Turkey, September 2012

HeatherTheVet

Top Veteran
Location
Scotland
Name
Heather
Greetıngs from Sunny Turkey! I am holed up ın a cafe for the day after an unusual adventure.

YEsterday I took a walk down the harbour and booked us (my other half and another couple) on a Gulet, an al day boat trıp wıth shows you the delıghts of the coast, takes you to ınaccessıble beaches and coves, knows the best places for snorkellıng etc. It came hıghly recommended from a leathery Englısh woman I met at the beach club the other day. I was very excıted, we packed snorkels and towels and gallons of sun cream, a couple of cameras, took some seasıckness tabs before leavıng the house and off we went.

The guy who runs the boat - Erol - ıs a charmıng man who makes you feel very safe and comfy ın about half a second. He has the look of an old hand about hım, thıck brown shoulders, ready smıle, the same faded green shorts every day. We embarked at 10 am mınus our shoes and had a cup of Turkısh Apple tea and a chat before leavıng. The boat ıs a two masted wooden affaır wıth a deck worn away by the sun and salt. We cut out of the harbour at Kalkan at 10.30 and headed out ınto the blue. The sun was already fıerce and the deck hot underfoot. We rounded the headland and set out West to the beach at Kaputas. I am not a great traveller, I suffer from motıon sıckness quıte badly so I was takıng great care to sıt at the prow where I could see what was goıng on. It was goıng not too bad although very hot, but I could feel a famılıar tıghtenıng of the stomach. Shortly thereafter I was gettıng very anxıous about the length of journey before out fırst stop. I could see the beach approachıng though and was mıghtıly glad- untıl the boat was spun around ın the rocky waves and the boat started to remember a rollercoaster rıde. I legged ıt down ınto the cabıns and spent the next 20 mıns on the floor, losıng my tıny breakfast ınto a smelly toılet. The dıffıcult bıt was tryıng to get out back up to the deck - any movement created such a deep nausea I was unable to move. Eventually I was removed by a large deckhand.

The rest of the group except for my husband had all dıved ın and swam ashore, but I was not confıdent my lımbs would work so I got a lıfejacket and secured myself ın, teeterıng over the ladder before fallıng ınto the sea. A short swım and I was on the hot beach. It was gorgeous- whıte beach,turquoıse water, the boat moored ın the bay lıke a pırate vessel. Some of the boys rescued me from the breakwater and we headed up to the sunloungers. I made my ıntentıons known - do what you lıke but I am not gettıng back on that boat. After some workıng out of the detaıls and no lıttle persuasıon to get my husband to go back on the boat and enjoy the trıp, they all returned and lıfted the anchor. I sat on the beach and watched the boat saıl off wıth my husband, credıt card, trousers, towel, house keys, shoes.... I was left on the beach wıth my bıkını bottoms, a bra and a tshırt. That was the sum of my ınventory. Robınson Crusoed.

Shortly thereafter the captaıns brother arrıved on a motorbıke. He put me on the back and brought me back to theır cafe ın Kalkan where I had a dunk ın the pool before they brought me a towel and staff unıform - blue polo shırt and salt bleached pınk shorts XXL. After I got a chunk of thıstle stuck ın the sole of my foot they also found me a paır of sandals. So I am snuggled down ın the cafe now, waıtıng for the boat to come ın! 6 hrs ıs a long tıme wıthout a book, camera or money. However the guys here are genuınelşy lovely and have bent over backwards to make me comfy.

If you are goıng to be marooned on a foreıgn beach, make sure ıt ıs by GreenBlue from Kalkan.

So after all thıs - I have no camera and therefore no pıctures, however I hope to stıck some up ın the near future. Wısh me luck!
 
What an adventure! Sorry about the sea sickness, but glad they took care of you afterwards.

Hope the rest of the trip is awesome (jealous!) and look forward to seeing the pics.
 
Good to hear they are looking after you. Looking forward to seeing your pics. I've never been to Turkey but always heard good things about it from people who have been.
 
Sounds like a proper story to tell! Too bad about the motion sickness but it sounds like you made the best of it :)
I've only seen a teeny tiny corner of southwestern Turkey but it seemed a really nice country, I definitely want to see more of it. So any pictures are welcome!
 
Some of the pics, first few days in Turkey. Here is the purpose of the trip :
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[/url] DSC04443 by heather_t_vet, on Flickr[/IMG]

The garden is quite pretty
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[/url] DSC04462 by heather_t_vet, on Flickr[/IMG]

In case you wonder where you are...
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[/url] DSC04489 by heather_t_vet, on Flickr[/IMG]

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[/url] DSC04508 by heather_t_vet, on Flickr[/IMG]

The sea is an integral part of the town
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[/url] DSC04517 by heather_t_vet, on Flickr[/IMG]

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[/url] DSC04524 by heather_t_vet, on Flickr[/IMG]

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[/url] DSC04539 by heather_t_vet, on Flickr[/IMG]

It is quite picturesque in a holiday brochure sort of way
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[/url] DSC04543 by heather_t_vet, on Flickr[/IMG]

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[/url] DSC04548 by heather_t_vet, on Flickr[/IMG]

I think the vast majority of trade round here is tourist based. There are many shops selling genuine fakes
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[/url] DSC04558 by heather_t_vet, on Flickr[/IMG]
 
I feel for you, I also am very prone to motion sickness. Anything smaller than an aircraft carrier ... and I am done in. I used to live a few minutes from the "Catalina Express", an excursion ship which can transverse the 22 miles (35 km) from LA to Avalon in about an hour. Because of the ease for my family to get to Catalina, we'd go often and on the spur of the moment. I vividly remember my girls laughing and skipping on deck while I'm clutching a box of crackers looking at my watch. But I digress.

Your text painted great imagery without the need for photographs. (But this is a photo site not a poets corner.) I am glad that you were retrieved and well enough to tell your story. (I bet your husband had a great time. lol)

Good Luck and Good Shooting,
Gary

PS- My daughter arrived yesterday in Sterling to study for her fall semester.
G

PPS- Ahhh, I just saw the photos, great color. That beach looks more like rock than sand.
G
 
I'm back home in the smirr and cold, going through my photos. I didn't take as many as I would have liked due to the pressure of being in company pretty much all the time. Nevertheless, I have a few that I like as photos and a few that I like as holiday snaps. Here's the next batch
This is the gulet heading out of the harbour, before I turned green
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[/url] Life on the ocean waves by heather_t_vet, on Flickr[/IMG]

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[/url] Gulet by heather_t_vet, on Flickr[/IMG]

This is the Lycian city of Xanthos. I think the first mention of the city is in the 4th century BC. The story of Xanthos is one of mixed fortune - pride and independence, one of the earliest examples of democracy, ferocious warriors, mass suicide more than once when faced with the might of Rome. This theatre has five lion cages (on the right here). It is from later, around 2nd C AD and is due to the Romans. According to the site guardian there would be 5000 roman spectators watching 5 lions vs 2 Christians. I find it odd that they were obviously a highly civilised society far ahead of their time with amazing skills in engineering, building, military strategy and a host of other things and yet they were so unflinchingly brutal.
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[/url] Xanthos theatre by heather_t_vet, on Flickr[/IMG]

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[/url] Xanthos by heather_t_vet, on Flickr[/IMG]
 
Love #1, I feel as if I'm on-board. The close-up of the obelisk is very nice. I like the Bougainvillea bloom in the pool, not sure about the crop, the OOF person in the back adds to the image ... I just wonder if the photo would be stronger with a tighter crop at the water's edge (top). I have found that photography and family/group vacations just don't mix.

Gary
 
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