{"id":13030,"date":"2025-10-12T23:53:52","date_gmt":"2025-10-12T21:53:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/?p=13030"},"modified":"2025-12-29T16:06:39","modified_gmt":"2025-12-29T15:06:39","slug":"desert-horizons-2025-part-2-turkey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/en\/blog\/desert-horizons-2025-part-2-turkey\/","title":{"rendered":"Through Turkey to the South \u2013 next stage of Desert Horizons"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"13030\" class=\"elementor elementor-13030 elementor-12329\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d9ee1a3 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"d9ee1a3\" 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-c4850cd elementor-toc--minimized-on-desktop elementor-widget elementor-widget-table-of-contents\" data-id=\"c4850cd\" 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__c4850cd\" 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__c4850cd\" 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__c4850cd\" 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-891f90c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"891f90c\" 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\">We\u2019d like to welcome you to the second part of our Desert Horizons 2025 travel diary \u2014 or simply, our little road journal \u2014 this time taking you with us across Turkey.<\/p><p class=\"p2\">From smooth European highways, we dive straight into Istanbul\u2019s traffic \u2014 where the heat, the noise, and the smells are on a whole different level than anything back in Europe.<\/p><p class=\"p1\">For those of you who\u2019ve just joined us \u2014 this series is our daily travel log. No sugarcoating, no guidebook clich\u00e9s. If we stayed somewhere long enough to actually explore, you\u2019ll find separate posts with tips and photos from those places. And if you haven\u2019t seen the beginning of our route yet, start here: <a href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/en\/blog\/desert-horizons-2025-part-1-europe\/\">From Poland to Turkey (the first leg of the journey)<\/a>.   <\/p><p class=\"p1\">More information about the entire project &#8211; including a map of the route, partners, and subsequent stages &#8211; can be found at:<\/p><p class=\"p1\">\u27a1\ufe0f <a href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/en\/desert-horizons-2025\/\">Desert Horizons 2025 project website<\/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-d94125b elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"d94125b\" 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 6: September 3, 2025, Wednesday<\/h2><p>\ud83c\uddf9\ud83c\uddf7 <a href=\"https:\/\/maps.app.goo.gl\/CM57a6i2vQvx4yvG6\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Turkey, Istanbul<\/a> -&gt; \ud83c\uddf9\ud83c\uddf7 <a href=\"https:\/\/maps.app.goo.gl\/asuTBNx1J3kUXKucA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Turkey, Ankara<\/a><\/p><p class=\"p1\">In the previous part, we left off on September 1st, when we rolled into Istanbul late at night. September 2nd was all about the city \u2014 visiting a few places we\u2019d missed before, some walking, some eating. If you\u2019re planning a short trip yourself, or just have a stopover with Turkish Airlines, check out our post about what\u2019s worth seeing in Istanbul during a stopover \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/en\/asia\/travelers-guide-istanbul-stopover\/\">we covered both what we explored back in 2023 and what we managed to see this time<\/a>.<\/p><p class=\"p1\">September 3rd \u2014 time to pack up and hit the road: destination Ankara. Leaving Istanbul, of course, meant traffic again, but just like last time, motorcycles can ride along the edge or between lanes, so we flowed with the stream. We probably looked like a mobile version of IKEA, but hey \u2014 we\u2019re still on two wheels, and that saves a lot of time.<\/p><p class=\"p1\">Outside the city, the roads were great: wide, smooth, and with beautiful views. We reached Ankara with a bit more traffic and some hilly stretches, but it\u2019s nothing like Istanbul \u2014 you can feel the difference right away. At the hotel, the staff smiled and congratulated us for taking on this route with such a \u201cbeast\u201d of a bike. We grinned \u2014 our GS loves hearing that.<\/p><p class=\"p1\">An important insurance note. After crossing the Bosphorus, our comprehensive coverage ended \u2014 and with it, the GAP protection. GAP is an extra type of insurance that covers the difference between the original invoice value (or the agreed amount in the contract) and the current market value if the vehicle gets stolen or written off. In short, it fills the \u201cvalue gap\u201d as prices of new bikes go up and the insured value goes down. We had it, but only within Europe. So if you\u2019re planning a similar trip, make sure to check your policy details and territorial coverage. Honestly, we were less worried about the bike getting stolen here than in some places in Western Europe.