I could easily have stayed in bed all day on Saturday 9th April. I had overdone things yesterday and was begging for mercy but I had arranged to take my visiting friends to the market. I couldn’t stomach any breakfast and Kate had already fed the cats before I got out of bed. What I didn’t realise is that Casha had not been home yet. After helping put the bike together in the kitchen and 2 cups of Yorkshire tea, I got a lift from Mark. He dropped me at Jiks where Louisa and family were waiting in the sunny garden at the back. Jiks is always busy on a Saturday so they had to wait for drinks then we finally set off to the market. On the way there, Louisa filled me in on any gaps in my memory from last night’s shenanigans. It was going to be a long day and my hangover wasn’t helping. At the market I bought some strawberries which had gone down to 35 lira (£1.82) then we had a bit of a wander around the other stalls. My friends tried, and bought, a few sweet treats and had a browse for a sun hat. This was the first week I’d seen the market back to it’s full compliment of stalls, including Musti, one of my favourites. We both bought a purse as I’ve been after one for ages, mine was a Hermes and Louisa wasn’t sure at first. She went back to get the one she liked after we all had a pancake. The purses were great value for around £20 each and my old purse needed replacing. I knew the pancake would give me a dodgy stomach so I only ate a bit then took the rest as a takeaway. After the market we all walked through town and to Rehab bar where the pool gang were playing. Linda and Louisa were still in pursuit of a lamb shish for dinner so I messaged Donny at Heybe’s to check if they had some available that night. When I arrived everyone was already seated with a drink and I apologised for both my hungover state today and our drunkenness last night. I ordered İskender kebab, Alex chose a pizza, Louisa had the lamb shish but Linda decided to go with a lamb tandır. Before the food came I got a message from Kate to say that her favourite cat, Casha, still hadn’t come home and she was very worried. She’d looked everywhere, had called her but there was no sign. I enjoyed my food but had to take half home and Alex loved his pizza. Linda said her’s was nice too but had expected it might come on skewers, like the lamb shish did. While we were at Heybe’s there was a power cut so our Algerian waitress told us a ghost story of the mountain with no name. It had been a long day and I vowed not to drink that much again! I was so happy to be back home and in my own bed tonight, for a change!
We had another lovely day planned on Friday 8th April. Vanessa and Matt had arranged a boat trip with their family and asked if I would like to join them. Because my friends were visiting I had added all 4 of us on and it would be a Sheffield boat trip with Turgay. I didn’t bother with breakfast but the cats had all been fed and Casha was having morning snuggles by 8am. Vanessa and family had arranged to pick up Louisa and family on the way, but I would get picked up from Mark and Kate’s jetty. I couldn’t find my sunglasses so I borrowed a pair of Kate’s (after checking it was ok to do so). All the cats were out for the day for the last time as Mark and Kate would be returning later, and I went to wait for Turgay’s boat. I managed to get some video and photos of the boat arriving before I got on board to greet everyone. It was a sunny day and I hoped the sea would be warm enough for a swim. Not only did we go to Ekincik Bay and the beach but, later in the afternoon, we went to the mud baths where we all got in the thermal swimming pool. Jason let me have a go at twirling his stick which he can do all sorts of tricks with and it took me back to my youth, when I was in the majorettes. The boat trip was a great success, the food was lovely and everyone enjoyed themselves. There’s always someone who has to overdo things and, of course, that would be me.
When we got back I fed the cats but Casha didn’t come to eat her food. I popped the dish in the microwave so that the others didn’t eat it. I waited for Mark and Kate to arrive, they had landed but were not home by the time Louisa, Linda and Alex were in Lukka, ready for the music bingo night. When they got home I was already quite sloshed, Mark had been drinking on the plane but Kate categorically stated that she did not want to go out. With their massive amount of luggage strewn all over the house, we got a taxi and went to Lukka bar. I completely forgot to eat, Louisa and her family had already had their meals, Turgay was there and the bingo had started. The music bingo was a good laugh and Linda even won a prize from Maizie Moo. We preceded to drink too much and, instead of me going home, Kate insisted I go back to their’s for more drinking. She did try to invite Louisa too but she was having none of it.
