“So you know Turkey requires a visa?”

The last minute text from my mother couldn’t have come later for someone planning a two week self supported trip across Corsica and then Turkey. Visa, check. Duffel, good. GPS, all set. Rolling through the waning hours of work, I can’t help but become giddy about the next few weeks. Tomorrow at 8:15pm I’ll head to Paris to start a trip I’ve been day dreaming of for four years. The chance to cross the French island of Corsica from north to south, crossing 120 miles an 42,000ft of climbing. The allure stemmed from “No Plan B, From Cancer to Corsica” which you could watch in full here.

From the south of the island in Conca, I’ll bus back to Bastia, with a brief stop to see some mates at Ha-Noi Hostel project, in the heart of city. Then it’s onwards to Istanbul where I can finally sink my teeth into my first taste of the middle east. Since ready Levison Wood’s “Arabia” over the past month, I’ve found myself longing for experiencing the famed regions and it’s incredible history. Istanbul will serve as a proving ground by tramping along the southern coast and immersing in the unique culture.

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