The road to Turkey was empty. The highway, although meticulously maintained, was deserted.
Getting into Turkey took about an hour. Half an hour because the guy in the last control post was out to lunch and the rest was lost to collecting stamps, visas and endless checks at about 6 control posts. Although we entered on an EU passport, we still had to get a visa, a requirement subtly waived for expatriates with similar papers. To top it all off, we had to pay a $10 bribe as well.
We headed off to Istanbul right away and made good time. Turkey is the first country in which the roads are worse than Belgium. I'm not sure if this says more about Belgium or about Turkey. We paid the grand total of 50 cents in toll to dodge potholes for a while and then encountered our first "real" traffic. Unlike a videogame, you enter traffic with zero lives in Istanbul and work your way up. The fact we hit the place right at rush hour probably did not help either. After a few minutes, the rules became clear. Ignore your mirrors, ride faster than the cars, lane split like mad and lean on the horn. Bigger always wins, but the sight of our bikes, fully loaded, probably dulled the killing instinct of some.
See the links below for more details on the various places we visited throughout Turkey.
Good roads
Detailed road maps http://ats.abris-a.com/turkey/map/index.htm
Other
Turkey - ANKARA,
Embassy of Canada
Address: Cinnah Caddesi No. 58, Çankaya 06690, Ankara, Turkey
Tel.: 90 (312) 409-2700
Fax: 90 (312) 409-2810
E-mail:
ankra@international.gc.ca
Internet:
http://www.international.gc.ca/ankara
Turkey - ISTANBUL, Consulate of Canada
Address: Istiklal Caddesi No. 373/5, Beyoglu, 80050 Istanbul,
Turkey
Tel.: 90 (212) 251-9838
Fax: 90 (212) 251-9888
E-mail:
zeyda@mymerhaba.com
Internet:
http://www.international.gc.ca/ankara
Border crossing
Visa: Yes (+bribe)
Carnet: No
Bike insurance: Yes
Intl. drivers license: No
Entry point: Between Peplos and Kesan
Exit point: From Gaziantep to Aleppo (to Syria) / Dogubayazit (to Iran)