Gullet from Fethiye to Olympos

Mark:   Fethiye.  Ah Fethiye.  Before I start with the experience in town I should mention some of the things we saw on the drive.  When I come across something unusual I just reel at how many different things there are to see in the world. As we drove through the cities and countryside we would pass many what seemed like impromptu outdoor restaurants.  When we saw the first of these we were puzzled thinking…  hmmm… what an odd place for a picnic.  We came across dozens of these places in locations ranging from the ends of driveways to wide shoulders on mountain roads (the kind of spots used for cars to pull over and take scenic photos).  Eventually we got it!  These were industrious people operating pop-up restaurants.  Some had a rickety table with two plastic chairs, some had a number of rickety tables with many plastic chairs… the most posh of these featured a rusty can used as a wood burning grill placed up front at the roadside.  It was really cool.  A local told us the pensions were around 1000 Lira a month… this is about half of the income necessary to survive in this country so retirees work hard to boost there income.  Finding our hotels has become part of the adventure plus it’s provided real insight into our marital health.  If the two of you are looking for something in a Turkish city, one driving, one navigating, you find out in a big hurry the condition of your relationship.  It can get pretty tense but fortunately we work well as a team.  Mark ❤️ Coco.

So… we arrived in Fethiye.  This is a port town and the jumping off point for our 4 day tour around the Mediterranean.  We spent three days there and
though it was a pretty seaside town crawling with British tourists and ex-pats.. We didn’t spend enough time in this location to form an much of an opinion- however we liked what we saw. One thing for sure, they have a hairdressing salon who gave us at the 5 star treatment.  A haircut for Mark and colour for Coco.  After my haircut the stylist went bananas with the goop and hairdryer.  When we left we had to take a picture because from the side it looked like I was running 120 mph

Coco:   Our hotel (complete with a lovely balcony) was right on the marina, we had an incredible view of the water.  It was packed with people and very touristy which made it quite lively. We had some good meals, wandered the town core(  Oooh! Mark sees a sewing machine shop! ) and got ready for our boat trip.  We had booked with My Blue Cruise (unbenownst to Mark,  I had booked us on the cheapest option).  I guess they must not have had enough people, as we were transferred to another company (V-Go blue cruises). What an adventure.  As we got on the boat, Mark was ready to leave- our cabin was small and stale; he was sure that the boat would not make the journey. It did and we had a blast.

Mark:   As we approached the ship from the coordinators office I saw two ladies trying to carry a massive water container(they could barely lift it let alone manage their luggage ).  I thought they must not understand the rules outlined to us which said “Absolutely NO outside food or drinks!”.  Later as we befriended them we found out they were both from China and they had “Absolutely NO interest in these rules!”  I couldn’t bare to see them struggle so I hoisted the water up over my shoulder and gestured for them to follow.  It turned out to be a blessing in disguise as later in the trip they referred to themselves as “water rich” and were eager to share with Coco and I.  My opinion of the ship initially was OMG!  The schooner was dubbed the unholy cheese barge (or ole scupper the tuna scow) and I hoped it would get us through the trip without poisoning us through a leaky bilge which filled our cabin with fumes.  Turns out our cabin was typical… everyone used their cabin as a storage locker while they/we lived and slept on deck.  Great news actually as all the other guests were terrific.

Coco:  Each day was spent visiting different sights that we would never have seen had we not been on a boat. ( our first stop was Oludeniz beach area- google it! It is a stunning spot.  The skies were filled with paragliders and Mark was among the first in the water!  We moored at St. Nicholas’ Island ( yes Santa Claus did exist and he lived in Turkey not on the north pole!!).  We walked among the ruins and saw churches and complexes going back to the 3rd century… of course we watched another beautiful sunset ( you could argue that they’re all the same, but there is something compelling watching the entire sun drop off the earth’s horizon- and experiencing it with your loved one makes it special).

Back to the boat for supper- cooked by the crew which consisted of three boys and the captain. Mark did not hold out much hope- but was pleasantly surprised- (two of the boys are 18 years old; and the third is 12 years old- summer job for him, as the Captain is his uncle. ) About the Crew: there was Farhid Dennis, the main cook; Kanan, did everything else. Kanan taught me how to make “cheese roll ups” ( these are ubiquitous in Turkey).  The Captain, Shavas looked exactly as you would expect- handsome, built, but, could have used a visit to the orthodontist.  The Captain spent his off-hours partying with other Captains and crew from neighbouring ships who shared nighttime space in the bays around the coast (they also enjoyed smoking quite a few of the  “other” cigarettes).

We ended up really enjoying the whole adventure- we visited some amazing sights and slept out under the stars each night counting shooting stars! ( as it turns out mostly everyone else did as well).  Each day was better than the day before- we got incredibly lucky- our sailing companions were terrific: one  Turkish family  from Oregon; a French  couple from San Fransisco; an Italian family of five and another Italian couple; plus four Chinese women.

I actually got in the water, with the help of my newly found support group- and by the time the trip came to a close- I actually “swam” without a noodle floatation device ( but with my crew around me) for about 10 seconds! Yeah me.  By the time, the trip ended I wanted to adopt Kanaan and Talib ( the 12 year old); we had seen great sights and had fallen in love with our sailing mates,  they were such a diverse and interesting group.  Mark was very sad as we drove away from the boat… and he asked me if we would ever see anyone again.  I tried to tell him that they should be treated like a holiday lover.  It’s best to remember them as they were and have no future expectations of involving them in your “real” life.  Well even as I imparted this sage advice, I was secretly  hoping that I was wrong and that we will stay in contact with our new friends.

Next stop: Cappodochia!