Apparently a Mediterranean overnight boat stay is a popular feature on the Turkish tourist trail. We pulled into the harbor there were at least 15 or 20 boats lined up. Most were the same as the one we boarded. A flat bed motorboat with seats around the edge, a table and benches for eating in the centre of the boat and a hard cover over all. The top deck had canopies draped across it – it was where we were to sleep. There were toilets in the bowels of the boat and you could go to the front for ocean views and the back to swim. There are plenty of similar party boats all over the world. The pirate boat in Canberra comes to mind, although this one is more open.
On our way out into the inlet where we would anchor for the night, we passed by the ruins of a submerged ancient city near Kekova Island and then pulled up near an ocean cave. We could swim off the boat and swim straight into the cave which was an awesome experience. The water was very still – a lot like inlets in Australia, such as Brunswick Heads, but the landscape was less Sandy and more like that you would find in a river valley.
A bit further along the inlet, we stopped to climb to the top of the bank to visit the ruins of an old castle. As we wound our way up the hill on what was clearly a well trodden path, we weaved our way through stalls and shop selling souvenirs and refreshments like so many other stalls on our travels. Clearly these relied though on the boat trippers to stop. At the top, you got a spectacular view, prompting one of the girls in our group to strike a Titanic pose. Our two energetic American friends meandered down the hillside to see the ancient tombstones below. After a group shot, we wandered back down the hill to our waiting boat (via a couple of the shops and stalls) and set sail for our overnight mooring spot. When we arrived, it was time for more swimming. If you are intending to visit Turkey, make sure you do it in the spring, summer or early autumn. There are plenty of other places in the world to see snow and turkey doesn’t have that much to begin with. Swimming in the Mediterranean, though and sleeping out on the ocean (kind of) under the stars is an experience.
There were soft gentle currents but the only evidence of this was the hot and cold patches of water below the surface. The Mediterranean is so salty that it is great for just floating away (mid and body). And as floating is my standard state of being in water (even in a chlorinated pool) it was always going to be easy to float here. The interesting part was that I floated vertically. I just held my arms out flat in front of my body and didn’t have to do anything to stay afloat. While we all lazed about in the water, our American friends swam ashore and did a bit of exploring and our hosts (the sailors of our boat and our guide Mutlu and driver Fardi prepared our dinner – fresh, grilled fish with eggplant and rice. Given my stomach situation, I thought I was probably best to stick with the veges and rice and forgo the fish. The interesting thing on the boat was the way they poured the tea. As mentioned previously, tea is a staple of Turkish culture. Here they had a two tier teapot with two spouts, the larger bottom section water that was kept at the boil, the top section was extremely strongly brewed tea. You pour from the top and add water from the bottom pot to taste. (Fisherman’s Daughter – The Waifs – The Waifs aren’t one of those bands that grab your attention at first but once you see them live, you never look back.)
The only two other Australians on our journey, two uni students from Melbourne, introduced us to Monopoly with playing cards – a great travel alternative to the full game (and also a much quicker way to play). When it was time for bed, we clambered on to the top of the boat where our bedding was all laid out for us with a couple of sheets acting as a shade cloth to protect us from the morning sun. I apologised in advance for my snoring and drifted off to sleep although I woke up swiftly in the morning with the sun.
The other water babies and I jumped in for a quick dip after we woke and then it was time for yet another traditional Turkish breakfast – tomato, cucumber, white cheese, bread, honey. We then took off for another sheltered cove and more swimming. Some of the strong fit swimmers headed to the shore but I was content just to float around as before. Eventually once we’d had enough (I was the last one out of course), we took a group photo and headed back to the dock to meet our bus.
After a short drive to a beachside café, it was time for more swimming – this time off a pebbled beach. Except it was more of a stony beach. While a stony beach saves in the sand in your swimmers, walking across the stones is a whole lot more painful than hot sand and you can’t really run to get to the water quicker. Once you were in, you weren’t really tempted to get out gain very quickly. We floated around and chatted for a good couple of hours, without getting at all sunburnt. The Mediterranean sun is a lot milder than the Australian sun. At one point I felt something bite me. It turns out I wasn’t the only one but mine was just a quick touch up by a fish of some kind. One of our Canadian friends copped a bit more serious bite. As you’d expect with a beach made of stones, there were wooden sun lounges along the foreshore but most had seen better days. After our swim we clambered back across the rocks and had lunch in the local café thanks to our host Uncle Bruce. It was really lovely sitting at a table under the trees. It really did feel like we were in the Mediterranean. (I Want Some – The Beastie Boys – can’t have a road trip without the Beastie Boys. They provided the soundtrack to many of mine including an epic jaunt to Dungog many years ago.)