Finish Line! Yea!!
This was the last ride day. It was supposed to be a scenic Sunday morning country ride to the Bosporus, and then a 20 km group ride along the waterway to the hotel in downtown Istanbul. However, the road was closed for construction and we had to take the main highway through an industrial part of town. We found out that Sunday is a busy work day in a Muslim country, but the shoulders were wide and drivers courteous.
The Bosporus is a strategic 20 mile long waterway that connects the Black Sea to the Mediterranean and separates Europe from Asia. Istanbul is built up on both sides of the one to two mile wide waterway. When I arrived it was quite dramatic, with bright blue sky, clear green water, and ships cruising past. We did an obligatory group photo shoot, and boarded a ferry for the 20 km boat ride to our hotel. After being in what seemed to be wilderness, the views from this waterway were stunning. We passed under two Golden Gate suspension bridges, and saw what is reported to be the most expensive water view property in the world - $5 million to $500 million homes.
All 40 of us thought this was a fitting end, but a bitter sweet moment. It was wonderful to check into a first class hotel in a world class city, and not be thinking about getting prepared for the next leg of the bike ride!
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