WEDNESDAY 22nd JULY 2009 (SORTING OUR GEAR)

WEDNESDAY 22nd JULY 2009


Not much to report. We afforded a sleep-in (think the heat is causing that plus nearly two months of S-T-R-E-S-S related fun!). Our mission today, after speaking again with Lutfu & Cihan (Turkey shippers) was to itemize EVERYTHING that will be crated to Australia including all our personal effects in the side-car.


We needed to sort through our stuff so the whole afternoon was spent sifting through the myriad of papers, clothes, bike gear, etc that can be shipped home. In our mind it's just a few things but when it comes to itemizing everything the list was quite long...!!!


We met up with Lutfu & Cihan again late in the afternoon to progress the shipping process. We also found out the bike will be crated on Monday and taken to the port which mean our weekend will be free to perhaps ride further south and check out EPHESUS, which is one of the ancient Wonders of the World established 6,000 BC - something to look forward to.


Our evening walk is always interesting and we always choose a different direction to explore. This time we found an unusual twin-seat Lambretta covered in dust - it had been sitting about for a long time. There are many scooters about, perfect for the narrow streets that need negotiating. Road bikes are mainly Korean and Japanese. We've only seen one Harley, one police BMW and nothing Italian.

TUESDAY 21st JULY 2009 (LUTFU & CIHAN)

TUESDAY 21st JULY 2009

The mission today was to find a 'Turkey shipper' and find out the process involved for shipping The HORS back to Australia.

Even though we still have a week before flying out we thought it best to find out how it will all work instead of touring further south. There are still many things within reach that we'd like to see but have to prioritize at this point. Maybe we will have some time later.

Paul left late morning with map in hand and rough directions to a couple of freight forwarders but returned within the hour. He said it was impossible to find the actual offices amongst the myriad of narrow streets and multiple doors, none of which has any signage. He found one of the buildings but unable to find the entrance. I went back with him later and we both had a good look but neither of us could find the way in - couldn't believe it...!!!



Paul then got on to the internet and researched 'Turkey shippers'. He settled on a particular company (SENOLSUN) and went to visit. Again, finding the entry was difficult but eventually found the door that led into the building. He met Lutfu and Cihan and there was an immediate rapport between the three and shipping details were discussed.



In a city of about 4 million people we thought it odd that the ONLY person we'd got to know (Vinie) lived in a narrow apartment building, the same building that the 'Turkey shippers' worked out of. Now there's an omen...!!! And Vinie didn't even know they were there!

We were happy with Lutfu & Cihan and left them with their homework. We spent a pleasant evening walking along the ocean boulevard watching the 'feribot' come and go. The boulevard is several kilometers long, surrounded by city lights and water reflections. Coupled with temperatures in the low thirties it made for a very enjoyable evening.

MONDAY 20th JULY 2009 (KUCUKKUYU to IZMIR))

MONDAY 20th JULY 2009


After yesterday's heat we hit the road early to get some miles under our tyres BEFORE it got too hot. It did get to 48 degrees so it was a wise move. It was probably our most boring day ever. No breakdowns, no dramas, no adventure (which is a good thing). Just mile after mile after mile of stinkin' hot bitumen. There was one item of interest though - the HORS clocked over 2,000 kilometers.

We rode for the first few hours (no probs) then once it hit midday we could only ride in half hour bursts before the bike (and oil) just got too hot. Not to mention us. Just when we thought it couldn't get any hotter we would be hit with a heat wave that almost vaporized us...!!!

During the morning we rode past hundreds of zillions of olive trees. Olive Oil is the staple means of income in this area.

We parked up under some trees at a truckies stop and when it came time to roll one of the old fellows stood up and saluted us as we departed. He obviously liked The HORS.

We then rode only another half-hour before having to stop again, this time on a grassy area with the sea right alongside. The HORS was grateful, we were grateful. And here we stayed for at least two hours.

We then made a last ditched effort to get to IZMIR stopping on the outskirts to get our map out and get orientated. Before we even took our helmets off two bottles of ice-cold water appeared and at the end of the arms were two fellows, all smiles and oohhing and aarrhing at the bike. When they found out we were from Australia four more bottles of water and two bunches of grapes were bestowed on us. Gratefully accepted too as we were exhausted from the heat. People are so incredibly friendly in Turkey.

