I think the phrase ‘I didn’t know my arse from my elbow’ was pretty accurate on Monday 8th September. Firstly, I hadn’t slept well on account of not getting to sleep until after the non-jazz playing Jazz bar had closed around 2am and by then I was tracking Captain Caveman’s flight. Secondly, I’d not heard from my parents to say they had arrived but I imagined they wouldn’t have their UK phone on and would have no Turkish Wifi. Finally, I was in pain with my foot and kept waking up so I was rather exhausted on my first day tackling the Resort Experts to do list. I didn’t even have chance to have breakfast before sorting out a few emails and booking in for some training sessions that were due this week. My mom messaged me to ask if Captain Caveman had got off ok and I let her know he was already back in Barnes, ready to start work. They had loads to do including getting the internet put on, which was in my name. I was very pushed for time and knew I couldn’t walk to the shop and back very quickly so Ma went on her own and sorted it. At 11am I ate some fruit and quark for a late breakfast, with a cup of sage tea. Around 4pm I finished off the White House beef wellington which warmed up nicely in the air fryer. For dinner, my parents were keen to get out for a meal and I agreed to join them, with it being a while since I saw them. It also meant that they could help me up the stairs in the dark now that Captain Caveman had gone. They chose Duble so I hoped they had chicken soup but they still didn’t. Dad and I had liver (again) and Mom had a seafood pasta dish. I drank water and my parents had a beer. I paid the 2,610 lira (£47.45) bill as my parents had been good to us when I visited the UK last time, letting us stay at their house. It was a very reasonable price for the 3 of us and we all enjoyed it.
Gratitude List 1. Getting through the day without falling asleep 2. Having my parents back in Dalyan to help me up the stairs if I needed it 3. Dinner at Duble with my parents.
Sunday 7th September was a busy day as I prepared for Captain Caveman leaving and my parents arriving. My parents’ flight was due to land at 10.20pm and Captain Caveman didn’t need to leave to go to the airport until 11.30pm at the earliest, however, I thought it would be a lovely idea to arrange for Captain Caveman to say hello (& goodbye) to Ma & Pa at the airport. My ‘crazy’ idea was that Captain Caveman and I would set off to Dalaman airport much earlier than required for his 1.20am flight on Monday morning. We could be at the Arrivals exit to jump out of their taxi, say hello and then leave Captain Caveman while the 3 of us headed back in the taxi to Dalyan. My parents last left Dalyan almost 10 months ago so I was also thinking they might need some help putting on the electric and sorting out their apartment so they could get to sleep quicker and I could perhaps help. Captain Caveman had agreed despite knowing he would be stuck in the most expensive airport for way too long, I wrongly assumed my parents would like this idea. Ma replied to say they would rather get straight off as they didn’t want to be hanging about. My first mission for the day was to very slowly make it out for breakfast. Captain Caveman and I decided to go for a last day breakfast and treat ourselves to a large full English at Ela’s Kitchen. It’s not for the fainthearted (or those supposed to be doing Slimming World) but it is fantastic. Here’s what we had with the prices in lira – not the cheapest place in town but in my opinion it is one of the best;
1 Large bottle of water 100 1 Espresso 130 1 Yorkshire Tea 150 2 Large breakfasts 1,190 Tip 100 Total spent 1,670 lira (£30.36)
What a treat and we even asked for extra toast which we weren’t charged for – my eyes were bigger than my belly, even though I gave Captain Caveman my eggs and tomatoes (why he needed more toast). While we were at Ela’s we noticed a sign which stated they would not serve people who were half naked. This was a good move, however, a guy sat down under the sign and then took his shirt off! He didn’t get served and had to take his order away but the young waitress was clearly really embarrassed. While I crutched back home, Captain Caveman nipped to the shop for peppers and courgettes.
I rested up all afternoon while Captain Caveman sorted his packing and the moving of anything I might need/not around the house. We obviously didn’t need a lunch and I wasn’t mobile enough to do any cooking. Captain Caveman decided we should enjoy his last meal at Duble, another one of our favourite places to eat in Dalyan. Here’s what we had with prices in lira;
2 Lentil soups 250 1 Haydari 155 1 Beetroot 160 1 Hummus 170 1 Potato croquettes 165 1 Prawns 495 1 Liver & Onions 295 1 Red wine 140 1 Big Water 95 Tip 200 Total spent 2,125 lira (£38.64)
The food was fantastic and I felt so lucky to get all the prawns to myself as Captain Caveman can’t eat them. Ibo, the owner, was still chatty despite the place being really full. A couple even got turned away and told to come back later as it was so busy. I really had been spoiled today although I was quite drowsy from the medication and the walking about when I had to say bye to Captain Caveman. Sonuç picked him up at 11.30pm but I didn’t go to the car to wave him off on account of me not wanting to come back up the stairs in the dark without any help. Hopefully, Captain Caveman would be coming back again in October, so I might get to see him soon.
Gratitude List 1. An amazing breakfast at Ela’s Kitchen with Captain Caveman 2. A wonderful dinner at Duble with Captain Caveman 3. Having had the best time with Captain Caveman in Turkey.