<\/p><p class=\"p1\">In the evening \u2014 a quick reset, something to eat, and straight to bed. The next day was all about exploring! If you want to get a feel for what Ankara tastes like and what life there is like \u2014 where we ate, how safe it felt, and how we got around \u2014 check out our post <a href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/en\/asia\/ankara-travel-guide-food-and-tips\/\">\ud83c\udf03 Ankara \u2013 food, safety, and getting around<\/a>. And if you prefer something more practical, take a look at our guide <a href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/en\/asia\/what-see-in-ankara-interesting-places\/\">\u26f2\ufe0f What to see in Ankara<\/a>, where we listed the most interesting spots along with short travel tips.<\/p><ul><li>\u231a\ufe0f <strong>Travel time:<\/strong> 5 hours 26 minutes;<\/li><li>\ud83d\udee3\ufe0f <strong>Distance:<\/strong> 464 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-4064f6b elementor-widget elementor-widget-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_gallery_masonry\" data-id=\"4064f6b\" 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--1 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-015.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-6\">\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-015-1300x650.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_landscape size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_landscape\" alt=\"Motorcyclists in helmets posing at night with a motorcycle in Istanbul, Turkey\" \/>\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-26b442c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"26b442c\" 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 9: September 6, 2025, Saturday<\/h2><p>\ud83c\uddf9\ud83c\uddf7 <a href=\"https:\/\/maps.app.goo.gl\/asuTBNx1J3kUXKucA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Turkey, Ankara<\/a> -&gt; \ud83c\uddf9\ud83c\uddf7 <a href=\"https:\/\/maps.app.goo.gl\/LQ8PzWCvEn4f8mjY8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Turkey, Goreme (Cappadocia)<\/a><\/p><p class=\"p1\">After Ankara, it was time for a change of scenery. Jadzia was as excited about the hot air balloons as a kid waiting for presents \u2014 that part of the plan was non-negotiable. Right after checking out, we packed our stuff, left the city, and about three and a half hours later we were in G\u00f6reme, which we chose as our base for exploring Cappadocia.<\/p><p class=\"p1\">The ride went smoothly \u2014 good roads, smooth asphalt, and with every kilometre less city, more open space. As soon as you enter the region, you can tell it\u2019s like another planet \u2014 the rocks, the valleys\u2026 you can\u2019t help but slow down, even if you won\u2019t admit it.<\/p><p class=\"p1\">Once we got there, the first steps were pretty down to earth \u2014 drop the bags, find something to eat nearby, and check if our hot air balloon booking hadn\u2019t been cancelled. Balloons take off before sunrise, so a 4:30 AM wake-up call isn\u2019t exactly our idea of fun, haha. But the first surprise hit our wallets \u2014 Cappadocia is noticeably more expensive than the rest of Turkey. A meal that would cost around 40 lira elsewhere could easily be twice as much here. And those little \u201con the house\u201d extras you get in most Turkish restaurants \u2014 like salad or appetizers \u2014 forget it. If someone only visited this region and judged all of Turkey by it, they\u2019d get a seriously skewed picture.<\/p><p class=\"p1\">If you want to see what it was really like \u2014 the balloon flight, how much it actually costs, where we stayed, and what food we liked \u2014 we wrote all about it in a separate post \ud83c\udf88 <a href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/en\/asia\/cappadocia-hot-air-balloon-in-goreme\/\">Cappadocia \u2013 impressions, balloons, prices<\/a>.<\/p><ul><li>\u231a\ufe0f <strong>Travel time:<\/strong> 3 hours 37 minutes;<\/li><li>\ud83d\udee3\ufe0f <strong>Distance:<\/strong> 294 km;<\/li><li>\ud83c\udfcd\ufe0f <strong>Average speed:<\/strong> 99 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-fdeb9ac elementor-widget elementor-widget-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_gallery_masonry\" data-id=\"fdeb9ac\" 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--1 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-016.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-7\">\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-016-1300x650.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_landscape size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_landscape\" alt=\"Motorcyclist wearing a helmet and gloves poses with touring bikes on a road near G\u00f6reme, Turkey for 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-202acfb elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"202acfb\" 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 11: September 8, 2025, Monday<\/h2><p>\ud83c\uddf9\ud83c\uddf7 <a href=\"https:\/\/maps.app.goo.gl\/LQ8PzWCvEn4f8mjY8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Turkey, Goreme (Kapadocia)<\/a> -&gt; \ud83c\uddf9\ud83c\uddf7 <a href=\"https:\/\/maps.app.goo.gl\/Wo6xgGE3Lc8Z45KX6\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Turkey, Sanliurfa<\/a><\/p><p class=\"p1\">We left G\u00f6reme, and just a few kilometres in, it started to drizzle. Remember how we sent our rain gear back to Poland in Bulgaria? Yeah\u2026 xD Would\u2019ve come in handy today. For the first hour it was just a light drizzle, but the closer we got to the Medetsiz mountain area (heading towards Adana), the heavier it got. It poured so hard our mesh jackets turned into unwanted air conditioning.