Monday, September 28, 2015

Selcuk to Izmir, then on to Kayseri

The following day we climbed to the top of the hill in Selcuk to visit the Basilica of St John and the restored Byzantine Castle. I also made a raid on the local pharmacy for throat lozenges and cough syrup as the sore throat I had developed towards the end of the boat trip now had a nasty cough to keep it company.

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Ruins of the Basilica
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Restored Byzantine castle
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After lunch we drove to Izmir to return the hire car and have an early night as we were on a 7am flight the following morning.

Sunday, September 27, 2015

Pammukale to Selcuk and Ephesus

We were off again - with Carol trying to leave The Melrose without paying as she thought we had paid when we booked Smile. Today we were heading towards Selcuk and Ephesus (known as Efes in Turkish – same as the beer).

Ephesus is known as one of the world’s finest surviving examples of a classic Greco-Roman city. We hadn’t booked accommodation in Selcuk as we thought there would be plenty, but the place we had chosen was booked out. The kind (Australian) owner of the “Boomerang” managed to squeeze us in though. He also warned us that there were 4 or 5 cruise ships due to dock the following morning and suggested we spend the three hours leading up to sunset at Ephesus today instead of tomorrow to avoid the crowds. It was a terrific suggestion and we managed to get some reasonable photos because of it. Apparently any photo of Ephesus without people in it is pretty rare.


Boomerang GH
Outside the Boomerang in Selcuk
Ghosts of Ephesus
Ghosts of Ephesus – unintentional trick photo?
Ephesus
Ephesus without the ghosts
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The scale of this place is amazing – note the steel frame above these terrace houses

The extensive shelter over the terrace houses was paid for by the Australian Archaeological Society. I think a lots of their archaeologists spend a lot of time till excavating the ruins. The shelter must have cost quite a lot of money. Other organisation sponsor works there too and I even saw one sign saying some work was being sponsored Road Scholar (not-for-profit educational travel company).

Saturday, September 26, 2015

Marmaris to Pammukale

We got a taxi from the boat the collect our hire car. After the taxi driver had driven past the car hire place, asked someone at another taxi rank and then done a u-turn he kindly deducted a few lira from the fare on the meter. When we got to the office no-one was in - turns out we had arrived earlier than we said. Anyway we were soon sorted out and on our way back to Naviga I (or as close as we could get) to collect Carol and Stephen and all our bags.

The crew kindly carried the bulk of the luggage and, as a nice man had moved a “Tourist Information No Parking sign” so that we could park long enough to load up, hugs and good wishes were exchanged all around and off we set for Pammukale.

Stephen was in the front navigating and I tried to limit the long left short right reminders from the back as much as possible.

Despite having confirmed that we would not have a room with a round bed, and we would have views of the garden, when we arrived at The Melrose in Pammukale we had a round bed and the room had a view of a vacant block that was mostly a dust bowl.

However, the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Pammukale and its travertine terraces did not disappoint, it was amazing. How anyone could have ever thought that building five hotels on top of it is unbelievable, and I am so glad they are not there now.
The sunset didn’t quite deliver the colour we had hoped but it was still a pretty impressive sight, despite the hordes of fellow tourists Smile


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That bed!
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Frank getting wet!
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Carol and Stephen (not getting wet)
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Sylvia getting wet!
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Traffic on the Travertines
Travertine sunset
Sunset on the terraces



Friday, September 25, 2015

Last day of sailing

Another wonderful (if rather large) breakfast and then some swimming before moving to Paradise Island for lunch (reminiscent of the Hawkesbury). I have never eaten so much as I have on this trip. I dread to think what the scales would say. Then off to Marmaris which has a reputation of being the third of Turkey’s hugely overdeveloped Agean resorts.

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Time for knitting
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While others go paddling
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Street lights of Marmaris
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Last dinner in a restaurant alongside Naviga I's berth

Thursday, September 24, 2015

Heading to Marmaris

The weather forecast wasn’t very good again and so it was a long day sailing / motoring to reach a sheltered mooring near Marmaris. When we arrived there were quite a few day trip boats around but most left to return to Marmaris. I woke around 2am to go to the bathroom but when I went back up on deck found it hard to get back to sleep due to the unaccustomed noise drifting across the water from Marmaris, which has a reputation as being a bit of a party town. After the relative quiet of being moored off uninhabited coastline the noise seemed strange.


