6. Recovery day and Gocek Island

Phew, I woke up Monday (19 September) feeling a little on the shady side!  Today would be a yoga free day, an exercise free day, an alcohol free day and a bread free day.  The bread in Turkey is so delicious its easy to eat loads and loads of it with dips etc.  I had to do a supply shop to get some food to have at home.  Seeing as I didn’t feel like doing anything with the food I bought, and not wanting to be completely exercise free,  I took a long walk, as far as you can go along the foreshore where I had been with Steve before.  By the time I got there I was famished and decided to treat myself to a late lunch at a the fancy schmancy Sunset Bar and Restaurant, complete with white table cloths and overlooking the water...perfect!

 

Beef Fajitas, water, baked rice pudding, and a pretty decent cappuccino .... and okay, maybe some bread!  I felt wonderful afterwards and wandered back to the apartment to relax some more.  As I only had one English channel on the TV which was Al Jezeera, I was either watching DVDs (now that I had worked out the technical side of the equipment) or reading.  As an alternative to this I sourced a subscription to watch season 4 of Merlin on my laptop, no ads...heaven!!

Ferry boat to Gocek Island. 

Gocek Island was a favourite place that Sheila and Graham had told me about. They had been there three times during their two weeks in Turkey so I thought I would check it out today (Tuesday 20 Sept).  It was a dinky little ferry and as you can see by the photo, the motor didn’t start as it should have.  The other couple and I looked at each other nervously (but amused) as the driver tried to get the engine going.   After all it was only 10,000 TL (or about $5) to get to the island.  Luckily he was persistent and finally got the boat going.  It was a lovely ride out to the island that took about 30 minutes.  Sailing would have been nicer as there was a bit of breeze today and quite a few boats out and about, but still very pleasant.   

When we arrived, it was just as Sheila and Graham had described.  There was a small pebbly beach lined with sun beds and umbrellas.  They had given me the tip that the third one in from the end gets the sun all day!  There was a bar and small restaurant.  You were not meant to bring food to the island to ensure a monopoly for the resident family.  There were chickens running around, a couple of dogs and the area had been nicely paved to ensure easy way finding to the toilets and showers .  It was a quaint setting.  I spotted the old man that I had been told sat swatting flies all day, correct! There was a yacht tied up at the small jetty and a couple of motor yachts anchored off in the area.   The water again was clear with the swimming area marked off.   Not much to see snorkelling but the water was beautiful and refreshing.  

I finished a book and started reading the 4 hour work week and was getting very excited about Tim Ferris’ (the author) way of thinking.  It was a great day spent reading and swimming.  I had lunch at the restaurant, yummy cheese rolls and tzaziki, er um and more bread!  About 4pm the ferry arrived to take us back to the mainland.  I had thought that I would be ready and waiting to head back by 4pm.  There were a few ferries to get out to the island then a break and then a few ferries to get back with the last one being 6pm!  I was actually engrossed in my book and had to hurry along to catch the ferry.  How time flies when you are relaxed!!    It was  a big day, so I stopped for a glass of wine on the way home and then headed home for some dinner and another episode of Merlin!

 
While I was out at the island, I symbolically returned the stone I collected at start of this adventure in Costa Rica as part of the yoga retreat I went to.  It seemed fitting as the trip to Turkey had unleashed this restlessness in me and then here I was again, almost a year later nearing the end of my trip!

5. New Friends...

The next few days pass in a similar fashion...yoga, breakfast by my pool, swimming laps, sunbaking, crazily doing more and more at the gym as my body just feels like it needs to move.  I change to doing the gym later in the day before dinner.  After my first gym session I jumped in the shower and headed straight to Dice.  This was a mistake as I was sssooooo hot and sweaty by the time I got there, the bit about having a shower wasn’t as obvious as it should have been....eek!  I decide that in future, after being to the gym, I need to soak in my pool for a while to cool my core down...THEN have a shower and go out.  This seemed to work much better. ...rah!! 

Being a creature of habit as I seem to be, I head off to Dice Cafe each evening at least for a drink (after cooling off in the pool though).  I notice the same couple there each night, just like me.  As I was leaving this Thursday night Sheila and Graham, as I discover they are called, invited me for a drink.  As I had already had enough to drink (surprising I know... :)!)  we agreed to meet there the next night, no time....we just know we will both be there at the same time at some stage.  I love the relaxed approach in these places.