Captain Caveman and I were having breakfast at home on Saturday 6th September. He was contemplating going to the dog shelter to walk some dogs. I was going to do a few bits of content editing for next week, being back at work, so that my 2 weeks off went smoothly. I also had loads of stuff to share from this holiday, with Captain Caveman, and couldn’t wait to get it on my business page. Our friends Josh & Martha had arrived in Dalyan to join their family and they had booked the Princess of Ekincik boat for a private day trip, after I had recommended it. There had been a group chat to discuss requirements for the wheelchair user on board so I hoped it would be suitable and comfortable for all of them. For those who might need to know, a wheelchair up to 60cm wide will fit! Martha got in touch to say that her and Josh had been delayed on their flight, after another passenger had a medical emergency, so they were super tired. She wanted us to join the trip so that we could catch up and help keep everyone lively. I was on the strong medication and lidocaine based sprays, so I was away with the fairies and said yes. I hadn’t accounted for the fact that I needed to walk all the way to the boat which took me absolutely ages. When I got there, Ismail mentioned that they do have a mobility scooter that they can collect disabled guests on, should I have needed it. I got a hot drink and sat myself down with my leg propped up until the others arrived. When everyone got on board; Martha, her parents, brother and Josh, it was really nice to see them all and we got on great straight away. The wheelchair went on and off fine and was parked up so that Zac could see the amazing scenery as we sailed down the river to the sea. The crew, the boat, the food, the drinks and the company were absolutely perfect and to see Zac be able to enjoy a boat trip in Dalyan was just fantastic. We had a couple of swim spots and even a visit to the back of the beach, Little Dalyan, where I kept Martha’s mom company on the boat while the others went off for a bit of adventure. I even had a cherry juice in a wine glass so that Trish wouldn’t feel alone in her red wine enjoyment – it was a real pleasure to see her have a bit of time to herself and not worry about Zac, who was in very capable hands. When the family got back, they had enjoyed a jaunt over the beach to the sea and Captain Caveman didn’t fall for the joke of me having red wine in my glass – he knew I wouldn’t be drinking against Doctor’s orders. We then decided to go to the boat end of the beach so that we could see the tourist part and it was very busy. We saw turtles which was great as some of the guests on board hadn’t seen them before in Dalyan. We all enjoyed a really lovely lunch on board which, given that Captain Caveman and I had decided to join only this morning, was plentiful. After spending the rest of the afternoon on the boat and enjoying ice creams, then some cake with fruit, we returned to Dalyan at gone 5pm. I’m not mentioning any names but I think more than 1 of us had a power nap, as we were just so relaxed.
That evening, after resting my foot, Captain Caveman took me for a slap up dinner at White House. We both had my favourite meal, the beef wellington, which is just so good. Captain Caveman had wine and cocktails but I had water and a friend booked our table while waiting to chat to her boyfriend. Our bill was 4,000 lira (£72.73) which I thought was reasonable. Because of having eaten so much, though, I had to take half of mine home. Tomorrow was Captain Caveman’s last day in Dalyan and I wasn’t looking forward to him leaving.
Gratitude List 1. Having such an amazing day that it was difficult to pinpoint just 3 things to be grateful for! 2. The Princess of Ekincik boat trip, being so good. 3. Beef Wellington Dinner with Captain Caveman at the White House.
Photo credit – some photos by Martha and her family
Captain Caveman decided to treat me to breakfast at La Sorella on Friday 5th September. We ordered; 1 water 1 Espresso 1 Green tea 1 Croissant 1 Croissant with banana, berries & chocolate
I forgot how much it cost, though, I was slacking! It was very nice and, as I wasn’t able to drink alcohol for the next 2 weeks because of the painkillers, I was happy to have a food treat instead. While I crutched back home, Captain Caveman went off to do the shopping and made sure he stocked up on items I would find hard to carry once he left Dalyan on Sunday. Here’s what he bought on the first visit, with prices in lira;
It was sunny in the afternoon so we went to Okyanus so that Captain Caveman could have a few beers in the sun and we could meet up with The Aussies who we hadn’t seen for a while. We ended up having some food there too – here’s what we paid;
Okyanus 3 soda waters 210 1 Lamb wrap 420 1 pizza 440 3 Efes Malt beers 450 Tip 150 Total spent 1,670 lira (£30)
While Captain Caveman went off for more shopping, I went back home to rest my foot and get more medication. Here’s what Captain Caveman bought on his evening shop;
Şarküteri 2 tins of beans 170 1 tin coconut milk 100 Total spent 270 lira (£4.84)
We spent the evening at home and we had more friends arriving in Dalyan tomorrow to join family who had already arrived. I was in quite a bit of pain so I needed to sleep.
Gratitude List 1. Breakfast and a late lunch out 2. Seeing our friends 3. Medication
On Wednesday 3rd September Captain Caveman and I were due to check out of the Mithra Cave Hotel and were thinking of staying 1 or 2 nights in the Göreme Cave Suites, which was fancier and had a pool. We were undecided as Captain Caveman had hoped to travel back to Dalyan via Eskişehir and take a scenic train back to Denizli. I was still sceptical that we could fit the trip in and return to Dalyan in time to see friends before Captain Caveman left Turkey. Captain Caveman decided he would get up to see the balloons again. The hot air balloon flights were super cheap at this time of year, at less than 50 Euros per person. However, neither of us wanted to do it. We were still to decide what to do and we were thinking we might go mad and stay in the nicer hotel for a night or two. Captain Caveman had been looking at flights, trains and buses and weighing up the affordability. I was reluctant as I didn’t feel I should ‘waste’ the money. After breakfast, I had to get my laptop out to do some work on a booking. We finally decided we should get back to Dalyan so Captain Caveman sorted out a flight and a transfer. I asked reception what time check out was (11am) then ask to extend until 2pm. Captain Caveman went off to buy more water and some travel snacks while I did a few things on my laptop. After checking out, I sat with the bags on a seat outside while Captain Caveman went sightseeing for the afternoon. At 5.30pm we were in a minivan on our way to Nevşehir airport for a flight to Istanbul. I remember two annoying passengers with tons of bags sat opposite us and that the driver had chatted up and taken the phone number of the young lady in the front seat, 7 minutes before we arrived at the airport. We were delayed a bit which was eating in to the Lounge time at Istanbul that Captain Caveman had booked for us. There wasn’t an awful lot of food left at the Lounge so I had some vegetables, rice and then later a plain bowl of pasta. I had 4 glasses of red wine, though. Captain Caveman drank beers and had a lovely chicken dish which I avoided in case it was too spicy. We boarded our flight from Istanbul to Dalaman on time and I fell asleep straight away.
