{"id":12985,"date":"2025-10-11T21:34:41","date_gmt":"2025-10-11T19:34:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/?p=12985"},"modified":"2026-03-17T16:59:54","modified_gmt":"2026-03-17T15:59:54","slug":"desert-horizons-2025-part-1-europe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/en\/blog\/desert-horizons-2025-part-1-europe\/","title":{"rendered":"The First Days of Desert Horizons \u2013 From Poland to Turkey"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"12985\" class=\"elementor elementor-12985 elementor-12327\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2b8d7cc e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"2b8d7cc\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-33ca889 elementor-toc--minimized-on-desktop elementor-widget elementor-widget-table-of-contents\" data-id=\"33ca889\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;exclude_headings_by_selector&quot;:[],&quot;no_headings_message&quot;:&quot;No headings were found on this page.&quot;,&quot;minimized_on&quot;:&quot;desktop&quot;,&quot;headings_by_tags&quot;:[&quot;h2&quot;,&quot;h3&quot;,&quot;h4&quot;,&quot;h5&quot;,&quot;h6&quot;],&quot;marker_view&quot;:&quot;numbers&quot;,&quot;minimize_box&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;hierarchical_view&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;min_height&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]},&quot;min_height_tablet&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]},&quot;min_height_mobile&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]}}\" data-widget_type=\"table-of-contents.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__header-title\">\n\t\t\t\tTable of contents\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__toggle-button elementor-toc__toggle-button--expand\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-controls=\"elementor-toc__33ca889\" aria-expanded=\"true\" aria-label=\"Open table of contents\"><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-chevron-down\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M207.029 381.476L12.686 187.132c-9.373-9.373-9.373-24.569 0-33.941l22.667-22.667c9.357-9.357 24.522-9.375 33.901-.04L224 284.505l154.745-154.021c9.379-9.335 24.544-9.317 33.901.04l22.667 22.667c9.373 9.373 9.373 24.569 0 33.941L240.971 381.476c-9.373 9.372-24.569 9.372-33.942 0z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__toggle-button elementor-toc__toggle-button--collapse\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-controls=\"elementor-toc__33ca889\" aria-expanded=\"true\" aria-label=\"Close table of contents\"><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-chevron-up\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M240.971 130.524l194.343 194.343c9.373 9.373 9.373 24.569 0 33.941l-22.667 22.667c-9.357 9.357-24.522 9.375-33.901.04L224 227.495 69.255 381.516c-9.379 9.335-24.544 9.317-33.901-.04l-22.667-22.667c-9.373-9.373-9.373-24.569 0-33.941L207.03 130.525c9.372-9.373 24.568-9.373 33.941-.001z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-toc__33ca889\" class=\"elementor-toc__body\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__spinner-container\">\n\t\t\t\t<svg class=\"elementor-toc__spinner eicon-animation-spin e-font-icon-svg e-eicon-loading\" aria-hidden=\"true\" viewBox=\"0 0 1000 1000\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M500 975V858C696 858 858 696 858 500S696 142 500 142 142 304 142 500H25C25 237 238 25 500 25S975 237 975 500 763 975 500 975Z\"><\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b1df964 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"b1df964\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Hey there, fellow traveler!<\/h2><p class=\"p1\">It\u2019s been a few days since we returned to Poland, so we can finally sit down and write about everything that happened along the way. Desert Horizons 2025 kicked off exactly as we planned \u2014 from Poland, heading towards the Middle East.<\/p><p class=\"p1\">It was a long and sometimes exhausting start \u2014 but looking back, it was exactly how it was meant to be.<\/p><p class=\"p1\">This journal isn\u2019t a guidebook or a list of must-see places. It\u2019s simply a record of the road \u2014 the fatigue, the stress, the laughter, and those moments when you start wondering why on earth you\u2019re doing this in the first place.  <\/p><p class=\"p1\">And if we happened to stay somewhere a bit longer \u2014 long enough to see more than just the parking lot where we dropped our helmets or the mattress we collapsed on at the end of the day \u2014 we\u2019ve written about those places separately, in dedicated posts.<\/p><p class=\"p1\">\u27a1\ufe0f <a href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/en\/desert-horizons-2025\/\">Discover more about the Desert Horizons 2025 project<\/a><\/p><p class=\"p1\">\u27a1\ufe0f <a href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/en\/blog\/desert-horizons-from-poland-to-oman\/\">Check out our post about the beginning of the trip<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-bb9a78a elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"bb9a78a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Day 1: August 28, 2025, Friday<\/h2><p>\ud83c\uddf5\ud83c\uddf1 Poland, Warsaw -&gt; \ud83c\uddf8\ud83c\uddf0 Slovakia, Malacky<\/p><p class=\"p1\">Packing was supposed to start \u201ccalmly and ahead of time,\u201d but\u2026 well, it went the usual way. We officially got things rolling on Wednesday, August 26, but it wasn\u2019t until Friday that we realized the scale of it all \u2014 everything loaded onto the bike, and wow, that thing was heavy.