When we meet the next night I discover they are from England, not far from Manchester where my friend Jamie is from.  Sheila is a physiotherapist and Graham sells caravans, but some of these caravans are like mega vans by the sounds of things.  Sheila used to take care of the Australian Cricket team when they were away from Australia and although she didn’t really share any, Im sure she has some wild and wonderful tales to tell!!  We had a lovely time chatting and they were fun.  They told me about the trips they had done while they had been in Gocek which was interesting.  They were staying in a Villa in the hills which was great but it was a bit of a drag getting in and out of town.  It was about a 30 minute walk and as it was always at least 30+ degrees, quite a chore of it.  I was glad I had made the decision to stay in town where I could see my local from my pool....perfect, rah!

We met for drinks each night for the next few nights, they would then go off for dinner.   It was nice to have someone to chat and they were really interesting and great conversationalists.  Graham was a photographer (by hobby) and a sensitive soul that loved the fragrance of the flowers that became evident each evening as we were sitting there.  He had been to Australia and thought the changes in the colours as our day ends gave him some of the best photos he has ever taken.  Sheila was lovely and funny and great fun also so I was lucky to have met them. 

Sunday night was their last night and they invited me for dinner with them, after many drinks at Dice eek!  Monday was Graham’s birthday and despite trying to buy Graham a drink, he ended up buying me one!  A gentleman to the end!  I suggested Ayyash where I had been with Steve once before.  They have this really yummy beef stew served on a very tasty eggplant mash...yum.  We ordered a bottle of wine but I had to insist we try it before we accepted it after having a few bad experiences with wine choice on the last trip to Turkey.    We got a decent bottle and settled in for a lovely meal and some live entertainment.  After many drinks we exchanged emails and called it a night!

4. Gocek solo

After Steve left I didn’t last long out of bed, which he guessed when he texted me from the airport.  The 4 days had taken their toll and I was worn out, but happily so.  It was a very pleasant, cruisy few days.  As I awoke to Tuesday I decided it should be a rehydration day!  No lying in the sun, lots and lots of water to be drunk and moisturise, moisturise, moisturise!  I did lie in the shade though as the view from the infinity pool is spectacular.  I had fruit and yoghurt for breakfast, potato salad (home made) for lunch and then had to go out for dinner as I still had no internet connection. This is day two.  I now had some bills to pay and had not really been in touch with people since arriving here.  Of course the main reason this worries me is being able to watch the Carlton v West Coast Eagles match on Saturday night.  Oh and also to be in touch with people back home....eek love you all!   Sitting in Dice Cafe which is the closest to Safir (where I was staying), is right on the water with spectacular views, I decided to have a glass of wine.....who could blame me right...:)!!  Okay so after 3 it could be said that my plan of a wholesome day had gone a little awry but I didn’t mind in the slightest.

I also discovered today that the big night Steve and I had by the pool had not gone unnoticed.  Apparently our neighbours had rung the land lord complaining.   Not quite sure why they didn’t just come out and ask us to go inside!  Perhaps its not the Turkish way.

Gocek, Wednesday and beyond

I start to try to get into a routine.  Wednesday I start the day with meditation and yoga.  I do my first unsupported head stand but am feeling sore in my joints...left side as always, elbow, knee, neck.  In general it is a good session.  I swim some laps and notice that as I take one breath I can see the masts of yachts anchored in the harbour, as I take a breath on the other side i see the dramatic hills that are the backdrop to this town of Gocek.  Prettiest environment to do laps I been in for a long time!   I discover the fitness centre and decide after lying in the sun its a good thing to do.  I cant remember the last time I was on a xtrainer but it has to be last year!  Similarly the treadmill.  I manage to do a bit on each and feel good afterwards.  The rest of the day disappears in swimming, reading, eating, and catching up on the blog posts, although not able to put them up as I don’t have the internet, but Im over that as you can tell.

I feel quite sad that I only have 14 nights left here...a night in Istanbul then I wing my way home.

