Since I was already heading toward Washington, D.C., I figured I’d include New York in this piece as well.
For someone cycling around the world, New York City is truly a bustling and crowded place. One undeniable fact is that, given its size and density, the city is remarkably organized and systematic. That’s why New York, especially the Manhattan area, fascinates city lovers. The only downside is that it’s an incredibly expensive city. Residents pay separate taxes for New York State and New York City, and if you live in Manhattan, you pay even more.
During my three-month stay in this city, I walked nearly 20,000 steps every day. The numbered streets make exploring more enjoyable, in my opinion. I stayed at Sine and Burak’s house in Brooklyn, at Zeynep and Özgür’s place in New Jersey, just across from Manhattan, and at the Turkish Consulate, also known as the Turkish House, on Manhattan Island.
Trying to implement New York’s urban system in Turkey would be impossible. Even if you demolished all the buildings and started from scratch, it wouldn’t work because of the irregularly drawn land parcels. Cities like Istanbul, Ankara, or any other large Turkish city could never achieve this level of organization. If I were in charge of Turkey, I would build a livable, model city from the ground up in the middle of Anatolia, in an area with minimal earthquake risk. I would definitely do this. It would be a major investment, but I’d make it happen. Honestly, it would be a far more effective investment than the Canal Istanbul project. However, since the Canal Istanbul project is more about channeling Qatari resources into Turkey and promises a quicker return on investment than my proposed project, it would still be prioritized. Hehe. But I’m certain that a future leader of Turkey will undertake something similar to what I’m suggesting.
During my time in New York, I visited four different healthcare facilities, all private. Thanks to my Anadolu Sigorta travel health insurance, all payments I made with my credit card were reimbursed within two days. I had no wait time for a blood test, waited exactly five hours for an MRI and EKG but managed to get both done on the same day, and had no wait time for an eye pressure test and examination. The results were ready within 24 hours. Since I wasn’t registered in the U.S. system, I wasn’t part of any local insurance network, meaning I had to apply to hospitals as an uninsured patient. In such cases, the hospital charges two units for services, whereas if you have insurance, you might pay a nominal fee or nothing at all, but the hospital bills the insurance company seven or more units. This system causes massive financial losses for insurance companies and, indirectly, the government. They can’t abandon this model, nor can they change it.
Another oddity: Even for a simple blood test, they require a doctor to send an order to the testing center. The paperwork and bureaucracy are absurdly excessive. And they still use fax machines! The primary reason they rely on fax machines and paper checks for money transfers is fraud. Both methods leave loopholes for corruption, making them indispensable. For example, if you’re in the U.S. on a student visa, no company can legally transfer money to your U.S. bank account. However, if you work illegally, you can cash your paycheck outside and continue working without a permit.
Speaking of health, here’s another interesting experience. I requested a DNA analysis from Ancestry. For a $100 fee, they sent me a small tube that allows saliva to mix with a special liquid. I mailed it back, and a month later, I got my results.
Here’s what they revealed:
• On my father’s side, an ancestor from the Mongolian region embarked on a journey. He might have been a warrior, nomad, or slave. He arrived in the Abazha region of Georgia, left a child with a woman there, and continued toward Finland. The child and his family lived in the South Caucasus Abazha region for thousands of years before eventually migrating to Artvin, Arhavi.
• On my mother’s side, an ancestor—possibly a Roman or Greek warrior, nomad, or slave—traveled to Anatolia, fathered a child, and moved on. The descendants of that child lived in the same region for thousands of years before eventually moving north to Artvin, Arhavi.
At some point, the northern Caucasian family and the southern Roman-Greek family merged and lived for centuries in the mountains and along the shores. That’s why my DNA profile is 100% Anatolian and Caucasian. When you dig deeper, you see a mix of Eastern Roman and Central Asian Turkic ancestry.
Being 100% Anatolian feels like a special privilege to me.
I took this DNA test because, at 46 years old and having traveled to 70 countries, I no longer care about potential genetic research on my sample. The test also provided insights into genetic predispositions for diseases, my immune system, and more. It was a productive experience. Knowing that my ancestors lived in this land for thousands of years without significant genetic mixing is an incredible feeling.
One of my most unique experiences in New York was thanks to Serkan Abi, the chief of security at the United Nations building. Walking through the halls we’ve seen on TV for years and imagining the discussions that take place there was fascinating.
