Tempting to cut and paste yesterday’s blog & see if anyone notices.
The shambles of yesterday afternoon, thanks wholly to EasyJet, meant that today was a reboot of yesterday. We felt the need to be at or very close to the apartment – “just in case!”
We’d finalised on booking the lads on a 2:25pm flight from Liverpool, and thanks to some amazing teamwork, all logistics were sorted.
A massive shout-out though to the best logistics manager of all time, Noz. The transfers from Dalaman to Ovacik were cancelled and rebooked once we had confirmed seats, and the transfer from home to Liverpool was also sorted! Legendary levels of service!
Now, first off, as far as this blog is concerned from here on in the Lads will be known as the Lads & I will be doing my utmost to use the collective. If as a last resort I need to distinguish them individually, I will use pseudonyms. Those that know the lads will figure it out & those that don’t won’t need to.
Two of the lads stayed over at ours last night & two were dropped off in time for Noz’s Taxi Service!
Our video doorbell (“Your anus has detected Movement” notifications are turned on) showed little sign of life right up until the Taxi arrived, so we were sweating a little as to if they were up and awake.
They were and they left the house, locked up, locked the gate, and set the alarm. We know this because we sent a spy across a couple of hours later to check the house for anything that may decompose and become fly-blown over the next week! I’m told it was in relatively good shape, so that’s a relief.
One good thing to come out of yesterdays debacle was a WhatsApp group including the Lads, Jane & myself. Amazing!
Saves us repeating and also increases the chances of anyone reading/remembering/responding by a factor of four! Maybe not the ‘responding’ part, after consideration.
Despite the above, we have been reliant on 3rd party info in the main as to their progress. One mum confirmed that they all had passports and cases when they left. Noz let us know they were dropped at the airport. EasyJet let us know that the flight took off 2 minutes late and FlightRadarLite told us when they were on final approach into Dalaman.
During the above, Jane & sunbathed by the pool until around 6pm, when we freshened up and headed out for the tea that we had planned last night. Sandinos.
Not only is it one of the closest eateries, it’s also the best for its style of food. Curry and Thai. You’ll find reference to Sandinos in both previous years blogs (as you will for most of the places we have and are likely to eat at)! The food is spot on, we just had popadums, chutneys and prawn crackers to start, followed by a chicken dupiaza with pilau for me & a pad thai for Jane. The service is brilliant – so friendly. Chef Mujdat came out to say hello & wish us a happy holiday.
Suitably full, we ‘hesap’d, lűtfen’ paid the bill & wandered back via Ovacik Market local corner shop.
A few Coronas for Charlie, cokes & fantas, ice lollies, and big bags of crisps for all! Along with more butter, fruit juices etc, it made it to ‘delivery status’ so the main man, whose name I will sort tomorrow, whizzed it up the hill on his little Honda PCX scooter. He was on the way down whilst I was blowing through my derrière walking up. I’m so unfit!
Just on that, my lifestyle choices over the last few years have led to me going from a one-time LEJOG cyclist and generally active bloke, to a sedentary fat fella. Beer (drinking and brewing) doesn’t help. Having grade 4 osteoarthritis in both knees, and Grade 2 in the hips doesn’t help either. I do have some decisions to make, for sure.
Anyway, we got back without me croaking, and got the important stuff in the fridge & freezer.
The time came. The plane tracker confirmed a landing at Dalaman. Will the luggage all be there? Will they get through customs with nothing to declare? Will they find the Blue Lagoon Taxi?
I called my son. Thrice. Then he answered. Not bad. Usually well above that, before an answer. He was on Turkish Data WhatsApp, so he did listen!
They had luggage, they were through customs. He forgot which taxi booth we told him he needed to go to. I reminded him. He got there.
He called me back. They were ‘aboard’ their charabanc to Ovacik!
Just over an hour later, the bus pulled up, & from the balcony we saw them all get out & get their bags. They’re here! Hurrah! We think!
We got them to their rooms & gave them a quick tour, and a few intros to the apartment, rules, locale.
They ordered lots of pizza and sat quietly on their balcony. We went to bed. It’s 1am. We’re shattered.
See you tomorrow, folks!