Christmas 2011

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year


Roly's Ramble
In February I began making plans for a European cycling trip that would take me from Amsterdam to Constanta, Romania. My intention was to follow the Rhine as far south as Neuf-Brisach, France, cycle across the Black forest to Donaueschingen, Germany, and continue along the Danube to the Black Sea.
In April I drove to Barrie/Orillia, Ontario, and after visiting my sister, Theresa and her husband, Sandy, I helped my daughter Lise move back to Ottawa. Also, my sister, Marie Jeanne, and brother-in-law, Michael, traveled from Oakville, Ontario, to spend Easter with us. Mike, never one to sit idle, decided to fix my kitchen table which was a bit wobbly. It took a while to get it unstuck from the kitchen floor but it doesn’t wobble any more. Thanks Mike.
In May I flew from Ottawa to Toronto to Amsterdam with my trusty old touring bike, Rocky, and my cycling gear. I started cycling across Europe on May 26th. But before joining the Rhine I made a slight detour to visit Brussels (my first posting 1964-69) and stayed with Ed and Viv Kaye (Triumph Club friends). I also stopped in Bonn-Bad Godesberg where I was posted twice (1977-81 and 1993-97). On June 26th I arrived in Vienna where I stayed with Martin Harasek, another Triumph Club friend. It was then on to Constanta where I arrived on July 21st. All together I cycled/traveled through 12 countries i.e. Canada, Holland, Belgium, Germany, France, Germany (again), Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey. The last two countries by train. I cycled 4,227 kms in 58 days and managed to lose 23 lbs. For further details and some photos of my adventure see my blog at “maillord1.blogspot.com”. In order to get home I took the train from Constanta to Bucharest then to Istanbul and flew to Montreal on July 25th. My friend, Barrie, was there to meet me and drive me back home to Ottawa.
Unfortunately, once I got back to Canada, I had to go to emergency as I was having bladder problems. I ended up having to have a catheter inserted as I couldn’t pee. I was diagnosed with an enlarged prostate. Eventually, after 4 months of having to put up with a catheter, I underwent a TURP (Transurethal Resection of the Prostate) operation on November 30th. Thankfully, it was a successful op and I should be able to resume cycling (SPINFIT Classes) in January to get in shape for the 2012 cycling season.
In April I have plans to cycle from Milford, Ohio (near Cincinatti), to Buffalo, NY, approximately 800 kms in 11 days with 3 other guys. We will follow the UGRR (Underground Railway Route) used by the slaves as they made their escape across the US and into Canada. I will also be cycling across Canada starting from Vancouver in late May and ending up in StJohns, Newfoundland in late August. I will be cycling with Beverly my new “partner”. I’m looking for a house sitter for the months of June, July and August. If anyone is interested or knows of someone who would like to spend some time in Ottawa please get in touch with me.
I wish you all a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year. Roly

Lise’s Life
I spent most of 2011 completing my diploma in Therapeutic Recreation. I finished my second semester at Georgian College in Orillia, enjoying a volunteer placement where I set up a Crafter’s Circle for an Orillia-based non-profit organization that provides housing and support for vulnerable women.
The girls in my class are all fun-loving and passionate about helping others, and I made several good friends over the year. Here are me and three my classmates giving a presentation entitled TR around the World:
In May I began my internship with the City of Ottawa’s Acquired Brain Injury program, a community program for adults who have had a stroke or a brain injury. I spent my time there getting to know the participants and getting lots of practice in planning and implementing programs and activities to meet their specific needs.
In July, I attended the Therapeutic Recreation Ontario conference. There were a lot of really engaging speakers, and we ended the conference by “drinking beer on a boat”. Though, as a young professional, I have learned to refer to these kinds of activities as “networking”. There was a lot of networking.
In October I started looking at moving out to a townhouse near downtown Ottawa – and I was pretty intrigued when I saw this ad. When they handed me a Lindt chocolate five minutes into the tour , I was sold. So I now live with two wonderful roommates, Jay and Bryn! They say hi:
My cats, Figgs and Newton, have settled into the space quickly and the boys have really taken to them. Newton tends to live on Bryn’s lap, though you probably can’t tell that from the photo. Jay and I have taken up doing yoga together, and we all cook meals together whenever possible. We’ve become a big happy family, which has made for a wonderful home. As I write this we’re putting up some shelves in the dining room – the place is really coming together nicely.
Since completing my internship, I have been working a few part time jobs, getting to work with children who are medically fragile, adults with developmental disabilities, and seniors with dementia. I am absolutely loving my new career, and am looking forward to the new year and new opportunities.

