Distance cycled: 79.6km from Antalya towards Alanya on the Mediterranean Sea.
Average speed: 18.7km/h
Moving time: 4h14m
Total distance: 7855km
Border X'ings: 22
Money spent: 30 lira.
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It has been two and a half months since I crashed my bicycle into a ditch on the side of the road just outside Antalya. I spent this time recovering form a broken collarbone in Israel, England and Scotland.
Now today was the day I returned to what I started and continue this journey... Although not to Israel; due to the time off my bike and having backpacked through Israel I now have a simpler plan to travel about turkey taking my time before having to return to Antalya in a month to catch my flight to the UK but then I'm off to backpack around Iceland.
I will be leaving my bike in Antalya only to return to it in August after I have made some money back in Canada.
So, back to today, my now repaired and tuned up bicycle was loaded up once more and I set off from Burcu's place. At first I was overly cautious and worried whilst trying to find my balance so some precautionary laps of the block were needed. It didn't take me long but thinking of the accident and risking falling once more somewhat hindered my confidence of tacking the busy streets of Turkey's largest Mediterranean coastal city.
The fear of falling soon dissipated when I cruised about the city streets with a big grin on my face - I've missed this so much, I can't think of any other type of transportation that I enjoy as much as cycling.
Thirty minutes into the day this joy of being back on my bike was interrupted by a flat tire, a stubborn one at that too, somehow I managed to puncture it in three places! After a lengthy repair I was back on it and on my way east.
The time to myself and the time to reflect about my recent events, whist tuning out to music and cruising the countryside in the warmth of the sun - just me and my bike were completely content.
I didn't want to push myself too hard because I didn't want to ruin myself from exhaustion or straining something so I purposely kept under 80km. I am sure after this limited distance and it being so long since I last rode a bike my ass tomorrow is going to very sore.
What a day to get back onto my bike
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