Hi everyone! I keep forgetting to thank you all for the 100,000 plus hits on this website. Thank you so much, I value each and everyone of them

Also i am sorry for the lack of pictures on the blog. I now do the blog on my smartphone and it seems my phone is not compatible with picture posting. I hope to upload a lot of photos when i ge my laptop in Istanbul, sorry

I crossed from Iran to Turkey my 28th country of the run without too much difficulty. Now I am really on the way to Europe!
The difference was immediately evident as Iran being a strict Shi’ite Muslim country whereas Turkey is a more liberal Sunni Muslim country. Many Shi’ites don’t consider Sunnis to be real Muslims. On the Turkish side many of the  female security guards were not wearing any head scarfs. It was so nice to see long flowing hair, beautiful unrestricted femininity. This was beside a very well stocked duty free shop, this alcohol is only going in one direction!
I tried changing some dollars at the quoted rate of two Turkish lira to the US dollar but a man looking on told me the correct rate is three. His information was incorrect but I didn’t know at the time so left it. Normally I check this out but on this occasion it slipped my mind. Eventually I just changed 50 with an Azerbaijani truck driver, enough till I get sorted. I couldn’t get over the amount of trucks on both sides, mostly Turkish but also Azerbaijani, Georgian, Turkmenistan. Surely Turkey is doing business with the EU and America. I wondered if Turkey’s main trading market is with Iran and if so the international sanctions against Iran would be an economic disaster also for Turkey. Imagine Ireland being told not to trade with the US or he UK -  how would we feel? Perhaps this is the situation Turkey is in. But surely the sanctions against Iran are a bit of a farce if Turkey and other countries can trade with the west and then roll all this merchandise across the border to Iran?
Also Turkey is very much dependent on Iranian gas. When sanctions are imposed on a country they are only successful about 60% of the time.

That day I managed 15 of the 35km from the border to Dogubayazit, first main Turkish city for a soft 40km day.

I could see Mt. Ararat on my right. The mountain, which is the major mountain in this part of the world was clouded towards the summit. There was definitely a chillier climate on this side of the border. Not much shelter or signs of a place to stay however it was a starry night so it was not going to rain, so safe to sleep out. There was not much forestry, not even  a tree I just bedded down behind some big boulders just off the road.
In the morning just as I was packing up my gear a shepherd caught me. He was just a young boy. It was funny as the cows came from all directions, between the boulders and surrounded me. I need to make earlier starts, this is a big problem I have as I am so tired in the mornings. I have decided I will not wind my watch back the hour and a half difference from Iranian time. Hopefully this works!
A big problem for running in Turkey… the dogs
Turkey, mostly the east is infamous for wild dogs. That first full day I had a couple of confrontations. As readers know I am armed with my Dazer zapper! But it doesn’t work on all dogs. As the road is pretty good, four lane divided!  I find the best strategy is to just cross over  when there is a serious threat or when I am running towards a cluster of houses. As the shoulder is also a decent two or three metres it is safe to run with traffic to my back. Many vehicles stopped always asking me of I wanted a lift. I always thank them and sometimes ask for water. When I am stuck for water I always run with my back to the traffic as vehicles are more likely to stop. I guess if they are driving towards me they are out of sight when they think about stopping. Whereas if they are coming from behind all they have to do is stop and wait for me and sometimes reverse back a bit. A few times on the run when stuck for water I have done this. Also on a few occasions I have run out of food which is usually due to shops being closed. If you hussle for water with luck some fruit or bread will be offered.

I made my way into Dogubayazit, or dog biscuit as one blogger called it! On my left was a commando training camp. I counted 42 commandos out on a drill. There was much military movement on the road also. Turkey has been described to me as a democracy with military rules, funny so too was Myanmar, I guess we will soon find out.
On my way into the city I couldn’t get over the amount of people welcoming me. I talked to a young couple for a while. She was 23 he 22. They are very much in love, for they told me so as they walked hand in hand. This would not happen in Iran with an unmarried couple. Many women resist even a handshake from a stranger.
I tried go get a data sim but was quoted almost $50 for sim and 2gb data. A bit expensive but figure I will have to get it. However I didn’t as the bank was closed and I want to change my $ cash instead of using an atm .
I had a decent afternoon running almost 30km for a half century that day. For the night. I stopped at a petrol station under construction. I thought it was a restaurant. Two workers were finished working for the day. They sleep in an office and were preparing their dinner so gave me some tea and three omelet sandwiches! I showed them some newspaper clippings to get them interested. I carry the clippings for this reason and soon we were friends. I asked if I could sleep under a foyer and of course it was no problem.