• Me: “Serkan Abi, why is the UN such an ineffective institution?”
• Serkan Abi: “Gürkan, this is just a concrete building with no real power. The people sitting in these chairs are representatives of the nations that allow this institution to exist. If nothing is being accomplished, it’s because of those same leaders and diplomats. The UN has no real enforcement power.”
Hearing this from an insider confirmed what I had suspected all along. If I had the chance to speak from the UN podium, I wouldn’t give a generic speech about world peace, justice, and equality. I’d call out which countries exploit others and shamelessly benefit from their imperialist legacies. Let me say it again:
“There is not a single country in the world where justice and law function in a truly fair and equal manner. Anyone who claims otherwise is lying.”
By the way, the replica of Göbekli Tepe stones in the UN garden was a nice touch.
The most interesting thing I saw inside the building was a replica of the world’s first passport—the Gerege.
• In Mongolian, “Gerege” means permission or authorization document.
• It was issued in the Mongol Empire for official travel and trade, granting safe passage within imperial borders.
• Research suggests it was used between 1200-1250 and is considered the world’s first passport.
• Made of gold and silver.
If we still used this passport today, I could fund my world tour by selling off small pieces of it!
A fun linguistic note: The Turkish word “gereken” (meaning “necessary” or “required”) might have Mongolian roots. Given our shared history, customs, and language influences, this seems like a plausible connection.
Now, my favorite topic—bike lanes.
I cycled the entire loop around Manhattan. Although some sections, especially along the waterfront, are unfinished, you can complete about 80% of the circuit on bike paths. There are dedicated bike lanes on all four bridges connected to the island, and you can take your bike on ferries for free.
For intercity travel, some bus companies have special luggage compartments for bikes at no extra cost. For example, a Washington, D.C. – New York bus ticket is $29, and bikes are allowed for free. However, Amtrak charges $120 for a train ticket plus $20 for the bike.
Now, I’m returning to my tour. I’ll take a train from New York to Chicago and bring my bike with me. I’ll spend a night on the train, and this ticket costs $79. The distance is 1,200 kilometers. There is a real inconsistency in train ticket prices in this country. From Chicago to Sacramento, I’ll take a sleeper train, and that ticket costs $1,100. A train from Portugal to Singapore is also around $1,200. At this point, you can really see how expensive train tickets are.
If I had flown from New York, I would have had to box my bike, check in two separate pieces of luggage, and pay an extra fee because one of them is considered oversized special equipment. In total, the flight would have cost around $800–900. I would have arrived in 6–7 hours, unpacked my bike, reassembled it, and continued my journey.
If you have the time and the means, train travel is always more enjoyable. Moreover, this train has a panoramic car that is entirely covered with glass, allowing you to enjoy the scenery.
I want to thank NapierPark, a financial firm on Wall Street, for helping me purchase the train ticket (I gave a presentation to their employees), and also Bergen Marble + Granite, a leading marble company based in New Jersey (I’ll give a presentation to their employees after I return from Alaska).
If you noticed, I mentioned Sacramento. My starting point on the West Coast can be anywhere I’ve previously cycled through. Since my U.S. visa is running out soon and I won’t have time to visit San Francisco, Sacramento makes the most sense as a starting point. From there, I’ll be cycling through a vast flatland for at least three days, covering more than 100 kilometers per day. By the time I start pedaling, I’ll have only 15 days left on my visa, and I’ll have 1,500 kilometers to cover with 13,000 meters of climbing ahead of me. Since Sacramento is already a part of my world tour route, it makes sense to restart from there and continue.
Cycling in New York City
New York City hasn’t been dealing with bike lanes for very long. The development process has been around 15 years. In 2012, Casey Neistat made a video about NYC’s bike lanes, which has been watched by 30 million people. If you search for “Bike Lanes by Casey Neistat,” you’ll find it. A couple of cyclists in Turkey have made similar videos about major cities there.
The result? In the 13 years since that video, New York’s bike infrastructure has improved significantly.
Most drivers are careful here. If you hit a cyclist, your insurance company will have to pay a huge sum. If they refuse to pay, you could lose all your savings—this is no joke. When there are strict rules and penalties, people start to pay attention.
What about Turkey in the same period? A few cities have built some bike paths, but they’re nowhere near the level of these other countries. People always mention Konya, but living in a city with bikes and having a real cycling culture are two different things. I’ve talked about this in my live streams.