Gratitude List 1. Getting to visit Cappadocia with Captain Caveman 2. Last minute flights and transfers working out 3. The Lounge, which was £20 approx each, so worth it.
We landed at Dalaman airport around 2am on Thursday 4th September and Sonuç, from Dalyan Transfers, was there to meet us. After some sleep, I woke up about 9am and Captain Caveman was getting ready to go Bumming with the Riverbums. Unfortunately, my day was not going to be quite as pleasant as picking up other people’s litter. I’d done something to my foot when I didn’t see a very shallow step and thought I’d stepped on a twig which had crunched. It was hurting, so I decided to go to the hospital to get it checked out. While Captain Caveman went to Riverbums, I tried to make a hospital appointment but I was in a bit of pain and couldn’t really concentrate. I decided to ask Sonuç to take me to the Yucelen Hospital in Ortaca and get checked out. Captain Caveman had arrived back by the time I was leaving but he didn’t come with me. Sonuç had made me the appointment but when he looked at my foot he said he didn’t think it was broken and probably didn’t need to go. As I’d injured this leg 5 years ago I wanted to just check. I saw the orthopaedic doctor who touched my foot gently to see if it hurt, at first it didn’t, then I screamed out when he touched the bit that hurt. A translator was sent for, an x-ray was booked and I had to give my insurance documents and residency card to another receptionist. The walking between the different bits was starting to get tricky and extremely slow, but I managed. The translator, Umut, was really good and we got talking about his trip to Japan. The x-ray person was friendly too and we went back to the doctor after, for him to tell me I had broken my 4th & 5th metatarsals. Oh dear. He gave me a prescription and told me to come back in 10 days for a check-up. I walked back to the pay desk where my insurer had already confirmed they would pay my bill, all but 875.16 lira (£16.21), and I had to sign a piece of paper. At no point was I told not to walk on it but I had crutches which Sonuç had picked up from Tay at Rehab bar. I was impressed with the service at the Yucelen and was back home by 3.25pm. I paid 2,000 lira (£37.04) for Sonuc’s services, too, which given he’d driven me about and waited there the whole time was a good deal. Although he’s not an official translator for medical stuff, he’d come in very handy and was great at taking my mind off the pain! I managed to cheese Captain Caveman off by not hobbling in to the chemist on my way back and assumed he would be ok to go and pick up my prescription for me. He was a bit put out but went anyway. The prices were as follows;
Balcı Pharmacy Ketoprofen Painkillers 108.69 Naproxen spray 159.10 Frenag spray 247.21 Support Bandage 450 Total 965.00 lira (£17.87)
I was hungry as I’d not eaten yet today so Captain Caveman suggested we eat at Lukka, so I didn’t have to walk far. Here’s what we had with prices in lira from Lukka bar;
The food was lovely and a generous portion size – I’d somehow forgotten to eat sensibly this holiday! I went back home for a rest and to put my leg up, the medicine can’t be taken with alcohol and I hadn’t known this so I would have to start the pills tomorrow as I had already consumed 2 halves of draft lager with a bit of lemonade. We had no food in at home, on account of us coming home earlier, so for dinner we went out again. It took me far too long to hobble along to Ayaz, a fairly new local eatery. It was quite late so the staff were very apologetic to have run out of all lamb dishes. I had a chicken shish and Captain Caveman went for a chicken iskender. I had a fresh pomegranate juice and the whole meal was amazing at a great price, even though I forgot to note the prices. On the way home, I bumped in to Aytaç Burçak Saraymine, my insurance broker. He wanted to check how I was and also how the service had been with the insurer. I knew the insurer would only pay up to 80% of any outpatient costs and I was happy with that. Aytaç invited me and Captain Caveman for a cup of Turkish tea with him and we sat and had a chat. I had been so happy that I had taken out the insurance with him. Lots of people (obviously, not experts) had told me that the cheaper insurance for residency wasn’t worth having but I certainly disagreed with that. My injury could’ve been a lot worse and cost me quite a bit just for not noticing a really small step!We stayed out until 11pm and I needed to rest my foot when I got home. The sprays were really helping and tomorrow I could start the stronger painkillers.
Gratitude List 1. Sonuç being available for hospital visiting 2. Not having a cast on my foot 3. Health Insurance covering 80% of the cost of my injury.
