Tag: Turkiye

[just as an fyi, I genuinely do only write this guff, because I like writing. It’s aimed to be nothing other than cathartic, in a non-medical sense. Reader discretion advised!]

Slept way better last night, which was probably down to a combo of all the walking, followed by a big meal, and a few Tuborg Golds, but I’ll take that! Also started by falling asleep on the beanbags on the balcony – it’s just so comfortable.

Because the apartment is just over 1200ft (390m) above sea level, we’re blessed with a lovely breeze most of the time, and that means sitting out on the balcony, even when it’s above 30C, is a joy.

Which is handy when you have to sit around waiting for Lurchio to get out of his pit. I suspect he’s regretting yesterdays badly-applied suncream (leaving him burned) and likely one more Tuborg than was wise (leaving him a little dehydrated). Life lessons…

Whilst we wait, it led me to think about the animals around us. Next doors have a Cockrell with a sore throat, a big dog, and what sounds like a peacock. We on the other hand trump that by having a goat, as previously mentioned.

We have yet to set eyes on a tortoise or a wild pig however, but my mission will continue. If I’m lucky and we ever get to The Blue Lagoon today, I may even see a Turtle. Fingers crossed on both counts!

Finally got moving, so jumped a Taxsi to Fez Bar in Hisarönü, to grab something for dinner (“lunch” for non-locals). Chicken kebab for me & a half-decent 5.2% Frederick IPA, a Türk Tuborg ‘craft’ offering.

We met the owner, Serdal, who is good friends with Gareth. After a good chinwag, he suggested sending a photo of us & to say ‘Merhaba!’. So I did!

We wandered back around to the Taxsi rank & ‘blew’ a whole £3.50 on a ride to Billy’s Beach, on the Blue Lagoon, rather than walk a very circuitous dog-day* hour.

(*technically not a dog day yet, for the pedants).

Around £3.50 in each, to the private beach “including sand, sunbed & umbrella”. Have to laugh that on some of the FB groups we’ve joined, people talk about prices going up. It’s gone from a pre-pandemic 8TL to the £, to 20TL, whilst 40-50TL can get you a pint.

Apparently I spent around an hour slow-pickling myself in the lagoon, snorkelled up, albeit I didn’t see any wildlife, but did nearly fall asleep face down it was so relaxing! No turtles today, not even a turtles head.

After the swim, a brief stint on sunbeds ensued, until Jane wanted a “Cornetto, not pistachio” & a coke. A bar trip, and an inevitable first taste of the Efes (“100cl jug & 2 glasses, so I don’t look like a pisspot, Lütfen”).

As we watched all the tandem parasailers come down from the top of the mountain, ( of which, at some points there were over 15 in the sky above us), I happened upon a Facebook post that made me chuckle – it wasn’t salami, it was Turkish sausage, the fools!

From there we took a (free) dolmus back to Oludeniz beachfront bus station, and had a quick wander. It was busy, quite touristy, and glancing at prices is a touch higher priced that Hisarönü & Ovacik, for good reason being on the seafront.

We decided a taxsi back to the nearer end of Hisarönü suited us more and hunted down our snacky tea. Again on good recommendation, we went for a quick (Chicago style) pizza at Pizza Pepino. The usual friendly welcome & impeccable service awaits, and Charlie popped his “first beer order” cherry, in that when asked if he wanted a beer, he said “yes”. His first served pint!

From there, a quick stroll past a few shops selling Stone Island/Moncler/Ahmed’s (Stockport, 1980s reference) etc, before picking up “drugs” from a pharmacy for a neighbour.

Finally a nip up the road to the apartment, during which I got to use the Turkish Salsa (Sol & Sa, left & right) & we made it right to the gate. Opposite the chap who owns a posh retail chain in the UK, who’s apartment I wish I’d taken a picture of yesterday. It it seems empty now, but has previously been lit up with colour-shifting LEDs but in a very tastefully done manner imho!

Game over for today. No clouds at all again. Lots of good people met. Great food, relaxed atmosphere.

Tomorrow will (and without wishing to disappoint this may be a trajectory) likely be a quieter one. May just leave the apartment to get up the Babadag cable car to the summit & watch someone throw themselves over a mountainside and then throw their breakfast over a hotel pool complex. You never know!

Until tomorrow!

Usual C. J. Airey Senior start to a holiday, with almost zero sleep. I swear it’s because Charlie is the Yang to my Hypnos Ying, with him able to sleep 14h a day! The closer our proximity the stronger the insomnia effect.

Benefits to it however, were:

1. I had a ‘Number 2’ & abluted for the first time here. Not unexpected in its own right, but the ‘clean up’ afterwards was from revolution to revelation! Skipping the toilet roll phase, I remained fully seated & used the right-hand tap.

