Kekova Roads to Marmaris,
Rant no. 3 is much more laid back and not so eventful. We totally chilled out for a whole day at Ukagiz in Kekova Roads. This is a very big enclosed bay, totally safe and bullet proof, but the water is not at all clear or blue, not the norm for these parts of the world. It took me much time of course to update my blog site, and it was a very lazy time. This bay reminded us of Vliho in the Ionian, but without the entertainment of the yacht club there and all the camaraderie there.
We had visited here 10 years ago when we chartered a yacht here, and when we went ashore in our dinghy it was great entertainment with the little jetties, and the owners coming out with their big flags, trying to entice us into their establishment, but now it is a bit of a marina, and does not hold the same character it once did.
So after our second night there we sloped off down to Gorkova, it was a lovely change, the water nicer and also a nice bay where we swing anchored. We sailed, or actually motored, past the Greek island Mandraki, which is only 1.5 miles off the coast of Turkey, it is so funny to have a Greek Island so close to Turkey, and we decided it would be too much of a chance for us to call in to it, without clearing customs there, so we carried on. Gorkova was full of gullets of course, they seem to be EVERYWHERE. We went for a little recky in the dinghy next day and discovered a tiny little establishment around the corner hidden away, we had a small beer, chatted to a German couple and the owners, a bunch of young guys, told us the place would be full of New Zealanders and Australians that night, we turned down the offer to come and party with them all however. After dark with a whole bay to choose to drop an anchor, a French charter Catermeran decided to land almost on us, but the night was disturbed by the Aussie/Nz gullet load returning at 2.30am and then 4.30 gullets leaving, just action all through the night. But it certainly was a nice place to stay just the same.
From there we mosied around the other side of Kekova Island and we ended up at a bay called Polemos Buku back inside We had intended on staying for lunch here, but we felt settled quickly, and then another big NZ black flag floated around us, John and his crew on Awatea invited us to drinks at 6pm, so that cemented it, we stopped. Lee and Kevin recommended Aperlai Restaurant so after sharing a few drinks with John and co, we paddled into the little restaurant Aperlai Restaurant. Awatea ate there two days earlier, and when Mustafa said “are our friends coming in?” with disappointed query in his voice it made us sad that we didn’t manage to get them in to dine with us. Mustafa recognized their boat and flags. We were the only people dining in this quaint little family restaurant, Mustafa, his wife Hatice and his son Sergen and daughter Sibel. They could not have done more to make us feel comfortable and welcome, and the lamb chops were to die for. Just such a lovely family and experience it was. My only mistake was to ask where the bathroom was. I had suffered an injury on Wrighteau earlier where my foot continued in the forward direction, and my smallest toe made an abrupt halt at the parcelle, the result was a swollen dark toe, and scrambling over rocks to get to the loo, at the very least challenging. We didn’t have shoes with us, so Hatice insisted on my wearing hers, when I pointed out the glaring fault in this idea, she whipped the shoes off her husband, and helped me up to the tiny out house, and I quickly came to the conclusion I could hold on. It was a squat job, no paper, or running water, and I think you will get the picture, I stayed as long as I could so as not to offend her and tipped some water from drum down, and hobbled out again. At the end of the night they wanted to drive us out to Wrighteau, and when we were declining the offer, they decided to toe us out. Such a wonderful family, it is so sad that they don’t seem to be getting the numbers through their honest and generous restaurant.
In the morning the offending toe had not improved much, but I was determined to give the 1.5 km walk to the underwater city a go, and it was certainly a challenge. Joe was calling it a spaghetti western, the walk certainly had the characteristics of a western prairie, and the flies were certainly hovering around me sniffing death in the air. We just waited for the buzzards to appear. He reckoned I had the look of a cowboy stumbling along with a few bullet holes in him somewhere. However we did make it, and a swim at the other end was most welcome. We saw some of the city underwater, some mosaic type cobbles, some columns fallen over and bits and pieces. Further on I think there was much more, but my foot wouldn’t allow any more walking. The walk back seemed to go a bit better and quicker, and a most well earned beer and chops between us for lunch with our new best friends.
