Walk Across Turkey: Kuşadası
Thursday, 30 August - Kuşadası
At 10:30 a.m., at the walk’s starting point in Kuşadası, I stepped off an overnight bus from İstanbul. The other...
Walk Across Turkey: Breaking Free From Eğirdir
Monday and Tuesday, 8 and 9 October
I enjoyed the pension at Eğirdir so much that several days when my week’s vacation was finished, I...
Walk Across Turkey: The Watermelon Guys
The day’s walk was along a section of road with gently rolling hills, gradually climbing towards Denizli, a city halfway between the Menderes River...
Walk Across Turkey: Fatih and Feridun
On Friday morning, my fourth morning in Horsunlu this time around, I woke up and got ready to begin another day of working my...
Walk Across Turkey: Kuşadası to Havutçulu
When I arrived at the docks Joy Anna was already there, playing fetch with a mangy stray dog while she waited to join me...
Walk Across Turkey: Bahtiyar
Toward the end of the day, I approached the village of Bahtiyar. It was about a few miles off the main road and up...
Walk Across Turkey: Three Girls and A Wedding
In this better frame of mind, I continued walking through Denizli. My gait was slowed by the pain in my foot, and by mid-afternoon,...
Walk Across Turkey: The Secret Handshake
About two hours later, with the sprawling edges of Denizli visible in the distance, I stopped at a gas station for a bottle of...
Walk Across Turkey: Where am I?
I wake with a start. Where am I? Through the parting fog of sleep I remember that I am in İstanbul. A hot sun...
Walk Across Turkey: The Asian Ghost
Friday, 12 October
The next day I woke up early, packed up my stuff, and took a look around the room. Eight hours ago I...
Walk Across Turkey: The Wedding
The next day, Saturday, Metin and I took a car to his village for the wedding. Our first stop was in another village to...
Walk Across Turkey: Bozkurt to Çardak
Wednesday, 19 September
When I woke up the next morning my right foot was hurting something fierce, the anxiety was back, and I still wanted...
Walk Across Turkey: Two Polish Guys
Sunday, 2 September
At 5:15 a.m. the wail of the muezzin’s call to prayer from the loudspeakers of the minaret rising over me stirred me...
Walk Across Turkey: Sarıköy
Tuesday, 23 October on the way to Sarıköy
After four days at the hotel in Beyşehir, I was eager to get moving again. I felt...
Walk Across Turkey: Naughty Boys and Circumcision
It was fig harvest season in the valley, and there was rack after rack of figs drying by the side of the road. Early...
Walk Across Turkey: The Road to Bozkurt
Tuesday, 18 September
Tuesday morning I awoke with a start to my cell phone alarm. I panicked. Oh my god, I am still at this...
Walk Across Turkey: East of Aydın
Just a few minutes after saying goodbye to Enes, I met some truckers eating breakfast by the side of the road. They invited me...
Walk Across Turkey: Havutçulu
Back at the mosque, I pulled my sleeping bag and tent out of my pack, feeling like an imposter, marveling as I set up...
Walk Across Turkey: The Motorcycle Man
Friday, 21 September
I began my second full day in Çardak using the hotel’s slow internet connection to upload photos to my blog. Toward the...
Walk Across Turkey: Köşk
I reached the town of Köşk (population 9,900) early on Tuesday, 4 September. It was only 10:45 a.m. I had planned to spend the...
Walk Across Turkey: My First Imam
It took me about an hour of walking to reach Erbeyli. In most of the towns I had passed, the mosque was within 200-500...
Walk Across Turkey: Bozan
Saturday, 22 September
In the morning, early, before anyone was stirring in Çardak, I walked out to the main road and began that day’s walk...
Walk Across Turkey: Hobo Skills
On the morning of my seventh day on the road, I walked out of Nazilli and stopped at a tea garden near the village...
Walk Across Turkey: Luxury in Nazilli
It was lunchtime when I arrived in Nazilli, population about 120,000. I walked up to the first restaurant I saw and ordered a lunch...