We said our goodbyes and made a bee-line for the port area as this is where we will ship the bike home from. We then weaved our way to the city centre which turned out much easier than expected. Again we stopped to get our map out to get directions and find accommodation. At that precise moment a fellow bike rider came out of his apartment building, complimented the bike and offered to take us to an Otel. He offered us his place but said it wasn't a safe area for the bike because of gypsy's. He rode a Yamaha Dragstar, hugely popular here. We followed him a short way through the narrow streets, that is until he rode through the bollards and we couldn't...!!! Vinie came back laughing. Reverse gear has come in handy on several occasions! He then took Paul on the back and together they went to check out a few places rather than ride the HORS through streets almost too narrow for his hips!

We booked in to Otel BALCA (very nice rooms and a toilet that works - YAY) then went and met Vinie at his uncle's cafe for drinks. 'Drinks' here always refers to Cay (chai), Turkish coffee or water. It's rare to see alcohol. After an hour's supping we said our goodbyes and thanks and went to unpack and get settled into IZMIR.

We're not terribly impressed with the food. There are approximately 400,000 kebab shops and if they don't serve kebabs then there's 101 other ways of serving the same horrible food. We'll have to do some serious searching for something better tomorrow!

SUNDAY 19th JULY 2009 (ECEABAT to KUCUKKUYU)

SUNDAY 19th JULY 2009


After a brilliant day yesterday (ANZAC Cove) we weren't in a hurry to go anywhere. We had actually relaxed for possibly the first time on this whole trip. BUT, we had to continue to make miles because time is running out and if the HORS has another colic attack we may not make our destination!




We eventually left 'Crowded House' at 11.00am and within 30 minutes were on the ferry to KEPEZ on the far shores. We gave Canakkale a miss because it's a BIG town, it's very hot and Kepez is just a little further downstream. The ferry boat ride has always been good. You can see both sides of the shores easily (not a very wide channel) and we always wonder who would give way to who as it's such a busy shipping channel but the ferry boats seem to dodge in and around the big ships easily.

We were also secretly happy that we were 'making miles' without actually riding The HORS...!!! A shocking admission...but true...!!! The ferries are very popular as a way of getting from A to B as petrol costs $3.00 AUS a litre.


The terrain was hilly with low scrub and scattered pine trees. The only potentially interesting thing we rode past was the turn-off to TROY (the Trojan Horse) but it was far too hot to consider doing more miles than necessary. Turned out to be a good decision. We did pass a replica TROY horse so was satisfied with that.


It was EXTREMELY hot and within half-an-hour we had to pull off the road and park-up in the shade of a tree. The engine was far too hot. And there we stayed for an hour before hitting the bitumen again.







We only rode another half-an-hour before having to stop once again because of the heat. The bike was 'smokin' (and I don't mean speed...!!!).

We rode into EZINE where we hoped we could rest the bike and ourselves in the shade. We found the perfect spot and spent the next two-and-a-half hours here. We just had to wait till the intensity of heat passed before contemplating riding again. We did what all good Turks do (every day of the week) - sit in the shade, drink tea and play board games. Nearly every cafe is chokka-full of blokes drinking tea - no women to be seen.



We hit the road again, still hot, but we were to turn off the highway and ride along our first 'Adventure Road'. Our map of Turkey has sections of road indicating 'Adventure' and in this case, that word turned out to be a bit of an understatement. We were heading to ASSOS and were enjoying the ups and downs and all the corners the road offered. We were a little bit impressed with The HORS too as he seemed to manage it all okay. The hills got steeper and steeper, the corners sharper and the road more narrow - not always a good combination for a sidecar outfit....but for all those people with big road-trail bikes this would be brilliant.



Eventually we couldn't believe what was before us. The hillside town of BEHRAMKALE-ASSOS was as old as old can get - hard to distinguish the buildings from the rocks. It's an ancient Greek village dating back to the 6th Century, complete with the ruins of temples and an amphitheatre. It wasn't hard to imagine the people in their white robes and carrying their water jugs - just like the movies. Actually, not like the movies - like REAL life. It really was like that. A fabulous place.


We rode further along the road and that's when life got 'REAL' interesting. Only a few metres along we discovered the road drops TWO kilometers to the Aegean coastline - NO safety barriers, uneven cobblestone road surface, about 4 million cars wanting 95% of the road and the only thing between us and the edge was a row of thistles!


