16min

Day 5, Monday, April 9

162km in 3h · 38km/h

Traveled 1km in 3min
11:32 Stop for 2min
Traveled 10km in 13min
11:47 Stop for 2min
Traveled 5km in 7min
11:58 2h 16min Chimaera or Yanartas. Eternal flames coming from the rock around the place.
Traveled 4km in 7min
14:22 1h 59min Well deserved lunch after the walk to the flaming mountain in motorcycle gear.
Traveled 28km in 27min
16:50 Stop for 8min
Traveled 64km in 1h 11min
18:10 Stop for 7min
Traveled 1km in 3min
18:20 Stop for 5min
Traveled 1km in 3min
18:30 1h 23min Left the bikes and headed to Gelidonya Feneri (Gelidonya Lighthouse). Totally worth another walk in gear. Sunset, sea and sight.
Traveled 6km in 12min
20:06 Stop for 6min
Traveled 40km in 46min
20:59 12h 39min Back to Kadir's Treehouses

Day 6, Tuesday, April 10

566km in 6h · 76km/h

Traveled 100km in 1h 14min
10:53 27min Fuel stop with minor maintenance tasks
Traveled 89km in 59min
12:20 1h 56min Going up in the mountains, snow caps visible. We stop at a quiet restaurant with only two choices - kuzu bbq (lamp bbq) and kawurma. Both delicious as hell.
Traveled 66km in 38min
14:56 15min Quick fuel stop after we're back in the lowlands and two digit temperatures
Traveled 201km in 1h 55min
17:07 33min Last fuel stop before our arrival in the Capadoccia area.
Traveled 107km in 1h 05min
18:45 Stop for 2min
Traveled 283m in 1min
18:49 Stop for 13min
Traveled 4km in 5min
19:08 Stop for 1d 16h

Day 7, Wednesday, April 11

Day 8, Thursday, April 12

75km in 2h · 26km/h

Traveled 50km in 54min
12:58 Stop for 13min
Traveled 1km in 1min
13:14 Stop for 16min
Traveled 2km in 5min
13:35 Stop for 3min
Traveled 4km in 11min
13:50 Stop for 5min
Traveled 417m in 3min
13:59 9min Some content generation ongoing
Traveled 1km in 4min
14:13 26min More picture taking & making
Traveled 8km in 17min
14:57 Stop for 2min
Traveled 5km in 15min
15:14 Stop for 2min
Traveled 532m in 3min
15:21 Stop for 18min
Traveled 2km in 4min
15:44 Stop for 1h 27min
Traveled 285m in 1min
17:12 16h 06min Last night in Goreme. Everybody's tired but happy.

Day 9, Friday, April 13

608km in 7h · 68km/h

Traveled 146km in 1h 25min
10:44 27min Rain induced stop. Met a Swiss couple going our way.
Traveled 116km in 1h 01min
12:13 Stop for 9min
Traveled 155km in 1h 37min
14:00 1h 05min Lunch time at the end of Malatya.
Traveled 78km in 1h 12min
16:18 Stop for 10min
Traveled 2km in 5min
16:34 43min Mount Nemrut and it's ancient Greek statues situated on both sides of the peak itself. 5 minutes of dirt road get you at the "entrance".
Traveled 4km in 12min
17:29 Stop for 4min
Traveled 24km in 34min
18:08 Stop for 2min
Traveled 16km in 14min
18:24 Stop for 12min
Traveled 66km in 49min
19:26 14h 00min After failing to find a nice, quiet mountain hut around mount Nemrut, we resorted going back into the lowlands and sleeping in a posh-looking, but decent priced hotel - Kalegol Otel (Kale is the citi, Gol is lake)

Day 10, Saturday, April 14

578km in 6h · 73km/h

Traveled 197km in 1h 49min
11:16 Stop for 29min
Traveled 175km in 1h 44min
13:30 Stop for 4min
Traveled 21km in 15min
13:50 46min First doner in the last day of this leg of stay in Turkey
Traveled 109km in 1h 07min
15:43 Stop for 11min
Traveled 75km in 42min
16:37 Stop for 3min
Traveled 866m in 4min
16:45 Stop for 7min
Traveled 20m in 7s
16:53 Stop for 16h 42min

