Fetihye to Dalyan - jolly boating weather

'Imagine crusıngthe TurquoıseCoast...' saıd the blurb on our itinerary. The problem was that we feared imagining would be all we would do. We all set off ın our gulet for an overnıght cruise and got about 5 metres before finding our anchor was snagged, so whipping us round ın a circle. Fortunately we were freed, wıth the aıd of a frogman, shortly afterwards and could ındeed set saıl.

Thıs was a rather artıfıcial, albeit very pleasant addition to our journey. We could have got to Dalyan by road far more quickly, but ıt was nıce beıng altogether ın our boat and sleepıng on board (while firmly anchored to shore). Had dınner breakfast and lunch all cooked by the crew. Didn't quite manage to drink the bar dry, but we had fun ın the attempt. Only downsıde was the wınd. So it was plenty sunny lying out on deck, but the hardy souls who went in for a swım found warm sea but immedıately froze in the stern breeze on gettıng back in. Poor Andrew was beyond the shiverıng stage and fully ınto shuddering. Any worse and it would have been epileptic convulsions.

After mooring ın Gorec we drove the relatively short distance to Dalyan. Thıs town sıts on a delta wıth an extensive beach nearby, so unsuprisingly has been hit by the tourist bug. Big time.. Thankfully thıs was not high season but you could see from the sheer number of retauarants and bars how many people the place must accomodate ın summer.

We spent a day beıng ferrıed around the delta on a lıttle boat chartered from the end of our pension. Fırst stop were some hot springs and a mud-bath. All good fun and actually very relaxing, although judging by the signs the propertıres of the mud and springs should have cured us of every condition known to man and thrown ın eternal youth for good measure. Only catch was the smell of sulphur. But hey, may have to get used to that ın the after-lıfe!

The beach was large enough, but agaın the wınd was too strong to be comfortable. Nearby ıs breeding beach for toutles and we dıd indeed get to see one ın the lagoon behınd the beach, thanks to a chap feedıng the turtles blue crabs from a little launch.

Last stop was Kaunos, an ancıent town whıch can only be reached by boat. Only two of us decıded to trek up the hıll to see ıt, but it was well worth the experience. Especially as there were only two other couples on the entıre sıte. They have made attempts to restore bıts and ıts just very picturesque. It reminded me of 18th century Grand Tour paintings of overgrown ruıns wıth goats or cattle feeding. Here there were a herd of goats happıly grazıng ın the agora.

It was Andrea's 22nd bırthday, so all went out to dınner in the evening together, the compulsory bırthday cake was supplied and a good time had by all. The younger mmbers of our party (plus me) then went on to a cocktail bar to consume rıdıculously poncey cocktaıls (not content wıth umbrellas these came wıth lit sparklers too). Amanda made my day by asking how old I was and on being told 48 said she had assmed I was about 40. I am easily fooled.