When we got back to Wrighteau the wind had whisked up, and the glass went from 1012 down to 1008 in the time we were away, so we thought there might be trouble brewing, we hunkered down again in Ukagiz. Our gas had run out, so we fished out our bbq, and had our first bbq in Turkey. The next morning we found we were in the favorite hunting ground of Murtle Turtle, in fact at one time we saw 3 heads up at once. So we spent all the morning watching the little turtle heads popping up and down most intermittently becoming quite attached to them. I tried to photograph them, but they were quite illusive, with no regularity in their surfacing, or direction. Really felt like we were getting to know them by the end of the morning, but I am sure in fact that they regarded our yacht as something of a nuisance.
Our plan was to then go around and tie up to Hassan Roma’s restaurant at Kalekoy, dine out with them and walk up to the castle in the morning, (though actually the walk might have been asking too much of my foot, in hindsight) but as it happened, all but two spaces along the restaurants jetties were filled, and seeing only two people on a yacht, we think they were angling for yachts with more than just two to eat at their tables, and we were turned away.
We ended up eating at Ukagiz, as our fridge was now bare, and still no gas. This is where we learnt some more about Ramadan. Another example of how life in the Muslim world is tipped against the female. We asked the waiter if children have to partake in Ramadan and fast all the day, and he informed us that girls start at the age of 9 but boys don’t have to start fasting until they are 13 yrs old.
Also quite sadly, he was telling us how quiet this year has been. We have had it mentioned to us that since the world travelling yachts are not coming up through the Suez Canal because of the pirate problems, which would bring them past these areas, that is also a reason for less boats, and of course the world downturn.
When Di left us, she asked if that was a normal week in the life of Wrighteau on the water, I said that no, we didn’t eat out every night normally, though it did take another week before things settled down, but this week we have certainly caught up with some on board eating, and staying low.
Back to Kas for a night or two, replenish gas etc etc. We had given Kas a good go last time, so this time we laid low. We did dine at the beautiful Vati, where they have taken quite a shine to us. Serban was bald and reminded us so much of Slaven from Croatia, he has a love affair with NZ, and dreams of visiting NZ, Malik was born and raised in Tasikstan, but he is training finance in Turkey, and of course the Chef, Tahsin, who was trained at our very own Peter Gordon’s Istanbul restaurant, and absolutely adores him. Our meals were certainly first class. It is a shame we cannot pack him up and bring him back to one of our Tauranga restaurants to lift the game there.
We left Kas on Tuesday, it was quite a long one, 51 miles, so we got away at 6am to beat the nasty choppy conditions that can chop up, and we had a good fast trip, even getting along at 7 knots for a time. The plan was to stay one night in Gocek Gulf, we chose Deep Bay, and in the morning it was all so beautiful we stayed put. In the afternoon the skies had a big set too, thunder clapped loudly all around us, we were convinced we were in for our first big drenching in Turkey, but save for a few silly little spits, the sun soon burst through. So I guess it is back to the hose to clean the boat when we get to Marmaris.
Obvervation: Have said it before, but can’t believe the absence of yachts around here, even back in the Skopea Gulf, and this is August, when last year was seething with sails far and wide. Ted in Croatia tells us there are multitudes of cruisers up there still, and that is even with their soaring prices. We used to report on this when we were up there, about being charged to throw an anchor out even, and in Kas we neighbored a Slovenian yacht, the country bordering Croatia, and he was able to inform us that the Govt in Croatia has given 10 year contracts for locals, either they put in buoys, in which case you at least get something for the money they ask for, or they just come out in their dinghy and ask for the money. You get a chit, so it is generally thought to be legitimate and honest. I wonder how these contracts will stack up when they go into the EU next year
We have almost 3 weeks left to cruise around before we start putting
Wrighteau to bed, so until the next one, Goroshurus, and Wrighteau out.
ps, just before this went to press we are now in Marmaris, Netsel Marine, to renew our papers etc, and we have had another angry sky moaning and groaning with a sporadic hiss of lightning, this time we almost 5 minutes of rain, now it is just wind, it will all be gone soon I expect. I think that is the first rain we have experienced in Turkey.