I’d took the liberty of booking appointments at BC Spa on Thursday 7th April. It’s always nice for the first day of the holiday to get a Turkish hamam where they scrub you down. I’d booked Louisa, Linda and Alex in for the Classic package while I had decided to book in for waxing. I’d opted for 10.30am as I thought that my friends might need a bit of a lay in on their first full day in Dalyan. I had been greeted by the kittens knocking off and smashing a small bowl as I came out of my bedroom this morning. I put it on the side and took a photo to show Kate in case it was important, or she wanted to fix or replace it. I cycled over to Captain Caveman’s apartment on Kate’s whizzy electric bicycle and parked it up inside the complex. When we got to the spa the owner was pleased to see us and she even gave me a hug. We each got ready and she said to me that I would also have the classic package because it would be better for my skin for the waxing. Our first experience was the steam room, the sauna was not working so we spent quite a while in the steam room which was nice. There was just the 4 of us there and the hamam ladies came to get 2 of us. I offered to go with Alex so that Louisa and Linda could go together but it’s just as well that I didn’t. When it was my turn to go in with Louisa we realised it was a naked one. We did have a chuckle at that, as Alex and Linda didn’t mention that to us when they went first. It felt great but I really had to tell her to stop when she touched my sunburned belly. After steaming, scrubbing and a mud face mask we had a lovely back massage and I fell asleep. Next I had the thrilling experience of having a leg and bikini wax while wearing a rather tight, and still wet, swimming costume. The lady didn’t want me to remove it but I’d already got it half way down. Embarrassingly, she had to stand and wait while I had the awkward situation of trying to get back in to a wet swimsuit. I then had to endure a wedgie and pull my cozzie to the sides while stretching the skin on my thighs – it was thorough but rather more participation that I had imagined. When we came out of the changing rooms I noticed I had lost Mark and Kate’s house keys. I couldn’t think where I had left them but in the morning I had been to several places on my way to meet for the spa, all of which didn’t have my keys. We decided on Okyanus for lunch, which is near to BC Spa and on the way back to mine. We had a nice sunny table by the river and ordered food and drinks as we were all hungry. Louisa and I left Linda and Alex to pop our bags back home, get a hoodie for when the sun went in and I could check for Mark and Kate’s house keys. The keys were still missing and I could now only hope that I had managed to leave them in their house when I left. I had a cherry juice and a chicken wrap for lunch but then decided I would cycle back to try to locate the keys. This was my first ‘issue’ in the house sitting stint and they were due home tomorrow!
As I approached the door to Mark and Kate’s house, I really hoped that my keys would be there. Luckily, I had been able to get the emergency key so that I could still access the house. I was so relieved to see they were on the dining table, I’d obviously forgot them that morning when I was rushing to go out. I fed the cats early and went back to town again because I’d arranged to meet Louisa, Linda and Alex at the Rum Bar at 6pm for pre-dinner cocktails. I was the first to arrive, surprisingly I was 5 minutes early, so I ordered a Pina Colada cocktail while I waited. I also found the yoga class timetable for Linda who had mentioned she might like to do some while she was here. Linda is more of a morning person than Louisa and likes to have something to do so I thought it might be a nice idea. My friends arrived a bit later, by which time I was ready for my second cocktail which was a Hurricane, Louisa had a Mermaid Water, Linda a G&T, and Alex a Strawberry Kiss (mocktail). For dinner that evening we had decided to go to Kebapçı Yusuf because I’d said that my mom loves the lamb there. I ordered meatballs for my meal, but the lamb shish that the others wanted wasn’t available. Of course they were disappointed but instead, Linda had the lamb chops, Louisa a chicken shish and Alex just had Lahmacun as a main course. Lahmacun is a round, thin piece of dough topped with minced meat, minced vegetables, and herbs including onions, garlic, tomatoes, red peppers, and parsley, flavoured with spices such as chillies and paprika, then baked. The food was nice and we ended up having a dessert; I had künefe which is made with string pastry (shredded wheat or kadayıf) soaked in sweet sugar syrup and creamy, unsalted goat’s cheese inside. Mostly popular in the Arab world, the Turkish version hails from Hatay, a region that borders Syria. My friends shared a Katmer which is also known as ‘Groom Katmer,’ the groom’s father would send a helping of katmer to the house of the newlyweds and the bride’s father on the first morning of the wedding. Although it’s known to be prepared in a similar manner to a börek or baklava, this pastry is made via the lamination of the dough. It has that same flaky, buttery feel of a croissant but far sweeter and with a pistachio coat. It was a good evening and I got my taxi back ‘home’ around 11pm. Tomorrow marked the end of my cat sitting 10 days as Mark and Kate were due back, as long as the flight still went ahead. Due to staff shortages lots of flights from the UK were being cancelled so I was already on standby to stay longer if needed. This was no problem for me as Captain Caveman had a friend staying at his apartment and it would be doing me a favour too.
I fed all the cats and checked that last night’s Manchester to Dalaman flight had landed on Wednesday 6th April. Although it had been delayed slightly, I worked out that my friends from Sheffield would have arrived at about 3am. My friend Louisa and her mom, Linda, who I had been on holiday with several times before, were visiting Dalyan for a week. I was really excited as I’d not been able to see them at Christmas due to the Corona virus and it was 2018 when I last saw them. Louisa’s nephew, Alex, would be joining us on this first trip to Dalyan so I hoped there would be enough for them to do to keep a teenager entertained. I cycled over to Captain Caveman’s apartment where I had my breakfast, a Turkish bread with jam which I bought at Merhaba cafe yesterday. At 11.15 Louisa had messaged to say she had arrived, they were shattered and had been cold in the night. I’d arranged to meet them at Lukka bar after my Turkish class but the lesson was cancelled. Instead, I waited in Lukka with a cider for the 3 of them to join me. It was great to see Louisa, Linda and Alex and they were lucky to have got nice weather as we sat out at Lukka and ordered food. Linda and Alex ordered breakfast meals, Louisa a crispy chicken dish and I had a chicken caesar salad. All the food was very nice but Linda didn’t have a big enough appetite to eat the chips which came with her sausage, bacon and egg sandwich. After lunch we went for a short walk around Dalyan so I could show my friends where the essential places were; the bank, pharmacy, supermarkets, bakery, my favourite bars and restaurants. I pointed out a few key places then we ended up at Tez bar for an afternoon drink before I had to get back to Mark and Kate’s to feed the cats and water the plants.