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Frank and Mehmet join the party boat action

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Then time for diving practice
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One of the larger vessels leaving Marmaris
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BBQ night – Oktay’s turn to cook and give Servet the chef a break.
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Samet and Mehmet in back row, then left to right:Oktay (Captain), Sylvia, Carol, Elise, Han, Stephen, Servet (Chef) and Frank

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Bozborun to Bozul Kale

We had lunch on Naviga I in Bozborun and then sailed to “Broken Castle” - Bozul Kale. We went ashore that night and had dinner at the one and only restaurant. The rain was so heavy that there was flooding in Bodrum and many of the cabins let in a considerable amount of water again. But the crew quickly got everything dry again as soon as the weather improved.

We joined the ranks of inconsiderate holiday makers and, with encouragement from the Captain, danced into the night – Carol and I both ended up with blisters on our toes.

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Frank taking a selfie?
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Bozul Kale

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Selimiye to Bozborun on foot

Frank, Carol, Elise and I set off to walk from Selimiye to Bozborun. The Rough Guide said 7km but they must have measured from the “town” signs at the outskirts of each place, as Frank’s GPS said 11km. The views from the top of the hill were quite sensational and we could see Elise coming along behind (she wanted to walk by herself). Carol found a tiny tortoise on the road, it was bound to be run over by a car and so we moved it. Not far but to a slightly safer place (hopefully) and near a puddle with some rainwater from a day or two before.

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Selimiye viewed from the top of the hill
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Elise on the road below
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Baby Tortoise
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Where we found the tortoise - on the road on the hill

Monday, September 21, 2015

Life on board Naviga I

Oktay (the Captain) said the weather forecast was for rain at 5pm and so he wanted to head for a sheltered cove to wait out the wind etc. As we were sailing along Oktay called out that he had seen either a tuna or a dolphin, and as it turned out it was both. The dolphin seemed to be having a great time swimming alongside the boat, under the bow, around the stern and back again. It was pretty special to see it up so close.

After lunch at Kurucabuk Oktay said that he would have to drop sail and turn the motor on so we could get to where we were going to drop anchor for the night. The skies were getting gradually darker and darker and we could hear the distant rumble of thunder, then lightning and then sure enough at 4.55pm the skies opened and it poured down. The thunder and lightning was very impressive and Han and Elise were very pleased as they enjoy the spectacle of a storm.

Not as pleasing was the amount of rain that came through the roof of our cabin, and most of the other cabins, soaking both beds and the clothes I had left sitting on the bed. However, Oktay moved us to a cabin with a dry bed so that was OK. Carol wasn’t pleased at the rain as she wanted to sleep above decks again but the crew weren't sure it was a good idea. She managed to snag the only dry sleeping spot on deck - one that is usually used by one of the crew.

Sleeping above decks is rather nice, it is cooler there and not as claustrophobic so the four of us (Elise, Carol, Frank and I) slept above decks every night - except for that rainy night. The first night the duvet got a bit damp but then the crew rigged a shelter over the mattresses so we woke with dry bedding and a great view.


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Watching the approaching storm
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Shelter from the rain

Carol has been swimming and snorkelling but is a bit disappointed in the lack of diversity of the fish.

Oktay has been reading over my shoulder so he said I had to include that the forecast was for 35 knot winds this afternoon, with even stronger winds overnight. We headed for a small village called Selimiye where we were going ashore for dinner but due to the wind we had to move anchorage and have dinner on the boat. Not entirely a bad thing as the chef is very good.


Sunday, September 20, 2015

Knidos

On the second day we stopped for lunch near Cnidos (or Knidos) and then Carol and Frank went ashore to have a quick look at what was left of the ruins of the 2000 year-old Greco Roman city, while the rest of us admired the amphitheatre from the boat.

From there we went to Datca where there was a small resort, and a campground as it turns out. Seems some Turkish campers are just as loud at 3am as in Australia. As we have been sleeping up on deck the sound carries quite well across the water, but Elise says I have no room to talk as we kept them awake until the early hours one night/morning dancing!