Stephanie Writes:
Another year has come and gone. This year has been a busy year for us. We started off the year with welcoming in 2 new foster children Breanna and Taniqua who are still with us and will be with us for awhile longer. The boys are growing so much and doing so much. Jasper is now 3 and a half and in preschool and is excited to start school in September. Jasper is also a huge hockey fan and loves playing hockey for fun. He is also looking forward to being able to start playing hockey in little league in September. He is a busy young man. Landon is now 1 and a half and he also is a busy young man. Landon loves playing with his siblings and doesnt like it so much when they leave for school and programs in the morning. He wants to join too. Landon is starting to talk more and get into things which keeps mommy and daddy busy running after him. As for Phil and I we are extending our family in June. Baby Mailloux 3 is on its way, which makes us busy with getting everything ready once again. Phil and Jasper enjoyed their trip to England. Jasper still talks lots about the trip and how much he loves his nana and the different things he did while there. He loves when he can see Maise's pictures on facebook as well. We wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year!!!!

Keith's Report
This has been a momentous year for me - it feels like it went past in a moment. I have finally left the nest! In the spring, I was invited by a friend from high school to replace her sister in the apartment above hers. It's a nice little house built in the 1920s, separated into two apartments. My friend has the first floor, I have the second, and the basement is a shared laundry and storage room. It's located just outside of the downtown neighbourhoods of Ottawa, in easy bus range of almost everywhere thanks to a station a few blocks away. The rent is decent, it's got oodles of space [two bedrooms, a livingroom, kitchen, and helpfully, a bathroom] and the neighbours are nice. I'm still settling in - the actual move didn't happen until September - but it's starting to feel like home.Speaking of things that feel like home, I'm still working at Lee Valley. If they haven't fired me by now, chances are they aren't going to. I've been making myself useful, helping to keep projects on track despite the crazed whims of my overlords [who decided to completely change a catalog when more than half of it was already done - I'm not kidding when I say they're crazy] and even doing a bit of first-draft copywriting when I have free time. I've gotten rave reviews from the product managers for my copy, too, even though they throw half of it away when they edit it down to the final draft. It doesn't look like I'll be switched over to writing full time in the near future, since my real job is in high demand, but it's made me realize how much I really love to write - I thought school had sucked all the joy of writing out of me. The manager of my department is retiring this year, and his replacement has started taking over the day-to-day running of the office. He's a good-natured chap, with a good sense of humour and a more sensible approach to management. He's hoping to make some improvements in the way the Publications department runs, which will probably make more work for me and the other proofers in the short run, but make our job easier in the long run.Unfortunately, my health hasn't been too good this year. A case of mono in March laid me out for a month - I thought it was just a bad case of influenza before the family doctor ran some tests on me - after making things worse by giving me the wrong medicine. I ended up covered in red spots - not the best thing to wake up to, but fortunately they went away quickly. Since then I've been in and out of doctors' offices far too often for my liking. The latest business has sent me to a hematologist because my blood platelet count is low - and he immediately sent me to a clinic to drain another pint of blood for tests. No wonder it's low, doc, you folks keep taking it! In any case, the hematologist assures me that it's probably nothing, just a reaction to the mono earlier in the year. Personally, I think it's because the mess in my room was something I created subconsciously because I need mess in my environment to be healthy; I'll be fine as soon as I get the new place as messy as the old one. Don't worry for my sake, I feel fit as a fiddle when I don't stay up late because I forgot to write my bit for the Christmas letter.Here are a few photos of my year - horsing around with one of the new Lee Valley products, a photo I took on a little adventure down the railway siding near my home, and the front view of my new place. Hope you're all having a lovely winter and a happy holiday. Give the dogs a scratch behind the ears for me!

Follow Up - Europe 2011

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Total distance cycled was 4,300 kms in 57 days.
Countries I travelled through were Canada, Holland, Belgium, Germany, France, Germany (again), Austria, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey and Canada (again)
Number of flats = 2 plus one broken chain.
Problems with disc brakes again (same as on France/England trip)
Weight lost = 23 lbs. I went for a haircut and beard trim yesterday and the first thing my barber said was "You lost some weight". I gave him a $2 tip.