That evening I had organised for us to go for a Chinese meal at China Town and had invited some friends to join us. I got a taxi in to town and was outside the restaurant just before the arranged meeting time of 7.30pm. Andrea was the first to arrive and had come without her husband who was suffering with a cold at home. We waited outside for a bit but then decided to go in to wait as the mosquitos were starting to come out. Andrea and I sat opposite each other at the end of the table, away from the window, to allow my friends to sit next to the window where there was a view of the river. Sarah was the next to arrive and sat next to me. By the time Louisa, Linda and Alex arrived it was too dark to see the view anyway so it didn’t really matter about the seating. I shared a special fried rice with Andrea, ordered sweet and sour chicken and prawn toast. Andrea ordered a chicken dish, Linda opted for Szechuan chicken, Louisa got introduced to half portion ordering by Sarah. I enjoyed my food and took some home, it was a nice first evening and Andrea was giving some ideas of things Linda and Alex might like to do while they are here. It was a long day and I was certainly ready for bed – we had a very chilled day planned for tomorrow.
Tuesday 5th April was the day I got my 5th Corona vaccine! I got up, fed the cats, had buttered toast for breakfast then cycled to the doctor’s. It was good to be able to cycle all the way there on the new road and without having to walk on a building site. I had to wait only 5 minutes and I was done. My first 2 vaccines were in Vietnam but were over 7 months ago so no longer valid for returning to Vietnam. My next 2 vaccines were in Turkey 6 and 5 months ago so I hoped that this booster would enable me to travel to Vietnam. It was possible that I may even need to have had another one to be able to go to another country outside of Vietnam so I was taking no chances. I managed today’s Worldle game in one guess and went back to Captain Caveman’s to check on things. That afternoon I cycled to Singing group and ordered a kiwi cheesecake for lunch. It was a small gathering today and I was hoping to pick some good songs to sing. Unfortunately, the group were not all as happy with my ambitious choices. ‘Labelled with Love’ by Squeeze was more difficult than I bargained for and when I chose ‘Hotel California’ people weren’t as excited as I hoped. By the time my last requested song of ‘House of the Rising Sun’ was underway I thought some members weren’t too pleased with my song choices. At one point Richard started playing ‘Losing my Religion’ by REM and I sang along a bit as I’m a fan of it. We didn’t sing much of it, though, because the protocol for a new song submission had not been followed – maybe next week! At 4pm I cycled over to Captain Caveman’s apartment, parked up the bicycle and walked to meet Ann at River House. When I arrived she was sat on a bench outside the restaurant, waiting for me. We ate complimentary mezes, Ann ordered the halloumi chicken and I had a chicken shish. I had a beer, she had a wine and we chatted about her forthcoming trip to see her daughter in England. The meal was very nice and we were full when we got given complimentary cake. I was home in time for cat feeding and was still not feeling any side effects of the vaccine, compared to what I had done on the previous 4. By 8pm the Life fits into Home app was updated with my booster vaccine information. I was feeling sleepy, my friends were on their flight from Manchester to Dalaman and I was excited to be seeing them tomorrow after several years apart.
After feeding the cats on Sunday 3rd April I got back in bed, Casha came for her usual snuggles. I was pleased that we were half way through my stay and I had not had to resort to wearing Kate’s dressing gown. It was another hot sunny day but I was going to have to stay indoors today. My stomach, which now resembled a badly cooked roast pork joint, was very painful. I’d had suncream on but it must have sweated off because this was the first time I’d burnt my stomach like this. I just had toast for breakfast and wasn’t feeling hungry. When Kate messaged to ask how the cats were I had to ask if she had anything more industrial for severe sunburn and a search for tea tree cream began. After all of the cats went out to play I decided to do some washing, then clean and tidy the living area of the house. I was finding that my eczema was flaring up a bit due to the cat hair. For lunch I had a sandwich but I still didn’t feel very hungry. In the afternoon a Casha imposter almost fooled me in to letting it in to the house but Kylie noticed and saw the cat off. We had a bit of fun on the shaded terrace with a cat toy. Kylie started playing then Squeak joined in, it became a ‘winner stays on’ game while JC took the umpire role. When I left them to it, to start doing the hoovering, they managed to break the toy to get the balls out. By the end of the day the living room, kitchen and dining area looked spick and span, all the washing was done and most of it dry already. I was tired, my belly was still sore but the tea tree cream had started to help. I had red wine and chocolate for dinner before planning for when my friends arrived in a few days. The weather forecast was looking good and I hoped they would enjoy their first visit to Dalyan.
