Sulaymaniyah – Sanandaj – Kermanshah – Hamadan – Tehran, 22.2 – 11.3.2017, 8891km
**Woken by Kurdish Intelligence** To the Iraqi-Iranian border is around 100km away from Sulaymaniyah. Since I started at noon, it was clear that I wouldn’t arrive until next day. In addition the border crossing is in the mountains and I wasn’t able to cycle fast anymore. At around 5pm I…
Erbil – Sulaymaniyah, 13.2 – 21.2.2017, 8262km
**Gas stations saved my life** The little encounter with the intelligence let Dilzar to register me officially as a guest in his apartment. So Monday morning, 13th February, we needed to show up at the police station. After this, my surveillance by secret police until the Iranian border started. I…
Erbil, 9.2 – 12.2.2017, 8066km
**Set birds free for a sin - like stealing my bicycle** So I arrived in the afternoon in Erbil and my host Dilzar took me on a little tour around the city. We went to Iskan street where night becomes day in all the restaurants, tee houses and street food…
Silopi – Erbil, 6.2 – 9.2.2017, 8066km
**Horrifying road in Iraq** So I left Ridvan and Silopi at the beginning of the week. I planned to visit the town of Amedi and two monasteries and the two cities of Erbil and Sulaymaniah in Iraq. But first I needed the cycle the last 15km on Turkish soil and…
Silopi, 1.2 – 6.2.2017, 7787km
**Exposed to police arbitrariness** On my first day in Silopi I planned to repair my bicycle and went with Ridvan outside to search a workshop. But just after the first couple of metres we encountered heavy police presence because of us. Silopi is a so-called military zone. There is a…
Erzurum – Silopi, 26.1 – 31.1.2017, 7787km
**50 Shades Of White** The road was calling again and while the temperature had pleasant -5°C I left Erzurum on Thursday, January 26th, towards the Iraqi border and into the unknown. Because the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs writes the following about the Kurdish region in Turkey: "Travelling into the…
Ozurgeti – Erzurum, 6.1-25.1.2017, 7317km
**Literally through mountains** On Wednesday, January 4th, it was time to say good-bye to family, friends and Berlin. I flew with Ryanair to Sofia and on the next day continued to Kutaisi. There I got a free bottle of excellent Georgian wine together with my stamp. After 2 nights at…
Samsun – Ozurgeti, 21.11-5.12.2016, 6917km | Along The Black Sea Coast II
**Turkish Hospitality and Summer in Winter** On Monday, 21st Nov, I left Atakum after a delicious lunch with Serkan and met with my initial host in the evening. That's why I spent the night in Samsun - on a children's playground in a park at the seaside. So on Tuesday…
Istanbul – Samsun, 10.11-20.11.2016, 6140km | Along the Black Sea Coast I
**Or four times climbing Mt. Everest** It was sunny and warm when I left Istanbul after two weeks on Thursday, 10th Nov. I just cycled with shorts and shirt - the weather was perfect. Although I only started at noon I did more than 100km and slept the night in…
Istanbul – A Different Perspective in Pictures, 30.10-09.11.2016
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