It's a bummer that I didn't write for so long and didn't finish up about Turkey back then, even though there was only one part left. And now I don't remember a thing anymore, so the conclusion is going to be rather skimpy.
Basically, if you've read all the parts, you don't even need it. It's probably clear from the story that we liked Turkey more than we didn't.
There's something about bike trips that I consider a major unsolved problem. It's the fact that you travel slowly, and along the way, no matter what, there will be a lot of routine and tasks related to overnight stays and supplies. In other words, as a long-distance mode of transport, the bicycle isn't very good. Ultimately, it's better suited for short outings or exploring the area. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love riding 80 km or more a day, but it has to be varied and not down a dusty highway surrounded by cars. That's why you need a different mode of transport for that part.
Since the trip to Turkey, the punk and I also made it out to Belarus for Līgo, and there we acted on a different principle: we crashed at my second cousin's place, and rode around the area. Basically, it's already more fun, although there are nuances there too.
For now, an interesting option seems to be this – arriving somewhere in a minibus and riding around the area. That way you can always see interesting things and don't have to waste your bike time on getting to those places. Of course, it's important not to overdo it with the motor transport and to pedal properly. Plus, it's financially trickier, especially now. I could still hack it somehow, because I buy very little besides food, but for people with families, cars, and home renovations, any extra expenses are the last thing they need.
Also, all of the above leans me towards the thought that it's still better to ride on dirt roads and forest trails to fully enjoy nature. In Belarus, we easily managed to ride 80 km a day on them, and on the last day we also did an extra 70 on asphalt, so in total I rode 150 km. That's my personal 24-hour record so far.
Let's get back to Turkey, though. As for nature and everything else – in some places it was beautiful and interesting. Unlike Igor Schukin, I love cities too, and I missed them a little bit. The mountains, on the other hand, were excellent. I'm afraid I'm repeating myself, but I'm writing this as a sort of summary now. I hope it's clear that the day with the mountains (the “pass”) was the one I liked the most. By the way, a comparison with Crete comes to mind. It's wonderful there, and the more time passes, the more nostalgic I get. But it would be tough on a bike: the mountains are just too steep.
Also, by the way, I feel nostalgic for the US, mostly for some reason for the house where I lived – it's very cozy there, and the trees rustle pleasantly outside the window, plus everything is drowning in greenery. And when it rains, you just want to indulge in melancholy forever.
As for the flight back, there wasn't much of interest. First, at the Turkish airport, the girl took ages to wrap her head around the fact that we needed to check our bikes, and that they had already been paid for as baggage in Latvia. Then a baggage handler spotted that the tires on the packed bikes weren't deflated, and forced us to let the air out. How to do that when the bike is packed is a mystery. Whoever could – let the air out, the rest said screw it, and the dude didn't seem to insist. On the plane, there was an article in the free AirBaltic magazine about the most bicycle-friendly cities in Europe. I only remember Berlin and Amsterdam.
In Riga, we waited a really long time for our luggage. In the end, the bikes arrived right on the conveyor belt. Also, when we were walking through the green channel, one passenger got nabbed by a customs lady. I was loudly whining that I didn't want to get checked, because I was tired and too lazy to unpack my luggage (especially since I had illegal meat in my luggage in the form of çiğ köfte). Fortunately, they didn't pull us over.
Thanks to everyone who organized and took part in the trip. Overall, everything went pretty smoothly and it would be great to do it again.
I rode back with Igor Schukin, and we discussed things a bit, including the possibility of a bike trip to Iceland. I have Wikipedia and the GSE on my iPhone, you can glean all sorts of interesting things from them. Iceland is cold and gloomy, which you probably know. A bike trip there is not for everyone. But I still hope that we'll work something out. On this optimistic note, I will allow myself to finish.