In my travels, I’ve cycled in 70 countries and observed the cycling lifestyle in 31 of them. Soon, with Canada, that number will be 32. Out of those 31 countries, only 13 have a true cycling culture.
When we talk about cycling culture, we mean:
• At least 15 cycling-related laws
• Strict penalties and enforcement
In 70 countries, only 13 have this.
And in the last 15 years, only one country has successfully built this culture from scratch. The rest have been developing it for 70–80 years.
Bike Infrastructure in Turkey
Let me be clear: 80% of the bike paths built in Turkey are poorly designed. Engineers, architects, municipalities, the Ministry of Transport, cyclists, and public works departments don’t know how to build proper cycling infrastructure or how to encourage cycling. I’ve spoken with officials, and believe me, they genuinely don’t know.
I told the Mayor of Ankara, Mansur Yavaş:
• “Give me 4 days. I’ll start construction and make Ankara visibly more bike-friendly.”
• “Give me 1 month. Without taking money from the public, the municipality and government will start making money from bike lanes in Ankara.”
• “Give me 1 year, and I’ll change the quality of life in Ankara.”
I promise.
I told this to the Ministry of Environment and the Mayor. What happened?
They smiled.
(Let’s be clear: This would be consulting work, with a proper fee and invoices. I won’t just share my 15 years of experience for free in live streams or blog posts.)
As I wrote in my children’s book:
“People who achieve their dreams change the future.”
I haven’t given up. One day, I will make Ankara a cycling city. I will ride those roads myself before I’m gone. People can laugh and say it’s impossible, but I will make it happen.
Cycling Infrastructure in Other Countries
Both the East Coast and West Coast of the U.S. have continuous bike routes. On the East Coast, it’s called the Green Way, stretching from Canada to Miami.
Some might think this is a separate bike path away from traffic, but most of it is shared with cars. I followed this Green Way when cycling from New York to Washington, D.C.
On that route, I saw two bridges salted for ice—despite it being -5°C and despite no one but me using those paths all day.
On the 450-kilometer bike route from New York to Washington, D.C., I saw something in a small village that I hadn’t seen in 31 other cycling countries. I immediately took a photo and archived it.
Why? Because they adapted the bike lane to local needs.
Meanwhile, Türkiye just copies European bike lanes.
Philadelphia also has excellent cycling infrastructure. While riding there, I noticed a group following me but not passing. So I pulled over to let them pass.
One of them, Tom, stopped and said:
• “You look like you’ve come from far away.”
• “Yes, I have.”
• “We didn’t want to pass you.”
It felt like a moment of respect. Tom was on an electric bike, and he was surprised at how fast I was riding with all my gear.
Before leaving the city, he told me about a bike expo and said:
“Everyone will love the setup on your bike. This is the best touring bike setup I’ve ever seen.”
Well, I’ve spent 15 years perfecting it. Right now, there is no better touring bike setup in my opinion.
Bike Path Lengths in Major Cities (2025 Data)
Here’s a comparison of cycling networks in cities I’ve personally ridden in:
• Washington, D.C. – Population: 700,000, Bike lanes: 260 km
• New York City – Population: 8.5 million, Bike lanes: 650 km
• Denver – Population: 750,000, Bike lanes: 600 km (my favorite U.S. city)
• Bogotá – Population: 8.5 million, Bike lanes: 850 km (largest in the world & well-used)
• Amsterdam – Population: 1 million, Bike lanes: 500 km
• Beijing – Population: 19 million, Bike lanes: 750 km
Now, Ankara (Turkey):
• Population: 6 million, Bike lanes: 3.7 km
To all past and present Ankara officials: Shame on you.
Istanbul’s population is 16,000,000, and according to the municipality’s website, the city’s bicycle network is 227 kilometers. Friends who cycle in Istanbul, could you write what percentage of these roads actually connect to metro stations, workplaces, homes, and schools? Paths inside parks and bike lanes built along the coasts are not for transportation purposes. I’d appreciate it if you exclude them from your evaluation. I am not from Istanbul and have only cycled there a few times.
Konya’s population is 2,300,000, and according to the municipality’s website, the bicycle network is 447 kilometers. The same applies to Konya as well. I haven’t lived or cycled there either, so I’d appreciate insights from those who have.