Day 11, Sunday, April 15

247km in 4h · 45km/h

Traveled 47km in 29min
10:06 2h 18min Ani ruins
Traveled 75km in 1h 12min
13:36 1h 31min Balik restaurant. Fat catfish all over the place
Traveled 17km in 13min
15:20 Stop for 3min
Traveled 36km in 24min
15:48 Stop for 2min
Traveled 0m in 0s
15:51 Stop for 3min
Traveled 46m in 12s
15:55 Stop for 3min
Traveled 283m in 2min
16:00 Stop for 10min
Traveled 819m in 1min
16:11 Stop for 10min
Traveled 26km in 18min
16:41 Stop for 2min
Traveled 12km in 24min
17:08 Stop for 2min
Traveled 18km in 41min
17:51 Stop for 8min
Traveled 3km in 5min
18:06 Stop for 3min
Traveled 415m in 1min
18:10 Stop for 2min
Traveled 2km in 2min
18:14 Stop for 5min
Traveled 4km in 6min
18:27 Stop for 6min
Traveled 6km in 5min
18:39 Stop for 14h 17min

Day 12, Monday, April 16

146km in 4h · 30km/h

Traveled 6km in 6min
09:04 2h 42min Vardzia cave monastery complex
Traveled 54km in 47min
12:33 Stop for 8min
Traveled 46km in 54min
13:36 Stop for 2min
Traveled 17m in 4s
13:38 Stop for 4min
Traveled 4km in 12min
13:55 Stop for 3min
Traveled 3km in 13min
14:11 Stop for 2min
Traveled 8km in 24min
14:38 Stop for 2min
Traveled 22km in 52min
15:33 Stop for 5min
Traveled 3km in 9min
15:47 1h 17min Looong, long awaited beer & food after the main road number 1
Traveled 63m in 18s
17:05 Stop for 15h 43min

Day 13, Tuesday, April 17

270km in 5h · 50km/h

Traveled 77km in 1h 27min
10:16 39min Washing away the Khulo road and a glorious fuel refill
Traveled 82km in 1h 33min
12:28 Stop for 2h 57min
Traveled 66km in 58min
16:25 Stop for 4min
Traveled 27km in 32min
17:02 Stop for 2min
Traveled 17km in 21min
17:26 Stop for 14min
Traveled 649m in 1min
17:42 16h 15min Our home for the next two nights.

Day 14, Wednesday, April 18

107km in 3h · 26km/h

Traveled 8km in 19min
10:17 Stop for 12min
Traveled 379m in 1min
10:30 Stop for 9min
Traveled 33km in 54min
11:33 26min The road to Koruldi lakes still seems to be snowy.
Traveled 7km in 12min
12:12 Stop for 4min
Traveled 4km in 14min
12:31 Stop for 4min
Traveled 6km in 15min
12:50 Stop for 2min
Traveled 352m in 1min
12:54 21min The motorable part of the trekking path stops here. An abandoned village with a view.
Traveled 42km in 1h 06min
14:22 35min Svaneti museum
Traveled 2km in 8min
15:06 Stop for 2min
Traveled 2km in 6min
15:14 31min We finally found the suuper elusive Khergiani museum. One hell of a man he was.
Traveled 2km in 3min
15:49 16h 46min A good night of sleep is a must after the sweaty day around the mountains.

Day 15, Thursday, April 19

367km in 5h · 67km/h

Traveled 27km in 29min
09:06 Stop for 10min
Traveled 74km in 1h 09min
10:26 29min Late breakfast is better than no breakfast.
Traveled 75km in 1h 00min
11:56 Stop for 11min
Traveled 102km in 1h 23min
13:32 Stop for 9min
Traveled 89km in 1h 19min
15:01 16h 30min Borjomi is famous for its mineral waters. However, it will remain in my memory with the accidential 8km hike that happened.

