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!
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