However, I was born and raised in Ankara, actively cycled there, and even cycled when I came to get my U.S. visa in 2023. I personally measured and recorded 3.7 kilometers at two different points. The data for Istanbul and Konya are taken from the internet. You can see the gap between real-life observations and online data. This is another example of the difference between information gathered from the field and what’s available on the internet.
On my way to Washington, D.C., I got sick—really sick. After leaving Zeynep and Özgür’s place, I stayed at Mert’s house, who has been following my journey for years. I’m so glad I did. The moment I got off my bike and stepped into his house, I was done. You don’t feel it while riding, but the next day, I couldn’t even move—I was that sick. Even though Mert told me to stay and rest, I decided to keep going. I’m so grateful that you were there at that moment, Mert. I tried my best to chat, but unfortunately, you hosted me at my worst. Thank you so much.
I set off again, thinking I could push through, but I barely managed 40 kilometers before stopping. That stop was Princeton. A New Zealander named Noah was going to host me, but I had to kill time in town until 5:00 PM. Princeton is famous for its university, of course, but I was in no state to explore. However, the next day, when I felt better, I visited the campus.
Shoutout to the owner and staff of EFES restaurant in town. When they found out where I was coming from and what I was doing, they didn’t charge me for my soup. They also gave me some dessert for the road, which I gave to Noah as a gift—he was so happy. We had great conversations about Trump’s administration and New Zealand. Thank you, Noah.
The next day, Royer and Suzanne hosted me at their home, which is right at the entrance of Philadelphia. That day, I covered 85 kilometers, but my cough had worsened. They were kind enough to give me a room to rest. Before entering their home, I stopped a block away, turned off my GPS tracker and bike computer, and logged the stop. I didn’t want to deal with anything else—I just needed to rest.
They’ve both lived in the city for years and used to be chefs at a restaurant before retiring. Suzanne was really worried about my coughing throughout the night. The next morning, she said, “Gürkan, you probably didn’t sleep at all last night. If you want, stay here and rest. Don’t leave until you’re fully recovered.” She made me a great breakfast and a warm drink to soothe my throat. They were incredibly kind.
I got to hear Royer’s story about his bike trip to Alaska firsthand—what an adventure! He did it in his 60s, back when there were no smartphones or digital cameras. I laughed and told him I had biked from Turkey to Japan at 30 years old. We all had a good laugh about it.
Then, I got a message on my phone:
“Gürkan, hello! This is Tolga Çetinkaya. Last night, I went to the last location your GPS signal showed. I was calling out for you in the street at 2:00 AM, but I couldn’t find you. I hope you found a safe place to sleep. You’re really close to our home—please, come stay with us. Here’s my number.”
Tolga really did what he said—he went out looking for me in the middle of the night. I initially wanted to just continue my journey, but when he told me he had been following my travels since Africa and had messaged me as soon as I entered the country, I decided to go. I met his wife, Zeynep, and their son, Alp. I ended up staying at their home for ten days.
For the first three days, I barely left my room. Since I had malaria in Africa, I had been avoiding antibiotics, but my doctor, Sine, saw that my cough wasn’t improving and insisted we start treatment. Honestly, I’m not exaggerating—I coughed for almost a month.
Tolga and Zeynep are incredible people. They kept telling me, “Gürkan, come whenever you want. This is your home. We’d be so happy to have you.” Zeynep even wrote a beautiful piece about my stay, which you can read at [insert link]. Tolga also introduced me to Turkish businesspeople one evening, and we had some great conversations. He also showed me around the city, took me to try local food, and we even visited the famous stairs from the Rocky movie and saw the statue. I’m so grateful to both of them for being there during such a rough time.
The next day, I stayed at the home of Brad, a 65-year-old who had just started bicycle touring. I helped him with his new touring bike setup. The following day, I stayed with Bill and Linda, who started hosting cyclists after their daughter, Lea, completed a U.S. bike tour.
Bill, a retired Lockheed Martin engineer, was restoring a 1970 Mustang from scratch in his garage. His grandson was fascinated by my world tour so many questions!
