Another amazing day in this amazing country!
I left Samsun at 0715 local time, streets were almost empty and motorbike and luggages haven't been touched by anybody, something I really like in this culture. I've followed the road direction Trabzon, a lot of big cities are based on the shores of the Black Sea.
Ordu has a very nice cable car above the city.
In Tirebolu I changed to the D877, a road along a lot of dams. Then I took the Zigana pass road, I've stopped on the top and I drank a turkish coffe.
Outside the tunnel on the top of Zigana pass.
People are always staring at me and they are surprised of where I come from. I've reached the Altindere Parki in order to see the Sümela Monastery, luckily it wasn't foggy and I could see it!
Sümela Monastery, it is closed to public right now.
On the Black Sea again, I've reached the city of Of, where I went south to ride on the Babyourt of Yolu D915. After the turn it started to rain slightly, so I put my rainsuit on, after 5 mins it turns out to be a storm, hard rain started falling. It lasted just 15 minutes, so after I while I stopped to remove the rainsuit. When I was in a beatiful point of the D915 I wanted to take a picture...just then I realized I had forgot my waistbag (all my documents are in this bag!) when I removed the rain suit. I've ridden 20 km back and I found it where I removed the rainsuit, I'm so lucky, without it my trip was over!
Back on the D915, just before reaching the climax of the road, I've met a real Rider, Gökhan , we talked for a while and he suggested me some place that I must visit on my trip.
Sadly the road was covered by fog, so during the climb there weren't nice views, but maybe it has been better like that, because it was very steep!
A foggy climb
Nice welcoming on the summit of the D915!
On the other side of the mountain there was an hard wind that was trying to push the fog there. The unpaved road on this side was easy and very nice and the view was on a plateau gold colored. Very nice!
A very nice view on the south side of the pass.
This picture is the same as the one before, but improved!
Somwhere on the D050.
I followed the direction for Ismir. The road to Ismir was along a river and it was very nice riding it. In Ismir it was very late, I looked on the Gps and Artvin was just 100 km away, so I decided to reach it. Moreover I remebered from google maps, that the last part of this road was full of tunnels, so if it would have been dark, it was enlighten anyway.
Here we go, the map on my gps was old, instead of being almost straight, the first part of the road was along a new reservoir, so full of curves. I didn't care, but after 20 km it was almost dark and I saw a road sign: Artvin 130 km.
Huston we have a problem!
I decided to go on. The road on the lake was very nice, so these kilometers wouldn't have been a problem. But, here it comes a big problem, the road changed completely, it went from very nice to very bad, as a single lane covered with sand and stones, so the speed was very low. The darkness wasn't helping...but at least there was the full moon. Arrived in Yusufeli I stopped to tank. After so many kilometers it was already 2100, I was tired, it was dark, I was full of dust. The guy there saw I was very tired and offered me a çay, I accepted it. We started talking and I stayed there for half a hour. He told me that the road to Artvin from here on was full of tunnel (48 and 70 km, as he told me) and in very good conditions.
At 22.10 I Was in Artvin.
At the entrance of the city (the city is on the side of a very steep mountain and there is just one main road passing through it) there was a war ready police check point: two armored car with ready hot machine guns where overwatching it. No control for me, as always.
Very long and full day. The next 2 days will be more easy and relaxing.
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