I was SCREAMING as sitting in the sidecar I was the one almost going over the edge of the road, Paul was SCREAMING as he fought The HORS trying to keep it on the road as it seemed that each car that passed had a personal mission to run us over the edge. End result - I got out and walked, happy to leave Paul to his fate...(not really). Stupid thing was....the drop-off to the water ended about 20 meters further along but that didn't stop Paul riding to the bottom as I waved my stick in the air cursing trying to get his attention...!!!

BUT...on the good side, this is when I found the amphitheatre. It was right on a corner and difficult to see whilst negotiating road conditions, but on foot I couldn't miss it. Oh well, no need to hurry to the bottom. Paul can wait...!!! I went in to have a look but just as I was about to enter I heard the familiar 'chug-a-lug' of The HORS coming back up the hill. I immediately forgot all the nasty things I was thinking and thought how nice - Paul has come back to get me. That wasn't the case though - the road turned out to be a dead-end...!!! We both ended up laughing.

Paul had to use all his effort to handle the bike on the way back UP as the weight of our gear on the sidecar made the front wheel VERY light. I watched in dismay as I saw the front wheel leave the ground on a few occasions!

We both went to explore the amphitheatre and were amazed at the construction of it all. Half of it lay in ruins as ground subsidence has destroyed the layout of the steps; the other half is remarkably intact, the view stunning.
We were most pleased that THAT road was now behind us, but satisfied that we had ridden at least 'one' adventure road.


From here we made our way to KUCUKKUYU with the only problem being we were back at the top of the hill and needed to get back down to the water level. This time I didn't get out of the sidecar - the road made a more gentle approach to the coast. It was very pleasant riding along at water level but glad we weren't camping - very crowded and all dirt - very little grass to be seen.


We stopped at a small roadside stall - Paul needed a beer and I had an ice-cream. We met the most delightful kid who chatted away to us non-stop. We couldn't understand each other but eye contact spoke volumes and we just loved him. His name was Furkan TOPGU. We took off, got a few metres up the road, did a uu-ee (not sure how to spell that!) went back and gave him a koala with an Australian flag. He was wrapt. We left him with a big smile and lots of waves.



On we rode till dusk arriving at the Aydin MOTEL about 8.45pm. Dinner was provided (which was awful), the toilet didn't work (which was awful) but we did have a large verandah on which to sit and enjoy the view of the surrounding hills and night lights of the city. Temperature had cooled but it was still 30 degrees...!!!

SATURDAY 18th JULY 2009 (ANZAC COVE)

SATURDAY 18th JULY 2009

Today was one we had been really looking forward to...and let's face it, it's taken us long enough to get here!

Today we rode to ANZAC Cove where over 8,ooo Australian soldiers died during World War One. And when we arrived it definitely felt like we were on Australian soil.

The whole area is now a National Park to preserve the memory of what happened all those years ago and to make the area a peaceful final resting place for all those soldiers (on all sides) who died there.

The first Memorial we saw read -

"Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives; you are now lying in the soil of a friendly country. Therefore rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side here in this country of ours. You, the mothers, who sent their sons from far away countries, wipe away your tears; your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace. After having lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well." (Ataturk)

We were very lucky to see Anzac Cove in total peace and quiet. Very tranquil, very beautiful. The history books came alive when standing on the beach where the soldiers came ashore looking up at the high ridges which are almost impenetrable.

We spent a long time at Anzac Cove, walked along the beach, studied all the inscription plaques and

imagined the Dawn Service held each Anzac Day, not quite believing we were actually here.

We then rode to the ridge where many of the memorials, statues and cemeteries were. The remains of trenches were everywhere to be seen. On one side of the road were the ANZACS, on the other, the TURKS (the front line where death was imminent). They were literally only eight meters apart from each other.

We visited Lone Pine Cemetery and I found the name of a distant relative on one of the plaques on the Memorial Wall. It was very hot but we were able to take our time, sit in the shade and soak up the views - very hard to imagine this beautiful place in war time.

The HORS performed faultlessly today but we only pottered about doing 20 kph as seemed only right. Of course we stopped at many places of interest avoiding the dozens of tourist bus's that frequented this road during the day.

We thought we'd visit the south of the Gelibolu Peninsula but it took us nearly all day to have a good look around the small area pertaining to OUR soldiers.

On the way 'home' we ended up doing a little off-road riding into a sunflower field. We ended up in some most unnatural positions so didn't venture too far. It got very rough.

