Will Syria Let Me In? Back Up Plan Needed

Syria has become a bigger issue as the days slipped past. I hung around Pakistan in the hope it would have blown over by the time I reached Syria but that hasn’t been the case. It just seems to keep on escalating to the point that civil war is predicted. Now, if Syria was located anywhere else in the world I could easily by-pass it. However it’s not, it's located at the major intersection between Asia, Europe and Africa. One I would, as it turns out, find very hard to avoid.

A friend and I had made plans to meet for the first time in two years in Istanbul. I didn’t really like the idea of riding north spending endless money on expensive fuel in the freezing cold, so I got in contact with the Istanbul bikers club, who arranged for me to stay with a Vespa and old BMW fanatic Hassain in Sanilurfa near the Syrian border. I thought this small break from my adventure would be a great opportunity to come up with some options for my future. 

I did mangage to find some time to do some sight seeing around Turkey.

Pammukale, Turkey

My future being, what the hell am I going to do from here?  I’ve been on the road for 13 months and I’m feeling incredibly tired and worn out from crossing Baluchistan, Iran and Iraq. It was getting pretty cold as winter started setting in. My options just seem to be shrinking. These thoughts and options floated in and out of my head as I got more confused.

I could turn around and head back to Australia, head up into Russia, through the stans and back (this was instantly crossed out with it being winter).  I could head across to Spain and head down the west coast of Africa first. I could take a break and head home or visit my friend in Germany. I could also just bite the bullet and try the Syrian border. If I get turned away then I needed to try the next one. Failing all of them I needed to find a way around Syria. 

Sanfranbolu

Istanbul

Basilica Cistern, Istanbul

This is the warm welcome I got in Istabul from from the Istanbul Bikers Club

Hagia Sophia in Istanbul

Hagia Sophia, Istanbul

Finding an inexpensive option to get around Syria was decreasing by the day. I had heard that all of the ferry boats from Turkey, Italy, Cyprus, to Israel or Alexandria had been stopped due to the raging conflicts in Libya, Egypt, Israel, and of course Syria. I had heard of one guy sending his motorcycle via Jordan Air but that cost him the same amount of money I could use in two months or more. I needed to flick through pages and pages on the internet, emailing one company after another, been given the run around, getting no replies or bad vague answers to my questions. After three weeks of constant searching and tearing my hair out, I found these (some run into dead ends, but it shows the paths I headed down):

Italy to Ashdod, Israel

Ticket for Person: € 586
Ticket for motorcycle: € 159
Note:
Website: Grimaldi  - http://www.grimaldi-freightercruises.com/

Total:  € 1570

OPTION THREE B
Ticket for Person to fly from Istanbul to Israel $340
€400 for just motorcycle
Total: $1000

Conclusion: Complicated shipping route & possible loss of motorcycle.

OPTION FOUR
Turkey to Cyprus
Ticket for Person and motorcycle: $80
Notes: Confirmed
Website: akgunler.com.tr

SECOND LEG:

Limassol, Cyprus to Israel

Ticket for motorcycle: €480

Istanbul to Dublin, Israel

Ticket price for person: $340

Total: €900

OPTION FIVE
Mersin to Alexandria
Ticket for motorcycle: €500
Local Charges: $75
Alexandria Charges:$45
Website: vanudenmaritime.com
Notes: Shipping Roll on Roll off
Early December has been cancelled, next at the end of December

Istanbul to Alexandria
Ticket for person: €300

Total: €910

CONFIRMED

OPTION SIX
Izmir, Turkey to Ashdod, Israel
Website: http://www.grimaldi-freightercruises.com/
Note: Waiting for confirmation

OPTION SEVEN
Izmir, Turkey to Alexandria, Egypt
Ticket for motorcycle: $75
Local Charges: unconfirmed
Alexandria Charges: unconfirmed
Website:
Notes: Container ship
Schedule yet  to be confirmed

Istanbul to Alexandria
Ticket for person: €300

Total: Unknown due to local charges

(This was turning out to be next plan c)

As you can see, it’s not an easy task to keep track of, with the different currencies and options. Some convoluted option took me and my motorcycle sailing around the Mediterranean Sea through four different countries all to land up in Tusin but with one missing boat connection between two Islands.

