Greece

Happy new year! I apologize for the lack of blog updates the past two weeks. My time with Astrid was limited and I didn’t want to spend any of it journaling or blogging on the computer. Without day to day journal entries I’ll revert back to how I used to blog and summarize the best I can. I will say that I’m really enjoying the day to day writings. It feels great to break down the events of a day while lying in my tent. It allows me to pick out special moments and make every day distinct from one another.

I actually got in two journal entries before flying to Athens.

Day 93 (Tuesday, 15th of December, 2015)

Today I really don’t have too much to blog. I slept in and ordered a replacement medium rear gear. I had some concerns with international shipping and customs but a friend of the bike shop I had repairs done informed me that if an order doesn’t exceed 75 EUR then it should clear customs no problem. I’m within the limit so all I can do is cross my fingers. It should arrive by the time I return from Greece. Later that night I went out with a Madeline, a Swede also staying with Kirby, Kirby, and his Turkish girlfriend, Didem. She didn’t speak English too well and I was skeptical of how a relationship like that would work. It was surprisingly smooth and they both seemed very happy together. My cold is easing up and my homesickness has more or less gone away. One thing I’ve learned over the past 3 months is that you have to believe a situation will get better with time. Whether that be an hour, day, or even a week. I’ve acknowledged that in the future of this trip there will be some truly testing times. A week may go by of absolute grueling misery. I have to remember to believe that the suffering will subside and it will get better.

Day 94 (Wednesday, 16th of December, 2015)

This morning I got up early to bike to the Uzbekistan consulate about 10 km north. Istanbul is without a doubt the least bike friendly city I’ve been in. After finding my way through a multitude of roads I finally arrived at an empty building and a sign posted with an address. I was happy to see that the new building was in Levent and only a kilometer and a half from the apartment. So back I went and found the Uzbek officials very kind. It was a long process involving going back a forth between two buildings on separated ends of the street but I finally ended with a man saying I have to wait 10 days for processing. Perfect! I was happy to know that I had been given special treatment as well. Apparently it’s usually required to have an LOI (Letter of Invitation) but because I looked like a “good guy” he let it slide. Astrid always tells me that my luck is beyond normal. Sometimes I believe it. Back at the apartment I began to pack my things for Greece. Packing for a trip while on a trip really makes me feel like I’ve been on the road for a long time. Tomorrow I fly to Athens!

 

Day 111 (Saturday, 2st of January, 2016)

Seeing Astrid for the first time in over three months filled me with an overwhelming happiness. I knew I’d be happy but not that happy. Her familiar face gave me a smile that lasted the next two weeks. I can’t even imagine the emotions I’ll have when I return home.
We took the subway from the Airport to the city center about an hour later. As we talked I was still in slight disbelief that she was here with me. The subway became jam packed as we got into the city and bodies were jostling. Suddendly I felt several fingers slide their way into my front pocket. I hit the arm away and yelled some vulgar phrases at the man who then acted as if he had done nothing. After the ride Astrid told me she had the same experience with her phone in her back pocket but dealt with it much more calmly and quickly moved it to her front pocket. It probably didn’t help that we were obviously tourist with all our luggage and thereafter we where far more cautious.

The first couple days we took it pretty easy because Astrid fractured her toe pretty bad in the hotel. However, it worked out well as nearly all the tourist attraction were closed due to a workers strike. While we where in Greece we could almost feel in the air that the economy wasn’t doing too well. The strike eventually ended and we visited the National Archaeological Museum of Athens; a short walk from our hotel. The ancient artifacts and sculptures dating back to around 500 BC were fascinating and we were thoroughly impressed. One of the days we also visited the Plaka. It’s a complex network of small streets with countless shops cramming the space. We then walked past the ruins of an ancient marketplace on our way up to a rocky outcrop overlooking the city. As we sat in the setting sun we looked out of place wearing warm weather clothing while the locals were bundling up for Winter.
On the 22nd we got on a ferry for 8 hours that took us to one of the most popular of the Cyclades Islands. The four days on Santorini was one of my favorite parts of my whole this far. We rented an ATV and with it we had the freedom to explore the Island. We watched the sunset in Oia where the movie, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants was filmed. Other days were filled with relaxing at the beaches in perfect mid 60s heat, exploring the small town of Thira, and ATVing around.

Then came Christmas morning! Astrid brought over gifts from home and I eagerly opened them. My parents gave me lots of items to face the harsher weather of Asia this Winter. Included were booties, a rain hat, gloves, wool socks, and running tights. I got a Steripen which I’ll have to start using to treat my water in Kazakhstan. And finally some more books to last me through the rest of the trip. I was so happy to be able to spend the day with Astrid. The timing of everything was perfect. She was on break from college and I needed some time off the bike after Europe.

We spent our last our last five days together back in Athens. It’s packed with things to see and we went to the Acropolis, Temple of Olympian Zeus, Mount Lycabettus, and walked around the Plaka again. Mount Lycabettus was a favorite of mine. We walked up the steep hill to see a stunning view of the city and surroundings below. The 30th marked a year of us being together. Again the timing was perfect. The next night we celebrated the new year 10 hours before home and only got a couple hours of sleep before waking up to head to the airport for Astrid’s early flight. Hailing a taxi almost instantly brought two cars to our side. A taxi ride to the airport is around 50 Euros ($55) and they both wanted it. They began to yell at each other while urging us to get in their own taxi. Tensions rose when one put his hand on the other’s shoulder and I was sure a punch was going to be thrown. Fortunately they settled down and we quickly got in the first taxi that pulled over.

Saying goodbye to Astrid wasn’t easy. I’m so grateful for her visiting me and can’t thank her enough. This trip as been a part of our relationship since the very beginning when I told her about it on our first date over a year ago. It was weighing on the back of our minds the whole Summer and it felt like a countdown of days till I left. I can’t even imagine what it’ll be like when I return home and don’t have this trip constantly on my mind. Thinking about it everyday got me more and more excited but it did get mentally exhausting.

Astrid and I said our final goodbyes and I watched her disappear into the crowd as I stood and emotions flooded over me. I was now alone. I won’t see another familiar face for over 4 months and it will be my most difficult endeavor. Challenge results in growth. Astrid’s flight was at 7 am and mine was to depart at 10 pm. Weather was bad in Istanbul and many flights were delayed so mine was pushed back till 2 am. The majority of those 19 hours I was alright but a couple times I felt a deep homesickness by being alone. The rest of the trip I’ll have to teach myself the best ways to cope with loneliness. So far I’ve come to realize that just sticking it out and believing it will subside seems to work pretty well but I’m sure I’ll discover better ways to help.

So here I am back in Istanbul where it has snowed about 5 inches and everything is white. It’s beautiful and I’m hoping to visit the Hagia Sophia again before I set out. I have to wait till Monday to head out because the Uzbekistan consulate is closed on the weekend and I’m unable to pick up my visa. From here in Istanbul I’ll then heading up onto the Anatolian plateau at 3000 feet where it’s sure to get colder but it tends to be drier so it’s a trade off. After four days of biking I should be in Ankara, Turkey’s capital.

Last picture with my stache. RIP

Cheers to Astrid visiting me.

Goofin

Astird’s first time in a bar

Bronze weapons from the Archaeological Museum.

View from our hotel on Santorini.

Oia

Cheesin

Astrid in a box

We had far too many Gyros.

Christmas! Astrid got me those boxers and my parents gave me a waterproof hat.

View from the Acropolis.

The Parthenon.

Walkin up Mt. Lycabettus

2016!!! I’ll miss her like crazy.

I got back to Istanbul with fresh snow.