As I type this, I'm cruising through the Turkish hinterland. It's different then I expected. Some areas are dry and the vegetation is sparse and others are thickly forested. Both areas are quite hot, Istanbul was a (beautiful) swamp.
Over the last couple of days we've laid down some serious mileage and had our first day off. The last thing I mentioned was staying near the Romanian/Bulgarian border. We crossed into Bulgaria early the next morning and it couldn't have been easier. They checked our documents, stamped our passports, and that was it. Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria all required the purchase of vignettes. This is basically a highway tax. It's nice, short term vignettes usually tend to be overpriced. The upside: no tolls.
Bulgaria was much more beautiful then I had expected. Much of the country we passed through was forested and mountainous. Plenty of horse carts were spotted, some roads even had horse cart signs posted. Sadly, we didn't even get to spend one night there - Istanbul was our goal.
As the Jimny rocketed south, the temperature increased as our elevation decreased. The cool Romanian weather would have been welcome at the Turkish border.
After being stamped out of the country by a Bulgarian border official, we had left the EU. Entering Turkey was more complicated, but orderly. The complication was mostly due to the fact that we had forgotten to purchase Turkish visas. Surprisingly, we were waved through, told to purchase them, and come directly back to the booth. I had expected to be sent to the back of the line. We picked up our 15 euro visas, officially entered the country, and imported the car.
We had a chance to chat with other rally teams during and after the border crossing and insurance had caused some of them problems. The majority had insurance policies that only covered Europe, forcing them to buy insurance at the border. This can cost a pretty penny - I heard several stories about being forced to buy 100 euro policies at the Serbian border.
The road to Istanbul is a modern six lane highway (although not all Turkish highways are like this). Our main concern was parking in Istanbul - my guidebook made it sound like a nightmare. The city is difficult to navigate, but with a little luck, decent parking is attainable.
Scott and I enjoyed some Turkish raki on a rooftop terrace (these are huge in Istanbul, I was not aware of this) and went to bed. Quick note: rake is a brandy made from grapes and raisins. It's flavored with anise. The spirit is clear but when water is added it turns a chalky white. It has a black licorice flavor and is quite strong.
Istanbul is an incredibly beautiful city. The Ottoman architecture is amazing. The Blue Mosque, Aya Sophia, and Topkapi Palace are must-sees. The food is fantastic as well - I ate my fill of kebabs. Scott and I spent our first day off in Istanbul and it was a perfect stop. Lots to see, lots to do and it came at a perfect time.
The highways in Turkey are very good and those that are sub-par all show signs of improvement. We drove from Istanbul to the Black Sea town of Unye and covered between 8-900 kilometers. We had kebabs and beer on the Black Sea and stayed at a nice campground, although the humidity was unbearable.
End Part 1.
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