Julia Arrives in Turkiye!

 To say we were eagerly awaiting Julia’s arrival in Bodrum on July 24th is an understatement. After three and a half months of communicating via FaceTime calls, Neil and I were very excited that she was due to arrive and we could finally see her in person. We had secured a car to pick her up at the Bodrum airport (complete with a driver holding up a “Julia Hansen” sign) and deliver her dockside in the Bodrum marina. The only hitch… we were not staying in the marina (too cost prohibitive), but were at anchor in the bay outside of the marina. We took the dingy to the gas dock and picked her up there, suitcase and all! So began our three week adventure with Julia on board!

Our first evening together was spent walking in the area of the Bodrum marina so Julia could experience first hand how the nights come alive, complete with tourists dining on patios, music blaring from bars and clubs, people shopping in the outdoor malls, and the gulets all lined up along the piers. Bodrum is the place where we see the most activity during our time in Turkey. Otherwise, we spend time anchored by smaller towns or in areas that are mostly uninhabited. This means that the time here is unlike most European vacations we have had in the past. Our typical 2-3 week holidays consisted of a tight schedule of planning, moving from place to place to see all of the required sights before having to fly home again. Both Julia and I acknowledged that this newer type of holiday meant adjusting our mindset to accommodate the slower pace. 

In Bodrum Marina

During Julia’s three week visit, we hung out on the boat, swam, went paddle boarding, did some shopping, toured ruins and a castle, and did our fair share of eating and drinking. Highlights include a stay at the Yacht Classic Hotel in Fethiye and the river cruise tour in Dalyan.

We heard of the river cruise from other sailors and many recommended booking with “Captain Hido”, who speaks English well and provides a private tour. So, this is what we did. We anchored the boat in an area near the Dalyan River in the Turkish province of Mugla (between Marmaris and Fethiye). The itinerary was to include travel up the river, view Turtle Beach, tour some ruins, visit the town of Dalyan, eat lunch at a restaurant, and travel up to the freshwater lake at the head of the river. Dalyan means “fishing weir” and fish such as sea bass and sea bream swim upstream from the sea to spawn. This area is also highly fertile and pomegranates, citrus fruit, and vegetables are grown there. 

Captain Hido

The cruise began at the end of the river on the sea, close to an area called Turtle Beach (Iztuzu Beach) which was declared a protected area in 1988 because it is the breeding ground for the endangered loggerhead sea turtle. It is a popular place for sunbathing and swimming, with many small tour boats frequenting the area. We were fortunate to catch a few quick glimpses of the turtles as they surfaced near the boat. They look so ancient. I guess this is understandable since the species has existed for 45 million years!

Travelling up river through a maze of reeds, we were going against the endless “herd, as most tour boats were travelling down river towards Turtle Beach for the day. This was fine with us because we would not be travelling with the crowds. Our first stop was the ruins of the ancient city of Kaunos, which was an important sea port in the past, but is now 8 km from the coast due to the silting of the former Bay of Dalyan. Because of this, and the malaria epidemic of the 15th century, the city was completely abandoned. Excavations were started in 1966 and continue to present day. The main sights include: the Acropolis, theatre, Roman baths, basilica, mosaics, and more. 

Another highlight of the day was seeing the facades of Lycian tombs cut from rock of the cliffs along the river (circa 400 BC). (If interested in reading more, Google “Lycia”). Neil visited another Lycian tomb when we were in Fethiye. 

The third stop was at La Boheme where we pulled up to the dock and disembarked at the entrance to the restaurant to have lunch. This did not disappoint! We all had fish for lunch out on the covered patio which was absolutely beautiful. A highlight for me was the pink and purple olives that were served with bread. When I mentioned how much I liked them, the waiter brought out a second larger serving for me to enjoy. We were able to find the pink olives in a market at another anchorage a short time later. After lunch, we braved the heat and did a quick tour of some of the town of Dalyan, mainly tourist shops. We were also able to do a bit of provisioning at the local grocery store, Migros. It is always a bonus when we can pick up a few things along the way because it is not always easy to restock the boat.

Travelling further along the river we eventually arrived at the freshwater lake for a quick swim. It was a bit of a shock jumping into the fresh water after having been swimming in salt water for so long. We could definitely feel the difference in our buoyancy. While swimming in the Aegean, you barely have to tread water and can float effortlessly. The trip back down the river went a little faster as we were travelling with the current and the wind. Back at our boat, we bid goodbye to Captain Hido and thanked him for a wonderful experience.

We enjoyed so much more during our time with Julia on board and I will include some of the highlights in a future blog post. Cheers!