Day 33: Silivri to Istanbul and Luleburgas to Buyukcekmece, Turkey

This should have been an easy final day for Mark - with just 50 miles to cover before journey's end in Istanbul.  Nevertheless, a number of factors conspired to delay his arrival: late departure from the Park Hotel in Silivri; poor signage; lack of a hard shoulder, steep hills; horrendous traffic; and the worst drivers in Europe.  Oh yes, the aforementioned Serbian White Van Man is a mere amateur compared to Turkish drivers in the Istanbul metropolis and its region.

During the final 10 mile leg into the otherwise signless Istanbul, fellow cyclist Ismail (returning home after a day's work as an aircraft technician at Istanbul Airport), demonstrated how it should be done.  Cyclists are required to dominate the road in the same manner that motor vehicles do.  The trouble with that philosophy is how in the event of a 'bump', the cyclist will inevitably come off worse.  And as Ismail reported his cycling helmet had been stolen...

The net result was that instead of arriving in Istanbul at the projected 4 pm, Mark was photographed on the Golden Horn Bridge at 7.30 and made it to Taksin Square (yes, the one that's been in the news in recent months) 30 minutes later.  Bob has since reported that his stint from Luleburgas was marred by the same headwind coming off the Black Sea.  He is now overnighting it in the 'seaside resort' of Buyukcekmece, before his final ride into Istanbul.

Two words describe the landscape covering the 50 miles between Silivri and Istanbul: urban sprawl.  Some fields and farming remain, but for the most part this land is one of light industry and residential development.  Much of the latter consists of guarded communities - although for the most part the pill-boxes contained no security guards.  Moreover, any attempt to enter these new villages to find a coastal route to Istanbul, was met with failure.