After tea and toast for breakfast on Monday 4th April I had a walk to the jetty with JC and Kylie. I logged on to my laptop and was ready for a productive day. The news reported of mass testing in China as conditions got out of hand again with Corona, more here: https://tuoitrenews.vn/news/international/20220404/china-sends-military-doctors-to-shanghai-to-test-26-million-residents-for-covid/66468.html I was constantly checking on how the virus status was in Vietnam because I intended to go there in a month or two. The Vietnamese news said there was still no Omicron XE in Vietnam, more here: https://tuoitrenews.vn/news/society/20220404/vietnam-yet-to-record-new-omicron-variant-xe-health-ministry/66474.html Casha, the cat, had been out all night but came home mid morning for a delayed breakfast and to teach the kittens how to drink from the dirty pool. By 3pm, my laptop was away, I was on a sun lounger, but with skin covered, having a cold beer. By 4pm the cats wanted attention and joined me. Kylie was on the top of the sex swing, Squeak was on my sunbed, then JC tried to get on too.
That evening I was invited out with Vanessa, Matt and their neighbour, Tracey, to LeyLey restaurant. They had hired a car for when family visited this week and so a run out was a great idea. It was mine and Tracey’s first visit to LeyLey and it didn’t disappoint. I really enjoyed the bread, stuffed mushrooms and chicken shish with a red wine. The setting is really lovely and we had a walk around the place. I had a lovely time and would definitely go again. I had an early night ready for the rest of what would be a busy week.
Having consumed a massive amount of calories in the previous week, it was good to see the scales had been kind to me on Friday 1st April. I had lost 1kg, I still had to lose at least 3kg but I had friends and family visiting this month so I wasn’t optimistic. My legs were back to having 1cm difference in the good and bad legs again, but I wasn’t sure why. I didn’t bother with breakfast because I needed to get the cats fed and do some work before my lunch appointment. I had said I would meet Vanessa and Matt in town. When I arrived Vanessa and Matt’s bikes were outside Rehab bar but it was closed, so I walked over to meet them at nearby Rodrigo bar. They were sat on a building site, Matt with a beer and Vanessa with a soft drink. I had a coke and a few of their nibbles before Vanessa and I decided to go for some lunch. Matt had got word from the pool fellas that they had an alternative venue and he would move my (Kate’s) bicycle for me. A couple of concrete lorries had arrived on bar street so we were concerned the bikes may get stuck in. Vanessa and I decided to eat at River House, where she had a burger and chips and I had a Turkish sausage pide. The food was nice and we enjoyed sitting in the sun before walking back to Rehab to collect our bikes, pop to Migros for a few provisions then cycle to Mark and Kate’s for a bit of relaxing. We had a lovely afternoon chatting and we had intended to have a bubble bath as Mark and Kate have 2 jacuzzi baths. We had a few wines and a sandwich but the night ended with a power cut. It was the whole area, not just the house and we were lucky that Kate had lots of strategically placed tea-lights about the place. Vanessa and I moved outside by the pool with our drinks and sat ‘romantically’ in the candlelight. It wasn’t too long before we realised we were pretty tired and were going to have an early night!
When I woke up on Saturday 2nd April, it was before my alarm to feed the cats. Vanessa was fast asleep and snoring so I crept out of bed to check on the pets. All were pleased to see me and couldn’t wait to get some food. When Vanessa got up she decided to make us some toast and because the toaster burned all of the slices she put in, I thought we might need a new toaster. I was on the phone to Captain Caveman who was out of the cave but going straight back in again and was doing a lot of tours without breaks. I had burnt toast and a croissant for my breakfast with a Yorkshire tea then we decided to sit by the pool and enjoy the sunshine. I put on factor 50 suncream and we lay on the sunbeds for quite a while. We sat chatting for hours and then decided a wine would be a good idea. When we eventually got to Rehab bar to join the pool group we were a little bit sunburned. We sat outside with Tayfur, who ordered us a pide from Pamukkale restaurant, and we met some nice Dutch people. We ate our lunch, which came with a mixed salad and pomegranate sauce – it was very nice. I cycled home at a reasonable hour, after just a couple of shandies, so that I could feed the cats and water the plants. My sunburn was really bad so I slathered moisturiser on my stomach and ordered a taxi with Fikri. I’d invited Ann, Penny, Phil, Sarah, Rach and Vanessa to River Terrace for dinner at 7.30pm with live music. Unfortunately Penny and Phil had declined, with them having plans to go to Fethiye early the next morning. Sarah was unsure if she would make it as she had to work this weekend. I got there early and was surprised to see that Penny and Phil were there, but they weren’t stopping. Vanessa arrived on time and it was filling up nicely. By 7.45pm there was still no sign of Ann or Rach and a big group had just arrived so Vanessa and I ordered food. On Penny’s recommendation we both went for the Carbonara, Ann and Rach arrived and they ordered but were told there would be a wait for food. Vanessa and I had eaten our food by the time Ann got her casserole and Rach her burger. Vanessa and I also started to feel like we may have sunstroke and my belly was very burnt. I finished off Vanessa’s carbonara and had chocolate brownie with ice-cream for afters. Rach had a lovely cheesecake which I tried a bit of. Penny and Phil were still there when we all left around 10pm and the band were still playing some good songs. It was clear that Vanessa and I had overdone the sun and the boozing so we were glad to be going home. On the way out I bumped in to friends who asked how I was getting on with the house sitting. I told them I’d enjoyed the sex swing and was pleased that all plants and cats were still alive thus far. Tonight was the 5th night of Mark and Kate being away so half way through, hopefully things would continue to go well.