Captain Caveman got up early to watch the Balloons again on Tuesday 2nd September but I stayed in bed until almost 7am! Breakfast was good and quieter at the hotel so we sat inside – away from the wasps. Our Green tour started by 9.15am and included Pigeon Valley, Selime and the Kaymaklı Underground City, which Captain Caveman had been excited about seeing. I last went there with The Aussies but had freaked out so didn’t complete it. There was lots of history in today’s tour, a lovely lunch and, although I had been before, it was still interesting. We also went on a nice walk down to a valley where the riverside cafes were no longer there – it was not for the faint-hearted in the heat though and, obviously, I was the slowest in the group. When we got to the underground cave, I couldn’t bring myself to go in and I had to turn back, along with another tourist who had pushed lots of people (including children) out of the way to get out.
When we got back to the hotel, I was quite tired so we got ready and tried to go for an overpriced drink in the hotel bar. It was closed so we went to the rooftop bar if the hotel next door. The staff were a bit slow and it took a while to get served but at least there was nice views to look at.
For dinner we went back to the Turkish Ravioli restaurant from last night. Captain Caveman was keen to have the bulgur balls again. We ended up having 3 portions of them between the 2 of us plus some hummus, bread and a bottle of water for 640 lira (£11.85). After dinner, we went back to the Fork in the Road pub for another buy one get one free wine and ended up spending 1,029 lira (£19.06), even though we left before 10pm. We were still peckish so went to a local cafe in a kind of square where we had 2 soft drinks and 2 lahmacun for very cheap and the service was excellent. At bed time we were still deciding as to whether we would leave Cappadocia tomorrow or check in to the lovely hotel down the road.
Gratitude List 1. Another great day sightseeing in Cappadocia 2. More bulgur wheat balls 3. Having another wonderful day in Cappadocia.
On Monday 1st September Captain Caveman and I started our month and day watching the hot air balloons at sunrise from the terrace of Mithra Cave Hotel in Göreme, Cappadocia – how romantic. It’s a very strange sensation and is eerily quiet aside from the sounds of the flames roaring in the balloons, which are very close. We were out for 90 minutes before the sun finally got over the mountain at 6.30am and then Captain Caveman went off to explore and I lost him before breakfast. He went on to a building site while I followed some wood pigeons down a hill.
It was too early for breakfast so, back in the room, I checked August’s blog progress and set a September budget. My blog in August had received 173% more views compared to the previous month’s and I had finally managed to get Vietnam readers back in to the top 10. The top 3 countries for views in August were the UK, Turkey and the Netherlands, followed by France, USA, Vietnam, Spain, Ireland, Australia and then Sweden. At breakfast, it was a bit of a free for all and the food was absolutely lovely. There was so much choice of all the different types of Turkish breakfast dishes to help yourself to. We sat on the terrace to eat and there were quite a few wasps, which most of the foreigners flapped about at. Interestingly, I didn’t spot any English people but maybe it was the wrong time of year for Cappadocia for the Brits. Today we were on the Red Tour with a group of randoms and were being picked up at 9.30am.
For those of you who are able, I recommend you visit it yourself, we visited the following sites; Zelve, Paşabag, Avanos, Dervent (Imagination) Valley, Uçhisar Castle, and Love Valley – most of it was rocky, hilly and very sunny so it was quite hot for me but Captain Caveman was so happy. The trip included lunch which was a soup, a kebab with mezes and was pretty good to say we were on an organised trip. The water was also included. We didn’t have to pay anything extra to the 100 Euros we had paid for the trip and we met some nice people, including our guide, Mr H. I wasn’t sure how Captain Caveman would adapt to being a customer on a tour, rather than the leader, but he enjoyed it and we both had very dirty feet and legs when we got back to the hotel.
In the evening, we decided to try out the ‘Buy one get one free’ wine at the Forked Road pub. We sat on the roof terrace and ended up having 4 glasses of decent wine and a bottle of water for 1,134 lira (£21).
We’d seen a hotel with a gorgeous swimming pool which we wished we had booked so we decided to go there for another glass of wine and a nosey round the hotel. It was just 770 lira (£14.26) for 2 glasses of wine with a 10% tip but with a poolside view. I spoke to a member of staff to see if they had rooms to stay there after our current hotel booking finished. He made us a deal for €160 (£140) for a good room and we thought about booking it tomorrow. For dinner we went to a restaurant opposite where we had eaten last night. Turkish Ravioli had a more varied menu and we had a bit of a feast, they didn’t sell alcohol, though. Here’s what we had with prices in lira;
1 Big bottle of water 40 2 Icli Kofte (Bulgarballs) 260 1 Saç Tava (chicken on a tray) 900 1 Clay pot beef 950 Total spent 2,150 lira (£40)
It was definitely the best meal in Cappadocia so far and we both really enjoyed it.
Gratitude List 1. Mithra Hotel breakfast 2. The Red Tour in Cappadocia with Mr H 3. A fantastic evening in Cappadocia with Captain Caveman.
I went downstairs in the early hours of Sunday 31st August to find Captain Caveman fully dressed and asleep on the sofa. I had barely slept upstairs while full of cold and my alarm went off at 2am. Sonuç was insistent on taking us to the airport early, as he thought there may be queues even for the domestic flights. He arrived at just after 2.30am, the fare was £30 and we were at the airport before 3.15am. Captain Caveman was a bit mardy when we only took 5 minutes, maximum, to get through to the gate and, of course, it was too early for us to know which gate for our flight at 5.10am. Captain Caveman had booked us on a cheap flight to Ankara for less than £25 each and we would arrive at 6.25am. We landed a bit early and made our way to the Havaş shuttle bus which took us from Ankara airport to the main bus station. I forgot the price as we paid cash but it was cheap. Captain Caveman had booked us a Flixbus from Ankara bus station at 9am to take us to Göreme in Cappadocia which was less than £15 each and took about 4 hours. The bus station at Ankara is huge and we sat and ate our Ela’s Kitchen sandwiches there. There were toilets which had squat and western ones but you did have to pay to use them. I bought a water, a coke and some travel sweets in the bus station for 100 lira (£1.85).