Ottawa Queensway Carleton Hospital Emergency Ward
I lay on my back with my bladder still draining until midnight. There must have been a change of staff as a new nurse came in to see if I was OK. I asked if I could lie on my side (I was starting to develop bed sores on my back) and she said OK. She also said the ER was quite busy so it would be awhile before a doctor arrived to see me.
Finally, at 2 AM, a young, female doctor arrived. She asked a bunch of questions. I told her about my cycling trip across Europe, the train rides, flight to Montreal from Istanbul and the car ride back to Ottawa. She couldn't say exactly what caused my bladder infection but it could have been the diarrhea that I had had earlier. She also said the large amount of urine I had retained in my bladder had caused my kidneys to become infected and that I would have to keep the catheter inserted for 2 weeks. In spite of the relief it was providing I was not to pleased about the prospect of having a catheter stuck up my pecker for 2 weeks!!! She gave me instructions to go see my family doctor, to make a follow up appointment with an urology specialist and a prescription for some anti-biotics, etc. A nurse came in and gave me instructions on how to swap over the night and day time collection bags and how to empty them. I was then allowed to go home. I put on my shorts and went out to admitting with my daytime bag strapped to my calf feeling somewhat embarrased. I called home and asked Lise to come and get me. Lise and Keith arrived at 3 AM and drove me home. I was finally able to lie down in my own bed at 4 AM after switching over to the night time bag.
Lise got up at 7:00 AM to go to her placement. I got up and switched over to the day time bag and had a shower. The tape holding the tube in place on my thigh came loose. I had some cereal and a banana for b'fast. I called Jim Cale and left a voice mail re not beeing able to cycle and that I had to cancel out of the Ontario-Quebec-NewYork long weekend tour. I called Barrie T. and updated him on my condition and situation. I said I would call him re going to the Old F.A.R.T.S. lunch on Wednesday. I managed to get through to Dr. Nadolny, my family doctor, and got an appointment for 11:20. I sorted through my panniers and did a full load of laundry.
Due to having had to stay up so late Keith had booked off sick for the day. I got him up at 10:00 and asked him to clean up the mess in the kitchen. I called Barrie Kirk (tour leader) and left a voice mail re my having to drop out of the ON-QC-NY tour due to a medical problem.
I drove to the doctors office and parked on a side street to avoid having to pay for parking lot fees. There was some discomfort walking to the office. I should have paid for parking!!! plus it looked like it was going to start raining any minute and I hadn't thought to bring along an umbrella. I saw Dr. Nadolny at 11:30. She gave me a requisition for blood and urine samples and said I should go in 1 week but then she changed her mind and said to go in 2 weeks time after the catheter had been removed. We talked for half an hour!!! She was very fascinated by my trip. I gave her my blog address. She looked it up right away on the laptop in the examination room. When I left the doctors office there were a lot of patients waiting to see her.
I had left my admitting papers from the QCH with the doctor but went back to get them as I thought I might need them for the specialist. I drove to the Merivale Mall to get my Rx filled at the pharmacy. While waiting I walked over to FarmBoy and bought some groceries. It was tipping down when I arrived but just a shower when I left.
The pharmacist explained my new meds and possible side effects, etc. He said I should drink lots of water. I asked if beer counted as water. He chuckled and said one or two wouldn't hurt.
I drove home at 1:00 PM. Made myself a nice sandwich on Italian bread with tomato, lettuce, garlic bologna, Monterey Jack cheese and mayo and washed it down with a diet green tea.
I called Dr. Pierre (specialist) and got a recording that he would be on holidays until August 8th. I went throught the pile of mail that had accummulated since my departure. I tried to check my e-mail but discovered there was a problem connecting to the Wi-Fi router. Neither Lise nor I could connect with our laptops or her Notebook. Only Keith could access the internet using his PC. I reset the router but only managed to screw up Keith's connection. I folded my laundry which I had put in the dryer earlier. Keith worked on the router and again was able to connect to Internet. I was able to "piggy-back" on an unprotected nearby Wi-Fi router and check my e-mail.
I called the QCH re specialist and having catheter removed. The nurse said she would have to check with her team leader and would call back. I called Dr. Nadolny's re latest developments. The receptionist said I should wait until the QCH call back.
Had rice and chicken curry (which Keith had prepared for my return) and Naan bread for dinner while catching up on the news.
I was pretty shattered by now and was off to bed at 7:30 PM (2:30 AM Istanbul time). Keith was also in bed early. The cats were locked up in the basement until they learn to use the litter boxes!!!

