Last Day in Turkey

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Dawn was at 4.48am this morning. I know this because I was wide awake to hear the first call to prayer broadcast this morning. For the last fortnight I have been blissfully unaware of the dawn call to prayer and I have slept right through it. Who knew that it set of a cacophony of roosters crowing and dogs barking that seemingly went on for hours?! Maybe I was awake due to the amount of alcohol still coursing through my veins, but then again, perhaps it was the amount of caffeine from three çais??? I am so going to do 'Dry July' to detox when I get home!

Today we were in limbo for most of the day, just trying to fill in time until our flight back to Manchester late this evening. After breakfast Kath and Albert headed into Bodrum to buy a few bits and pieces. We re-packed our bags and then moved them to Kath and Albert's room. On their way to breakfast they negotiated a late check-out for their room. We agreed to pay them half the cost as it really didn't seem necessary to hold on to two rooms until later this afternoon.

With our luggage secured in Kath and Albert's room, we went to reception to hand our key in and settle up the account for the Teppanyaki meal on Friday night. With nothing else left to do we went and settled in on the sun beds by the pool!! About 1.15pm we went around to the Turkish pancake snack bar - I have belatedly discovered it is called Gözleme House - and had a gözleme each to keep us going until 4.30pm when we went to eat an early dinner at the Beach Snack Bar. So much eating, so little activity!!

After our early meal, we headed up to the Panorama Bar to spend what time we had left enjoying the view over the pool to the Aegean Sea!! Our stay at the Voyage Torba has been excellent. Apart from having to wear the horrible green, plastic wristband for two weeks (to prove that we were entitled to unlimited access to food and drink), the only downside to our stay at the Voyage Torba would have to be the truly awful muzak in the main dining room. I hope that it is a long, long time before I hear any more pan pipe renditions of popular tunes!! Honestly, there were a couple of mornings when I was in the middle of breakfast when the pan pipe version of 'Greensleeves' or 'Killing Me Softly' started playing that I almost ran, screaming from the building.

The minibus for our airport transfer arrived slightly early at 7.15pm and delivered us to the airport by 7.55pm. Then it was the endless tedium that must be endured before boarding a flight. First we had to stand in a queue waiting to be security screened before we could even enter the airport proper and check-in. This evening's quirky requirement was that I had to remove my watch and put it in the plastic tub before I could walk through the X-ray machine. I've never had to take my watch off before!! After subjecting Bernie's camera bag to intense scrutiny (and his body to a pat down) we were OK to proceed to the queue at the check-in counter.

At the check-in counter the conveyor belt was playing up so it took (at least) twice as long as it should have for the bags to disappear on their way to the plane. This must be a bit of a teething problem as the airport looks brand new?? Eventually, no longer weighed down with our luggage, we headed for the passport control queue ... which was blessedly short.

Stamped passports in hand, we headed next to the security screening queue. What the? Didn't we already do that to get into the airport??! As may be, we had to put our carry on bags, electronic equipment, belts (and watches!) into the plastic tubs to be screened ... again and we walked through the X-ray machine ... again. After Berne was patted down ... again and his camera bag was subjected to even more intense scrutiny we were finally cleared to fly!!

After a bit more sitting around waiting at the gate lounge we eventually boarded the plane which took off just a little late at about 10.15pm for a smooth and uneventful flight to Manchester Airport.

After clearing immigration before Kath and Albert - there was no-one else at the non-EU passport queue! - we headed downstairs to collect our luggage. At the baggage carousel we were quickly reunited with three of our four bags and then the carousel stopped. What? Where are the rest of the bags??? So, we waited and we waited for the carousel to re-start and spit out Albert's bag. Eventually, Kath asked us to go through to let Colin know what was causing the delay.

Finally, Albert's bag was given up by the baggage handlers and Kath and Albert joined us out past the customs doors. A traffic-free, midnight run back to Stalybridge and to bed ... just marginally earlier than last night going by GMT, but even later than last night if still on Turkish time?? Just as well we managed a bit of sleep on the plane!

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