The Flixbus was good, it had a toilet on but we also stopped for a loo break. We arrived in Göreme, Cappadocia, a little early after a couple of tours round the bus station. There was a bit of a walk up the hills to our cave hotel and it was hot and sunny. This was Captain Caveman’s first time in Cappadocia and he already looked impressed as he sped off up the hills. I had to shout him to wait to take my heavy bag at one point. We were early for check-in by an hour at Mithra Cave hotel, but the room was ready. Our room had a round bed and was inside a cave suite, I thought we had booked a room with a view and that the hotel had a pool but their Website was a little misleading and neither were available.
After unpacking and drinking all the water in the minibar we went off to find a tour company to book our Red & Green tours with. Originally, I’d asked a lovely guide called Ozzy but he was booked up already. It cost us €220 (£191) for each of those for both of us with Cappadocia Visitor. We also got a free bag from the guy in the office, which I was happy about. We went in to an off licence where we didn’t find any screw top wine so we just bought a big water for 25 lira (46p) and a big bag of crisps for 75 lira (£1.39), before making our way back to the hotel.
It was so good to be in Cappadocia with Captain Caveman. We had a stop off at a cafe for soft drinks, here’s the prices in lira;
1 small water 80 1 Lemonade 120 1 Double Espresso 170 Total spent 370 lira (£6.85)
It was definitely more expensive than being in Dalyan and I drew out more cash at the ATM. I had to check the budget later but I had a feeling August had been an expensive month. Captain Caveman and I were still on holiday in Turkey for another week too, so September was also likely to be extravagant in the first half. We walked back up to the Mithra Cave Hotel and had a rest in our cave suite before I attempted a bath. It leaked and the water went everywhere so I didn’t try the jacuzzi part. The toiletries were also screwed to the wall and not near the bath.
For sunset we walked around the hotel then sat on the hotel terrace with a glass of wine each and took the obligatory Cappadocia skyline photos. I went to pay the bill and was quite surprised to find it was 880 lira (£16.30) for 2 glasses of red – luckily we just had the one!
Captain Caveman had chosen a rooftop eatery for dinner, close to the hotel. At Zukra we had a glass of wine each, a bottle of soda water and 2 tubs of very tasty mantı (Turkish ravioli) for 1,800 lira (£33.33). Not the cheapest meal but we enjoyed it, despite the paper container and wooden fork to eat it with. The staff were lovely and they also had a beautiful dog which we petted. I was begging for mercy by 10.30pm having still got cold and being dosed up on Theraflu. I checked the budget spreadsheet and found that despite a £1000 budget for August, we had gone over that. I’d put in £844 and Captain Caveman had contributed £900 but we still had £310 left to go in to next month. I was happy to have spent less than £1500, given that I had been in the UK for 11 days and Captain Caveman had been in Turkey for 9 days already – we spend more when we are together. I was tired so it was an early night, ready for our full day tour tomorrow.
Gratitude List 1. An easy (& cheap) journey from Dalaman to Göreme, Cappadocia 2. A holiday in Cappadocia, staying in a cave hotel with a round bed 3. Being able to afford a short trip to Cappadocia!
I woke up on Saturday 30th August with a cold and sore throat, I’d finally caught what Captain Caveman had in Köyceğiz. It was toast for breakfast and some Theraflu medication with my cup of Yorkshire tea. I mainly did nothing until my video call with Vanessa at 3.30pm, which I did from my bed. Captain Caveman and I looked at flights to Vietnam for Christmas and New Year but we couldn’t book them yet as not all of Captain Caveman’s holidays had been agreed by his boss yet. They also didn’t look that cheap as we would be flying the Friday before Christmas. We hoped to go for 3 weeks and would return on my birthday. Ideally, Captain Caveman would take flights from the UK but I would meet him there having flown from Istanbul. At 4.15pm Captain Caveman got us both Dubai chocolate Magnums which we ate on the sofa together. He’d been in search of 100% fruit juice in each of the supermarkets and finally found some. Here’s what he bought with prices in lira;
Migros Supermarket Travel sweets 26.45 2 Dubai Chocolate Magnums 150.00 2 Cherry juice 179.90 2 Orange juice 206.40 Total spent 562.75 lira (£10.42)
In the evening, Captain Caveman popped out to see The Aussies and I went to bed feeling like shit. He said he was just going for one in Ozzy’s so I asked him to get me a Chicken pizza from there as they are delicious. We didn’t have anything in for dinner so I was really hungry by 10pm but Captain Caveman was still out and wasn’t answering his phone. I eventually tracked him down to Ela’s Kitchen when one of the owners let me know he was there and asked him to bring me a takeaway pizza. The pizza was ok, but it wasn’t the one I’d originally had in mind so I was a bit disappointed. Regardless, I ate it in bed and hoped I’d feel better soon because we were getting picked up at 2.30am tomorrow to go to the airport, and I had hoped to get some sleep. Captain Caveman didn’t bother coming to bed that night.
Gratitude List 1. Theraflu medication – it’s cheap and better than paracetamol 2. Dubai Chocolate Magnum to soothe my throat 3. Finally getting some pizza.