Cheers, Roly

Day 62 - Europe 2011

Day 62 - Monday, July 25, 2011 - Istanbul to Montreal (by plane) to Ottawa (by car)

I was up at 6:30 and ready to go to b'fast by 7:00. I had re-packed my bags the previous evening and they were ready to be taken downstairs. I went up to the 7th floor for b'fast. Same scenario. The seagulls were on the window ledge waiting to have b'fast. I suppose some tourists must feed them, hence the reason they keep coming back. I returned to my room and finished packing, took my bags down to the lobby and waited for the taxi driver to arrive. While waiting I brought my bike up to the lobby from the basement and fastened my rear trunk bag onto the rear rack. That would make one less bag to carry.
The hotel assistant manager, a young fellow about 30 years old, asked me about my trip. He was amazed at what I had accomplished and asked if he could have his picture taken with me and my bike. I agreed and he sent someone to get a camera. Meanwhile, I was getting all sweaty. It was pretty hot and humid inside the lobby of the hotel. The taxi arrived - a VW van. It was much cooler outside. After putting the back seat down we had no trouble getting my bike into the back along with my two rear panniers. We set off for the airport at 8 ish.
It was about a 30 minute ride to the airport in light traffic. I guess the morning rush hour had not quite started yet. It was bedlam at the arrivals ramp with taxis, buses, cars, etc all dropping off passengers and luggage. The taxi driver managed to find an opening and quickly reversed into it. We unloaded my bike and panniers and the driver took off. Apparently there are two airports in Istanbul and I still wasn't quite sure if I was at the right one. I loaded my panniers on my bike and went inside the terminal only to find out that all passengers had to pass through a metal detector and luggage through an x-ray machine before going to the departure area. I unloaded my panniers and put them on the conveyor belt along with my bike. My bike got stuck in the x-ray machine. It took 2 of us to get it free and pull it through. I then had to re-load my panniers on my bike and went off to look for the Air Transat counter. There was none!!!
While I was looking for Air Transat a Japanese lady approached me and my bike. She spoke excellent English. She wanted to know about my trip and asked for a photo. She was in the Foreign Service and was going off to a posting somewheres in the Middle East. I asked an airport employee for direction to the Air Transat counter. He directed me to the Information desk which was not far off. At the Information desk I was told that Air Transat flight to Montreal would be checking in at C 11. I went over to C 11 but there was no one there yet. It was only 9:00 AM and my flight didn't leave until 1:20 PM. I took the opportunity to go to the W/C and then found a coffee shop where I could sit down and watch for the arrival of the Air Transat ticket agents.
Around 10:00 I noticed some agents at C 11 but they were not wearing Air Transat uniforms. I went over and asked if they were checking in flight AT101 to Montreal. They were Turkish Airlines ticket agents and yes they were but were not yet ready. I asked if I could get a plastic bag in which to wrap up my bike. They gave me an oversize luggage bag. No charge.
I loosened my handle bars and turned them in towards the frame of the bike before re-fastening them. I deflated both front and rear tires. I had already removed my pedals the night before. I started putting the plastic bag on my bike at the rear like a pillow slip cover. It fit pretty snuggly. I had to lower my seat to get it past to the front wheel. The bag was to short by about a foot. I asked for another bag and one of the agents went off to get one for me. This time I started from the front and the agent helped me. I had brought a roll of packing tape with me and was able to tape the two bags together. My bike was ready to be put on the plane and shipped back to Canada.
By this time the check in counter had opened and there were a few people waiting to check in. I was told I could go to the "Club Class" check in counter because of my bike. The agent asked me to place my bike on the scales. It weighed 12 kgs. She then wasn't quite sure how much to charge me. She asked me how much I had paid to ship it over to Europe. I said Air Transat had charged me $30 from Toronto to Amsterdam and that it was the standard charge for shipping a bicycle as stipulated on their website. She asked to see my receipt but it was packed away in one of my rear panniers with all my other receipts. In the end she said there would be no charge for shipping my bike. Wow!!! Free bags and free shipping. Thank you Turkish Airlines staff.