I had a tough morning in the mountains on the way to a summit called Ipok Gocidi, though only 2,025m in altitude it was slow leg sapping stuff for the hills were undulating.
On one of these climbs I was in a bit of a day dream, suddenly I heard a whistle and got the fright of my life when two large dogs were running towards me. They were about five metres behind when they started barking. Silent dogs are a real danger, I have noticed many silent dogs are German Shepard’s. Thankfully dogs are not as smart as cats.
After about 15km I stopped at a petrol station at the cross roads for Diyadin for a tea. To stock up I bought two packets of biscuits and a bar of chocolate. He didn’t charge me for the cold tea but I thought $5 was outrageous. I put it down to Turkey being an expensive country. A Magnum ice cream and a cola are almost the same cost as in Ireland, and in Iran they were about a quarter the price.
Anyway I went to the WC as the toilet is called here ( also in Iran) and later I was to discover 50 Turkish lira which is about $25 missing from my bag. I have no doubt the man working there took it. I am sure he overcharged me too for good measure.
There are some big gaps between places to snack so I usually stop when I come across one which was another five km. This time the nice owner didn’t charge me for the two large cups of tea I had.
Well I didn’t get far when a group of farm workers flagged me down for more chai!
One of them spoke some English so I learnt the words for running around the world. Regular readers know I usually just learn the phonetic and don’t worry about the spelling, I even mispronounce the words to make it easier, that is if they can understand!
Hey Bob Dylan got away with murder mispronouncing his words to make his lyrics work!
People always make allowances for foreigners and are always proud when we make an effort to speak their language.
So this is what I learnt. Running around the world is ” Gassy Your Room Dun Yar ”
And thank you is “Tassie Coors”
So I shout this out and between Tassie and Coors I whisper
‘ drinks ‘
TASSIE drinks COORS!
So I was shouting this out for a while and also ‘ I’m GASSING YOUR ROOM DUNYAR ‘ I’m running around the world!
And people always understand.
A man in Texas sent me an email a couple of years ago saying he was worried about me and how I would communicate when I get to the ‘ funny countries ‘ as he put it!
Well I have been to a lot of funny countries and a few more to come!
I managed to change a hundred dollars with a nice man having dinner with his family in a restaurant in Taslicay. After a nice meal I ran another 13km and finished with 48 for the day at a petrol station with a restaurant. There is a prayer room or ‘ Mescid ‘ attached and the nice people in the restaurant said I could sleep there that night. They filled my tank with lots of tea and didn’t charge!

Next morning I awoke very late. I had a much needed good sleep as I haven’t been sleeping well lately. There was nobody in the restaurant so I just went in and helped myself to some tea from the burco and a plate of stale bread. I planned to leave a few lira on the table. Just as I was finishing the nice owner returned and made a fresh pot of tea and gave me a cake. He also refused payment.
I enjoyed the 18km run into Agri city and stopped to avail of another tea invitation from a tea shop owner who flagged me down just as I was making my way down the main street.
I managed to get a Turkish sim with data, messaging and calls fairly easy and for once didn’t have to give a photo or passport copy, it was pretty simple here. About 30 euro for 30 days.
Then I spent an hour in a bank just trying to change dollars.
The residents of Agri were pretty friendly, so many greetings and tea invitations. I think the Turks and Iranians are worse than the Irish!
A man grabbed me by my arm and seemed to be trying to get me to go over to a school as a lot of students were cheering. I think he was harmless and didn’t waste his time speaking Turkish to a foreigner! Perhaps he wanted me to give a lecture to the students. I declined. Not now please!
Instead I had a delicious kebab sandwich and regretted not getting one for the road for I had a hungry evening.
The road out of Agri was not great as a lot of roadworks were going on and I had a gravel shoulder to run on. Still I had a nice run of almost 30 km for a total of 47. Towards the end it rained lightly but annoyingly persistent. I came to a petrol station just before a junction to Uzunyazi village. There was a restaurant attached which was unfortunately closed. A man who seems to be a security guard surprisingly said I could sleep inside on the floor.
I thanked him for making me some tea, though about the kebab sandwich I didn’t get for the road.
Just after writing this the security guard called Kanan brings me over some tea. There has been a loaf of bread on the table. I break down and ask him for it, instead he brings me a fresh loaf and cheese
I have been running in mountains now for over two weeks. Not too difficult, usually between 1,500 and 2,000 metres. I haven’t had much rain either but here in Turkey I am getting a lot of showers and not too much shelter on the road as the distance between towns is greater. Many villages are off the road which is also a hassle when looking for food.
Turkey is surprising much more expensive than Iran and I am sorry to say in restaurants ( other than the nice ones mentioned here) and some shops they have ripped me off. It happens  too often for my liking. I now ask how much before ordering food.

One day after running 52km I finished at the junction to a small town called Koprukoy. I decided to sleep at the mosque. A police car did a u turn when he saw me taking my shoes off on the steps. He came over and addressed me in Turkish and was a bit taken aback when I said I don’t speak Turkish and was going into the mosque. I think he was a bit confused wondering if I was a Muslim!
Inside there was a service and six men were there. I nodded a greeting, one of the men shook my hand and later when they  were going said I could sleep there. A few minutes later the cop came in and asked to see my passport. Meanwhile an old man got me three cushions to sleep on.
Next morning I decided to have breakfast in the park so I picked some food and juice up in a supermarket. About ten children followed me into the park and tormented me by shouting and throwing stones at me while I sat and ate.
No I am not in love with Turkey.

Far too many children begging. I except things will get better in the west of the country.
I met a Swedish cyclist called Chris and had a long chat with him. He is on his way to Singapore and going to work when he gets there. He said he only got one and a half days rain in Europe and it has rained every day here. He is married and his wife is going to join him when he gets to Singapore… Way to go!
I gave him my Iran sim and he gave me a pepper spray!
A bit further on I stopped at a tarp shack where a poor man was selling onions by the side of the road. I have been carrying a spare pair of ON running shoes as I hadn’t managed to find an address to post them on to. So I was now time for me to change from pair number 43 to pair 44 of the run. I don’t like just discarding the shoes I always try to give them to someone. So I gave the old ones to this man, he was delighted, so I asked him to stick the kettle on for a cup of tea!
This pair will get me to Istanbul 1,300 kilometres away.
Thanks to Oliver from ON running who has sent another three pairs to Istanbul.
I love these shoes, comfortable, hard wearing and easy to break in. 40km today. A poor day as I need to be hitting close to 50km  every day for I have asked for permission to run across the non pedestrian Bosporus bridge in Istanbul. Siobhan and Ken in the Irish embassy in Ankara are working on this with the local authorities. First question. What day you want to run across the bridge that separates Europe from Asia. June 7th I have committed to.
Thanks to everyone at the embassy, see you in less than three weeks!

May 10th  and 43,652 kilometers have been run for 994 road days..

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