The next evening, I arrived in Washington, D.C. I stayed at the home of Güliz abla and Oğuz abi, who have been following my journey for years. I had promised them years ago that I would visit, and I kept my word. That evening, while enjoying the delicious food prepared by Güliz abla, Ata abi and Feriha abla joined our conversation. We talked about everything. It was a wonderful night. The next day, Ata abi and I spent an entire day touring museums in Washington, D.C. This meant that during my world bicycle tour, I visited 70 countries and explored the history and art galleries of 67 of them. The three countries where I didn’t visit museums were Malawi, Lesotho, and Swaziland. However, in these countries, I visited wildlife rehabilitation centers, which housed animals that didn’t exist in the other countries.
By the way, museums in Washington, D.C. are free, and at least three or four days are needed to explore them properly. In fact, dedicating even more time would be even better. We spent from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM and could only visit two museums.
Turkey’s ambassador in Washington, D.C., is Sedat abi—Sedat Önal. For years, some people have found it odd that I refer to ambassadors as “abi” or “abla” (older brother/sister), but that’s just how I am. I also call diplomats my age by their first names. I don’t enjoy using “Bey” or “Hanım” (Mr. or Ms.), and if possible, I prefer that people my age don’t call me “Bey” either—just call me Gürkan. My acquaintance with Sedat abi, his wife Figen abla, and their daughter Defne goes back to my time in Jordan. While I was cycling there, Sedat abi was Turkey’s ambassador to Jordan. Thanks to the diplomatic notes he issued for me, I was able to enter Israel with ease, and even today, he remains the person who wrote the diplomatic note that allowed me to travel through Saudi Arabia—something that is still not permitted for people like me.
At this point, let me share an observation I once mentioned to the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior and clarify the visa issue as well.
“If the state supported you, you wouldn’t have to struggle with visas, or they would issue you a special passport.”
I usually don’t respond to these kinds of comments or just brush them off. The ministry’s logo has been on my website for 13 years—there’s nothing more to say.
Here’s what I told the undersecretary:
Our diplomats stay abroad for 3–4 years and build a network, but before a new diplomat arrives, the current one is recalled to the headquarters. When the newly appointed diplomat starts working, they lose the entire network and relationships that the previous diplomat built over 3–4 years and have to start from scratch. The outgoing diplomat should wait for at least 10 days to introduce their replacement to their network. This includes ambassadors and diplomats from other countries as well.
If the newly appointed diplomat hasn’t built any friendships or connections with anyone at the Canadian embassy, for example, a diplomatic note—a simple A4 paper—will be treated according to standard procedures. If you don’t have a residence or work permit in the country you’re applying from, you can’t get a visa for Canada, Schengen, the U.S., Australia, and many other places. You have to return to your home country to apply—that’s the rule.
A diplomatic letter breaks that rule 99% of the time. But it’s not just an A4 document you can walk into a consulate and get. When the Turkish state issues such a letter, it essentially says, “We stand by this person; we vouch for them.” I don’t think people fully grasp how valuable that A4 paper is. You can’t just walk into the ministry and say, “But I pay taxes!” and expect to get one. It took me 4–5 months to obtain it, and the process wasn’t easy. I had already written about this before.
Going back to my earlier point—our military attachés already follow this transition process. Before leaving their post abroad, the outgoing attaché waits for their replacement to arrive, briefs them on the work, and even organizes a farewell dinner with other military attachés. This way, the new attaché is introduced to the diplomatic network before the previous one departs. Friendship, connections, and networks are important. I hope this detail is addressed in the future.
I also had the opportunity to give a presentation at Turkish Coffee Lady, Gizem Şalcıgil’s café. Seeing my high school friend Gizem and catching up with her was wonderful. Even my former colleague Pınar attended the talk. I want to thank everyone who participated.
Elvan from Rize, a special thanks to you. On March 15, 2015, I helped you with your thesis, and thanks to you, I appeared live on Kevin’s program on FOX NEWS. Maybe after I complete the Americas, I’ll join again.
The Washington visit was a fast-paced one. Once my Canadian visa was approved, I had to head back because my U.S. visa expires on April 15. Now, I need to plan my route. Ideally, I’d like to head north along the West Coast, but I also considered other options. I checked whether I could cycle 100 km daily for 15 days. I figured I could do it, so I decided to return.
Train tickets were purchased, farewells were said, and I’m now heading back on the same train I arrived on. But this time, I’m not going to San Francisco—I’m going to Sacramento, where I’ve been before.
April 15, my visa expires—time to leave the country. First stop, Canada. Then, onward to Alaska!