Once in Turkey, Stephen’s first task was to get a local SIM card. He needed it to look up routes, find information about his destinations, and stay in touch with his family without worrying about high roaming charges. With some bike maintenance needed and a tight schedule to keep, Stephen decided to skip Istanbul and take a ferry across the Sea of Marmara. This change helped him stay on track and avoid any visa issues that might arise if he entered the next country on the wrong date.
Stephen barely managed to get on the ferry, securing the last spot for his bike. After crossing the sea, he met a helpful policeman who was a motorbike enthusiast. The officer pointed him toward Canakkale, Stephen’s next stop. On the way, Stephen noticed a problem with his bike’s tire spokes and stopped at a repair shop. Communicating was tricky since the workers didn’t speak English, but Stephen used a translation app to explain the issue. Unfortunately, they refused to fix the bike because it was too heavy for their equipment.
With no other options nearby, Stephen decided to continue his journey and hoped to find a repair shop in Izmir. The day was long and hot, and the heat left him feeling exhausted. Still, he pressed on, determined to get the problem sorted. Finally, by 9:00 p.m., he found a shop that repaired both tires. While it took longer than expected, Stephen was relieved to have it done.
Driving in the dark to his accommodation was tiring, but Stephen felt a sense of accomplishment. His bike was back in top shape, and he was ready to take on whatever challenges the next day would bring.
Join Stephen’s journey again next week to see what experiences lay ahead in this epic journey! New episodes of Dinja Mutur will be airing on ONE every Thursday at 10:00pm, and if you missed an episode, you can watch the episode on demand on one.com.mt, or on repeat:
– Saturday at 11:40am
– Sunday at 11:00pm
– Tuesday at 11:00am