It's Happening
Of course, I am the one one making it happen, but I feel as if this trip, this time, is something happening to me. I made the decision back in April, to spend the better part of my generous summer vacation cycling in eastern Turkey with Bryan from Boulder. So, who is Bryan and why did I decide to take this trip?
Bryan and I almost rode together in the Pamirs in 2010. We'd met on crazyguyonabike.com and then we met in person before he set off for his mulit-year world tour with someone else he'd met on crazxyguy. He's been on his own since January. His blog invites friends to join him. I am the second person to accept the invitation and we'll be riding for 6-7 weeks. This is a new variation on companions: riding with just myself, with a friend, with someone I'd only known electronically, with new acquaintances, and now with a new friend. He is good with maps and routes and cooking a nd stealth camping. He's been on the long tour (two years) before. I am very excited about improving my own skills. So here's the twist... Bryan knows Turkish, and I don't (yet). You all know how I like to pick up languages. I'm usually the one (if there are two) who can communicate with the locals. For once I will see how it feels to be the one in the dark. I have my phrase book and plan to cram on the plane.
So,why did I sign up for this trip? Two answers, really. The first, you might get if you've been reading the Anchorage Daily News lately. I ma not that confident about traveling in my own backyard (read "wilderness") on my own in the summer because I am not comfortable with the possibility of meeting a bear on my own. The wariness and vigilance required for safe travel are taxing. I'd rather be riding alone in Pakistan than hiking Penguin Valley. Joining someone for seven weeks of play and sport means I will have something engaging to do every day for fifty days without ever having to motivate myself over the hurdles of inertia. I won't have wild animals as an excuse. It might be hot, it might be raining, but neither are sufficient to stop two wheels from rolling around the next curve in the road.
The other reason for this trip can be summed up as cottage cheese and jello. That's what I feel my body is made of, after weeks of limited physical activity. I've had a hernia repair and a funeral and 40 hours of study in Boston and the resulting constipation. I just want to get back to a full day regimen of moving and breathing and smiling and grunting and sleeping soundly on the flat ground at the end of the day. I love to ride in other peoples' countries. And in a couple hours, I will be on my way!
In the fırst place, I was goıng to tıtle thıs Transport and Serendıpıty. Then I would have wrıtten how nıce ıt was that the moment I stepped out from the customs gate, I recognıze Bryan,s red plaıd shırt. What a gentleman; helped me roll my suıtcases to the bus and the taxı and then carrıed the heavy one up the steps. We had a great warmshowers host that he had stayed wıth three nıghts already. I managed not to fall asleep ın my dınner plate, but I dıd drıft off wıth the hosts ıpad ın hand, exhausted after a sleepless 24 hours. I wısh I would have pıctures for you of the beautıful people we met on the traın, or even ın the cıty of Erzurum from where I am wrıtıng. 