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1. Visit Turkey! If cycling, be prepared for energy-sapping bitumen
road surfaces, and regulate your daily distances accordingly. As a woman
alone, be prepared for endless stares and friendly but frustrating
questions from the scores of intrigued men sitting around in bars, playing
backgammon and drinking tea. But, you will be totally safe, if a little
alienated. 2. Budget accommodation is easy to find in the more tourist
areas of the country. I stayed in the following and can recommend them all
highly. Expect to pay around 4 pounds for en-suite room with clean sheets,
towels etc. Ephesus - Atillas Getaway Backpackers centre
Pamukkale - Aspawa Horel and Pension
Keilici - White Garden Pension
Goreme - Special Cave Pension
Anamur - Unsulseluk Hotel
Many more listed in Lonely Planet Guidebook 3. Turkey is a trip in
itself. It would take 3 or 4 months to do the country justice by bicycle.
I only scratched the surface in 3 weeks. The national bus services are an
efficient way of travelling to the parts the bicycle won't take you.
Privatised, the various companies are competitively priced, and the coaches
are air-conditioned and comfortable. Travelling overnight reduces your
accommodation spend still further. 4. Cyprus - not in my original plans
- was a country I found it hard to find budget accommodation. The island is
set up with the western European holiday maker in mind. That said, staple
fast food - "everything with chips" can be found very cheaply in all the
resort areas. In the mountain villages, just out of the season, I was able
to barter some good prices for hotel rooms, 50% discount in some cases.
5. The Green Line. Despite many myths and legends, rumours and scare
stories, the border between Greek Cyprus and the disputed territory to the
north, IS FULLY OPEN AND ACCESSIBLE for all EU passport holders. You can
cross as many times as you wish at any time of day or night, and stay as
long as you like on each side. I would recommend you do so, at the
pedestrian crossing in Nicosia, and take in the two starkly different sides
of the capital city. 6. Israel is the first country (since England I
think) where I have found a comprehensive and convenient network of
Internationally-accredited Youth Hostels. They are mostly modern, situated
centrally at most of the major cities and tourist sights, and offer friendly
efficient service, with a range of accommodation options from a dorm bed to
private en-suite rooms.
7. Is Israel safe to visit? I would
have to say it is, but if you are thinking of cycling there, be prepared to
take some precautions, don't hang around at potential flashpoints, such as
road check points, international borders, or the borders with the disputed
territories of the West Bank. As a western tourist, you will be generally
welcomed and waved through check points, although carry your passport with
you everywhere. I was given nothing short of a rapturous welcome in
Jericho, where the hospitality extended to me was heart-warming. Bethlehem
on the other hand is very tense at the moment, and unless you particularly
want to visit the site of Jesus' birth, I would give it a miss. 8. Also
be prepared for the often sudden changes in the cultural approaches in the
country. There is a saying of the 3 main cities, that "Haifa works,
Jerusalem prays, Tel Aviv plays." True or not, it is an indication of the
differing priorities of the different places in the country. Add to that
the fact that towns such as Nazereth are Arab, and a much more conservative
approach to your dress and eating and drinking is required. 9. Cycling in
the Sinai Peninsular in Egypt should not be taken lightly. It means long
stretches of desert and deserted roads, with little opportunity to refuel.
At least 4 litres of water or juice is required for a 50 mile ride. You can
find Bedouin camps set back off the road-side on some stretches; they will
provide you with delicious green tea, and of course some welcome shade.
10. Cycling on mainland Egypt could prove difficult. The authorities
prefer that visitors travel in organised protected vehicle convoys; a
problem unless you can pedal very quickly! Enquire before planning any
mainland cycle touring, particularly down the Nile. The option of putting
the bike on one of the many bus routes is always available, and one that I
am going to take. |