<\/p><p class=\"p1\">The temperature dropped to around 17\u201318\u00b0C, so we threw on hoodies underneath and kept pushing through. We stopped at a gas station \u2014 refuel, quick tea, checked the weather on the Garmin \u2014 and saw that rain would stick with us all through the mountain section. No point waiting \u2014 time to ride on.<\/p><p class=\"p1\">On one of the long downhill stretches, we hit a section with grooved pavement. The bike followed those lines like it was on rails \u2014 not exactly the feeling you want in the rain, especially with this much weight. We slowed down and stuck to the right side for a while, carefully avoiding the ruts. And then, just like that, the mountains were behind us and the temperature shot up to 35\u00b0C. Us? Still in wet clothes. The smell of adventure? Let\u2019s just say\u2026 intense.<\/p><p class=\"p1\">The last stretch of the route runs along the border. On the right side \u2014 fences, military posts, and beyond them, Syria. It\u2019s a strange feeling; just an ordinary road, yet it carries a different kind of weight in your mind. Maybe one day we\u2019ll have the courage to ride to Aleppo, but for now, we\u2019re just keeping an eye on the situation \u2014 land crossings from Turkey are still closed to foreigners anyway. Along the way, a few drivers honked at us, but not out of anger. These were the friendly kind \u2014 waves, thumbs up, genuine smiles.<\/p><p class=\"p1\">We arrived in \u015eanl\u0131urfa in the evening \u2014 a long day with a lot of weather packed into just a few hours. Quick shower, simple dinner from a nearby shop, and finally we could spread out in a huge hotel room. We bought another eSIM card, this time thinking ahead to Iraq, and activated our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.garmin.com\/pl-PL\/c\/outdoor-recreation\/satellite-communicators\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Garmin inReach <\/a>subscription \u2014 it\u2019s a satellite communicator that lets us send messages, share our location without cell coverage, and has an SOS button that connects directly to a 24\/7 rescue center. It gives real peace of mind, especially when the next parts of the route lead through less obvious places. The bed was amazing. We were asleep within a minute.<\/p><ul><li>\u231a\ufe0f <strong>Travel time:<\/strong> 8 hours 13 minutes;<\/li><li>\ud83d\udee3\ufe0f <strong>Distance:<\/strong> 629 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-feda0ed elementor-widget elementor-widget-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_gallery_masonry\" data-id=\"feda0ed\" 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-018-scaled.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-8\">\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-018-650x650.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_square size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_square\" alt=\"Desert Horizons Motorcycle Expedition in Sanliurfa, Turkey: red motorcycle parked at a lit street caf\u00e9 at night\" srcset=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/desert-horizons-2025-road-018-650x650.jpeg 650w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/desert-horizons-2025-road-018-148x148.jpeg 148w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/desert-horizons-2025-road-018-296x296.jpeg 296w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/desert-horizons-2025-road-018-1300x1300.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-017-scaled.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-8\">\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-017-650x650.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_square size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_square\" alt=\"Motorcycle rider waving on the road at sunset during Desert Horizons Motorcycle Expedition in Sanliurfa, Turkey\" srcset=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/desert-horizons-2025-road-017-650x650.jpeg 650w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/desert-horizons-2025-road-017-148x148.jpeg 148w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/desert-horizons-2025-road-017-296x296.jpeg 296w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/desert-horizons-2025-road-017-1300x1300.