We're at the doors of Asia!
Before reaching Istanbul, we spent a night in Tekirdag.
Ömür hosted us in Tekirdag and invited us for a breakfast right next to the Sea of Marmara.
The Blue Mosque or Sultan Ahmed Mosque in Istanbul.
Backgammon (called Tavla in Turkey) is a very typical game in Turkey and other middle east countries. The game originated there.
Inner patio of the Blue Mosque or Sultan Ahmed Mosque
We were on the street waiting for a friend when this gentleman brought us two cups of tea.
Crossing the Bosporus Canal to set foot on Asian soil for the first time.
Setting foot on Asian soil for the first time!
Didem and Fatih shared their home in Istanbul with us for one month. They did not let us leave and turned into very special friends.
Our friends from www.turkbikers.com, who took us into their family as if we were their brothers.
The tea just tastes better in these glasses :-)
Restaurant with floating kitchen.
Simit, circular bread decorated with sesame seeds.
In Istanbul, the mayority of the women dress according to western fashion, but it is common to see women with their hair covered and wearing long and hot clothing.
Breakfast at Ergün and Ferda's, friends who hosted us for a few days in Istanbul.
Trying out the new Tenere model.
Touring the Beldeyama (Yamaha)motorcycle factory in Istanbul.
After begging the policeman who guards the bridge for almost half an hour, we were finally allowed to take this picture.
With Fatih, who turned into our brother in Istanbul. Together with his wife Didem they hosted us in their house for one month and made us feel part of their family.
With Ezgi and our "little sister" Didem taking a walk on Büyükada island.
Ezgi modeling on Büyükada
Büyükada island. Most houses are made of wood.
Panur, dentist and motorcyclist, alleviating Elke's pain.
If you plan to visit Istanbul, please contact the Turkbikers, they are wonderful people.
www.turkbikers.com
The sad good-bye. Saying farewell to Fatih and Didem. We lived with them for one month.
We took the road leading along the Black Sea and camped in Akcakoca.
We continued east along the coast of the Black Sea.
We encountered enchanting villages in small bays. Here you see Doganyurt.
We looked for a place to stay in Abana.
We stopped to rest at this fountain in Catalzeytin. Somebody brought us tea and a table as well! The hospitality of the Turks is incredible.
Checking the route. We continue along the coast of the Black Sea.
At the Yamaha dealer in Samsun we changed the clutch lever and some broken lamps.
A man we met on the road invited us to sleep in his tent on the beach of Fatsa. They prepared a tea turkish style.
All of his friends came as well to keep us company. They make up the motorcycle club of Fatsa.
We found a gorgeous beach in a small village named Çaka.
We stayin in Çaka for three nights, planning the trip through Asia.
The last kilometres along the coast of the Black Sea. From there we travelled inland through the mountains.
We camped in Maçka to visit the Somela monastery the next day.
The Sumela monastery is constructed on a mountainside.
Caves of the Sumela monastery.
We found a puppy abandoned in the middle of a desert road. We named her "Bayan".
We tried to take Bayan with us, but the tunnels scared her terribly.
We found a new owner for Bayan in the town of Gumushane.
We continued along the interiour of Turquia, always travelling east.
We reached very high and cold zones.
La Garota cannot believe how far she has come after so much travelling.
A very old bridge in the middle of nowhere.
This semiarid and mountanous zone with poplars and brown mountains reminded us a lot of the province of Mendoza in Argentina.
Kilometres and kilometres of astonishing landscapes in the interiour of Turkey.
The beauty of our planet is so extensive that we could not possibly experience all of it in ten lives.
Some lost village between Erzurum and Dogubayazit, near the border with Iran.
We stopped to fill up our tanks and were offered tea.
The last kilometres before reaching the last village before the border with Iran: Dogubayazit.
A tea house, a place for men only.
Buying simit, a typical turkish bread.
It was exciting to see the famous Mount Ararat.
Rigorous border between Turkey and Iran.
We're leaving Turkey. And entering Iran...
