Closing the circle in Turkey

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The mood of the trip is changing, are we road weary? The weather isn't helping and now we are in the touristic south we really do feel we have left the real Turkiye behind. The decision on our exit is weighing on our minds and we are now talking over the options again. Glen comments we change our mind more frequently than they do, not something we really relish but this is the most we have had to review our travel plans since we left Porlock so that can't be bad for travel during Covid times. Our final push takes us onwards to a meet up with my Cousin Susan, having already rearranged the date and destination we make a few stops at some of the more popular destinations along the coast.

Oludeniz is one of those iconic pictures you see on the British Tourist brochure's but they don't see it as we do?!! We arrive to biblical rain and are just about to head out and onto Fethiye when a restaurant manager waves us into a parking space... We're in and with these storms we're not moving, even if we are parked next to an open rain drain with gallons of water decending into its depths. The next morning for a short while we have sun and walk the bay with the crashing waves it all looks rather unloved for but in summer we wouldn't be here, far too busy for us! We have an English Breakfast in the restaurant, in way of thanks for their help. We are introduced to managers dogs' puppies, only just not a puppy herself she doesn't seem the most attentive mum. The manager is having to supplement their feeds and spending some 20tl (£1) per day on milk, doesn't sound much but his wages are 116tl (£6.25) per day! It will be 6 weeks before the rescue centre will take the puppies. We leave a tip and some money for the puppies milk.

Fethiye is a washout and we just sit tight waiting for the rains to pass before we move on. We find other resorts, one of which is Dalyan it is also water filled, and even taking a walk becomes impractical. It brightens up when we visit Gocek a marina town and by all the boating and boating attire shops an exclusive town. The marina is full of some magnificant and large boats and I imagine sailing around these bays would be quite something.

Our last and sunny stop on this coast in Akyaka and what a lovely little bay it is, it lacks the Marina so is therefore much quieter. Tables and chairs sit directly on the beach and the promenade runs around its perimeter with swimming platforms along its length. We have three nights before we meet my cousin in Kusadasi and we head to the Bodrum peninsular, we have a nice little beach park up in mind. Bodrum is of course busy and a much frequented tourist area, but the area beyond the big hotels is still quite remote and would have deserved some more exploration time, but it's not to be. We arrive at the beach to strong winds and almost abandon the spot but eventually manage to gain a bit of shelter and think we can stay the course. The next day the winds have died a little so we enjoy the quiet. Poppy gets a visit from one of the local dogs and she has a nice game with him, although being that much younger he doesn't seem to want to leave her alone. Aside from the lady who comes to feed the stray cats we are on our own.

Kiyikislacik (found this highly amusing as my maiden name is Slack) harbour was another great find with some lovely little eateries a few boats and a hill full of the remnants of yet another Roman town. Which from one of the notice boards we find tells us that the marble from here went towards building Constantinople.

Our time with Susan has been a long time coming and our meeting point is Ladies Beach at Kusadasi named such that this is where the ladies only, would come to enjoy the waters. A few Hotels are here and there's a nice prom with a few restaurants open at this time of year, so our four days here will give us the opportunity to reconnect. It's been many years since we saw each other, in fact only due to the power of facebook and another Cousin are we able to reconnect and even manage to talk to another Cousin now in New Zealand. Susan very kindly watches on us having access to a washing machine, we make the most of it.

A day out takes us to the Ancient city of Ephesus but not before visiting the House of the Virgin Mary according to Christian belief, Mary was brought to Ephesus by John the Baptist after the Resurrection of Christ. This is all based on the belief that after John came to Ephesus, and combined with the Biblical statement that Jesus consigned Mary to John's care, she lived out her final years here. Whether you believe this is or not, it has a feeling of peace and Susan and I light a candle for all those loved ones no longer with us. Ephesus is considered to be one of the most important Archeological sites in Turkey and from our visit perhaps one of the most rebuilt. It covers a vast area and has a huge amphitheatre which only shows the population of this important city. It was originally aside the Aegean sea but as that has recinded it is now some 8km Inland. Susan tells us there are plans to again bring the sea back to Ephesus. We wander and marvel at The Celcus Library restored back to its almost original splendour by some clever stone masons. Sadly for us it's renovations evident everywhere spoil it for us. Having visited some smaller and more natural sites those will remain more memorable to us than here. All too soon we drop Susan back to her home in Izmir and our thoughts are now fully focused on the where and how!

We know we have to get a PCR to cross into Greece, a PLF (Passenger Locator Form) which tells us we can't recross at Ipsala, we have to go to Erdine adding some 200+km to the trip. And the anxiety of then making a quick journey, quite doable across Greece, to get the ferry within the 72hr PCR window! But why! Italy is not open for tourists so we would have to be under the radar whilst touring and it will push us back into Northern Europe a month earlier than planned! There is now however alternative option, online it looks like you can get a booster in Greece by registering for a temporary AMKA (nhs number) and supposedly that will all be fulfilled in three weeks?!? After many hours of deliberation our decision is made and with an Airbnb booking for a month in the town of 'Nafpaktos' on the Southern coast we are halting the travel for the month of February!

We just have two more stop's to make the hospital for the PCR and The Gallipoli Peninsular. It is amazing that once your decision is made right or wrong everything starts to seem a lot easier. After a short stop at The Troy museum with its amazing relics from the archaeological site we make our last stop in Turkiye at Gallipoli in glorious weather. The Gallipoli campaign took place from the 17th of Feb 1915 to 9 Jan 1916. The entente powers of Britain, France and Russia sought to weaken the Ottoman Empire. It started as a naval campaign and failed when the allied warships couldn't force a way through the Dardanelles straight to Constantinople (now Istanbul) and also the Anzac Landings at was is now known as Anzac Bay were quickly contained by the Turks. Trench warfare quickly took hold at Gallipoli, mirroring the fighting of the Western Front. At Anzac Cove it was particularly intensive. Casualties in both locations mounted heavily and in the summer heat conditions rapidly deteriorated. Sickness was rampant, food quickly became inedible and there were vast swarms of black corpse flies. In August a new assault was launched north of Anzac Cove against the hills around Chunuk Bair. This attack, along with a fresh landing at Suvla Bay, quickly failed and stalemate returned. Finally, in December, it was decided to evacuate - first Anzac and Suvla, followed by Helles in January 1916. Like all World War I stories the conditions sounded horrendous and the museum shows photos of the time. The peninsula is now a beautiful homage to the 130,000 who bravely fought and fell in this war, and we do it justice and spend a thoughtful day amongst the beautiful monuments.

The following morning we arrive early at Kesan Hospital and quickly find the PCR testing area a bit of paper work, payment for the test 340tl (£18) and we're done. We are informed the results will be on line probably by 6pm so we spend the day doing some final shopping, as everything is so much cheaper here than in the EU, fill up with diesel and gas. We then check online, it's 4.30pm and the results are back! We quickly decide we have enough daylight hours, as the border is only 45m away and yes we are going for Ipsala as a phonecall has assured us we can get cross there. We dash back to the to get our paper versions of the pass, as we really don't know what they will accept?!? The drive to the Border is quiet, it's now 5.30pm and not one car or the usual long trail of trucks is evident, is it even open? As we approach the barrier raises and we are making our way, we receive our Turkish exit stamp and at the Greece side we are swiftly through 10 mins max, so easy it makes us laugh out loud. Within 45 minutes we are back at Alexandroupli and a beach park we used on the way through I cannot tell you the relief we felt. It's clean there are no dogs and the anxiety just seems to wash away, as decisions go this maybe one of the best of the trip!

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