<\/p><p class=\"p1\">The day before \u2014 Thursday \u2014 the Quad Lock wireless charger for the phone decided to die (of course, the day before departure and a month after the warranty ended). So, naturally, a last-minute dash to RRmoto was in order to grab a new one.<\/p><p class=\"p1\">Friday \u2014 the departure day \u2014 we made the mistake of mixing it with remote work. Big mistake. That day should\u2019ve been all about packing and getting things ready, not \u201cjust sending two more emails\u201d.<\/p><p class=\"p1\">Then came a quick run to the mall to exchange some dollars for Iraq, since we had no idea what to expect from currency exchanges over there. Hauling all the gear down to the parking lot, first test fitting, and\u2026 the tank bag instantly earned the title of \u201cchief troublemaker\u201d. The phone didn\u2019t sit right, the dashboard was barely visible, and time was running out.Departure delayed by about thirty minutes (we were aiming for 4:30 PM). Oh well \u2014 we\u2019ll fix it \u201clater\u201d (yeah, sure xD). Gear up, let\u2019s roll! \ud83c\udfcd\ufe0f<\/p><p class=\"p1\">Poland went smoothly, but once we crossed into the Czech Republic, night fell \u2014 and so did the rain. No views, just raindrops on the visor. We dragged ourselves to a hotel near Bratislava around 2:00 AM, completely done for the day. Tired to the point of &#8220;please don\u2019t talk to me&#8221;, and still a few trips between the bike and the room, because we weren\u2019t ready to leave any of our gear outside. Luckily, we managed to park right by the entrance. Sleep. Definitely not our day.<\/p><ul><li>\u231a\ufe0f <strong>Travel time:<\/strong> 8 hours 18 minutes;<\/li><li>\ud83d\udee3\ufe0f <strong>Distance<\/strong>: 652 km;<\/li><li>\ud83c\udfcd\ufe0f <strong>Average speed:<\/strong> 98 km\/h<\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7a0cfe3 elementor-widget elementor-widget-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_gallery_masonry\" data-id=\"7a0cfe3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"qi_addons_for_elementor_image_gallery_masonry.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qodef-shortcode qodef-m qodef-qi-image-gallery-masonry qodef-qi-fslightbox-popup qodef-popup-gallery qodef-image--hover-zoom qodef-qi-grid qodef-layout--qi-masonry qodef-items--fixed qodef-col-num--2 qodef-responsive--predefined\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-grid-inner\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"qodef-qi-grid-masonry-sizer\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--square\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/desert-horizons-2025-road-002.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-6\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"650\" height=\"650\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/desert-horizons-2025-road-002-650x650.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_square size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_square\" alt=\"Desert Horizons Motorcycle Expedition road scene at sunset with two touring motorcycles riding on the highway\" srcset=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/desert-horizons-2025-road-002-650x650.jpeg 650w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/desert-horizons-2025-road-002-148x148.jpeg 148w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/desert-horizons-2025-road-002-296x296.jpeg 296w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/desert-horizons-2025-road-002-1300x1300.jpeg 1300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--square\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/desert-horizons-2025-road-001-scaled.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-6\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"650\" height=\"650\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/desert-horizons-2025-road-001-650x650.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_square size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_square\" alt=\"Desert Horizons Motorcycle Expedition Road: adventure motorcycle with luggage and a rider at a night roadside stop.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/desert-horizons-2025-road-001-650x650.jpeg 650w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/desert-horizons-2025-road-001-148x148.jpeg 148w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/desert-horizons-2025-road-001-296x296.jpeg 296w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/desert-horizons-2025-road-001-1300x1300.jpeg 1300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f942f09 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"f942f09\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Day 2: August 29, 2025, Saturday<\/h2><p>\ud83c\uddf8\ud83c\uddf0 S\u0142owacja, Malacky -&gt; \ud83c\uddf7\ud83c\uddf8 Serbia, Belgrad<\/p><p class=\"p1\">Wake-up call around 9:30. We felt like absolute wrecks XD. Breakfast was more of a \u201cjust so we can ride\u201d kind of thing, followed by a quick (and failed) attempt to tame the tank bag and the phone mount. Oh well \u2014 it stays as it is. Next stop: Hungary.<\/p><p class=\"p1\">We just passed through the capital this time \u2014 we\u2019d been there before. But if you haven\u2019t yet, it\u2019s definitely worth stopping for a bit to see the city. You\u2019ll find a separate post on our blog about <a href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/en\/europe\/hungary-places-to-visit-while-in-budapest\/\">what\u2019s worth visiting there and where to catch the real vibe of Hungary\u2019s capital<\/a>.