3. Steves visit - (9-12 September)

I awake Friday (9 September), excited that Steve will soon be here.  I do yoga for the first time since arriving and decide its a really good idea, as Im sensing I may not get around to or feel like doing yoga  while Steve is here.  So yoga done, last minute checks for food, beer, food and beer done!   I wait.  Right at the expected time, maybe even a bit earlier I get a txt saying..."in a taxi on my way, seem to have developed quite a thirst on the trip."  Excellent!

Its only a 20 minute trip from Dalaman airport to Gocek  through the tunnel so Steve arrives quite soon, note it is about 1.30pm.  I show him his room, he changes and the drinking commences, sitting outside on my terrace.  I made sure we had plenty of snack food as I like to eat while drinking.  There is much to catch up on and soon we are out of beer, which is the drink of the day.  The cans here are available in a 500ml version which are more economical, and of course the only reason I bought them!  We wander to the supermarket to grab some more supplies of beer and other things.  After a swim in my pool we continue on much the same as the visit started.  At some stage in the evening we ended up by the infinity pool watching the beautiful night vista and chatting more.  Surely we have solved all the worlds problems by now!  During this time the gardner is repeatedly turning on and off the sprinklers, coming over and fiddling with something near the pool.  We are taking no notice as we are busy taking the view and at some stage become fascinated by the spectacular reflection of the tree by the pool in the absolutely still water in the pool.  We attempted many photos of this but none were able to show what we could see.  There was also a vist to the shore, which is just across the path in front of the complex.  Yep the sea is warm as well as the pool!  We decided it was time to go inside. I think the beer was all gone.  Im not going to mention how many beers we had, thats a "happen in Turkey, stay in Turkey" fact!  Apparently it was 3am!  Time for a night cap.  Whisky was the choice for the night and we had several in wine glasses, as despite there being quite a lot of glasses provided, none were your normal whisky glass.  It was a fun night and we called it a night a 4.30am.  Now I am writing this after the event.  Im sure you can all gather we had no idea what time it was and had to use technology (eg times txts were sent, photos taken) to determine when we finished.

We did this research to determine the timing of events as when I started to wake up, about the same time Steve wandered into my room and said "do you realise it is 3.30pm".... Yikes, are you serious, how can it be, but all checking confirmed that he was right.  As Steve had to be up early to catch the flight it appears he had been at least 24 hours without sleep!  And I guess Id only had one day between my last 24 hours without sleep!  I still felt like I could sleep another night but of course you cant.  Tradition forces you out of bed.  I felt like we had wasted one of Steve's few days here but I guess we had it, it was just at night time, right??  We should eat I say, how about scrambled eggs...Just need to grab a couple of things from the supermarket.  A grand idea but obviously the trip to the supermarket, which was only about 100m down the road, and the heat was too much.  We flopped down in lounge and decided toast was the best option.  Another little snooze in the chair and normality was returning.  We struggled out for a decent meal and ended up at Dice Cafe.  We managed to watch a DVD, the Adjustment Bureau, and were back in bed by 11pm!  No alcohol was consumed this day.

Sunday we were up much earlier, it was morning at least! We had those scrambled eggs for breakfast that we contemplated the day before.  Im having issues with the coffee, Ive tried filter and plunger and it seems the milk coagulates in everything.  Curious.  The container I am buying looks like milk, is packaged like milk but I dont know the Turkish word for milk do I.  We give up on the coffee.  Feeling much better than the day before, Steve suggests bloody marys!  A grand idea.  He takes charge in the bar and  after breakfast we decide to go for a walk and check out the town.  Im curious as to Steve's assessment of how much the place has changed in the year that has passed.  Between us, other than a new building development that looks to have stalled, not much.  We walk as far as we can and end up at D-Marin where there is marina no 4, a beach with sunbeds (12TL during the week, 25TL at the weekend) on a pebbly beach, which they mostly are here. We spot a pub called  the Sailors Pub and decide that we need to stop there for a drink.  This place is substantially more expensive than others we have been to and probably because it seems to be part of the facilities for the Swiss-o-tel which we couldnt actually find.  It turns out it is in the middle of town, quite a way from where we were.  I guess this explains the stream of golf carts ferrying people around. We continued on with sharing beverages and chatting but we set a 1am limit on activities for this night!  No beer was consumed this day!