For once we had our evening meal at a reasonable hour, walked along the waterfront, watched the ferry's come and go and avoided the wedding that was in progress at the far end. A GREAT day.

FRIDAY 17th JULY 2009 (GALIBOLU to ECEABAT)

FRIDAY 17th JULY 2009


It was sort of sad to leave our grungy Otel and Galibolu. We had a fabulous meal of calamari last night and bumped into most people we'd met at the Industrial Estate. We felt like 'locals'.



We did promise to call in to the Industrial Estate to say hello-goodbye to some people on our way and that's exactly what we did. The people we wanted to see weren't there (typical) and some of the others we knew were glad to see that all was well. Of course we had to sit in the shade of the trees and partake in that all-time great Turkish custom of tea-drinking.


Funnily enough we met a fellow (Sam MERIC) who owned the Beach Kiosk at Warrnambool, Victoria - we know this cafe.

After numerous cups of tea (they are small) we finally left Galibolu at lunch-time and enjoyed a lovely ride along the banks of the Dardanelles Strait to ECEABAT. It's only a 40 kilometer ride but hey, WE DIDN''T BREAK DOWN...!!!





We thought we'd quit while we were ahead and found a GREAT Otel called CROWDED HOUSE. It's only one year old, clean, great staff, safe parking for our bike and perfectly located for tomorrow's plans.





We spent the afternoon relaxing
(I really should say
'sleeping') as the body and mind needed to rejuvenate a bit. So nice NOT to be sitting about in a workshop ALL day. We had our evening stroll, ate a very ho-hum meal, watched a wedding in progress (music is really, really bad) and the dancing is more like a mating dance from some tropical large-winged bird.


WE DIDN'T BREAK DOWN TODAY. YAY. We feel things are on the up and up as our holiday time draws closer to its final days. Typical...!!!

THURSDAY 16th JULY 2009 (GELIBOLU GENERATOR REPAIR)

THURSDAY 16th JULY 2009


Looking out the window at the beach didn't help our weary bodies and weary spirit liven up. We headed off in dread wondering what would happen today. Have to admit The HORS has nearly beaten us.


Before heading out the road we decided to check out the Galibolu Lighthouse, only 2 kilometers from the Otel. And you guessed it....the battery went flat AGAIN.



With no words spoken (we know the drill) Paul caught a taxi to the Industrial Estate and got the battery charged enough to enable us to get the bike there. This time we went to 'Yasar USTUNTAS Oto Elektrik'. He ran his ear over the bike and indicated the generator needed to be removed and pulled apart. But we HAVE had this tested - twice...!!! He's a man of few words and forty years experience particularly with 6-volt systems and insisted.


Paul removed the generator and Yasar dismantled it and tested the armature which is okay. He then connected a battery across the field coil to check the spark. (How am I doing Henzell?) Yasar shook his head and said ..."KAPUT" (a known word in any language!).


Paul was summonsed to follow and two doors down there just happened to be a coil winder (STAR BOBINA) who was busy with his own work but Yasar mentioned the 'Australian' word and Mr. Bobbin immediately stopped what he was doing and checked out the coil.


After the insulation was removed the fault was easy to see. The windings had been shorting internally in an intermittent fashion making it difficult to diagnose. The old bloke knew though.


This has answered or solved the battery discharge problem as the field coil and armature are directly connected across the battery (series generator) and with a much reduced number of windings in the field coil this was loading the battery and allowing it to discharge very quickly.


In about 10 minutes a new coil was wound (costing $17), dipped in shellac and hung to dry.



Tools were downed as it was lunch-time for the workers. We were directed to a small table and before us was laid a plate of Balik (fish) stew, hard-crusted bread, chai and watermelon on newspaper. WOW. These blokes were really looking after us.



A few hours later the coil was dry and Yasar tested it again, this time the smile on his face was promising. Paul reinstalled the generator and it immediately charged the battery. Even the charge light went out. Maybe, just maybe we have fixed the problem.












It was 8.30pm when we left Yasar's and then the hunt was on for a place to stay. Again, too late to make miles. We found the best grungy Otel right in the middle of town next to the fish market. It had the best views but I had concerns when we had to dodge the live wires in the corridor and then to find the toilet was situated at the end of the two beds - no walls, no privacy, no anything...!!! Interesting. Another exciting day over and done with at the Industrial Estate...!!!