It was time for another boat trip on Friday 29th August, this time with Captain Ünal on Villa Duran Boat Trips. We had booked it at short notice when a couple of spots had become available due to a cancellation. It was going to Devil’s Bay, cost £40 each and included breakfast, lunch and afternoon cake and fruit. We were on board before 9am and the boat departed from very near to where we live so there was no falling out this time. Apo, the Captain’s mate, made us all a hot drink and we set sail towards the sea. The breakfast consisted of bread, cheeses, salad, olives, eggs, cheese rolls, jams, honey, and fruit – it was excellent. I’d took a travel sickness pill just in case. The sea wasn’t too choppy so we were moored up in a quiet bay for our first swim. On the boat were various passengers, none of who we knew already. There was a family on who were friendly and funny so we got talking to the son who was a nice young man. We gave him scores for his diving off the top of the boat.
By 12.30pm, Ünal had started the BBQ and we ate lunch around 1.15pm in a bay on our own, except for a few Turkish men who ate on the beach, having arrived by speedboat. They seemed to be quite taken with the young girls on board and went past a few times to ogle! Lunch consisted of several mezes, bread, hot chips, chicken and meatballs – again, all excellent. Captain Caveman drank Efes Malt and I had rosé wine. There were lots more swimming and drying off in the sun before sailing to a secluded spot to scatter some ashes of the young man’s father. I’d found myself sat in the middle of the family, so I excused myself and we gave them some space to say a few words and support each other through the tears. Captain Caveman and I raised a glass for the poor guy as a mark of respect and kept quiet while they did what they needed to do. I didn’t know the bloke but I think he would’ve been pleased to be scattered where he was, in such a beautiful place.
Cake and fruit were served around 4.45pm and it was a very nice chocolate one. Back home, I went for a shower and a short lay down, I was so tired that I didn’t wake up until it was very late so there was no dinner or going out!
Gratitude List 1. Getting a trip to Devil’s Bay with Captain Caveman 2. Fab food and drink on the Villa Duran Boat Trip 3. Swimming in the sea.
Captain Caveman went bumming on the morning of Thursday 28th August, while I caught up on a bit of blogging. I met him at the Kefal tea gardens afterwards where one of the Riverbums bought me a lemon soda. As I was on holiday I didn’t plan on dialling in to our Resort Experts team meeting at 1pm so we went for lunch. Captain Caveman had already had a toastie at the tea gardens with a beer so it was just me eating. Here’s what we had at Okyanus, with prices in lira;
1 soda 70 1 white wine 200 2 Efes Malt 300 1 chicken burger with chips 340 Total spent 910 lira (£16.85)
The food was good and I was impressed with the chicken burger, we chatted to Simone and Üstün again too. By 4pm we were back home and were about to get ready for a fun night out with The Aussies.
We had reserved a table at Lukka bar for the Music Bingo. Amanda and I ordered the çökertme (1 beef, 1 chicken) while the guys shared the very impressive leg of lamb. The food was excellent and we ate before the music bingo started. It was loud, fun and with lots of dancing with Mehmet and Apo. I even joined in the Turkish dances until I got too hot and tired. I drank a whole bottle of Angora red wine to myself and gave the ball a right old kick. Captain Caveman went to pay the bill with Greg so I didn’t ask the prices for once. It was a great night and we really enjoyed ourselves.
Gratitude List 1. Lunch at Okyanus 2. Dinner at Lukka 3. Having a great time at Lukka music bingo with Captain Caveman and friends.
We decided on a more relaxed day in Dalyan on Wednesday 27th August. Captain Caveman had planned to help out with a bit of Dogging at the local dog shelter in the morning. It was going to be another hot one so I declined to join him and caught up on a bit of blogging, as I was quite behind on the editing. I had beans on toast for breakfast and Captain Caveman made himself an egg related concoction before I had even surfaced. As it was weigh day, I got on the home scales to find I had put on 0.25 kg (0.6lb), which wasn’t ideal but could’ve been worse. My measurements were not ideal either with a 1cm off my bust, my waist stayed the same and I’d put 1cm on my hips. In the afternoon our friends, Amanda & Greg (aka The Aussies) had arrived from Australia for 6 weeks, and had invited us over to their villa. As soon as Captain Caveman was back and cleaned up, we walked over to see them and we were met with a surprise. They had brought us gifts and the most thoughtful one was a T-shirt for me which was my ‘You Can’t Shit Yourself on a Bicycle’ book cover with a QR code on the sleeve, to scan to my blog! I nearly cried with happiness at how good it was! And it fit perfectly – how fantastic. We had a drink to celebrate but then I had to leave Captain Caveman and The Aussies to it for a bit. I stood in for Carol at Fat Club as she was away, her scales told me I had put 0.3kg (0.7lb)! We had a good chat at Fat Club but then I had to rush back to rejoin the welcome party. We had a few more drinks and then left to call at the supermarket opposite our friends’ house. Here’s what we bought with the prices in lira; Garlic 54.90 Halloumi cheese 76.90 Frozen fruit 164.90 Total spent 296.70 lira (£5.50)
We had a bit of a walk through town and by the river towards home. We took the shopping home and I hung up my new t-shirt. Before dinner, Captain Caveman suggested a bit of a walk and then a drink in Lukka bar, which turned in to 3!!! Here’s what we had with the prices in lira;
3 Efes Malt 540. 3 Angora red wine 750 Total spent 1,290 lira (£23.88)
Although Lukka is certainly not for the cheap chasing crowd, I didn’t find the prices extortionate and the service is very nifty. I noticed on the receipt that Lukka quoted the price in lira, US dollars, Euros and UK pounds. They had the GBP price listed at £25.80 which meant that they were still using 50 lira to the £, but it was actually cheaper than that if paying in lira. While at Lukka we got chatting to Katrina and a couple of our neighbours, they were eating what looked like some rather tasty meals. Katrina let me try her Çökertme which was very good so we decided we would ask The Aussies if they fancied joining the Music Bingo night tomorrow and have dinner there. As luck would have it, they did and we booked the last 4 seats (it’s very popular with the tourists) and even pre-ordered the lamb’s leg for the men. We went back home for a dinner of halloumi salad, knowing tomorrow we would be giving the ball a good kick!