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-3cfa487 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"3cfa487\" 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 12: September 9, 2025, Tuesday<\/h2><p>\ud83c\uddf9\ud83c\uddf7 <a href=\"https:\/\/maps.app.goo.gl\/Wo6xgGE3Lc8Z45KX6\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Turkey, Sanliurfa<\/a> -&gt; \ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddf6 <a href=\"https:\/\/maps.app.goo.gl\/hkFLuw4LFknRDsuc9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Iraq, Erbil (Autonomous Region of Kurdistan)<\/a><\/p><p class=\"p1\">Alright then \u2014 we\u2019re off to Iraq! \ud83d\ude00 After a year of planning and overthinking, it\u2019s finally becoming real. The guys at the hotel entrance were clearly curious about us as we packed up the roll bags and fired up Stefan. We wanted to buy some Turkish tea as gifts, but time was running out. A lot of kilometres ahead \u2014 and this is only the end of Turkey.<\/p><p class=\"p1\">The first part of the route went smoothly, though the road surface had its moods. We kept jumping between a fresh layer of asphalt on the right (made for trucks) and an older one on the left, dodging the occasional pothole. The closer we got to the border, the more chaotic it became \u2014 classic border towns where everyone drives wherever there\u2019s space.<\/p><p class=\"p1\">Near Syria, Waze, Google Maps, and Apple Maps all gave up on us, showing messages that navigation isn\u2019t available in this region. Luckily, we had our Garmin and offline maps in mapy.cz, so we went old-school \u2014 just following the track, no fancy features.<\/p><p class=\"p1\">Once we reached the border crossing, a little show began. First, there was a passport check \u2014 or at least that\u2019s what it looked like \u2014 but no, \u201cnot here\u201d. Then a window with a passenger list \u2014 which we didn\u2019t have \u2014 so with a mix of gestures and broken English, we figured out the form and filled in what we needed. It all moved slowly.<\/p><p class=\"p1\">Then came the toll road episode: we had already paid the fee online earlier (about two zloty in total), but the officer at the last gate still wouldn\u2019t let us through. So back we went to another window, paid again (this time in cash), no arguments. The whole border setup was far from intuitive \u2014 no explanations, just guesswork. It took us about an hour, maybe a bit more, but eventually \u2014 stamp, exit, done.<\/p><p class=\"p1\">On the Kurdish side, we didn\u2019t turn on the Insta360 \u2014 no need to provoke anyone by filming at the border. We went in with our documents for passport control.<\/p><p class=\"p1\">The day before, someone online had us second-guessing things \u2014 we\u2019d read that two visas were required: one for Kurdistan and another for Federal Iraq. But we\u2019d double-checked that earlier on Iraqi travel groups and with the embassy\u2026 and it turned out just as expected: one visa does the job \u2014 a Kurdish stamp in the passport plus a printed sheet with the federal visa. Works perfectly.<\/p><p class=\"p1\">Then came the vehicle inspection: customs officers asked for the notarized authorization to use the motorcycle, checked the embassy stamps \u2014 all good. At that point, both of us would\u2019ve gladly gone straight to bed, but we still had three hours to Erbil, and night was falling. Time to push on.<\/p><p class=\"p1\">Finally, the last customs formality. Our Carnet de Passages got stamped, the license plate noted down, and a $35 fee for the temporary vehicle import attached to the document \u2014 and we were good to go. Luckily, we had a full tank, because hunting for a currency exchange at that hour was the last thing we wanted to do.<\/p><p class=\"p1\">The road to Erbil is\u2026 let\u2019s say, mixed \ud83d\ude02. Some stretches are perfect \u2014 smooth asphalt, great surface \u2014 and then suddenly you\u2019re detoured onto sand and rocks. The road crews set up a detour, but it\u2019s more of a suggestion than an actual plan.<\/p><p class=\"p1\">The ride gets rough, the bike jumps around, and inside my helmet I\u2019m having a full-on internal monologue about the meaning of life. Jadzia, meanwhile, gets a free ticket to \u201cEnergylandia\u201d \u2014 Poland\u2019s biggest amusement park, famous for its roller coasters. But hey, despite all that, the traffic is actually pretty civil. Drivers keep reasonable speeds, often honk in a friendly way, wave, and smile. We\u2019re a bit of an attraction \u2014 a motorcycle with Polish plates, midweek, after dark, on an Iraqi road.<\/p><p class=\"p1\">We reached the hotel completely exhausted. The driveway was covered with slippery tiles, and my heart nearly jumped out of my chest \ud83d\ude33 \u2014 cars parked on both sides, and it felt like I was about to slide down like on ice. Somehow managed to roll in and park without a scratch, though my hands were still shaking for a while. Inside, we paid in cash \u2014 U.S. dollars \u2014 sorted out the essentials, and crashed. Details about Erbil \u2014 the food, safety, prices, and a few surprises \u2014 will be in a separate post. <a href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/en\/asia\/erbil-two-day-guide-of-iraqi-kurdistan\/\">If you feel like it, take a look, because it&#8217;s a different world from Turkish highways.