My alarm went off at 7am on Wednesday 30th March as it was time to feed the cats. By 8am I had fed all 5, completed Wordle (1&2), Quordle, Worldle, and Nerdle and got ready to go in to town. I was going to be using Kate’s electric bicycle to whizz about on and so I got it out ready. Casha, the oldest cat, came and had some snuggles while the other 4 played outside. At Turkish class we did a more chatty exercise before I went for lunch at Okyanus with Vanessa. I had a lovely chicken wrap and Vanessa had a tuna sandwich, it was good value for money. While Vanessa went to join Matt at Retro bar for pool, I caught up with Ann, Andy, Jo, Angela, Nick and a lady called Irena by the river, in the sun. After, we all ended up at Retro bar and had a good time joining the pool fellas. Chris has the same bike as Kate so was able to tell me how to work the gears. Julie and Gareth were there but, sadly, they were leaving Turkey tomorrow. I stuck to drinking Efes in moderation as I was cycling, we were also told, by the owner of the bar, that prices of drinks were increasing from April. Most people were staying out but Ann and I were sensible as we had pets to feed. I cycled home, sorted out the 5 cats, watered the plants and started watching ‘Pieces of Her’ on Netflix. I ate leftover chicken fried rice and then had cheese on toast for dinner.
I was awake early with my alarm to feed the cats on Thursday 31st March, after which Casha came back to bed with me. She slept for ages on the blanket at the end of the bed as I had buttered toast for breakfast. Unfortunately, the kettle wasn’t working so I didn’t make a cup of tea. I set up my laptop in one of the spare rooms which had a desk and chair – I was looking forward to having a day at my new home. For lunch I made egg fried rice with sucuk (Turkish sausage) and I popped a Bolognese in the slow cooker, making plenty to keep some in the fridge. I spoke to Captain Caveman and we planned for me to go to Vietnam after the end of May. My mate, Des, who I knew from him working at Momma D’s in Phong Nha, was coming to Dalyan to visit for a month at the end of April which was very exciting. I spoke to my Dad, who’s birthday it was, and I even sang. My parents thought it was hilarious that I was becoming a crazy cat lady just to help out my friends. In the afternoon I had a walk down to the jetty with a glass of wine to admire the view. That evening, after feeding the cats and watering the plants, I had pasta bolognese, a couple of glasses of red wine and some cheese and crackers. I fell asleep watching more of ‘Pieces of Her’ on Netflix.
I was surprised I was able to get anything constructive done on Monday 28th March but, surprisingly, I managed to function after last night’s drunken shenanigans. There was quite a lot of cleaning up to do which I did in stages with lots of breaks in between. I had a cheese sandwich, 2 glasses of sprite and half a packet of biscuits for breakfast before pushing on with a busy work schedule. I had Baba Ghanoush on bread for lunch and Vanessa came over that evening to finish off our Turkish homework. She managed to drink wine but I could hardly bare to pour her a glass. I managed to pack up some more stuff to take over to Mark and Kate’s tomorrow for my 10 nights of house and cat sitting. The hangover lasted all day but I had leftover curry with freshly steamed rice for dinner then went to bed super early – I was broken!