Gratitude List 1. Catching up on blogging 2. Seeing The Aussies and having my surprise T-shirt gift 3. Impromptu drinks at Lukka bar with Captain Caveman.
I was back on the balcony of the Kaunos hotel in Köyceğiz at 6.20am on Tuesday 26th August, trying to see the sunrise. Captain Caveman was sick and stayed in bed. By 8.30am I had been to the chemist to stock up on cold and flu medication for Captain Caveman. I took a few photos and had a nice walk along the lake and back.
At breakfast Captain Caveman barely spoke and was blowing his nose quite a bit, I thought we would probably have to cancel today’s plans. The breakfast wasn’t bad and there was quite a selection but with Captain Caveman suffering man-flu it was a bit disappointing. We had arranged to meet Janet & Ian and Sezgin & Nur over in Köyceğiz but we hadn’t had a reply from Sezgin. I was happy to check out after breakfast and then wait until the pool opened, as I was determined to have a swim. I’d also wanted Captain Caveman to take some photos of me (or us) in the pool perhaps, but he wasn’t up for it.
Of course, the swimming pool was in the shade, it was numbingly cold to swim in at 10.15am but I suffered it. Captain Caveman lay on a sun lounger on his phone and at noon we met up with Janet & Ian for a lovely walk through the park which I didn’t even know was there. The sun was hot and I was glad I had my cycling shorts on to prevent the chub rub. We stopped for a drink at the council run cafe where there’s a small bit of beach. Captain Caveman must’ve been on the mend as he ordered a shandy! For lunch we went to Ayaklı Göl restaurant which I’d been to before with Janet and Ian. It’s located on the waterfront and has a really good choice of food, which is very tasty. The place mats are maps of the area so I kept one to bring home. Here’s what we ordered with the prices in lira;
Ayaklı Göl 2 small beers 160 1 Orange juice 170 1 large beer 205 1 potato omelette 220 1 Crab soup 250 1 Chicken Quesadillas 430 1 Chicken wrap 430 1 House salad with prawns 480 4 Turkish teas FREE Total spent 2,345 lira (£43.43)
Just over a tenner for lunch by the lake seemed a good deal to me. Captain Caveman was definitely feeling better as he had a Belfast beer. We strolled back, feeling full and then Ian drove us all back to Dalyan. We had intended on going home, however, we decided to have a stop off at Janet & Ian’s where we all got in the pool. It had been a very hot day so it was really nice to cool off, and their pool was very lovely! After rehydrating with water, I had a glass of wine, Janet and Captain Caveman had some flavoured gin and Ian doesn’t drink alcohol. We had a really good laugh and didn’t even realise the time until it had gone dark and we thought it prudent to go home! I still had a load of cheese in my bag and all the bits we didn’t eat last night, because of Captain Caveman’s sickness.
Gratitude List 1. Getting medication for Captain Caveman 2. Finally getting to swim in the pool 3. A great afternoon with Janet & Ian.
While friends in the UK had a bank holiday on Monday 25th August, Captain Caveman and I were off on another adventure from Dalyan. I’d arranged to join a friend’s boat trips to the Köyceğiz market and then I had booked a night in the Kaunos Hotel. It did mean we had almost a full day on Adıl boat with Captain Fuat and all the lovely guests. We were meant to set off at 9.30am so I was on at Captain Caveman to be on time, he seemed to have increased the amount of times he leaves thing to the very last minute. This means he can rush there but then it always looks like I’m the late one as I can’t keep up. He wasn’t ready, so I decided to take the bin out and said I would wait for him by the bins. It was hot, I waited ages, he never arrived. I called him but he didn’t answer his phone. I walked back to the apartment and he wasn’t there so I decided to walk to the boat – he was already on it, sat playing Bridge on his phone and we had our first fall out! Captain Caveman was annoyed that I lost my temper at being stood by the bins in the hot sun while he had gone to the boat a different way, not even passing the bin! He then retaliated by going quiet and going on his phone rather than speaking to anyone. We set off late so Captain Caveman was annoyed at me nagging him to not be late so the trip didn’t get off to a good start. I soon forgot about it when Captain Fuat got out the cake for breakfast. We sailed to Prison Island where some had a swim around it but I was conserving my energy for a swim in the hotel pool later; so we just had a shorter swim. The lunch was a feast of many delicious dishes and Captain Caveman and I had a beverage or two! When we got to Köyceğiz, we paid our 2000 lira (£37) bar bill, in addition to the £30 each for the boat trip and said farewell. Our friends on the boat had an hour in Köyceğiz while we were going to check in to the hotel and return tomorrow.