We had visited here 10 years ago when we chartered a yacht here, and when we went ashore in our dinghy it was great entertainment with the little jetties, and the owners coming out with their big flags, trying to entice us into their establishment, but now it is a bit of a marina, and does not hold the same character it once did.
So after our second night there we sloped off down to Gorkova, it was a lovely change, the water nicer and also a nice bay where we swing anchored. We sailed, or actually motored, past the Greek island Mandraki, which is only 1.5 miles off the coast of Turkey, it is so funny to have a Greek Island so close to Turkey, and we decided it would be too much of a chance for us to call in to it, without clearing customs there, so we carried on. Gorkova was full of gullets of course, they seem to be EVERYWHERE. We went for a little recky in the dinghy next day and discovered a tiny little establishment around the corner hidden away, we had a small beer, chatted to a German couple and the owners, a bunch of young guys, told us the place would be full of New Zealanders and Australians that night, we turned down the offer to come and party with them all however. After dark with a whole bay to choose to drop an anchor, a French charter Catermeran decided to land almost on us, but the night was disturbed by the Aussie/Nz gullet load returning at 2.30am and then 4.30 gullets leaving, just action all through the night. But it certainly was a nice place to stay just the same.
From there we mosied around the other side of Kekova Island and we ended up at a bay called Polemos Buku back inside We had intended on staying for lunch here, but we felt settled quickly, and then another big NZ black flag floated around us, John and his crew on Awatea invited us to drinks at 6pm, so that cemented it, we stopped. Lee and Kevin recommended Aperlai Restaurant so after sharing a few drinks with John and co, we paddled into the little restaurant Aperlai Restaurant. Awatea ate there two days earlier, and when Mustafa said “are our friends coming in?” with disappointed query in his voice it made us sad that we didn’t manage to get them in to dine with us. Mustafa recognized their boat and flags. We were the only people dining in this quaint little family restaurant, Mustafa, his wife Hatice and his son Sergen and daughter Sibel. They could not have done more to make us feel comfortable and welcome, and the lamb chops were to die for. Just such a lovely family and experience it was. My only mistake was to ask where the bathroom was. I had suffered an injury on Wrighteau earlier where my foot continued in the forward direction, and my smallest toe made an abrupt halt at the parcelle, the result was a swollen dark toe, and scrambling over rocks to get to the loo, at the very least challenging. We didn’t have shoes with us, so Hatice insisted on my wearing hers, when I pointed out the glaring fault in this idea, she whipped the shoes off her husband, and helped me up to the tiny out house, and I quickly came to the conclusion I could hold on. It was a squat job, no paper, or running water, and I think you will get the picture, I stayed as long as I could so as not to offend her and tipped some water from drum down, and hobbled out again. At the end of the night they wanted to drive us out to Wrighteau, and when we were declining the offer, they decided to toe us out. Such a wonderful family, it is so sad that they don’t seem to be getting the numbers through their honest and generous restaurant.
In the morning the offending toe had not improved much, but I was determined to give the 1.5 km walk to the underwater city a go, and it was certainly a challenge. Joe was calling it a spaghetti western, the walk certainly had the characteristics of a western prairie, and the flies were certainly hovering around me sniffing death in the air. We just waited for the buzzards to appear. He reckoned I had the look of a cowboy stumbling along with a few bullet holes in him somewhere. However we did make it, and a swim at the other end was most welcome. We saw some of the city underwater, some mosaic type cobbles, some columns fallen over and bits and pieces. Further on I think there was much more, but my foot wouldn’t allow any more walking. The walk back seemed to go a bit better and quicker, and a most well earned beer and chops between us for lunch with our new best friends.
