We started with Alex full of appetite for kilometers and took the ship to Chios and from there we crossed over on the classic old rustbucket of a boat, ready to rediscover Turkey after years. It was the second time we were making this trip and, just like the first time, it was done on two wheels!
As soon as we set foot on the other side and left the coast behind, the roads of Turkey welcomed us with the classic, humorous scene of the countryside: a replica of a Jandarma patrol car and a cardboard police officer on the side of the road! It was the perfect excuse for a quick commemorative photo before we set sail for the depths of Phrygia.
The route brought us to some of the country's most evocative, ancient monuments. Arriving at the impressive Gerdekkaya, a carved Hellenistic rock-tomb that looks like a hidden temple within the wild landscape.
We pitched our tents there to enjoy the sunset and the scenery.
The exploration continued the next day deep inside the caves and the carved rocks of the area, where the sunlight pierces the darkness of the ancient shelters. But the highlight of our historical search was the famous Yazılıkaya Midas Monument.
We stood in awe before the massive, imposing rock with the geometric carvings and the ancient Phrygian inscriptions that stand intact through the passing of the centuries.
Such a road trip, of course, is not complete without unexpected encounters. In one of the villages, Alex made a new, four-legged friend: a beautiful, fluffy dog (an imposing Anatolian Shepherd) that came to greet us amidst our motorcycles and luggage.
During the gas stops, our motorcycles coexisted in the same frame with a traditional horse-drawn cart in the background – the ultimate depiction of rural Turkey, where the past and the present move in parallel.
After a stop for a photo in front of an elegant, rural mosque with its characteristic twin, light-blue minarets,
the road led us to a landscape that looked like another planet: the Lake Tuz (Tuz Gölü)
There, the scenery changed dramatically. We left the motorcycles by the side and walked upon the endless, stark white layer of salt under a crystal clear, blue sky. Our shadows lengthened across the absolute white, creating some of the most powerful and minimalistic frames of the entire trip. It was the perfect spot to take a breath, look out at the horizon, and realize just how far our two wheels had already brought us…
We left the salt lake behind and set sail for CappadociaWe set up our tent freely on a hill, with the motorcycles parked right next to it. The next morning, our alarm clock was the silent whoosh of the burners. Unzipping the tent, we faced dozens of colorful hot air balloons filling the horizon under the first light of the sun. It was one of those moments where you just sit, watch, and cannot believe your eyes.
A bit later, with the sun having risen, we took the motorcycles out into the golden fields of the area for some unique shots against the decorated sky.
Our compass was now pointing east, towards the wilder and more authentic landscapes of Anatolia. We made a stop at the impressive Şuğul Canyon (Şuğul Vadisi) We walked on the wooden path that is clinging to the vertical, towering rocks, listening to the river rushing right beneath us.
After spending the night there, continuing our route, we arrived at Divriği Great Mosque (Divriği Great Mosque)
A breathtaking UNESCO World Heritage site. We stood in front of its main gate, gazing at the incredible, embossed details on the stone that look like embroidery. We also went inside, where the absolute tranquility and the imposing architecture with the large arches made us feel minuscule.
If there was one reason why we wanted to make this trip again on the motorcycles, it was the famous Kemaliye Stone Road (Kemaliyeler Taş Yolu). One of the most dangerous and exciting roads in the world, carved entirely inside the vertical cliffs of the Dark Canyon (Karanlık Kanyon). We stopped for the classic photo at the entrance of the dark tunnel, with signs warning of the low clearance and the narrowness of the road. Driving in there, between the bare rock and the cliff, was pure adrenaline!
Its construction was started by the locals in 1870 and took 132 years to complete, connecting the isolated area with the outside world. Today, with its 38 narrow tunnels and cliffs dropping hundreds of meters above the Euphrates, it is a top destination for adventure lovers. Hearing the name of the Euphrates River, we recalled the history in our primary school textbooks and the conquests of Alexander the Great.
At one of our stops by the side of the road, we also made a new friend from Italy. He was on a bicycle, heading towards Mongolia!
At one of our stops by the side of the road, we also had an unexpected encounter. A small, curious little animal of the area (a ground squirrel or mole-rat) popped out of nowhere. Showing trust, it approached so close that we managed to feed it by hand, giving us one of the sweetest moments of the trip.
Our journey finally found us where we belong: high in the mountains. We went up with the motorcycles to a wild, dirt pass of the Taurus Mountains, surrounded by imposing mountain peaks that still held white traces of snow. We lined up the motorcycles for a triumphant photo. Scattered, covered in dust but with the biggest smiles, we knew that this second time in Turkey had already written its own unique history.
The ascent into the mountains had the most powerful revelation of the trip in store for us. Driving through rugged, mountain passes in the heart of the Bolkar Mountains, we arrived at the impressive Lake Karagöl.
A breathtaking alpine landscape, with lush green meadows filled with yellow wildflowers embracing the crystal-clear waters, while the imposing, bare mountain peaks reflected on its surface.
This time there was no rush. We pitched our tent right next to the water, enjoying absolute isolation. I sat on a rock at the shore, gazing at the endless tranquility of the landscape, while just a bit further away, a clear stream trickled through the stones.
Night found us cooking outdoors, enjoying our food as the sun slowly dipped behind the peaks. Waking up in a place like this, with the mountain coolness and the landscape untouched by civilization, was the greatest reward for the hours we spent on the road.
When it was time to leave the lake, the dirt roads of the Taurus Mountains awaited us. Mounted on our motorcycles, enduring every hardship, we stopped in the middle of nowhere, between two huge mountainsides, for a spontaneous photo full of energy. The road ahead of us was endless, the dust a constant companion, but the feeling of freedom was unmatched.
After hours of driving under the burning sun and with the dust stuck all over us, a random stop by the side of the road turned out to be a lifesaver. We found a traditional, makeshift fountain with running, ice-cold water under the shade of the trees. Without a second thought, I took off my jacket and dove face-first into the basin to wash up and cool down. It was one of those small, authentic moments of a road trip that you never plan, but they give you the energy to keep going for the next hundreds of kilometers.
Leaving behind the icy breeze of Karagöl and the wild beauty of Anatolia, we took the road back. The motorcycles, loaded with memories, dust, and thousands of kilometers, swallowed the asphalt of western Turkey until the scent of the mountain was replaced once again by the saltiness of the Aegean.
We reached the coast and boarded at the familiar port. The crossing with the old rustbucket back to Chios had a different taste now; it was not the beginning of an anticipation, but the epilogue of a full adventure. As the ship cut through the waves bound for Piraeus and Athens, Alex and I looked at the photos on our phones, laughed at the mishaps and random encounters, and were already planning our next road trip. The second time in Turkey proved to us that, no matter how the years change, the freedom of two wheels remains the same.