Greece cycling tour

TOUR SUMMARY

Date: July 2^nd to August 4^th 1993

Advanced difficulty

Countries: Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Turkey, Greece, Macedonia

Route: Nis, Sofia, Svilengrad, Edirne, Ipsala, Alexandroupolis, Komotini, Xanti, Kavala, Thessaloniki, Skopje, Nis

Number of days: 34

Total length: 1750 km

Average daily distance: 50 km

Number of participants: 4

This is my first big cycling expedition.
I have to present in a nutshell the political circumstances in the Balkan region at that time. We have realized this tour in the year of war in former Yugoslavia. Except Serbs, Croatians and Muslims from Bosnia, many recruits from other Muslims countries were fighting in Bosnia. There was a high tension between Orthodox Christians (Serbs) and Muslims in all Balkan region. Therefore we did not plan to go to Turkey that year. But only a few days after our start in Nis we had to change our route. We couldn't enter Greece from Bulgaria and we were forced to go to Turkey, to Pazarkule or Ipsala border pass.

We spent only three days in Turkey, but those days were so exciting that when I think about the tour I have an impression that we spent an equal time in Turkey and Greece. First, we met Turkish border police and their practical joke when they looked in our passports and told us "Serbs, Go Back!!!!" After half an hour it turned out that they were joking. In the next few days we experienced exciting sleeping in a mosquito's "nest", cycling through rice fields - home of mosquitoes, interesting company (Turkish army border patrol on Pazarkule border pass), "attractive" offer to earn some money selling our friend to a gay, etc. At last we reached Ipsala border pass and we entered Greece

In spite of a very high temperature, we really enjoyed Greece coast scenery, beaches, swimming and diving. From Alexandroupolis to Thessaloniki the road follows the shore and we could often make the stops and relax, having a pleasant bath in the Aegean sea. The very special place is a middle part of Chalkidiki peninsula, where we were cycling through a pine forest and hilly terrain. There are really beautiful sandy beaches in small bays between rocky landscape.
After Chalkidiki we went to Thessaloniki and via Skopje to Nis.