Akbuk

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Akbük, a small town along the Turkish Turquoise Coast. Stewart was delighted by having a bathroom in which he could sit on the toilet, brush his teeth, shower and watch the boardwalk's goings on through a small window without having to move (giving new meaning to "cute and cozy"), but the "crowded rat syndrome" was a bit much for me so we packed our suitcases and moved to a fabulous hotel where the endless pool seemed to flow into the sea. Our difficult decisions over our five days there have been whether to swim in the pool, the Aegean, or both. Stewart has partaken in a number of rousing backgammon games with locals of all ages and genders - winning most of them, thanks to his Peace Corp days mastering his game! We took a day to cruise and swim in parts of the beautiful Turquoise coast where, upon returning to port, the captain of the ship began playing some rousing music and all of the passengers stood on the deck singing passionately what we later found out was the Taxim Square anthem. Later that same afternoon, as tiny birds flitted above us in the pool, their white feathered bellies becoming deep aqua as they reflected the turquoise waters, our hotel proprietress also changed from her Frank Sinatra, UB40 and Gotan Project mix to the Taxim anthem. Everyone who had been lounging and swimming immediately shot to their feet, threw their fists in the air and again sang boldly in solidarity with the growing movement of protestors, before shouting "Taxim! Taxim! Taxim!" It feels like the good old days of marches and protests in San Francisco!

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