On the Ferry to Sochi
Breaky in the hotel and getting on the road by 10:30.So same road - people just flooring it thru towns and villages. I now know why the guy at the petrol station in Greece said the Georgian guys transferring cars from Germany (recognizable by the German export plates) are the worse. Those guys would do 110 - 120 thru town. Ok, it was still a 3 lane road but there where people crossing the road - well more sprinting across….
Best thing I saw today - somebody herding a flock of sheep (30 - 40) down this semi-motorway.
Stopped for lunch at a lokanta (small restaurant kind of like a cantine). Good that I did, because when I reached Trabzon it all went quicker then I thought. Somehow found the harbor and the road were the agency selling ferry tickets to Sochi was located. Went in just to see when the next ferry was going. Turned out is was today, cost 230 Euro. Ok, so had to go to an ATM to get more money out. Then of to the harbor entrance. Because the guy at the agency made it somehow sound like I would have to hurry, I tried to get there quickly and I actually knew were the entrance was because I had passed it before. So got on to that road going in the wrong direction (dual carriage way with central divider) but thought a easy peasy next exit off, across and on in the right direction. Yeah nice thinking Marko. Ended up going back to the city center and suddenly was in this “industrial estate”. Still thought I needed to hurry so kind of did a circle and then started to ask people. Luckily one of the Turkish words I picked up was Liman (harbor).
So got basically back onto the road I was one before and it had a gate for the harbor but that was not the one I was supposed to use. Well, asked the guard and after explaining that if I tried to go to the other gate it was a no no. So he let me in and then I had to go to the other gate for what ever. So stopped and the guy got out of his booth, wrote down the license plate, looked at my passport and bike reg. He said ok, go to ship. Ok, across the harbor again. Found the right spot after some asking around. The guy I asked wanted to know if customs was sorted or not which I thought I had done with the guy at the gate. Then started to doubt it because he had not stamped the bike out in the passport. So got on the bike, across the harbor again to the man in the booth. Tried to ask him if he was actually customs, nodding by him, asked again differently - is the bike ok leave Turkey - nodding. I said ok then, as I swing on my bike he says “yes, go to ship - customs”. Ah so I still needed to get customs sorted for the bike.
So more asking around and ended up in the passenger terminal building. There one of the agency guys say me and dragged me to a different building. So in there everything dark. It’s Saturday afternoon 5:45pm by now. So into the agency office just outside a different gate of the harbor. The dude makes a few phone calls. Waiting. The guy has a definite cleanliness fetish. Basically goes outside, shakes hands with somebody or touches the phone - off to the bathroom to wash hands. Apparently customs dude arrives and does not look happy that he was pulled away from something more fun then stamping a passport. So anyway agency dude is handling it. Comes back 10 min later says: “Computer ok, stamp missing”. Waiting. I thought I was in a rush. Another customs dude arrives and agency guy sprints after him. 5 min later I got my papers with the bike stamped out. Next step, to the passenger terminal to get me stamped out of Turkey. 7pm and that is also done. I’m back at my bike which all this time was parked quay side. Realized when waiting inside the terminal that my tank bag with camera & GPS was on the bike, also helmet, gloves and the key was in the ignition. Anyway everything still there - I guess it helped that it was parked directly in front of a harbor police booth.
More waiting. So my ass I’m in a hurry. They were loading that boat with two forklifts from trucks one after the other. By 10pm that was done and I was the last to get on. Being used to the ferries between UK and Ireland I just tied the bike down with one strap. So it wouldn’t tilt off the side stand. Boat crew of course had buggered off. So up to the cabin to check in. Pretty run down over all, but not complaining as long as its not sinking. When we hit open water I got a bit concerned about the bike because the boat rolled and pitche pretty severely. Too late now.
Mental note of lessons learned today.
a) Don’t assume you cleared customs make sure.
b) On ferries take luggage off the bike and tie it down properly. Don’t assume because sea looks calm its going to be a smooth ride.
Day 24
9. May 2009
Start: Unya, Turkey
End: Trabzon, Turkey
Miles today:
Miles total:
Odometer:
Thank you for your article, newfreeshipping.com is of a free shopping Store online, retail and wholesale high quality low price of electronic products,
Air Laptop 13.3
I did a commute out to the Palladium bildiung and it turned out to be 26 Km instead of the 34 I expected. That’s only twice what I currently do so is quite doable. I still think I’ll have to leave home a lot earlier and finish work earlier for it not to impact my home life but I feel better about the ride at least in the summer.