After checking my bike and bags I went through pre-boarding security. I had two bottles of water with me and was told I either had to drink them or dump them. I chose to dump them. I found a food court and had an early lunch at the Asian Wok. I went to the departure lounge at Gate 214 but it was announced that AT101 would now be departing from Gate 304. I walked over to the Gate 304 lounge. Thank goodness there was a W/C nearby and a coke machine also selling water. I bought a bottle of water.
Finally, they started boarding passengers on a bus to go out to the aircraft. It was a very new and modern air-conditioned bus. There were several buses so there was no overcrowding. I was amazed. At 2:00 PM we were all boarded and still sitting on the tarmac. Our flight should have left at 1:20? The captain made an announcement that the delay had been caused due to the plane being over-fueled. They had to remove the excess fuel. We finally departed Istanbul at 2:30.
I was worried that it would be to cold on the plane and so I asked one of the stewardess if I could get a blanket. She said that they would be going around later to sell them for $7.00 including a mask, socks, ear plugs and headset. I told her I was having bladder problems and would be making frequent trips to the W/C just so they wouldn't get alarmed at my strange behaviour. I also asked if I could stand at the rear of the plane as I had a very sore back. She said it woudn't be a problem. She then proceeded to tell the whole rear cabin staff about my bladder problem. They were all quite concerned. A steward (former male nurse) offered me some Tylenol to help with the pain.
Thank goodness I had 2 seats to myself. I could get up and go the the W/C as often as I liked without disturbing anyone. I tried to rest. To much pain in my bladder and back. I had purchased a book in the departure lounge earlier and tried to do some reading. I tried to watch a movie but couln't find anything I liked. The others I had already seen. A meal was served which was typical airline food. I managed to eat it all and washed it down with a thimble full of Air Transat's finest red wine.
We arrived in Montreal at 5:30 PM. It was still Monday in Canada. It was announced that passengers going on to Toronto would have to change planes and that they should disembark at the rear of the plane while those getting off in Montreal should disembark at the front. There was a lot of grumbling about having to change planes. There was also a most annoying child who kept pressing the call button throughout the entire flight!!!
I cleared passport control and collected my panniers and my bike which all arrived OK. I then cleared customs. Barrie was waiting for me at arrivals. He took some photos with his new camera. I had loaded my panniers and my bike on a luggage cart. When we got to the elevators to go up to the 3rd deck, where Barrie had parked, there was a big jam up. We decided Barrie should go get the car and I would wait for him. He had to pay and go out and come back in. We had to take the front wheel off to get my bike to fit in the back of the VW Golf. Fortunately, Barrie didn't have to pay for any parking the 2nd time around.
It was now around 6:00 PM and Barrie was hungry so we stopped at a McDs. I just had some of his fries with ketchup and an ice cream cone that Barrie treated me to. We then set off for Ottawa - a two hour drive from Montreal. Rush hour was over so we had no trouble getting out of the city and onto the highway.
About half way home I decided I should go to Emergency as I was in such a great deal of pain. We had to stop twice so I could try and relieve myself. I found some Aleve tablets in the glove compartment and took two of those. I called home to let Lise and Keith know that Barrie was taking me to QCH Emergency and that he would then drop off my bike and bags and I would call again once I was ready to be picked up at the hospital. Barrie dropped me off at QCH around 8:45. I had to wait about an hour before seeing the admitting nurse. I told her my story. She made a note on my "chart" and said I should go directly to the desk in the ER. I was able to hand my chart over to an ER nurse and she started working on me right away. She checked my blood pressure, took some blood, scanned my bladder (it showed over 900 ml of fluid) and asked for a urine sample which I was glad to produce. The nurse then quickly sent the samples off to the lab for analysis. She then found an empty room where I was asked to strip and get into a hospital gown. Of coure I put it on backwards with the opening in the front. The nurse had me turn it around before getting up on the bed. She then inserted a catheter into my penis which was quite painful and proceeded to drain my bladder. Within minutes I had filled a large bag with over 12oo ml of urine. I was starting to feel some relief. The nurse had to go and get another bag. I was then made comfortable and told it would be a while before a doctor would come in to see me. It was now going on 11:00 PM or 6:00 AM Istanbul time. I had been up for 24 hours. I was feeling much better except for the discomfort of the catheter.