<\/a><\/p><ul><li>\u231a\ufe0f <strong>Travel time:<\/strong> 10 hours;<\/li><li>\ud83d\udee3\ufe0f <strong>Distance: <\/strong>591 km;<\/li><li>\ud83c\udfcd\ufe0f <strong>Average speed:<\/strong> 69 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-88229e0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_gallery_masonry\" data-id=\"88229e0\" 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--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-019-scaled.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-9\">\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-019-650x1300.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_portrait size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_portrait\" alt=\"Motorcycle cockpit with Garmin navigation and route map on the Desert Horizons Motorcycle Expedition, Turkey road to Iraq\" \/>\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-020.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-020-1300x650.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_landscape size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_landscape\" alt=\"Desert Horizons Motorcycle Expedition: two riders in helmets holding a green bottle at the Turkey road to Iraq stop\" \/>\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-021-scaled.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-021-650x650.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_square size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_square\" alt=\"Motorcycle navigation screen showing \u201cNavigation isn\u2019t available in your region\u201d on the Turkey road to Iraq route\" srcset=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/desert-horizons-2025-road-021-650x650.jpeg 650w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/desert-horizons-2025-road-021-148x148.jpeg 148w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/desert-horizons-2025-road-021-296x296.jpeg 296w, https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/desert-horizons-2025-road-021-1300x1300.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--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-023-scaled.jpeg\" data-type=\"image\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery-9\">\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-023-650x1300.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_portrait size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_portrait\" alt=\"Motorcycle parked in Iraq Kurdistan Border garage during Desert Horizons Motorcycle Expedition, with a vehicle ahead\" \/>\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-022.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-022-1300x650.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_landscape size-qi_addons_for_elementor_image_size_landscape\" alt=\"Desert Horizons Motorcycle Expedition at the Turkey Border customs checkpoint, with motorcycle dashboard and entry barriers\" \/>\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-7295bad elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"7295bad\" 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>What next?<\/h2><p class=\"p1\">Still curious about our Desert Horizons expedition? We&#8217;re going deeper: the roads and wilderness of Iraq, Baghdad, and all the \u201cis this really a good idea?\u201d moments along the way. <a href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/en\/blog\/desert-horizons-2025-part-3-iraq\/\">If you feel like getting back in the saddle with us, hop on, cowboy, and join us for the next installment<\/a>.<\/p><p class=\"p1\">Want to see where the money actually went on this whole ride? <a href=\"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/en\/blog\/trip-cost-desert-horizons-2025-finances\/\">We put everything into one finance summary<\/a> \u2014 simple numbers, no flex \ud83d\udcb8<\/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":"The next stage of our Desert Horizons journey: through Turkey, from Ankara to \u015eanl\u0131urfa via the stunning landscapes of Cappadocia.","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":12385,"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":[9],"tags":[156,125],"class_list":{"0":"post-13030","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-blog","8":"tag-podroze-motocyklowe","9":"tag-turcja","10":"cs-entry"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13030","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=13030"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13030\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15667,"href":"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13030\/revisions\/15667"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12385"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13030"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13030"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/warsawtravelers.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13030"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}