Captain Caveman and I checked in to the Kaunos hotel, which was right on the Köyceğiz lake path and had a gorgeous pool. Debbie at Fat Club had been before and had recommended it. I’d chosen the most expensive room type to ensure we had a lake view with a balcony to sit on for sunset and sunrise. My plan was to go to the market and off licence to stock up on cheese, olives, fruit and wine so we could enjoy a romantic evening after our swim in the fabulous pool. Of course, that didn’t quite go according to plan. I knew Captain Caveman wasn’t feeling 100% but thought it was because he’d been necking beer in the sun and was dehydrated. He wasn’t his usual speedy self as we walked to the market and he didn’t even taste all of the cheeses and olives (it’s not like him to turn down free nibbles). At the market, here’s what we bought with prices in lira;
In the Carrefour supermarket Captain Caveman wasn’t in a rush to get out and was browsing slowly for snacks, while I got the last 2 bottles of Prosecco. When Captain Caveman put orange juice in the basket I assumed it was to have bucks fizz the next morning. We spent 940 lira (£17.41) on snacks and fizz which was rather extravagant for me.
We got back to the hotel around 5.15pm and went to get our swimmers on. Again, Captain Caveman wasn’t as speedy as usual and by the time we got down to the pool it was almost 6pm. Unfortunately, the pool was closed for cleaning so we were unable to use it and I was so disappointed – it was the main reason for choosing this hotel. I couldn’t believe it was almost the end of August and I’d still to swim in a swimming pool! The pool man could see my frustration and came over to show me the signs and explain that the hotel pool is always closed from 5.45pm until 10.15am for chemical treatment. In just my swimwear I went off to the reception to check what time we had to check out. I was flabbergasted to find we had to be out by 10am, 15 minutes before the pool opened! I said to Captain Caveman that we would check out tomorrow but then come to the pool until midday and he agreed. I also insisted we sit on a lounger by the pool for half an hour now, just to get some photos of the pool and hotel grounds.
Back in the room we opened the Prosecco and I got some of the nibbles out. Captain Caveman had to be coaxed out on to the balcony and we had orange juice in our fizz. Captain Caveman was not bothered about sitting out as ‘he’d seen a sunset before’! He had also started blowing his nose and sneezing a lot and remained laying on the bed for the rest of the night, on his phone. I sat out on the balcony drinking Prosecco, eating cheese and olives and admiring the romantic view, by myself. It wasn’t quite the day off I’d imagined for the money we had spent!
Gratitude List 1. A lovely boat trip on Adıl boat 2. A hotel stay in Köyceğiz with lovely views 3. Prosecco.
Captain Caveman arrived about 5am on Saturday 23rd August while I was fast asleep. Sonuç had picked him up from Dalaman airport and it cost just £30. He’d had a good journey but was tired after a busy week. Our plans to go for breakfast at La Sorella were postponed. It was time for Captain Caveman and I to get in to full tourist mode and enjoy our holiday in Dalyan. Our first job was to pop to Aksoy Jewellers to change some English pounds. The rate was 54 lira to the pound so Captain Caveman changed just £100, obviously giving us 5400 lira to spend over the weekend. I felt rich, given that in January that amount had almost been my entire month’s budget. Our next stop was for lunch, we had skipped breakfast, and we decided to sit by the river at Okyanus. On the way, we bumped in to one of the boat men who used to play football before an injury. He had spotted Captain Caveman’s Dalyan Spor football top so was having a chat about that. I’m not a fan of blokes on holiday wearing football tops (probably because I don’t like football) but it turns out that if you’re wearing a foreign one, no one thinks you’re English – the Croatian one always catches people off guard. Okyanus is one of our favourites due to both the location, right on the river, and the friendly waiter, Üstün, who we’ve known for some years. My parents had introduced us to him and he’s got a great sense of humour. Captain Caveman ordered an Efes Malt (for breakfast, as he’d not eaten) while I ordered a soda water. We both had chicken wraps, mine with homemade chips and Captain Caveman ordered onion rings. We got chatting to Simone, a fellow Yorkshire lass, who I’d not seen for ages. It was good to chat and see her and Üstün were still doing well. We paid 1,490 lira (£27.60) for 3 dishes and a couple of drinks each.
Our next stop was to see our old mate, Mehmet, at Lukka bar. Obviously, with living so near to Lukka, I see Mehmet and Katrina often but Captain Caveman likes to make Lukka one of his first stops to say hello. We sat at an outside table enjoying the view and with me moaning on about sport on TV – unless it’s F1 I’m not interested. Obviously, it took me 30 minutes to realise that Captain Caveman was not listening intently to me rambling on about holiday plans – he was watching the footy on the TV behind me! We paid 500 lira (£9.26) for 2 Efes Malts, 1 Angora white wine and 1 soda water. Captain Caveman was keen to nip to the shops so here’s what we bought, prices in lira;
Migros Supermarket 1 red cabbage 26.22 2 toothbrushes 27.95 710g tomatoes 42.56 1 lettuce 49.95 Sliced bread 64.50 Cherry juice 89.95 Total spent 301.13 lira (£5.58)
We did laugh at how cheap all those tomatoes were and I confessed I had started to eat them in Dalyan as they are just so cheap! Back at home, we had a bottle of prosecco with our chicken salad and had our first night at home, just relaxing.
Gratitude List 1. Spending the whole day with Captain Caveman 2. Seeing familiar faces in Dalyan in our favourite places 3. Prosecco – I had been saving it to celebrate Captain Caveman’s arrival.
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