Saturday, 22 July, 2017 --- Day 05 -- From Cayeli To Arhavi

ΚΑΤ’ΕΜΠΟΡΙΑΝ ΚΑΙ ΘΕΩΡΙΑΝ

ES MUSS SEIN

CARTAGO DELENDA EST

Nos perituri mortem salutamus

Saturday, 22 July, 2017 --- Day 05
From Cayeli To Arhavi
Stats
Day dist: 64.36 km
Riding time: 3 hours  40 mins
Avg speed: 17.54 km/hour
Max speed: 30.23 km/hour
Beg day odo:  1798 km
End day odo: 1863 km
Dist covered so far: 163 km
Coordinates: 41.351627 N 41.303015 E otel Özay

Got up late but not as late as yesterday. This time I managed to make it to breakfast and must say it was hearty. Back to my room, packed and hit the road by 11:30.

Otel Sahil

Rather than getting on the highway took the parallel road that went through the town.

Cayeli

I covered a few miles, always on the side road till I ran into something that made me think

There was a tunnel coming up on the highway and at the same time the side road seemed to be headed towards the mountain.. I concluded that the tunnel was there to save cars from climbing a very big hill. Riding on the side road is so much more fun, however, that I went to the trouble to check the veracity of my observatin before I got on the highway. I did not need to check anything, it turned out. As I biked on, on the service road, a bunch of guys that were there started waving to me not to go this way. When I talked to them they seemed to think that I was crazy to want to go the way of the mountain.

I did the sensible thing and took the tunnel

Having crossed tons of tunnels in my biking carreer I am qualified to make tany comment I want. This one is RACIST. All tunnels are the same. Here is the proof.

Mosques crop up everywhere

Beautiful Mosque on side of road

I decided to deviate with the first chance and took the road leading to Pazar city (highways can be boring.)

Just to make sure I was not headed totally in the wrong direction, I asked a young man who was outside his house. He told me that it was better this way because it was not as dangerous. He then asked me if I needed water or food. I thanked him and politely told him that I had everythig I needed.

Town of Pazar

After biking like that for a while, I had to reenter the highway and a tsai stop was in order.

I had already covered 23 clicks and it was time to take a little rest, which lasted for more than half an hour. I hit the road at 14:15.

Needless to say that the weather was rainy. It was not raining but there were droplets in the atmosphere, especially on the highway. In so many words, since I arrived in Trapezous I haven't seen the sun.

I deviated again, this time through the town of Ardesen

Small river mouth + mosque in the background

Town of ardesen

I biked on. Just like in Ardesen there are plenty of rivulets that empty into the Black Sea.
Here is one

Highways in Turkey provide for everything, even refuelling for simple guys like me and Spithas.

Spithas refuelling

I did not mention but my original goal for the day was Findikli. However, I arrived there rather early and was in shape for a few more miles.

Spithas entering Findikli

Findikli

I looked on my Gps map and decided to make it to Kale.
In Findikli, I asked a local about Kale and he did not even know it. He started naming all the towns on my way and Kale was not one of them. He suggested that I bike to Arhavi instead. After he left I took out the Gps equipment and started looking for the town. As I was doing that, two bicycle riders stopped and talked to me and tried to give me info. They must have overheard the conversation because they gave me info about Hotel Özay in Arhavit. I thanked them and biked on. It was an extra 15 clicks.

The never ending tunnel story

One more tunnel down

Just as a reminder. It is really unpleasant riding into tunnels!!!

Entering Arhavi

I put the hotel name in my gps and in combination with the locals, I found the hotel.

They were pleasant people that received me. An older man that could speak some English told me he used to be a bike mechanic and congratulated me for having biked from Greece. He asked me what time I was going to leave for Batumi tomorrow and them made a phone call and told me that 5 guys would be riding to Batumi as well tomorrow. I am not sure I understood everything correctly but I am prepared to ride with company tomorrow.

ΕΙ ΘΕΟΣ ΥΠΕΡ ΗΜΩΝ, ΤΙΣ ΚΑΘ’ΗΜΩΝ; Προς Ρωμαίους 8:31

IF GOD BE WITH US WHO CAN BE AGAINST US? Romans 8:31