Day 16, Friday, April 20

283km in 5h · 44km/h

Traveled 1km in 2min
07:34 Stop for 3min
Traveled 122km in 1h 40min
09:18 Stop for 7min
Traveled 23km in 19min
09:44 Stop for 2min
Traveled 16km in 20min
10:08 Stop for 3min
Traveled 849m in 2min
10:13 33min Border crossing into Armenia. Most of the wait was for the bank clerk to understand that I want to pay with a card.
Traveled 15m in 4s
10:46 Stop for 2min
Traveled 21km in 17min
11:06 Stop for 2min
Traveled 16km in 25min
11:33 12min "Recalculating the route"
Traveled 2km in 8min
11:54 Stop for 3min
Traveled 41km in 55min
12:54 Stop for 8min
Traveled 41km in 41min
13:43 1d 19h Rest day in Yerevan

Day 17, Saturday, April 21

Day 18, Sunday, April 22

312km in 5h · 53km/h

Traveled 30km in 31min
09:47 31min Garni temple near Yerevan
Traveled 65km in 1h 19min
11:39 Stop for 6min
Traveled 97km in 1h 15min
13:01 Stop for 2min
Traveled 41km in 36min
13:40 Stop for 2min
Traveled 70km in 51min
14:33 Stop for 10min
Traveled 10km in 19min
15:03 Stop for 2min
Traveled 60m in 51s
15:07 Stop for 18h 29min

Day 19, Monday, April 23

283km in 4h · 61km/h

Traveled 25km in 31min
10:08 Stop for 3min
Traveled 46km in 30min
10:42 Stop for 11min
Traveled 39km in 34min
11:28 Stop for 3min
Traveled 38km in 46min
12:18 13min Some mistaken backroads
Traveled 40km in 43min
13:15 12min Old Caravansarai on the Silk Road in the Selim pass.
Traveled 9km in 7min
13:35 3min Still some snow by the road
Traveled 6km in 4min
13:43 Stop for 3min
Traveled 2km in 2min
13:49 Stop for 5min
Traveled 4m in 1s
13:55 Stop for 3min
Traveled 2km in 3min
14:02 15min Road blocks caused by the recent political stirr in Armenia
Traveled 35km in 21min
14:39 9min Hayravank monastery, on the shore of lake Sevan.
Traveled 26km in 23min
15:12 Stop for 4min
Traveled 12km in 15min
15:32 18h 14min A little luxury for the motorcycle traveller - Best Western hotel for the night

Day 20, Tuesday, April 24

301km in 5h · 49km/h

Traveled 15km in 9min
09:56 Stop for 2min
Traveled 80km in 1h 16min
11:15 Stop for 9min
Traveled 22km in 23min
11:48 Stop for 3min
Traveled 24km in 26min
12:18 Stop for 3min
Traveled 36m in 11s
12:22 Stop for 2min
Traveled 699m in 3min
12:28 27min Border crossing accompanied by a ride with a border patrol officer on the back of the bike.
Traveled 18km in 14min
13:10 18min Fuel stop and some maintenance.
Traveled 138km in 1h 50min
15:19 Stop for 5min
Traveled 1km in 3min
15:27 Stop for 4min
Traveled 1km in 2min
15:34 18h 44min Sleeping in Gori, the birth place of Stalin.

Day 21, Wednesday, April 25

492km in 6h · 66km/h

Traveled 81km in 1h 04min
11:23 31min The great postcard adventure in Georgia, 2018
Traveled 66km in 56min
12:52 21min Border crossing into Turkey again.
Traveled 52m in 11s
13:13 Stop for 5min
Traveled 277km in 2h 58min
16:17 Stop for 11min
Traveled 69km in 53min
17:22 15h 53min Stop for the night in a hotel across the municipality and its security - several heavy armored vehicles.

Day 22, Thursday, April 26

537km in 7h · 61km/h

Traveled 6km in 7min
09:23 34min Ishak Pasha Palace. Kind of lacking the posh of other medieval palaces. Also not that preserved for something "only" 300 years old.
Traveled 123km in 1h 36min
11:34 Stop for 4min
Traveled 340m in 1min
11:40 15min First proper glance of the lake Van with Suphan peak in the background
Traveled 56km in 36min
12:32 Stop for 2min
Traveled 32km in 18min
12:53 49min Fast food garnished with language barrier. I now have three portions of kufte. Hello, dinner.
Traveled 11km in 6min
13:49 Stop for 2min
Traveled 9km in 7min
13:58 Stop for 3min
Traveled 60km in 52min
14:55 15min Lake Nemrut and its surrounding crater
Traveled 128km in 2h 01min
17:12 Stop for 2min
Traveled 109km in 1h 11min
18:26 Stop for 9min
Traveled 933m in 2min
18:38 Stop for 13min
Traveled 656m in 1min
18:52 Stop for 6min
Traveled 8m in 2s
18:59 14h 14min After a navigation error that send me towards Iraq and a ferocious thunderstorm and the subsequent U-turn, I decide to skip the Castle of Van and go straight to the hotel. This night, for a change, Helga is IN the hotel as well.