This blog was posted at home on Thursday, July 28, 2011

Day 61 - Europe 2011

Day 61 - Sunday, July 24, 2011 - Hotel Fahri, Instanbul

I got up at 6:00. Tried to check my e-mail but had trouble getting a connection. I updated my journal. I then went down to the lobby for b'fast and asked for the hotel password for the Hotel Fahri router. B'fast was on the 7th floor terrace. Quite a beautiful view of the harbour but spoiled by a couple of satellite dishes. Very sunny and bright. Lots of fresh fruit for b'fast plus cheeses, cold cuts, hard boiled eggs, etc I had fruit and tea for my b'fast. A couple seagulls, who were sitting on the open window ledge not 2 feet away from me, also wanted to join me for b'fast. I took some photos.
Went back to my room and lay down again for a couple of hours. I again tried getting on the Internet using the password that the hotel manager had given me. This time I was able to connect to the hotel router and had a much better connection. I typed up Day 59 & 60 blogs. I had another hours rest and then decided to go out for a walk to the water front but it was much to hot to be enjoyable. The temperature felt like it was 40C plus. I went back to the hotel and asked about transport to the airport. The manager said it would cost 45E or 100 TL. I also asked if I could pay by VISA. He wanted cash only. I went back to the train station, which was not to far off, and got another 200 TL and returned to hotel. I managed to get transport reduced to 80 TL and paid for both hotel and taxi which I booked for 8 AM Monday. I also remembered to ask for a receipt.
I went out for a short walk and and had a bite to eat. It was still very hot and it didn't take long for me to work up a sweat. I stopped at a restaurant in an alleyway which was partially covered with awnings and ordered a sort of paninni/pizza and tea. While waiting for my food to arrive, the restaurant manager, who was sitting outside in the alleyway chatting with his friends, was splattered by some seagull poop. One of the waiters brought out a glass of water so he could wash his arms where he got hit. The food was not so tasty or maybe it was just my appetite as I wasn't feeling all that great after my 23 hour train trip from Bucharest to Istanbul.
I returned to the hotel and had another rest. I again checked my e-mail and Facebook. I was able to chat with my sister, Mary Jean, in Oakville on FB. I went down to the lobby and got permission to go to the basement to remove the peddles on my bike. The hotel manager introduced me to the taxi driver who would be taking me to the airport. He has a nice VW van so transporting my bike wouldn't be a problem.
In the evening, when it had cooled down a bit, I went for a walk in the opposite direction. There were several interesting restaurants and shops selling all sorts of exotic Asian paraphernalia. I tried to do a walk around a square block but ended up in a dead end. I retraced my steps and stopped at a Turkish restaurant for dinner. I ordered Chicken Shishkebab, rice, tomato, cucumber, yogurt and tea. A couple sitting near me had ordered a special Turkish dish which came in a sealed clay pot that looked like an urn. The pot came out of the kitchen on a tray with flames all around it. It was placed on a table which had been set up on the street in front of the restaurant patio. A chef who had been standing around doing absolutely nothing since I had arrived then took over. He put on a pair of heavy duty gloves and wrapped a towel around the bottom of the clay urn. He had a heavy metal rod such as used for sharpening knives and I realized he was going to lop the top of the urn off with it. I had my camera ready as did the couple who had ordered the meal. It was quite a show. I took several shots and was able to get the actual top flying off and some of the contents spraying about. The chef then flipped the clay pot over dumping the contents onto a platter and it was served to the customers. I have no idea what this special meal was called.
I returned to the hotel and after doing some research on the Internet had an early night.

Day 60 - Europe 2011

Day 60 - Saturday, July 23, 2011 - Bucharest to Istanbul by overnight train

I had paid for a private sleeper. It had tripple bunk beds (2 were made up). When we arrived at the Turkish border crossing I waited in my cabin for the Passport/Customs people to come on board and check my passport, etc. like they had done at all the other borders. There was a knock on my door. It was the conductor. He told me I had to get off and go to Passport Control. It was 4 AM. I went out and got in line with about 50 other kids all in there 20s. I was the only "senior citizen". It was quite windy and bitterly cold standing out on the platform waiting to go into the Passport Control office. I was freezing!!! I had to go back and get a jacket. After standing in line for what seemed like an eternity I handed over my passport only to be told I needed a Visa!!! I had to go to the far end of the terminal to the Visa office which I had trouble finding. There was a very little sign hidden behind a pillar. I paid 45 E for 3 Visa stamps (like letter stamps). I returned to the Passport guy and he stamped my passport. I got back on the train in a hurry and waited some more. About 1/2 an hour later the Passport/Customs officers came on board and checked our luggage and passports. My ticket said that we would be arriving in Istanbul at 8:55 AM. At 8:30 I started getting ready. Eventually we arrived in Istanbul at 11:00 - 2 hours late. I was surprised to see that it was a much smaller and quieter station than Bucharest which was a good thing from my point of view. I got my bike and bags off the train with some help from the conductor. It was quite hot. I took my sleeves and leg warmers off and loaded my panniers on my bike in a shaded area. I went over to talk to the Alaska guys. They were still assembling their bikes in the hot sun. They were staying at a Pension 5-6 kms from the station and offered to take me there. I said I couldn't ride my bike because of the rear wheel rim being cracked. We said goodbye, etc. I found what I thought was an ATM, stuck my debit card in the slot and nothing happened. It turned out to be a ticket machine. DUH! I found an ATM and was able to get 200 Turkish Lira. As I was leaving the station I saw an Information Office. I went over but it was difficult getting over the curbs and around parked cars. It was closed. Gone to lunch. Back at 12:45. I spotted a Burger King across the street so went over and had some lunch while waiting for the I.O. to re-open. There were a couple people ahead of me when I returned. A very pretty, yound blond, in a full black leather motorcycling outfit ahead of me asked about hotels. She was told there were many hotels to choose from behind the train station and along some street which I didn't quite catch the name of. She was also told that the I.O. was not in the business of recommending hotels or keeping a list as there were to many of them. My questions had been answered. I went off to look for a hotel. Geez it was bloody hot and crowded. Thousands of "tourists". I found the hotels behind the train station. There were dozens to choose from including a Best Western. I asked about a single room for 2 nights but they only had a room for Saturday at 90 E. I checked several other hotels but they were fully booked. At the last hotel I checked the desk clerk said he knew of a hotel not far off that had rooms available. I asked if he could call and reserve a room for me which he did. He then had one of the staff take me there. It was a nice hotel at 45 E/night for a single room with b'fast, A/C and Wi-Fi. I checked in for 2 nights. After removing my panniers, a young lad took it downstairs to secure it. I took the elevator up to the 1st floor with my bags. Decided to have a shower before lying down for a nap. The water pressure started off OK but by the time I had gotten all lathered up with soap it was down to a mere trickle. Reminded me of a trip to Pakistan a long time ago but that's another story. I got up at 6:30 and went out to a pharmacy to get something to relieve my constipation. I was told to see a doctor about my bladder infection. I also bought some water and some fruit and went back to my room. I took 1 of the constipation tablets and about an hour later was able to get some relief. I took another tablet before going to bed at 8:00 PM. I managed to get some rest.