Tuesday 29th March started with a breakfast of cheese and quinoa crackers. I spent the morning on my laptop and was expecting a message from Kate to tell me what time to get to their’s to commence my house and cat sitting. It was a warm day and I’d emptied my fridge of perishables to take with me, as well as taking the leftover wine. I arrived at Mark and Kate’s just after 2.30pm by taxi, which cost just 35 lira (£1.82) for a 10 minute journey. They use Fikri, a local fella who is very nice and reliable. He was aware I was moving in and said if I needed anything to give him a call. When I arrived, I was surprised to find that the fridges and freezers were so fully stocked that I would struggle to fit anything of mine in and so I left Mark trying to cram stuff in for me. Kate ran me through a few last minute plant watering tips and presented me with a written list of tasks and helpful info. A delivery of booze came and I helped Mark carry it in to the house – there was already a lot of wine and beer for me to help myself to. They both grabbed a beer, I had a white wine and we walked down to the jetty for one last drink together before their taxi came. Mark had cleaned the barnacles from the ladders in to the river in case I wanted to swim, my room had been tidied and had a new electric bicycle in it. Kate picked some lemons as I said I would make some limoncello while they were away. She and I fed the cats together so that I could have a run through what to do; the oldest one gets fed indoors, by herself, while the other 4 eat together outside. We all said bye when Fikri arrived to go to the airport, with plans for them to return on 8th April. I had a top up of wine and saw that in Vietnam the intra-ASEAN travel restrictions had been updated. I’d be able to go between Vietnam and Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. This was good news as I had just received a response from the embassy to say they were no longer granting 90 day visas for tourist entry to Vietnam so I would only be able to get a 30 day online visa, initially anyway. Also in the news China was not looking good, as Shanghai went in to lockdown, more here: https://tuoitrenews.vn/news/international/20220329/shanghai-locks-down-as-covid-surges-in-china-s-financial-hub/66385.html I went outside with more wine and had to fight most of the cats for a position on the sex swing. I spoke to my parents who were back from their celebration weekend away and we chatted about that. It turned out I didn’t have to submit my passport anywhere and I could have gone back to the UK, so that was annoying. For dinner I decided to order food from China Town; prawn toast, prawn crackers, chicken fried rice and sweet and sour chicken. I only managed half of the meal due to the portion sizes being rather substantial, it was really tasty and piping hot. When bed time came I was fortunate to have all of the cats snoozing in the living room so my first night of cat sitting went well.
Sunday 27th March was a great day in Dalyan, the sun was shining and I still didn’t have any Corona symptoms – I was feeling a lot luckier than some of my friends too. As I had invited 6 people over to mine this evening for a meal, it was time to get preparing and get out the spare chairs. I decided I would have a tidy up and make some veggie wraps for a starter, taking in to account allergies. The beef, potatoes, carrots and curry paste were already in the slow cooker and would be ready before lunch time as I’d been up so early. I popped to Migros supermarket for a few essentials and here’s what I bought:
Fresh bread 3.00 1 bag of pasta 4.20 Hummus 15.05 2 Avocados 15.90 1 bag jasmine rice 16.50 1 jar of peanut butter 17.95 Cling film 19.90 1 lipsyl 24.95 Lavaş wraps 26.50 1 bottle of red wine 56.90 2 packets of sanitary towels 71.60
Total spent 272.45 lira (£14.16)
By lunch timetime I had eaten a couple of the wraps to test them out. They both had carrot, red pepper and avocado in but some with peanut butter and some with tahini – they were quite nice and very healthy. I transferred the cooked beef masaman curry in to a pan and washed my jasmine rice, ready to put it on while I went out to meet my mates. Vanessa came over around 2pm for us to do our Turkish homework together, I was out of water so we had to have wine! By the time it got to 4pm we still hadn’t finished it but had arranged to meet Matt, Julie, Gareth, Mark and Kate at Okyanus for a drink. I bunged the rice in the slow cooker and off we went. We had a couple of drinks there while sat in the sun then, decided to grab some wine and beers from the shop and go back to mine. Julie and Gareth felt they were imposing but I insisted there was enough to go round and was glad I’d made the starter. Of course the rice was overdone having been at Okyanus an hour after I should have turned it off but we made do. There was just enough room for the 7 of us, we had a good laugh and gave the ball a right old kick. The masaman curry went down well and I even got my cheese and pickles out for afters – it would have been lovely with a bit of fruit cake too! Some people had a bit too much wine, including Kate, who refused to go home and fell over. Her and Mark were eventually the last to leave after the 2nd taxi was called and I insisted they go home as I had work tomorrow and still wanted to watch the Grand Prix, which I had recorded. I managed to watch the Grand Prix, drink more wine and go to sleep in the early hours of Monday morning, after a fun-filled weekend.
Kate and I were up before Mark on Saturday 26th March and we were still chuckling at how upset he had been over me having a piece of his beloved fruitcake. Don’t get me wrong, I definitely saw where he was coming from; it was moist and full of fruit with cherries in so I definitely wouldn’t have wanted to be sharing it willy nilly. I had toast with butter, homemade strawberry jam and a cup of Yorkshire tea for breakfast then got ready to head home. More bad weather was forecast and I wanted to have a go at walking in to town to ensure I knew the way and check out how long it took me. My leg was still not back to ‘normal’ and the longest I walked without pain this year had been for less than 15 minutes so I was intrigued. Mark got up and offered me a lift, Kate suggested I hang on and walk in with her but I decided I’d like to get back early as I intended to go to the market. I had a very leisurely walk and I took photos along the way, mainly to jog my memory of where the house was for when I stay there. As I got to bar street the roads were still an absolute mess and I found it very difficult to walk from where Rumours is to the riverside path. I was pleased to report the walk took less than 30 minutes and was very pleasant but I did need to elevate my foot when I got in and rest for a bit. I didn’t bother with the market in the end as I realised I didn’t need much. In the afternoon, I joined Vanessa, Matt, Mark, Kate, plus Julie and Gareth, who had just arrived, at Rehab bar. We heard that even more people who I knew, and had been in Sofra bar last Saturday, had tested positive for Corona. I decided it would be a good idea to invite the gang over to mine tomorrow for a curry, that way limiting how many new people we would come in to contact with. At Rehab bar Tayfur ordered us chicken wraps for dinner and I noticed my eczema had spread to my hand now. I’d only had 3 beers but maybe it was a reaction to gluten starting up again.