After a minute of pressure-washing my ring and surrounding lowlands, 3 small sheets of bog roll, a drying dab or two and clean as a whistle!

Impossible for me to now understand how we don’t have this feature as standard in the UK!

2. I faintly heard the 5:30am Güneş Ezan (pre-sunrise prayer calls), which was quite relaxing actually, and a gentle reminder to be respectful of the people & their belief.

3. I got up, put some shorts on, went downstairs, out onto the big balcony (it’s big!), flopped into and across the big beanbags & dozed in the 24C dawn & watched the sun come up over the mountains.

Time passed. More time passed. The boss hadn’t doled out any TLira, so wasn’t sure it was worth an early trip to the local (mini)Market.

Instead, I donned the Speedos, then donned swim shorts, and given no-one else was up, so I couldn’t offend them, I headed down to “our pool”, which as I understand, has recently been upgraded to include a DJ booth, fridge, glass wash facilites & as I discovered, some of the loveliest beer mats.

Cool, but refreshing! Not the pool, the Baileys Birthday Cake liqueur that I had been encouraged to try. A teaspoon full was had, to be clear – it was only 8am, I’m not an animal you know! It really does do it’s job – it tastes of a Jammy Victoria sponge with icing on!

The pool happened to give off the same vibe though – a few strokes & I felt alive!

I then started reading a physical book, something I’ve not done in a while, with my last read being the very enjoyable Kindle version of The Twelfth Man, by the venerable Howard Hockin.

This physical book though…it’s been staring me down since Jane bought it me. ‘End to End’ by Paul Jones is a book about an ex-head teachers attempt on a Lands End to John O’Groats record attempt. 15 pages in, and it’s already punching mental buttons. I think I’m still suffering LEJOG-PTSD. See earlier blog posts from 2012, if you’re a real masochist for ‘holiday diaries’.

Finally Mrs A stirred, a full 5 hours after I first got up. Operation ‘Recon’ went into full pelt, leveraging off my 3 hours of googling info and geotagging all of our recommended bars & restaurants. If only I had a spreadsheet setup so I could plot average walk times, based on local altitude & temperature!

Jane & I had a really nice, albeit hot walk down the main Ataturk Cd. road, heading towards Hisarönü & Oludeniz. Immediately noticeable how friendly people are here. I know the shop staff have a job to do in terms of selling their services, but nothing pushy, and more just a welcoming smile and or wave.

One required stop was to see the very charismatic Mr Dongle, who explained he was sure that Jane would like to rent his black dongle whist on holiday. Unlimited data later for the next 13 days, and that’s Charlie & Jane now sorted whilst we’re out and about.

Once you get down into Hisarönü as the road splits, there’s puerile humour of sorts to be found in the shop names – Harrools, Mark Spengler, Adli, Sainsdurys or other such name twists.

This is where the grey/somewhat dodge clothing, shoes & bags can be bought. An area that Charlie will investigate further I suspect whilst we’re here. Pretty sure he’ll have his head turned by the BayRan sunglasses or the Air Gordon trainers…

At 3.6km of walking later and we succumbed to the heat, grabbing a Taksi back up to near the Apartment, and stopping off at the ÇEŞ Market just down the road. We took the lighter stuff, but they delivered the heavy stuff (water, “Orijinal Tat” Cokes etc) to our apartment later in the afternoon. All good!

Rest of the afternoon was spent by the spotlessly clean pool, sunbathing and cooling off. Repeat to fade.

Eventually, it was back inside, cool showers & freshen ups before we headed to the nearby Shiraz Restaurant for tea (& a beer).

[In advance of ordering, I’m expecting Charlie to find, then order the biggest, most expensive steak, then end up getting meat sweats and not finishing it, as a side bet].

Was great to be served by Suat, a friend of Gareth’s, who was incredibly welcoming. Charlie did pick a steak, but not the massive T-Bone, and did leave some of his chips, but in the main, did well.

Jane and I had mozzarella sticks and breaded crab claw to start, and both had the mixed (chicken & lamb) Turkish Shish kebabs. Bloody lovely!

A couple of Tuborg Golds, for me, and non-drinking Jane even had a (very strong) pink gin & tonic. Which led me to tell Charlie that the next thing you know, she’ll be impersonating ‘Tits Out Jackie’ from City.

Back to the apartment, sat on the balcony, with a slab of beer now installed in the fridge & cooling. The view at night from our main balcony, down towards Oludeniz is great!

I reckon after today, it’ll be another slow start, but with the aim of heading down to Olu for lunch, then a bit of time around the beach & Blue Lagoon, before eating out somewhere for tea. But who knows!

So for now, I bid you ‘İyi geceler’!