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After another 15 solid days of pedalling up to 9 hours a day, I have finally made it from England to Istanbul. 2800 miles (4500km), 6 weeks, 1 continent crossed, but a long long way to go! The end of the beginning perhaps?

Budapest to Istanbul (14 October 2001)

Roundtheworldbybike
2005-11-17 20:25:12

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After another 15 solid days of pedalling up to 9 hours a day, I have finally made it from England to Istanbul. 2800 miles (4500km), 6 weeks, 1 continent crossed, but a long long way to go! The end of the beginning perhaps?

After Budapest I battled (unsuccessfully) astonishing numbers of mosquitos across Hungary's Great Plain. Into Yugoslavia, riding for Belgrade and Serbia. In Novi Sad a temporary bridge spanned the Danube - the original destroyed by NATO bombs just 2 years ago. But Belgrade was buzzing: vibrant, friendly, expanding, bouncing back with verve from the last shocking decade. It was a really refreshing city. Belgrade also boasted the most beautiful girls in the world (probably) and the best street stall sausage sandwiches (definitely)!

I returned to the Danube once more - by now it feels like a good friend. Fields bursting with crops then into a stunning gorge; forest, limestone cliffs, blazing sunshine and the imperious river. I ended the day drinking homemade (read hideous) schnapps with a farmer. The morning began with coffee and sunrise on the clifftop before swooping down across the river into Romania.

My back wheel collapsed. I hitched back to a town to try and find a replacement. All I could find was a very cheap, very tacky wheel rim: it was time to learn how to build a wheel. It took late night candle burning and the next morning too; working in a vineyard with a bored shepherd as technical adviser I eventually built my first wheel, albeit a slightly egg -shaped wheel. Romania was in wedding and funeral season. Both involve street processions and music so it was hard to decide whether a sombre, sympathetic nod or a cheer and a jaunty ring of my bell was more appropriate as I rode by each one!

Crossing into Bulgaria at Ruse I waved adieu to the Danube and headed for the hills. In Bulgaria nodding your head means 'No' and shaking it means 'yes'. This is almost impossible to get to grips with! By Turkey the wind had risen to a gale - pedalling hard downhill at 9mph is not good for the soul.

And so I arrived in Istanbul, the end of Europe, the Gateway to Asia etc etc, like a true romantic young wannabe adventurer - hammering down the motorway in pitch darkness towards the amazing hospitality of Caroline and Gurkan Kopuzlar.

But ahead of me now my whole journey is in jeopardy - Iran and Pakistan are looking increasingly unsettled. Do I head north for Kazakhstan or turn South towards Africa?! This journey is raising money for Hope and Homes for Children (www.hopeandhomes.org), a charity especially important at this crazy time of world mayhem. As my expedition may now be in jeopardy I appeal now to your generosity to donate anything you feel able, or perhaps arrange a whip -round in your office (the 'printable brochure' on my web site may help for this). The charity and I really appreciate all the amazing support already received.

So, for now it's one continent down, many still to go, and absolutely no idea where to turn towards next!