When we got back to Wrighteau the wind had whisked up, and the glass went from 1012 down to 1008 in the time we were away, so we thought there might be trouble brewing, we hunkered down again in Ukagiz. Our gas had run out, so we fished out our bbq, and had our first bbq in Turkey. The next morning we found we were in the favorite hunting ground of Murtle Turtle, in fact at one time we saw 3 heads up at once. So we spent all the morning watching the little turtle heads popping up and down most intermittently becoming quite attached to them. I tried to photograph them, but they were quite illusive, with no regularity in their surfacing, or direction. Really felt like we were getting to know them by the end of the morning, but I am sure in fact that they regarded our yacht as something of a nuisance.
Our plan was to then go around and tie up to Hassan Roma’s restaurant at Kalekoy, dine out with them and walk up to the castle in the morning, (though actually the walk might have been asking too much of my foot, in hindsight) but as it happened, all but two spaces along the restaurants jetties were filled, and seeing only two people on a yacht, we think they were angling for yachts with more than just two to eat at their tables, and we were turned away.
We ended up eating at Ukagiz, as our fridge was now bare, and still no gas. This is where we learnt some more about Ramadan. Another example of how life in the Muslim world is tipped against the female. We asked the waiter if children have to partake in Ramadan and fast all the day, and he informed us that girls start at the age of 9 but boys don’t have to start fasting until they are 13 yrs old.
Also quite sadly, he was telling us how quiet this year has been. We have had it mentioned to us that since the world travelling yachts are not coming up through the Suez Canal because of the pirate problems, which would bring them past these areas, that is also a reason for less boats, and of course the world downturn.
When Di left us, she asked if that was a normal week in the life of Wrighteau on the water, I said that no, we didn’t eat out every night normally, though it did take another week before things settled down, but this week we have certainly caught up with some on board eating, and staying low.
Back to Kas for a night or two, replenish gas etc etc. We had given Kas a good go last time, so this time we laid low. We did dine at the beautiful Vati, where they have taken quite a shine to us. Serban was bald and reminded us so much of Slaven from Croatia, he has a love affair with NZ, and dreams of visiting NZ, Malik was born and raised in Tasikstan, but he is training finance in Turkey, and of course the Chef, Tahsin, who was trained at our very own Peter Gordon’s Istanbul restaurant, and absolutely adores him. Our meals were certainly first class. It is a shame we cannot pack him up and bring him back to one of our Tauranga restaurants to lift the game there.
We left Kas on Tuesday, it was quite a long one, 51 miles, so we got away at 6am to beat the nasty choppy conditions that can chop up, and we had a good fast trip, even getting along at 7 knots for a time. The plan was to stay one night in Gocek Gulf, we chose Deep Bay, and in the morning it was all so beautiful we stayed put. In the afternoon the skies had a big set too, thunder clapped loudly all around us, we were convinced we were in for our first big drenching in Turkey, but save for a few silly little spits, the sun soon burst through. So I guess it is back to the hose to clean the boat when we get to Marmaris.
Obvervation: Have said it before, but can’t believe the absence of yachts around here, even back in the Skopea Gulf, and this is August, when last year was seething with sails far and wide. Ted in Croatia tells us there are multitudes of cruisers up there still, and that is even with their soaring prices. We used to report on this when we were up there, about being charged to throw an anchor out even, and in Kas we neighbored a Slovenian yacht, the country bordering Croatia, and he was able to inform us that the Govt in Croatia has given 10 year contracts for locals, either they put in buoys, in which case you at least get something for the money they ask for, or they just come out in their dinghy and ask for the money. You get a chit, so it is generally thought to be legitimate and honest. I wonder how these contracts will stack up when they go into the EU next year
We have almost 3 weeks left to cruise around before we start putting
Wrighteau to bed, so until the next one, Goroshurus, and Wrighteau out.
ps, just before this went to press we are now in Marmaris, Netsel Marine, to renew our papers etc, and we have had another angry sky moaning and groaning with a sporadic hiss of lightning, this time we almost 5 minutes of rain, now it is just wind, it will all be gone soon I expect. I think that is the first rain we have experienced in Turkey.