This blog was posted at the Hotel Fahri in Istanbul on Sunday, July 24, 2011

Day 59 - Europe 2011

Day 59 - Friday, July 22, 2011 - Bucharest to Instanbul via Sofia, Bulgaria

I had a terrible night due to a bladder infection? Terrible pain when I try to urinate. I went down for b'fast at 7:30. I asked for cafe au lait and a ham omelette. I got expresso, an omelette, ham, feta cheese, tomato, bread and butter. I made myself a couple egg and ham sandwiches. I checked out at 8:30. Went for a short ride around the block but ended up having to walk my bike back to the train station due to a one way street. I was able to exchange 151 LEI for 35 E. I bought a 1.5L bottle of water for 4 LEI. I also bought 2 BigMacs for the trip (18 LEI). The board finally announced that the train for Istanbul would be departing from Track 3. I made my way over there at around 11:00. There were not many people waiting in spite of there being a train there with sleeping cars. I checked every car but couldn't figure out which one I should be on. I asked a signalman if this was the train for Istanbul and he said I should go check with Information. Nobody got on the train and it left. I sat down and waited. Finally the train arrived at 11:45. There were many more people waiting to get on now. I showed my tickets to a conductor and he indicated I should get on Car # 2. As I was about to get on the train another conductor came along and said I was not allowed to bring my bike on board. He was the conductor for the 1st class car the other guy was the conductor for the 2nd class car. I showed him my tickets for a private sleeping cabin and a 50 LEI note. He said that was not enough as he had to pay several other people. I said I would add more and he allowed me to get on with my bike. Big sigh of relief!!! As I was waiting for the train to arrive 3 other cyclists arrived (2 girls and a guy). The guy came over and introduced himself and said they were from Alaska and had been touring around Romania. He was curious about the arrangements for my bike. I said I was told I had to talk to the conductor which is the same information that he got. They were travelling 2nd class and had bought an extra ticket for their bikes which is what they had done for the trip from Istanbul to Romania. The only snag was that when the Passport Control people came on the train they expected 4 people instead of just 3. There was a lot of explaining to do about the extra seat for the bicycles. I had no trouble getting my bike on board and in my cabin once I removed my 2 rear panniers. I hung my bike on the ladder using the handle bars. The ladder was hanging on 2 sturdy coat hooks. When the conductor returned for my ticket he saw that I had added another 4 x 10 LEI notes. He was satisfied and kept my tickets. I asked if I could have them back. He said he would return them at the end of the journey. We left for Istanbul at 12:13 right on schedule. It was a very long ride. A lot of stops i.e. customs/passport control leaving Romania, entering and leaving Bulgaria and entering Turkey. There were also several stops in between including a 2 hour stop in Dubrovnik. Don't ask me why???