<\/p><p class=\"p1\">Of course, after some time on the road, our inseparable friend showed up \u2014 rain. Because obviously, we couldn\u2019t have nice weather, right? The European stretch turned into one big shower. It was warm, so putting on rain gear was pure torture. You have to stop, dig it out from the pannier, squeeze into it\u2026 a nightmare. Jadzia at least had some decent rain covers for her boots, but me? I\u2019d left mine back in Warsaw thinking, \u201cwhat could possibly go wrong?\u201d Yeah, right. Enter: garbage bags. And guess what? Perfect solution. Looks funny \u2014 but it works.<\/p><p class=\"p1\">After Budapest, the rain got so heavy that, with all our weight, I didn\u2019t want to risk aquaplaning \u2014 that moment when your tire literally floats on water and loses contact with the asphalt. Steering control? Gone. So, we pulled over at a gas station for some tea and a hot dog, but the rain just wouldn\u2019t stop. Oh well, at least we warmed up a bit. A new garbage bag for my boots (the previous one decided to give up) and back on the road.<\/p><p class=\"p1\">The rain gloves did their job, though there was zero joy in wearing them. It finally stopped pouring somewhere near the Serbian border. Got a few \u201cjust came back from a Russian bazaar\u201d looks on the way \u2014 whatever, we call it functional fashion.<\/p><p class=\"p1\">The Hungarian\u2013Serbian border crossing went smoothly. Once we entered Serbia, we switched off roaming \u2014 out-of-EU rates can really hurt. As for Belgrade, it\u2019s not the cleanest city in the world, but let\u2019s not exaggerate. We found our hotel, unloaded the bike, and were greeted by a charming little detail: a kettle that someone had clearly used to cook pudding in. Yes, pudding. In a kettle. Absolutely disgusting. We ended the day the classic way \u2014 ordering McDonald\u2019s delivery. We didn\u2019t even have the energy to leave the room, haha.<\/p><ul><li>\u231a\ufe0f <strong>Travel time:<\/strong> 7 hours 15 minutes;<\/li><li>\ud83d\udee3\ufe0f <strong>Distance:<\/strong> 587 km;<\/li><li>\ud83c\udfcd\ufe0f <strong>Average speed:<\/strong> 101 km\/h<\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6cf4ac9 elementor-widget elementor-widget-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_gallery_masonry\" data-id=\"6cf4ac9\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"qi_addons_for_elementor_image_gallery_masonry.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qodef-shortcode qodef-m qodef-qi-image-gallery-masonry qodef-qi-fslightbox-popup qodef-popup-gallery qodef-image--hover-zoom qodef-qi-grid qodef-layout--qi-masonry qodef-items--fixed qodef-col-num--2 qodef-responsive--predefined\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-grid-inner\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"qodef-qi-grid-masonry-sizer\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--square\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/desert-horizons-2025-road-003-scaled.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-7\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"650\" height=\"650\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/desert-horizons-2025-road-003-650x650.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_square size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_square\" alt=\"Desert Horizons Motorcycle Expedition Road, city buildings with a domed tower and parking lot under a blue sky\" srcset=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/desert-horizons-2025-road-003-650x650.jpeg 650w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/desert-horizons-2025-road-003-148x148.jpeg 148w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/desert-horizons-2025-road-003-296x296.jpeg 296w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/desert-horizons-2025-road-003-1300x1300.jpeg 1300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--square\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/desert-horizons-2025-road-004.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-7\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"650\" height=\"650\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/desert-horizons-2025-road-004-650x650.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_square size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_square\" alt=\"Desert Horizons Motorcycle Expedition road: two motorcyclists in helmets with SHOEI headsets on a roadside parking area\" srcset=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/desert-horizons-2025-road-004-650x650.jpeg 650w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/desert-horizons-2025-road-004-148x148.jpeg 148w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/desert-horizons-2025-road-004-296x296.jpeg 296w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/desert-horizons-2025-road-004-1300x1300.jpeg 1300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5bf723d elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"5bf723d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Day 3: August 30, 2025, Sunday<\/h2><p>\ud83c\uddf7\ud83c\uddf8 Serbia, Belgrad -&gt; \ud83c\udde7\ud83c\uddec Bulgaria, Sofia<\/p><p class=\"p1\">Good morning \u2014 time to get up, the bike is calling \ud83d\ude04 The bed was hard, but today\u2019s ride would be shorter. This European stretch was basically a straight shot, no breaks \u2014 if we were planning it again, we\u2019d definitely add an extra day to take it easier (no more than five hours of riding a day). Highways get the job done, but with the weather switching every hour, you wear out fast. Although, as you\u2019ll read later, we had one stage that lasted twelve hours in the saddle \u2014 so today\u2019s seven felt like nothing, haha.   <\/p><p class=\"p1\">Around 6 AM, the hotel \u201caccidentally\u201d marked our stay as a no-show and charged us for the room again. It took two weeks to get the money back \u2014 annoying, but hey, things happen. <\/p><p class=\"p1\">The ride was smooth, the border crossing quick \u2014 just a few more cars in line this time. Our stop for the night was Sofia, where we were greeted by a pink hotel room \u2014 Jadzia instantly happier \ud83d\ude04 Packing was finally getting easier; we\u2019d stopped throwing everything in at random. More things went into the roll bags (the waterproof ones we strap to the rear panniers). We took a short walk around the hotel, had dinner at a nearby restaurant, backed up the camera cards, and made a quick Allegro purchase \u2014 two eSIM cards for Turkey, so we\u2019d have Internet right after crossing the border. A quick bathroom break, a short prayer, and off to bed.    <\/p><ul><li>\u231a\ufe0f <strong>Travel time: <\/strong>5 hours 10 minutes;<\/li><li>\ud83d\udee3\ufe0f <strong>Distance: <\/strong>399 km;<\/li><li>\ud83c\udfcd\ufe0f <strong>Average speed: <\/strong>95 km\/h<\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-53c9c7a elementor-widget elementor-widget-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_gallery_masonry\" data-id=\"53c9c7a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"qi_addons_for_elementor_image_gallery_masonry.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qodef-shortcode qodef-m qodef-qi-image-gallery-masonry qodef-qi-fslightbox-popup qodef-popup-gallery qodef-image--hover-zoom qodef-qi-grid qodef-layout--qi-masonry qodef-items--fixed qodef-col-num--3 qodef-responsive--predefined\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-grid-inner\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"qodef-qi-grid-masonry-sizer\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--landscape\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/desert-horizons-2025-road-005.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-8\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1300\" height=\"650\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/desert-horizons-2025-road-005-1300x650.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_landscape size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_landscape\" alt=\"Desert Horizons Motorcycle Expedition on the road outside a Serbia border crossing with flags and an entrance sign\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--portrait\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/desert-horizons-2025-road-006.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-8\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"650\" height=\"1300\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/desert-horizons-2025-road-006-650x1300.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_portrait size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_portrait\" alt=\"Desert Horizons Motorcycle Expedition Food: grilled kebabs with fries and tzatziki on a plate, with drinks nearby\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--landscape\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/desert-horizons-2025-road-007.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-8\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1300\" height=\"650\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/desert-horizons-2025-road-007-1300x650.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_landscape size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_landscape\" alt=\"Traffic on Road under stormy skies, with apartment buildings and mountains in the distance during Desert Horizons Motorcycle Expedition\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-440cf55 elementor-widget elementor-widget-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_gallery_masonry\" data-id=\"440cf55\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"qi_addons_for_elementor_image_gallery_masonry.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"qodef-shortcode qodef-m qodef-qi-image-gallery-masonry qodef-qi-fslightbox-popup qodef-popup-gallery qodef-image--hover-zoom qodef-qi-grid qodef-layout--qi-masonry qodef-items--fixed qodef-col-num--3 qodef-responsive--predefined\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-grid-inner\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"qodef-qi-grid-masonry-sizer\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--square\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/desert-horizons-2025-road-008.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-9\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"650\" height=\"650\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/desert-horizons-2025-road-008-650x650.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_square size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_square\" alt=\"Desert Horizons Motorcycle Expedition, Road view from a touring motorcycle at a highway gas station.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/desert-horizons-2025-road-008-650x650.jpeg 650w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/desert-horizons-2025-road-008-148x148.jpeg 148w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/desert-horizons-2025-road-008-296x296.jpeg 296w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/desert-horizons-2025-road-008-1300x1300.jpeg 1300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"qodef-e qodef-image-wrapper qodef-grid-item qodef-item--landscape\">\n\t<div class=\"qodef-e-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"qodef-popup-item\" itemprop=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/desert-horizons-2025-road-009.