Category: Leg 2: Sofia -> Tbilisi
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Ben Around the World Diary – Day 54 – 20th November 2018
ODO: 6345km Location: between Khed and Chiplun Weather: 24-30 Overcast and light rain. Humid After the oppressive heat of yesterday’s midday sun, the blanket of cloud that built from the south is like dipping your bare feet into a stream after a long days hiking. With occasional light drizzle bringing up the humidity my morning…
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Ben Around the World Diary – Day 52 – 26th September 2018
ODO 6128 Location Tbilisi, Georgia Weather 11-19 Storm gusts After a month on the road from Bulgaria through Turkey I came across the roof scape of Tbilisi suddenly. The road dropped sharply from the mountains into the bowl of the city below. Two things signalled my switch from the country to the city. The road…
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Ben Around the World Diary – Day 51 – 25th September 2018
ODO 6018km Location Sakdrioni, Georgia Weather 8-22 Strong side becoming head wind I like Georgia already. On my climb up to the border I though over all of the experiences I’d had on Turkey. From being offered food and pastries at the top of a big climb to innumerable chai stops with workman and families…
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Ben Around the World Diary – Day 50 – 24th September 2018
ODO 5877km Location Lake Cisor Weather 11-24 Today I’ve felt very down on Turkey and Kurds. After the stone throwing incident yesterday – this morning a young man shoots a cap gun out of the window as they pass. I’m so used to this now. Kids shout as I pass but I keep headphones in…
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Ben Around the World Diary – Day 49 – 23th September 2018
ODO 5781km Location Digor Weather 11-29 Light showers Having stones thrown at you isn’t fun. I’d just stopped st a small town petrol station to top up my water bottles and chatted in my few words of Turkish and there’s of English. Pointing at the map and wondering if the border crossing I’d chosen would…
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Ben Around the World Diary – Day 48 – 21th September 2018
ODO 5636 Location Dogubayazit Weather 8-25 Strong head wind The sight of the dark stone of Mount Ararat – the highest peak in Turkey – stirred in me a deep fear and excitement. A tightening of the sphincter I’ve only ever experienced by looking down in deep clear water to see I’m floating tens of…
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Ben Around the World Diary – Day 47 – 20th September 2018
ODO 5488km Location Karabakac – just over the pass Weather 7-25 Up at 5am before sunset. On the road with the overnight lorry drivers and nobody else. Seeing the sunrise. The earth turning imperceptibly yet methodically like my wheel. It’s a real surprise to see someone coming the other way with a loaded bike. Today…
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Ben Around the World Diary – Day 46 – 19th September 2018
ODO 5338 Location Ezisiye Weather 15-28 In turkey the earth takes on colours I’ve never seen. The earth rises thousands of metres between purple and black to the neon blue of the sky. Starting a deep grey on the morning with grizzly clouds licking the summits. Opening up onto ochers from life and death. The…
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Ben Around the World Diary – Day 45 – 18th September 2018
ODO 5228km Location Past Erzincan off the highway Weather 5-30 a contrast from mountain to valley What is it with men shouting out of vans trying to scare me? The people I meet and the cars on the road have been growing progressively more and more friendly as I head east. Yet there is still…
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Ben Around the World Diary – Day 44 – 17th September 2018
ODO 5078km Location Up a mountain near Kasaplar Weather 11-26 gusty headwind As I broke through the 5000km mark the mountains began. Just as they did with approaching Istanbul. Small undulations in the road. 20m up. 20m down. Then they grew to sweeping mountain climbs as the wind picked up to resist and buffer my…