Reyhanli - Belen – 74 kilometres ^11
We said goodbye to our friendly hosts and pedalled over the mountains to Belen,
where we bunked down in a proper hotel. As the room came with hot showers,
towels, and soap, I showered twice and rinsed my clothes. Included in the price
was a breakfast spread and I believe our stay was a total loss to the owner, taking
into account the number of showers and the amount of food consumed.
Belen - Botas – 87 kilometres
After breakfast, we ambled along a further 87 kilometres to Botas. Ernest and I
pitched our tents on the beach, a beautiful spot, and the stares were considered
par for the course. In Turkey, one could free camp practically anywhere without
anyone raising an eyebrow, making the country a cycling paradise.
Botas - Tarsus – 127 kilometres
The main road made it pleasant to ride to the historic city of Tarsus. We were not
the first visitors to Tarsus as the region had a long history dating back about
years. Turkey’s history was truly mind-blowing, and even the smallest of
settlements had remains of days gone by.
I’m sure we weren’t supposed to cycle on the toll road, but being a public holiday,
the way was quiet. So relaxed were we that we rolled into Tarsus way beyond
sunset. Although Tarsus is a modern city today, it’s said to have been the meeting
place between Mark Antony and Cleopatra, as well as Paul the Apostle’s birthplace.