Day 58 - Europe 2011

Day 58 - Thursday, July 21, 2011 - Constanta to Bucharest, Romania by train

I was awake at 6:00 but managed to have a lie in until 7:00. After a quick shower I had some yogurt with cereal and a Nestea mango/pineapple drink and a banana which I had bought at a grocery store last night. While sorting my things for packing I put my cell phone on charge. I went out to the grocery store across the street for water, Fanta and 2 apples for the train ride (3 hours) to Bucharest. There had been quite a thunderstorm during the night and the skies were still very overcast. The lady at the cash was much more pleasant. She even helped me put my purchases in my bag and waited patiently while I got my small change out. I returned to my room, finished packing, checked out, quickly loaded my bags on my bike and headed for the train station which was about 2 kms away. While waiting for the last semaphore (traffic light) to change it started raining. I managed to get inside before it really started tipping down. There were a lot of people milling about the train station, waiting for trains, etc. Thankfully there was no line up at the ticket counters. I paid 53.20 LEI for my ticket to Bucharest departure at 12:00 noon and arriving at 14:39. I found a place to sit while waiting. At 11:30 I went up to Platform 1 and waited, along with a couple hundred other passengers, for the train to Bucharest. It was a bit of a struggle getting up the ramp next to the stairs with my bike but I managed. It was still raining lightly so every one was huddled under the canopy. The train arrived at 11:45 and there was a mad rush by everyone to get on. No baggage car. I was barely able to squeeze my bike on through the narrow door and up the 4 steps to get on the train. A young teenager, who was already on board, helped drag my bike up the steps. Not much room to manoeuvre my bike once I got inside the car. I had to remove my panniers and put the front wheel up on a seat temporarily to get it out of the way in order for the other passengers to get by. Noboby panicked!!! The train left at 12:01. A purser/conductor went by and didn't bat an eye. Same for the 2 policmen who went by. I guess if you can get it on the train and your not blocking the passage it's OK. One guy, with an oversize suitcase, was asked to tuck it in. Very nice new train and moving along at a fairly RAPID pace. I clocked it doing 138 kph with my GPS. The purser(s) came by, checked my ticket and asked for an additional 13 LEI for my bike. One collected the money while the other made out a receipt. I paid and got a receipt. There were also 230V 50Hz outlets in case you wanted to plug in your laptop or charge up your cell phone. There were several stops at various stations on the way and the train slowed down to 40-50 kph for bridges and some areas of the track that were being improved. I got my bike and bags ready to be the 1st one to get off on arrival. I managed to get my bike off OK but when I went to get back on to get my panniers I had to wait for several people to get off. A guy then handed them to me. Once I loaded my panniers back on my bike I went directly to the Information wicket to enquire about the train to Istanbul. I was told to go to International #1 wicket. I asked again and was told there was a train every day at 12:13. It cost 220 LEI for a "couchette" (6 people) or 330 LEI for a single sleeper and that there was no baggage car for bicycles. I would have to talk to the conductor about getting my bike on the train. Yikes!!! I wasn't to thrilled to hear that. I went away to think about this latest snag in my plans to get home. As I was leaving the train station I saw 2 hotels. I was just locking up my bike to go in the Andy Hotel to ask about a room when the receptionist, a 50 ish year old man, came out and asked me if I was looking for a room. I said I was and he started helping take my bike inside a sort of alleyway to secure it. I stopped him and asked him how much it was for a single room. It was 35 E with b'fast, A/C and Wi-Fi. After securing my bike I checked in. The receptionist also spoke French. It's an OK 2-3 star hotel and not far from the train station. I took my bags up to my room on the 1st floor using the elevator. It was OK. I had to go back down to get the remote for the A/C. I rinsed out my Canada jersey cause I think I'm going to be needing it tomorrow. I lay down for a nap but was to worried about getting my bike on the train to get any sleep. I checked out the Wi-Fi and was able to get a connection in my room. I typed up Day 57 of my blog before going out for a walk. It was very windy. I passed by several fast food stands but it was to windy to sit out and eat and also to much traffic. I went into the train station mall and found a KFC and had dinner there. It was very busy. I went back to the International wicket and bought a 1st class ticket for Istanbul. New lady at the wicket sounded a bit more positive about getting my bike on the train, especially since I have a private sleeper. I still have to get it past the purser/conductor though. Oh and by the way the price turned out to actually be 331.10 LEI plus 260.08 LEI. I think it must be basic fare plus private sleeper. I used my VISA to pay. I wanted to get rid of some of my LEI but she wouldn't split the bill. It had to be one or the other. I returned to the hotel and had a beer in the bar before going up to my room. I got an e-mail, with photos, from the Dutch cycling couple I met in Austria. they cycled 1,600 kms from Holland to Vienna then took the train back home. Well I'm off to bed. It's going to be one hell of a long day tomorrow. The train leaves at 12:13 (afternoon) and arrives in Istanbul the following morning at 08:55. Approximately 21 hours of travel time.

This blog was posted at the Andy Hotel in Bucharest, Romania on Thursday, July 21, 2011