FETIHYE

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Well we have been very much looking forward to arriving in Fetihye, number one because we are here for three nights without having to change hotels and number two because our guide was leaving for a couple of days to visit his family. Don't get us wrong, he was a very nice man, however by this point he is starting to get on our nerves somewhat, and although we were looking forward to some time by ourselves it would have been nice if he had given us some more info about the local area rather than dumping us at the hotel reception. Oh well at least he left us with our driver, Suleyman, who although he could not speak much english he was the nicest guy we had met in Turkey so far. It was also Suleymans birthday when we arrived so we thought it was a great opportunity for us and the girls to take him out for tea and get to know him a bit better, he also enjoyed the extra english classes we were providing.

Fetihye turned out to be a lovely place with a very nice and comfortable town centre, and not as many tourists as we were expecting. The only downside was the hotel room which was miniture and only had windows that opened to the inside of the hotels atrium.

Our first full day in Fetihye was a 12 islands boat trip, similar to the one we went on in Paros. This was fantastic as the photos show, another full day of cruising, swimming, eating, and drinking. We arrived back in at 6pm with the expectation of catching the All Blacks at the local Irish Bar, however unfortunately they did not have right channels and we had to settle for a replay of the Warriors on Setanta. Now our next day out was fantastic as we had it all to ourselves. Unfortunately this means we have not got much to write about. We spent the day at the pool and at the shops (well Kelly did anyway, I found a tea garden and read while the girls shopped). One highlight of the day was our Desti Kebab, which is stew cooked in a sealed clay pot and cracked open at your table, a very delicious local experience.

Our first stop once leaving Fethiye was at a Greek ghost town called Karakoy. When the Ottoman Empire collapsed, Ataturk sent all the Greeks packing and for some reason the town was never inhabited again. Very wierd as I kept thinking it was such a waste of real estate. Anyway that was a short stop and then it was off to Saklikent Gorge. This was a very cool part of the journey. It is a 10 metre wide crevice that has contributaries to the river just spewing our of the rock. It looked idealic and we were dying to go for a swim, however the water was freezing. It is amazing how many different landscapes cover turkey, and this gorge was one of the truely wonderous. Unfortunately this was an unscheduled stop so we could not stay long. On our way out we stopped for side of the road pancakes. Just an old lady, some cushens and some metal over an open fire. very delicious and a very nice lunch before our drive to Antalya.

Our last stop for the day was the largest Caravanserai in Antalya. As previously described this is an anciant hotel of sorts where travellers would sell their wares and stay the night. Once we arrived in Antalya we were all pooped so we took advantage of a quiet night and even managed to get in a feed of Burger King. I know this sounds bad however I felt like some home comforts.

We had an early rise in Antalya and a long drive with only one stop along the way, Konya and the Mevlana Museum, founder and home of the world famour Whirling Dervishes (you know who they are, they guys spinning around in white skirts. This was very educational as it was interesting to learn that this form of Islam was banned/closed down by Ataturk as he tried to unite and modernize the nation. The museum has been converted from a form of monestary where young boys would come and learn the rituals of Mevlana.

Our guide also took us to a restaurant apparently famous for is meat dishes and a special way of cooking. Obviously this got us very excited, however were a little let down when we were served roast chicken with bread. We thought of telling him that we actually do have ovens and chicken in NZ but did not want to burst his bubble. That is all from Fethiye, now back to where it all started......... Cappadocia.

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Photos

Fetihye
On our 12 island boat trip.