On Monday we decided to head out for breakfast and end up at Ozcan, mainly as things look like they are just getting going and the lady here was the first one to ask us if we would like breakfast.  See how easily led we are..:)? On the way back we wandered down to our old marina where we chartered the yacht out of the year before.  We couldnt find our boat Kardes which we had last year.  In fact we couldnt find the company that we chartered from  In fact, if they have gone out of business we are two for two as the company we chartered from in Croatia also closed down...eek The marina had changed quite a bit with big new office, new supermarket and sales office for a new development.  We stopped at the new supermarket there and had a mojito mix which turned out to be a beer with lime in it and completely undrinkable, even for us.  We had to tip it. out.   Enough activity for the day.  We headed back to the apartment and decided to spend a while by the infinity pool.  Again, Steve in charge of the bar, me in charge of food.  This time we made an attempt to drink water as well!    As the day drew to a close Steve got his things ready to leave before we headed out for dinner.  We decided to try to revisit all the places we had been in the last few days!!  A drink at Dice Cafe, then Ozcan for dinner, time for one final drink so we tried somewhere new, that was near the taxi rank.  A nice glass of wine to end the evening.  Still no beer consumed this day. 

We jumped in the taxi and Steve dropped me off and grabbed his bag.  I was sad to see him go as he is such good company and I had an awesome few days with him.  I hope he had enjoyed it also.

2. Settling into Gocek

The first day was a bit of a blur, I think due to the fact that one night’s sleep was not enough to recover from the previous 24 hours of travel.  I took in again, with amazement, how nice and how large my apartment was!  I also made a list of questions for Hurrlyet (my landlady) who lives upstairs.  Things like:  wasn’t there meant to be a coffee maker; how do I order another big tub of water with a pump on it; can I move the furniture around; where is the laundry and the gym.

After I slept in a little, got myself organised and did yoga etc I decided I needed to eat.  One of the first supermarkets I came to had a restaurant so I promptly sat down and had some lunch.  I got chatting to the owner and she suggested I have a look at their apartment that just happened to be for rent.  Like I was going to move from Safir!  But the lunch of stuffed vine leaves,  fresh fish, water and wine was delicious.  Cheekily they did take the 80 TL I put down for a 65 TL bill (about AUD $36 and a little expensive for Gocek..hmm noted!) and neglected to bring the change until I asked for it.  Sheesh!  Many apologies were given and some explanation about taxes attempted.    Out of curiousity I looked at the apartment.  It was okay but appeared to have been built in the roof so felt a little claustrophic.  It had a magnificent view from the balcony but wasn’t a patch on Safir. 

There was a chance I would feel quite melancholy in this place due to events from the trip in the previous September but I have to say there was none of that.  As I walked around town, passed the hotel we all stayed at, A&B Home Hotel (very good btw if you are ever in Gocek), all the restaurants we went to and places we shopped I just fell in love with the place all over again.  The combination of the quaint township, mountains and sea full of yachts really does something for me.  I spent the day checking out the supermarkets as I had to stock up.  I had visitors coming.  Well one anyway.  I was very excited about the fact my friend Steve, who lives in England and had been part of the trip last year, decided to come to stay for a long weekend.  His husband Adam had a big work project on and was working the weekend so couldnt make it.  He would be here Friday 9 about 2pm...yay!

Due to my haze I bought things at nearly every supermarket as I kept forgetting stuff and having to go back so I spread the shopping around mainly to save my own embarrassment!  The major shop I did, I organised to have delivered which was tricky when you don’t speak Turkish and then realise you actually also don’t know your address!  But I had forgotten that delivery is by supermarket trolley that someone pushes for you, so problem solved, off we went together. 

I also stopped into a travel agent in case Steve wanted to do some trips or day tours while he was here.   Obviously still in a haze the charming Turkish man told me that all the organised tours had finished for the season and that we would have to do a private tour.  And I believed him!  Imagine that!  Thats jetlag for you...that’s my excuse and Im sticking to it.  Anyway I was armed with the details that if we wanted to take a gullet or a car tour it would cost 300TL for the day. The other thing I had to do before Steve arrived was take the most floral, lacy, colourful sheets off his bed and change them to the set of sedate cool green ones I found in the cupboard.  Im not sure that I could even rest on sheets that loud!  The bed cover that was yellow, he would just have to live with as I couldnt find another one.  Move spare lamp from my room into his...accommodation in order!

