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Due to inclement weather and the long distances involved, I was going to take the bus to Kusadasi and had bought a ticket.

What the agent had omitted to tell me was that the time stated on my ticket was not the time of departure from Pumukkale, but the time of departure from Dinizli, the nearest big town!

Obviously, I missed the bus. As I was sitting drinking my Turkish tea outside the hotel, I could see the clouds forming big and dark and asked my host, “is it going to rain?”. “Yes” he said.

I took this as my cue to fire the bike up and get going.

I was going to have to cycle to Denizli and buy a ticket for the later bus. So that’s what I did.

It’s not so far away. Only around 20km. Downhill. Mostly.

Denizli

Was an interesting city, after I got my ticket, I dropped my panniers in storage and had a very short look around.

One of the place I found was this Hamam.

This was the real deal. Proper baths with plunge pool. Main treatment area, also with a steam room and sauna. The cost: One treatment, (scrub and rub), plus unlimited time in the baths 320tl. That’s about £8¿?!

Not. €55. The facilities were better. More for £40 less.

Gave my Hamam in Istanbul a 1 star review.

Sat in this Hamam for around 3 hours rotating between the treatment room, sauna, plunge pool and steam room. The real experience.

Back at the bus station

After I left, I had about an hour before my bus to Kusadasi departed.

Had a brief look at the shops. Bought some dates.
Went to pick my luggage up. Lost my ticket. The guy in the luggage storage let me off. In the UK/Europe, they’d try and charge you like £100 for that. Guy didn’t give a shit! Just gave me my bag.

That’s the way…

The wait for the bus was a short one. I had a pancake and a cup of coffee in the outdoor café, where, whilst I was sitting, the rain started in earnest. It was pretty heavy.

Here’s a picture.

Epically satisfied I decided to opt for the bus option. 100+ miles with added rainstorms? Not a holiday is it?

Arriving in Kusadasi

Even taking the bus, my arrival was fairly late, getting on for 9pm. It was dark.

I was staying at this hotel with mixed reviews.

Looks pretty nice huh? That was my feeling. It was indeed nice. The only problem was the music and the volume of the music coming from the Turkish bar and eatery over the road. It just permeated every part of the building. Proper loud.

By the time I left the hotel to get some food, it was getting close to 10pm.

Kusadasi

Is something of a resort town. There’s no shortage of shops, restaurants, bars and clubs open. The majority until past midnight. The cruise ships that stop in the bay make it worthwhile.

I had some food in the nearest Irish bar, which was about 1/4 mile away from the hotel. It was reasonable, along with the prices. Pretty busy, but again with Turks. Very few tourists.

I ventured into town and took in one of the Irish bars, of which there were many. The music and the clientele were very tacky. Even by my low standards, I found it too much and moved on. It literally took me five times to get the bill off the waiter, every time I said “bill”, he said “another beer”? Fair dues on his sales technique. There’s like 100 bars in Kusadasi. Irish or not.

I moved onto a different bar with live music called, planet yukka. The vibe was much less hideous and the clientele more refined. A comfortable place to sit and enjoy a few drinks and the gentle night time ambience of Kusadasi. No doubt when the tourists arrive, it’s like another planet! But tonight it seemed fairly well grounded. On the way home, I stopped for another drink at the Irish pub where I got my dinner. Then I called it a night.

It was about 2am. When I got back to the hotel, all the music from the bar opposite had stopped and everything was silent.

Sunday

Just wanted to do some sunbathing and relax, which is what I did!

Didim

Is where I cycled today. It’s a resort town on the way to Bodrum. Bodrum was simply too far to cycle. There are some significant hills, and it’s a long way from Kusadasi. To make life that little bit easier, I’ve cut the journey in half with a little stopover in a town I’ve not visited before.

First impressions are quite good. It’s quite but busy. The sea is clean. The hotel is nice. Comfortable. Staff are friendly. Seems good.

Pictures tomorrow.