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Knidos ruins
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The amphitheatre
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at anchor
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Morning

Saturday, September 19, 2015

From Istanbul to Bitez and beyond

Frank booked Istanbul Airport Transfers to take us from Istanbul to the Sabiha Gokcen airport where the budget airlines leave from. Once again Stephen had difficulty getting through the metal detectors – not sure if it was the metal pins in his arms or his boots. Anyway, they whisked him away to pat him down in a cubicle, and once satisfied he wasn’t really carrying a hidden weapon they let him go and told him to tell the guys at the second security gate he was OK?!

No need to tell you that the next checkpoint was also a major issue. One man was so obnoxious that two of the locals got involved in the debate, and it was only when a very attractive young Turkish woman gave the guy what for in no uncertain terms that they allowed us through. Phew!
The flight to Bodrum was mercifully short as there was a screaming baby in the seat behind Carol and another directly in front. The baby at the back fell asleep once we had taken off, but unfortunately the one in front kept up the screaming for most of the flight.

We were met at Bodrum airport (after successfully collecting all four bags this time) and whisked away in a nice roomy, comfortable and air-conditioned Mercedes 10 or 12 seater bus. Around half an hour later we were standing at a small harbor in Bitez village (Bitezyali) on the Aegean Sea looking out at a beautiful (and rather large) boat. The Naviga 1, our home for the next week.

Naviga 1 our boat
Naviga 1
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Hoisting the sails

We were lucky with our booking on this beautiful boat as she sleeps 16 but there were just the four of us plus a father and daughter (Han and Elise) from the Netherlands, and a staff of four to look after us. We were waited on hand and foot and we couldn’t recommend SCIC more highly.

One last thing about Istanbul

I forgot to mention all the stray dogs and cats on the streets. Most, if not all, of the dogs have tags in their ears. I read somewhere that this means they don’t have or can’t have rabies because they have been immunised. They all seem to have their own little spot and there is generally a bowl of water nearby or perhaps some scraps of food. None of them look undernourished and the same goes for the cats.

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Two dog door!
Cat mothers gallery
“Cat mother’s” shop
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Best salad ever – I had it twice. Goat’s cheese, walnut with pomegranate molasses!




I’ll pass on this one thanks
sheep in goats clothing
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Stairs built by a wealthy man to make it easier for his children to get to school



Cat manCat Man

Not so uplifting were the number of refugees (I'm guessing from Syria) trying to eke out an existence living on the footpaths. Many had babies or small children with them and there was generally a hat or bowl or something for people to drop money into. The men were usually missing, we're guessing they were off somewhere trying to find some cash in hand work so they could buy food. Goodness knows what they are going to do when the weather changes and it starts to snow. Incredibly sad!

Friday, September 18, 2015

Istanbul day 6

Stephen was up for another outing so we started off by heading up to the top of the Galata Tower to admire the view. We couldn’t possibly leave without checking it out as we have been living right next to it for almost a week. You can get almost to the top via an internal lift so it wasn’t too bad, and the view was certainly worthwhile. Back down in the Galata square Turkish coffee was the call of the day but having been there done that once already I decided Apple tea was more for me. Those coffee cups are tiny and only the top half seems to contain liquid coffee, the bottom half is pure coffee grounds. I guess that’s why they provide you with water to wash the grounds out of your teeth Smile

After coffee it was a slow descent of the cobbled hill to risk life and limb jay-walking amongst the locals to access the tram stop – not many people (including us) use the subway to get there, choosing instead to step out into the traffic, regardless of what speed it is doing. We caught the tram to the Topkapi Palace and started off with a walk around the Harem – does that sound small to you? Well it wasn’t, it was positively enormous but then it did use to house as many as 280 concubines, plus assorted wives, princes, deposed Sultans, Eunuchs etc. so I guess a small space wasn't going to be a lot of use. Carol got one of those audio guides and kindly acted as tour guide, but I think she was a little disappointed when she discovered it was already past 2pm as she had hoped to also fit in a 2 hour cruise down the Bosphorus. Ah well she did say she wanted to leave feeling like there was more!

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View from the Galata tower


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coffee stop
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Apple tea for me please
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Outside Topkapi Palace
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Inside the palace
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beautiful windows
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decoration of a different kind (perhaps windows to his mind?)