I started today with a nip back down to the corner shop to buy fresh bread. (We bough 15l of drinking water after being dropped off by the Taxsi, last night).
The fresh bread here is superb. We used to go camping in the Dordogne, and the pain & baguettes delivered each morning were lovely, but imho, this bread is better.
Breakfast done, it was decision time. Two factors influencing our next move:
1. The water had gone off again in the early hours, but at least we were pretty well stocked up – the “if the water bottle doesn’t have a label on it, then assume it’s grey water and not drinkable” rules came back in force.
2. The most important factor – at midday, it was 43°C in the shade.
Decision made. We do nothing until mid afternoon. However, I struggled with doing nothing, so headed down to the pool where I came up with the best plan.
I got a towel, put the thin edge up to the ‘dry side’ of the pool grate. Put my phone, suncream and earbuds on the towel, then folded it back so that the majority was on the wet side of the grate. I then got in the water, wearing sunglasses & wide brimmed hat, dunked the hat thoroughly, before donning it, and then rested chin & arms on the side of the pool, with arms & shoulders fully covered by a cool, damp towel. I fell asleep it was that good!
At around 3:15, I towelled down and headed upstairs, with the plan being to try the Dolmus (bus) down into Fethiye, and then get a water Taxi to Çalis Beach. I issued a 15 minute “it’s bus, boat, beer and scran evening. Be there, or stay” to Lurchio. He appeared as we were about to leave.
Arriving at the bus stop it only took a couple of minutes to jump on a Fethiye-bound bus…
“Ne kadar tutuyor? Uç?”, I asked (“How much? Three.” I think!). He laughed, and said “Sixty”. I’d like to think he appreciated my attempt, but I’m not sure. “Tash, curl a header in!”, I said as we got off. He laughed again, this time I’m sure sarcastically, but that could be my paranoia.
We wandered from the ‘Fethiye last Stop’ (where I’m hoping we get to change and head up to Saklikent Gorge one day), and meandered through the Old Town, along ‘Umbrella Street’, buying some bracelets for Lurchios mates ‘friend that is a girl but not a girlfriend’ and then headed seaward.
Reaching the harbour, we caught the 5:30pm Water taxi across to Çalis Beach, despite Lurchios protestations. On the way, I spotted a seal and a few jumping fish, leaping out of the sea. No turtles as yet though.
It’s about a half hour trip, pontoon to pontoon. And a very nice one! At the Çalis end, you meander up an estuary to the dock, with lots of birds (and when dusk, bats) to spot.
We had a meander down the beach front, looking for somewhere to eat but Lurchios monstrous appetite seemed to have left him somewhere on the water for now.
I’m with the potential minority. Çalis…it’s not “ugh”, it’s not “amazing”, it’s not even “meh”, but it’s “ok”. I get why folk go and I’m glad we have, but that’s all. Nice beach. Seems quieter than Olu probably would be, but that’s a guess.
Strangely, he was able to force down two bottles of Corona with lime, at the bar we stopped at. Must be the lime that settled his stomach, I’m guessing.
About now, I had an Amazon Delivery alert. Special shout out to my wonderful neighbourino who put away my “special shoes”. Oh, and her hubby who changed the battery on our lounge PIR. Which, for those that know of our “lounge” must have been a feat of free-climbing! Amazed he survived!
After that, Jane & I fancied some food, so irrespective of Lurchio Pugwash’s scurvy-ridden sea legs, we called in at a neighbouring seafront “Traditional Turkish” restaurant. The food was really good & lived up to the ‘traditional’ label as well.
Plenty hummus & bread, with a Turkish version of a mint raita and I had the vegetarian snails again (sautéed mushrooms), before Jane & I ordering the chicken “sheshlich” (Shish kebabs).
And Pugwash’s appetite stretched to ordering one of the more expensive things on the menu, the lamb, eating the meat, and leaving the rest. I won’t stoop to emojis, but you can imagine which one I’d have chosen.
As well as the searing heat even at sunset, there also seemed to be a big slice of karma floating around, which landed on Lurchio, as he was informed we were now getting on a water taxi back to Fethiye Harbour.
No emojis, no gifs, but the gif would be the “Kevin & Perry” Kevin gif when his parents told him anything he didn’t want to hear – you know…the head thrown back dramatically with choreographed slump of the shoulders. That one.
We got the 8:30pm back, which docked at Fethiye at 9pm. The next decision was easy. Go home & drag misery-guts with us.
On the Dolmus (60TLR for 3 again) out of Fethiye Centre, and at 9:30pm, the bus stops were showing that it’s 36°C. And sticky hot.
We hopped off at the bottom of our road, nipped in the corner shop for some actual Lurpak (only Allah knows how much that cost us, thankfully), some soft drinks and a couple of harder, cool ones.
Back at the apartment, I headed straight to the pool, wrote most of this guff and supped a beer, all whilst dangling in the pool. Don’t ask what was dangling. Just be aware we are not overlooked.
Cooled, I headed back upstairs, wrote the paragraph after this one and then called it a night.
Probably a slow one (no change there then) tomorrow, as it’s peaking at over 45°C apparently!
Scorchio, scorchio!
Peace & love, folks
Chris
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