I was hoping to sleep in on Friday 25th March but I was awake at 7am. My first task was to do another Lateral Flow Test then I got weighed and took my measurements while I waited the 15 minutes for the result. I had put 1kg on but my LFT result was negative and I still had no symptoms so I probably could have gone on the Akyaka trip. It was better to not be the one blamed for passing it on, though, so I was happy to stay home. For brunch I had turkey ham with quinoa crackers, brie and olives while sat outside in the sunshine on the balcony. I packed a suitcase ready to move in to Mark and Kate’s house for a spell of cat sitting while they spent 10 nights in England, from next week. When I arrived in the taxi, with a small suitcase full of winter clothes, I realised I may have underestimated the weather. Kate was mowing the lawn in short shorts and Mark looked like Hull’s answer to a long haired Crocodile Dundee! Kate had kindly invited me for dinner, which was already prepared for a feast later. Mark was instructed to erect the swinging chair by the pool, which I jokingly renamed the sex swing. A cold beverage was had and I moved my stuff in to the spare room, which I was pleasantly surprised to see had been tidied up a bit, even the cannisters of petrol had been removed. Just after 4pm I got a message from Ann, she had tested positive for Corona. I hadn’t seen her since Saturday, I was already negative but I was still concerned in case I had it and gave it to anyone. Kate’s reason for going to the UK was to visit her mother so it was important that her or Mark didn’t catch it. We decided to try to keep ourselves away from any new or untested people between now and when they left Turkey. The dinner which Kate had cooked was a feast and I was really spoiled. There was roast pork (my first in 6 months), Yorkshire puddings, roast potatoes, honey roasted parsnips (I don’t like parsnips), sprouts with Turkish sausage and chestnuts, mashed swede (also not a fan), mangetout, carrots, cauliflower cheese, stuffing, apple sauce and gravy. It was like Christmas and it was almost emotional! I tried the parsnips and the swede and actually liked them, I even had extra helpings of the parsnips. We drank wine, chatted and I got to know the cats a bit more. Kate was keen for me to wear her leopard print dressing gown so that the kittens could snuggle and wouldn’t miss her, but I thought that might be above and beyond my role! There was more wine, Mark brought out a cheese plate with Kate’s homemade membrillo (quince jam, for the unfamiliar) and I was in heaven. Just when I thought things couldn’t get any better, Kate announced she had a treat for us (no, not the leopard print dressing gown). Homemade fruitcake with proper butter and cheese was served to Mark and I, he looked distraught that Kate had given me a slice of ‘his’ cake! I thought Mark was joking but he really was upset that I was eating some of his precious cake and that Kate had told me which tin it was in! It was going to take a lot of willpower not to eat all of it while they were away – honestly I wasn’t sure if I had that level of restraint. It was a great night with lots of stories and laughs and I stayed over as it was pretty late.
On Thursday 24th March I still had no Corona symptoms but another friend had messaged to say she’d been feeling a bit under the weather this last couple of days. She had started with swollen glands on Tuesday and yesterday had been resting a lot, feeling tired. I resigned myself to the fact that I would probably get the virus but I just hoped I wouldn’t be one of the ones who would still test positive for ages after it, I needed to be negative to get in to Vietnam! I had a croissant for breakfast but was still peckish so had bread, olives and Baba Ghanoush too. I read in the news that Singapore was to reopen to fully vaccinated international tourists, more here: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/singapore-reopen-borders-all-fully-vaccinated-travellers-apr-1-existing-vtls-will-be-retired-2582986 I masked up to meet the blind man at my parents’ apartment (there’s a joke in there somewhere) at 9.30am. He came to measure up and I had the unenviable task of picking out some bedroom blinds. I’m a fan of boring/plain interior furnishings and think a room can always be brightened up with removable patterns and colour. There wasn’t an awful lot to choose from that didn’t have a Turkish feel so I went with a plain creamy beige, hoping it wouldn’t be too vanilla for Ma & Pa. I paid a 500 lira deposit and the blind man said it would take a week or two for the blinds to be made, but he would message me. I had another go at putting up the curtains, I didn’t want to fall doing it so I made a mental note to ask someone taller than me to help before my parents arrived. I had a bit of a cycle on Bluey2 around the local area but it was incredibly windy. For lunch I had some Saag Aloo and decided to stay away from Zumba in case I developed any Corona symptoms. I did the decent thing and asked the organisers of a trip I was going on tomorrow if I should stay away, or if a negative LFT result tomorrow morning would be sufficient. Unfortunately, when all the attendees were asked, there were 4 people who were due to go back to England soon so they asked that I didn’t join the trip, in case I was a symptomless spreader. I’d been looking forward to joining Vanessa and Matt on the trip to Akyaka but I was also happy to be cautious for the sake of others, given how many people in my circle of friends were positive at the moment – there would be other times. I didn’t go to darts at Rehab for the same reason but instead I had another one of Emma’s pies for dinner. The steak and onion pie with carrots, broccoli, gravy and Henderson’s relish went down lovely with 3 glasses of red wine. I even treated myself to cheese and crackers for afters, I could taste and smell everything perfectly well and still had no Corona symptoms. Debbie (Darling), on the other hand, was quite unwell. In the evening I managed to be able to video call my sister’s phone so that I could wish my Mom a happy birthday, and I was sad that I wasn’t there. It looked like they were having a wonderful time and I was glad to see everyone was a bit merry and having fun. I decided we would celebrate again in a month’s time when my parents would be here in Dalyan.