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-9\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1300\" height=\"650\" src=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/desert-horizons-2025-road-009-1300x650.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_landscape size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_landscape\" alt=\"Two riders wearing helmets on a motorcycle on the Road near a \u201cWelcome to T\u00fcrkiye\u201d sign\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-339e290 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"339e290\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Day 4: September 1, 2025, Monday<\/h2><p>\ud83c\udde7\ud83c\uddec Bu\u0142garia, Sofia -&gt; \ud83c\uddf9\ud83c\uddf7 Turkey, Istanbul<\/p><p class=\"p1\">New month, new energy. No one had touched the bike overnight \u2014 the hotel didn\u2019t have an underground garage, but we went with our usual strategy: parking under the security cameras. Worked perfectly, everything was safe.<\/p><p class=\"p1\">Before hitting the road, we did something smart \u2014 we sent all the unnecessary stuff back home via DPD. Switched to lighter <a href=\"https:\/\/shima.pl\/product\/koszula-motocyklowa-meska-w-krate-renegade-2-0-shima\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">mesh jackets from Shima<\/a> (same abrasion rating \u2014 AA \u2014 but way more comfortable at 40\u00b0C). Said goodbye to the tank bag \u2014 thanks for your service, but it really was killing the riding comfort. The iPad also went back home; the laptop stayed. In total, we got rid of around 12 kilograms, and it made a real difference. Looking back now \u2014 absolutely worth it.<\/p><p class=\"p1\">At the Turkish border, I even managed to squeeze in a work call (yes, right there at the crossing \ud83d\ude06). The customs check went smoothly \u2014 the officers asked for our notarized authorization to use the motorcycle, since our names weren\u2019t listed in the registration papers (only the leasing company\u2019s name was). That document came in handy. On a trip like this, it\u2019s always better to have the paperwork ready than to start explaining later.<\/p><p class=\"p1\">If you want to know how to handle the legalization of a leasing authorization, check out our travel guides. By the way \u2014 the Carnet de Passages website claims that Turkey requires a carnet, but that\u2019s not true in practice. Even the Turkish embassy confirmed it\u2019s not needed, so this time the orange booklet stayed in the pannier. The customs officers didn\u2019t even check the luggage, so after a quick photo at the border \u2014 we hit the road again!<\/p><p class=\"p1\">Istanbul was, as always, completely jammed. We rode like the locals \u2014 along the shoulder and between lanes \u2014 otherwise, we\u2019d have wasted hours in traffic. In the evening, we grabbed a quick pizza (nothing special, but hunger isn\u2019t picky) and headed back to the hotel. We stayed here until September 3rd, so we did a bit of sightseeing. Stefan \u2014 that\u2019s what we call our bike \u2014 got to rest too. He earned it.<\/p><ul><li>\u231a\ufe0f <strong>Travel time:<\/strong> 8 hours 22 minutes;<\/li><li>\ud83d\udee3\ufe0f <strong>Distance:<\/strong> 560 km;<\/li><li>\ud83c\udfcd\ufe0f <strong>Average speed: <\/strong>86 km\/h<\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-647272f elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"647272f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Turkey, here we come!<\/h2><p class=\"p1\">And that\u2019s where our European leg comes to an end. From rainy highways and pudding-cooked hotel kettles (seriously, who even thinks of making pudding in a kettle XD), we now move into a completely different world \u2014 full of sunshine, spices, and pure road chaos.<\/p><p class=\"p1\">Before things get even more wild, <a href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/en\/blog\/trip-cost-desert-horizons-2025-finances\/\">here\u2019s a link to our full Desert Horizons budget breakdown<\/a> \u2014 what we planned, what we actually spent, and where the money really went \ud83d\udcb8\ud83d\udcca<\/p><p class=\"p1\">Click on the link to read the next part. <a href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/en\/blog\/desert-horizons-2025-part-2-turkey\/\">We continue our journey towards the Turkish interior &#8211; through Ankara, Cappadocia, and \u015eanl\u0131urfa.<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Desert Horizons begins! Our adventure starts in Poland, with the first leg taking us through the Balkans to Turkey \u2013 hundreds of kilometers behind us.","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":12362,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"csco_display_header_overlay":false,"csco_singular_sidebar":"","csco_page_header_type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[166,136,148],"class_list":{"0":"post-12985","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-blog","8":"tag-motorcycle-travels","9":"tag-poland","10":"tag-turkiye","11":"cs-entry"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12985","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12985"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12985\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12362"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12985"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12985"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12985"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}