Day 23, Friday, April 27

741km in 8h · 76km/h

Traveled 3km in 5min
09:19 Stop for 11min
Traveled 305km in 3h 02min
12:33 32min Fill up and chocolate stop. A brisk 300 km in perfect temperatures for riding - around 18 degrees C
Traveled 246km in 2h 23min
15:29 48min It was time for a late lunch.
Traveled 110km in 1h 22min
17:39 Stop for 3min
Traveled 72km in 1h 00min
18:43 26min Looking for a hotel.
Traveled 5km in 4min
19:14 14h 16min At last I settled for a rather expensive option, but hey, it's the last days of the trip, I deserve some comfort.

Day 24, Saturday, April 28

521km in 6h · 78km/h

Traveled 103km in 1h 05min
10:36 Stop for 2min
Traveled 136km in 1h 25min
12:03 38min Some fuel wouldn't hurt anybody.
Traveled 152km in 1h 29min
14:11 3min Meandring river with some funny colors.
Traveled 131km in 1h 30min
15:45 Stop for 8min
Traveled 23m in 7s
15:54 17h 18min A nice sunset and beer availability made Sinop a good stop on the way home.

Day 25, Sunday, April 29

966km in 9h · 90km/h

Traveled 6km in 6min
09:19 Stop for 4min
Traveled 9km in 5min
09:29 Stop for 14min
Traveled 63km in 33min
10:17 Stop for 2min
Traveled 99km in 59min
11:19 Stop for 8min
Traveled 152km in 1h 32min
12:59 Stop for 3min
Traveled 37km in 20min
13:23 Stop for 14min
Traveled 80km in 40min
14:18 50min Lunch time and the worst adana kebap that I've ever east ot Istanbul
Traveled 3km in 2min
15:11 Stop for 2min
Traveled 200km in 1h 58min
17:12 53min At the outskirts of Istanbul. 300 km to go. Stop for refill - motorcycle and body.
Traveled 315km in 2h 57min
21:02 Stop for 10min
Traveled 585m in 4min
21:17 14h 15min The first not-that-shiny hotel near the center of Edrine. Bulgaria is 35 km away. Almost there.

Day 26, Monday, April 30

339km in 5h · 56km/h

Traveled 9km in 13min
11:46 Stop for 2min
Traveled 905m in 1min
11:50 Stop for 2min
Traveled 104km in 1h 20min
13:12 15min Reflecting on the last kilometers. Little did I know that the next 40 will remind me of the Georgian experience - potholes, cows and other non-asphalt artifacts on the road.
Traveled 196km in 2h 43min
16:11 Stop for 13min
Traveled 29km in 30min
16:55 17h 51min A nice and easy ride through several magnificent passes to reach the heart of Rhodope mountains. And the first part of the welcome delegation.

Day 27, Tuesday, May 1

360km in 5h · 71km/h

Traveled 41km in 38min
11:25 Stop for 6min
Traveled 54km in 54min
12:26 34min Fuel and sugar for the team.
Traveled 59km in 53min
13:55 1h 30min BBQ stop and meetup with the rest of the party. Yundola at its best - no sand or anything, little to no traffic.
Traveled 18km in 14min
15:40 Stop for 4min
Traveled 30km in 24min
16:09 Stop for 7min
Traveled 53km in 39min
16:55 32min Last fuel stop before the final stop of the journey - HOME
Traveled 106km in 1h 17min

Legend

Hotel 17
Gas station 17
Restaurant 13
Generic stop 12
Beautiful sight 11
Tourist sight 11
Border 6
Something special 3
Ferry 1
Coffee 1