I woke up with 4 out of 5 cats in, or on, my bed on Wednesday 23rd March. I was hungover and vaguely remembered last night agreeing to leave my door open so the cats could get used to me, ready for the cat sitting next week. Kate brought me in a cup of Yorkshire tea in an appropriate mug and then got herself ready for art class. I went back to sleep for a bit and really did not want to get out of bed at all. I didn’t relish the thought of walking home so I was pleasantly surprised to find that Mark was still home and was happy to give me a lift in the buggy, he was going in to town anyway. I had a pain au chocolat for breakfast at home before Turkish class, then put all my cat hair covered clothes in the wash and had a shower. Turkish class was really good today and I felt like I was learning more hearty sentences that I would be able to use. The staff at Lukka are very good too at encouraging us to practice our Turkish skills. For lunch Vanessa and I went to Rehab bar where Tayfur ordered us a chicken wrap with chips from Cafe Dalyan. It was only 30 lira and was tasty so we ordered one for Kate for after her Turkish class. Penny and Phil arrived next and decided another chicken wrap was in order and I bet the delivery guy thought we were odd, as he came over for the 3rd time. Jo arrived next with her cute little dog, Charlie, and we all had a good old natter. I’d had an update that the embassy would no longer be able to process a visa for me and was waiting to speak to Captain Caveman. He called as soon as I had finished eating and I went outside to speak to him. As is often the case, Captain Caveman had a Plan B for me coming to visit. He told me to look for a flight and apply for just a 30 day e-Visa. We would then fly out of Vietnam and back after getting a 2nd e-Visa for another 30 days, if I could. This all seemed straight forward but given that I would need a negative PCR test to enter Vietnam I had to be careful I didn’t pick a flight with a long lay over. We agreed a Turkish Airlines direct flight from Istanbul would be better but they had no flights on as yet. I would continue to wait but it was going to happen, I would go to Vietnam. I also had a date in the diary to be in Saigon on the 10th June for an important event which Captain Caveman had already committed to. I went back in to the bar, a little giddy that there was an alternative plan, but then there was some bad news. Debbie (Darling), Roy and Sue were all positive for Corona and had aborted their trip to Pamukkale. They had got a taxi back to Dalyan and Debbie (Darling) was quite poorly. She asked me to let everyone know, who had been in contact with them, that we needed to do another test. I had been in close contact with all 3 of them on Monday so it was probably only a matter of time until I caught it now. I went home, via the ongoing roadworks and scenic route, and had red wine, bread, cheese and olives but didn’t do a test as I’d had alcohol. A massive thunderstorm and heavy rain was due which also meant the WiFi went off for quite a few hours.
It was still cold when I woke up on Tuesday 22nd March. I ate cornflakes for breakfast then started to cook. I had a bit of excitement planned for tonight as Vanessa had invited me to a curry night at Turgay’s. I had promised to make some Baba Ghanoush for Kate so I started with roasting garlic and aubergines. My next dish was making Saag Aloo to take with us to Turgay’s and I made a big batch so I could save some. It was Zumba Gold class at noon and it was really good, I was getting the hang of it now a bit more. I went shopping in Migros and bought the following:
I went to the off-licence and bought 2 more bottles of wine (a red and a white) but had to get Buzdağ because there was no Tılsım anymore. The manufacturer had been taken over so all supplies in Dalyan had been exhausted, or other expats had already bought it all! The 2 bottles cost me 135 lira which is about £7 at the current exchange rate. Before curry night, Mark & Kate came for a glass of wine (or 2) at mine. After packing up the Saag Aloo, wine and Baba Ghanoush we walked over to Turgay’s where Matt, Vanessa and Figan were already there. Turgay and Figan had prepared chicken curry, rice, roast potatoes and bread for us all and we sat at the dining table to enjoy it. The food was lovely and the drink and conversation flowed. Luckily, my spinach and potatoes went down well, Kate’s homemade onion bhajis were very tasty, plus Vanessa had taken doughnuts for dessert but I was too full for sweet stuff by then. When we left I walked to the main street with Mark and Kate to wait for their taxi. They invited me for more wine at their’s and I accepted. Mark went to bed and I sat up chatting and drinking wine with Kate until about 2am.
joloyolo 