When I was sure I had everything I needed to keep myself and Steve going for a little while, I decided I needed a bottle of wine to celebrate my productive day!  Wine can be a hit and miss affair in Turkey, but I was lucky we had identified some acceptable brands last September.  Armed with one of these I promptly put it in the freezer to chill down quickly while I made some potato salad for dinner.  Finally ready to sit and eat and with instructions for Necati (the security guard) in Turkish for how to set the TV to play DVDs, I open the wine in anticipation, pour a glass and omg its red!  I hadn’t even noticed!  Disappointed but whats a girl to do!  Drink the glass of red and fall asleep on the couch during the DVD...ah I am at home here..:)!

1. Getting to Turkey

Derren, my driver of choice in Bali, dropped me at the airport and all went quite smoothly from there.  Checked in and then wandered around the airport as I tend to do with the prospect of sitting still for the next however many hours!  Bags weighed in 1kg heavier but still less than the 20kg limit at 19.3kg.  I was flying with Qatar which I had done before so expected it would be pretty smooth.  I had however, forgotten how long the flight is and this route had an added stop  over in Singapore where you all have to get out of the plane despite the fact you are continuing on.  

So it went something like this:

22.40  Depart Denpasar , Bali – 04.55 Arrive Doha, Qatar having had an hour stopover in Singapore 

(actual flying time 2 hours to Singapore, 4 hours to Doha)

07.55 Depart Doha, Qatar – 12.55 Arrive Istanbul , Turkey 

(actual flying time 9 hours)

One hour to get through customs

17.30 Depart Istanbul - Arrive Dalaman 18.40

There was little of note on the flights except for these things:

1. A man, part of the couple of sitting next to me from Denpasar to Doha, managed to spill his full cup of tea all over himself and ended up with quite a sore burn on his stomach....he did not have another hot drink during the trip.

2. The only male flight attendant from Doha to Istanbul, Mohamed, was ridiculously good looking.  So much so that I caught myself twirling my hair in his presence...too embarrassing!!  He was also disconcertingly tall, which was distracting when he was standing right in front of your face...eek!

3.  It still makes me laugh that Turkish Airlines serve turkey sandwiches as their snack on 

the flights from Istanbul to Dalaman!   

I am grateful that my friend Leah,who visited me in Bali, reminded me about having to buy a visa on arrival in Turkey and that cash is necessary as despite the signs for visa and mastercard they don’t take it and also the one and only atm was not working on this side of security.  One man had not been so lucky and was not able to buy his visa.  I didn’t have enough cash and as the atm wasn’t working I couldn’t get him any.  I spoke to him and he was off to see the police for help and I hope he was successful as I didn’t see him again as I stood patiently in the slow moving queue.  I had managed to get my cash during the stopover in Singapore as there was only one money changer at Denpasar who didn’t take credit/debit cards and I didn’t have enough cash.

On arrival in Dalaman there is a man waiting for me and he drives me to Gocek arriving about 7.30pm where I am now 7 hours behind Australia, 5 hours behind Bali or have been up for approximately 24 hours without any more sleep than a nap!  I arrived to a very friendly greeting from my landlords, Ethem and Hurrlyet (which means Liberty in English and they suggested that might be easier!) and a fairly hasty tour of the apartment as Ethem was taking my taxi back to the airport as he was heading to Antalya.  Comment of note..."I don’t need to show you the kitchen,  that is your area!"  It appears nothing has changed since the year before.  A group of us had chartered a yacht and sailed around the islands out of Gocek last September.  It was such an awesome trip and really the cause behind this year of travel.  When Steve and I were doing the briefing for the boat as the two most experienced sailors, the briefer (?) spoke to Steve the whole way round the boat.  When we got to the refrigerator where he promptly turned to me and said, here is all you need to do....here’s how you pump out the fridge!!  You have to laugh and accept it as a cultural thing.  Steve was surprised he made it off the boat alive.   Big sigh here....I have arrived in Turkey and very happy to be back.