Riding 2Up

Sunday 17th July 2009

Istanbul
 
It was hard to leave Istanbul, not just because of the wonderful people and charm of the city with it's vibrant night life but also because we had an electric fuel pump that failed trying to leave and we had to come back for repairs. We're back on the road since 31st July and the bike is running fine see below for more on our breakdown. Istanbul is a major tourist destination and we didn't feel like anything special queuing for tickets at the Hagia Sofia or the Blue Mosque but the city has a charm very few cities in Europe can attest to having. Istanbul where east meets west is the new Paris with it's great shopping and splendid views from almost anywhere. I'd prefer belly dancing at the Galata Tower to the Moulin Rouge any day. If you haven't been to Turkey then book a ticket now, start with Istanbul and let your legs take you where your heart desires.
 
 Interview questions and answers
 
Do you find European Turkey much different to Eastern (Asian) Turkey?
Arja: There is a significant difference between Eastern Turkey and Western Turkey and between all the big cities and coastal towns lining the Mediterranean and the smaller rural towns of inland Turkey that see far fewer international tourists. The mostly Kurdish East and other parts of inland Turkey are more conservative and traditional especially when compared to the booze, beach and bikini holiday resorts lining the Mediterranean coast. We received an overwhelming warm and friendly welcome in the East where people were very happy to see a foreign face and curious about our travels. Traditional Turkish hospitality has evidently not been lost to more western ways.
 
How's the food?
Pascal: Excellent, after Iran the food is wonderful and varied with huge juicy apricots and cherries the size of walnuts. We've been spoilt for choice and the variety of fresh fruits and vegetables. The breakfasts of cucumber, tomatoes, olives and feta cheese are unusual but delicious and the honey is some of the best we've tried. With the exception of Iran the whole trip has been a culinary feast and a large part of our cultural experiences is the food. With out being adventurous in the food and the different cuisines of each region and country we've travelled through we would have missed what I think is the best and worst part of traveling.
Arja: As a vegetarian I haven't indulged in all the kepabs, kofte and other dishes comprised of all you can eat meat that Turkey and Greece are famous for but that does not mean I have had limited choice. Turkey and Greece have plentiful fresh produce meaning many zesty and tasty salads, savoury pastries with vegetable or cheese fillings, many good vegetable and bean stews and soups and more. I particularily like Turkish gozleme, a kind of pancake with a cottage cheese and spinach filling as well as menemen, a fried egg dish with tomatoes and green peppers. I won't start on the sweets as I could talk about these delights for hours - save it to say they are sweet and delicious and very rich on calories!
 
Also, how is the bike?
Pascal: Good now but... just as we left Istanbul on Sunday the 24th we had an electrical fault with the fuel pump (NB it's a common problem with the 1200GS and there is a roadside fix available if you have the parts. We didn't!) and the bike died and wouldn't start again. Luckily for us Turkey has plenty of BMW centres and it was a short tow back to Istanbul to get a replacement part for Francois. Since then we've been running smoothly. A couple of weeks ago I had to perform the 40,000km service and did this with the help of a mechanic friend of Mustafa in Urla some 50kms from Izmir. This involved valve adjustments, oil filter change and oil change, cleaning the air filter and a few minor tweaks. The next routine maintenance will be new tyres and to fix a couple of broken bolts and reattach the mud guard (now in Switzerland) that fell of in Laos.
 
Have you managed to get it serviced?
Pascal: Most of the routine servicing of our GS I do myself but tasks that require special tools or more experience I like to have done by an experienced mechanic with me looking on so that I can do it next time. It also saves a lot of money knowing the basics and it can help to get us (and other motorcyclists) out of trouble if something simple goes wrong.
 
What do you have to do to get it registered in Europe - and where ?
Pascal: We don't know yet as this depends on which country we will get it registered in, if we decide to register the bike in Europe. It is a lot easier for us to renew our Carnet de Passage for Francois and this is probably the best option as we still plan to travel somewhat in and around Europe.
 
What is the hardest part of traveling by motorcycle?
Pascal: Confrontation of oneself and your own likes and dislikes. Everything else you can either buy fix or get help with but the personal and emotional aspect of traveling is something you just have to deal with, this is especially true when you find yourself out of your comfort zone. Motorcycling more than any other form of travel and riding 2up more than any other form of motorcycling teaches us what we really need and don`t need. There is not any spare room for thneeds*, everything is a necessity and this is why it is so painful when someone steels from us even the smallest of things.
 
Arja: Definately my sweat suit! My motorcycle pants are starting to smell positively rotten after all our hot sweaty rides in 30+ temperatures. I can get very exhuasted, tired and cranky due to the heat which leads to bickering and arguments - the last thing we should be doing when trying to find a place to sleep for the night. Finding a place with secure motorcycle parking can also be a problem. Notably, we do not have the luxury of spare cash and space like other short-term holiday travellers to buy all the lovely ornamental and cultural souvenirs that one otherwise might splash out on. We can only shop with our eyes and then let go and forget with the mental reminder note that it is not needed and it would be superfluous and you would be racked with guilt if you made the purchase. There is always the option of posting souvenirs back home but the postage usually costs more than the few nicknacks we might have bought.
 
*Thneed comes from Dr Seuss` book Lorax. For more on the things you think you need see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lorax

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