By the end of my three weeks I was completely sick of it and really worried about crossing the border. One clear option formed (shown in red), I could sail my motorcycle from Mersin to Alexandria and I would fly to meet it, so with that in hand, I said goodbye to my friend, and hello to Hassain and my motorcycle – let the adventure begin and leave all the planning behind me. 

I could see something growing on the bottom of my tank so Hassain helped me clean it all out.

Me preparing things on my bike for Africa

Nothing can stop me from going to Africa!

There are a ton more photos on Flickr - Click here for the link. 

There Are Beautiful People In This World

The sun is setting, where should I camp? Come on Danielle, I have about 15 more minutes before the sun hits the horizon. I need to find a good spot before then. But this is crazy, it’s only 3:30 in the afternoon! What the hell am I going to do after I pitch my tent, it’s not like I have anything to cook! Scanning each side of the road, I found where the old road use to lie, and a nice wee stream, himmm this could be a good spot, but damn there is a small village at the top of the banks. Still slowing down trying to decide what to do, I spot the road to the village. Passing the road, I see children and women walking up and down the tiny street. Should I do it? Come on Danielle, you only have ten more minutes. 

I turned my bike around and drove up the narrow street, the children parted ways and I stopped near a group of women. I’ve just entered Turkey, and have no idea about the basic words so I put my bike in neutral and make a sign of a tent and sleep. They nattered away and suggested I talk to the men who were approaching. One man pointed down the street and another started walking so I followed him to an entrance way to a house. I parked my bike outside the detached kitchen and bathroom and dismounted. I moved my helmet, and with a huge smile on my face I said ‘Salam’ (Hello in Farsi). They welcomed me once again, but not testing my luck, I ask again, tent/ camping? while making the sign with my hands... ‘No,no,no’ they point to the house making the sleeping sign. Wow, I couldn’t have asked for anything better, this is the Kurdish hospitality I’ve been experiencing for the last two weeks.  

It seems to me I might have broken through yet another barrier I had put up around myself since leaving home and which was made even thicker in India. Pakistan had taught me something, trust people and you will be welcomed into the hearts of many. It’s like the three cups of tea theory’ – first cup you’re an acquaintance, second cup you’re a friend, third cup your family and they will do anything for their family.

My motorcycles bed for the night!

In Iran I almost slipped back into my old ways, but my last two weeks here reminded me how good people were. In Iraq a stranger also  took me in .  Now I’m in Turkey, and I cannot help feeling guilty, because I cannot return what I keep on being offered, but yet I feel proud of myself in how open I’ve become as my original goal was to see into the lives of women from around the world and share a slice of my culture with them.

It’s funny, the one guy at the border who could speak English warned me about Kurds. I nodded and agreed with him. Yes, I won’t talk to a Kurds, I won’t drive at night and yes, I will stay in a hotel. How many lies can you tell at once?? Luckily I’m not Pinoccio or I’ll have a nose the length of a football field.  I knew I must talk with Kurds, I knew full well, I was going to pitch a tent, I still had no Turkish money for a hotel or food and there was a possibility that I would be driving in the dark this afternoon looking for a camping spot. However, I’m not sure why this guy had a bee in his bonnet about Kurds as I’ve experienced nothing but kindness. 

This is the family that was so kind to me in the village called Silopi

I spent my afternoon drinking tea ,eating dinner and having the whole village come and peer through the windows at me. The brave ones would actually come inside. My Pakistan training came in handy as I knew the etiquette on how to greet the men and woman guests differently and where I should sit in the room. In fact, in this village, the household was run in a very similar way to my adopted family in Pakistan so I didn’t feel out of place at all. 

Now I sit in my room fit for a queen, with blankets and a heater all to myself, knowing my bike is safe in the house foyer downstairs. Wow, how lucky can one get?