Captain Caveman and I were booked on the Princess of Ekincik boat trip to Devil’s Bay on Sunday 24th August with Nanny Kay. We were really looking forward to it, however, the sea was too rough out that way so the captain had to change it to Ekincik Bay. We didn’t mind as we still had time to perhaps fit in a Devil’s Bay later in the holiday. Ivona, the captain’s wife, was also on board which Nanny Kay and I were pleased about as we don’t get to see her too much during the holiday season. We left at 10am and were given tea or coffee with some biscuits as we sailed towards Iztuzu beach. There was a convoy of boats at first as they all carefully navigated the sandbanks. We were soon in bays where there were fewer boats and we were able to get in for a dip. The day was made up of lots of swimming, eating and drinking and the boat trip was just £35 for the whole day, including a massive lunch.
There was the usual BBQ chicken and meatballs with some really tasty dishes and mezes. My favourites were the prawns, and the grilled courgettes. Around 3.45pm we were given more food in the form of cake and fruit. I had another glass of wine and we spent a total of 2000 lira (£37) on the drinks. We’d decided to give the ball a bit of a kick, we had enjoyed it so much – the Princess of Ekincik boat is one of my favourites. The seats are comfortable, the toilet is the best I’ve seen on a boat and they have proper steps to get in and out of the water – ideal for those with mobility issues.
Back home around 6pm, we got showered and changed before venturing out about 9pm. Ordinarily, I’d be in bed by now but, as we had the day off tomorrow, we went to see Tay at Rehab bar. We had contemplated going for a meal but decided we didn’t want something too big – we were still full from the boat trip feast. I took a photo of the taxi prices and what it didn’t mention on the sign was that they charge just 200 lira (£3.70) for a Dalyan centre journey. This is quite handy to know if you’re wanting to go from one end of town to the other, or to each others’ hotels/villas. I thought that minimum fare was very reasonable but tonight we walked it back through town. We ended up at Çağrı where we had wine and beer plus a pide for Captain Caveman and a lahmacun with salad for me. It was delicious and not badly priced at 900 lira (£16.67), including a tip.
Gratitude List 1. An excellent boat trip with Princess of Ekincik 2. Swimming in the sea 3. Eating incredible food and having some drinks
Weigh day certainly seems to come round a bit too quickly; Wednesday 20th August was meant to be my last good weight loss before Captain Caveman arrived for our 2 week holiday. I’d definitely cut down on the alcohol and only had 5 glasses of wine all week but I had been round to a friend’s for dinner and been on a boat trip this week, so I hadn’t avoided 2 lots of desserts. At home I’d lost 0.45kg (1lb) but we would see if Carol’s scales differed later. My measurements were good and I’d put 1cm on my bust but lost 2cm from my waist and 1cm off my hips. I got on the bandwagon with the water bottle to make sure I drink more water. I always drink at least 2 litres per day but, as it was hot, I was aiming for 3! I popped over to Jamie’s for a quick Resort Experts conflab and I intended to pick up his loppers and pruners but forgot them – we were too busy chatting about holiday destinations. On the way back, I remembered as I went in the Block A entrance rather than Block B, that side looked much better, as if the gardener only does that side of the complex then gets bored. At Fat Club I was pleased to find I’d lost 0.6kg (1.3lb) although I was still 4.35kg (almost 10lb) over my target now. It just goes to show how much crap I was having in the UK, how quickly I was putting weight back on when I went there and wasn’t following the plan. It would be interesting to see how much I put on when on a 2 week Turkey holiday with Captain Caveman in just 3 days time! I missed a Zoom call about my forthcoming travel planner which happened to clash with Fat Club and then I also had to get back for a client call. This one was the start of a special enquiry as it was with a friend’s husband who was wanting to organise a surprise trip for a specific birthday next year. I can’t say too much on here as she will probably be reading it and it’s going to be one of the best kept secrets! The call went so well and I actually couldn’t wait to see what I could find on this one. We had quite a long discussion and there were lots or requirements and a specific budget but it was a good ‘un! Jamie popped his gardening tools over to mine so that we had them ready for Captain Caveman. For dinner, I had a mystery meal from the freezer with mushrooms in (forgot the photo as I was hungry) then decided I needed to go shopping at 9.30pm. I had hoped the supermarket would be less busy at that time but it wasn’t. Here’s what I bought with prices in lira;
It was certainly a sign things were better than at the start of the year as I would have thought twice about buying nuts as they were a treat. I was still concerned at the sharp rise in Quark prices, though.
Gratitude List 1. Losing weight this week (even if it wasn’t much) 2. More new enquiries for my travel business 3. Being able to rely on Jamie for gardening tools.
There was a bit of excitement on Thursday 21st August as I had been invited round to a friend’s after work. I was really apprehensive about taking time off when Captain Caveman arrived but I knew how much he needed a holiday, and I probably did too. I didn’t want to be spending the money we were getting in just yet, as I really wanted to build back up some emergency funds and rainy day money. I was also a little worried that I might miss some precious holiday bookings and book sales. I was still at the stage that each opportunity was important and every bit of commission counted. I was keen not to be ‘unavailable’ should a potential customer want to book. Captain Caveman wanted to travel around Turkey and some of the journey by train, which meant I probably shouldn’t take my laptop with me. It’s a fine line but I would see how the first week went, I was already pre scheduling all my social media posts up to the end of the first week of September, just in case. I had quark with berries (no oats) for breakfast then I worked all day. In the morning I had a catch up with my friend and colleague, Dagne, in Majorca. There was a Resort Experts team meeting too at lunch time, so I ate beans on toast around 2.15pm. In the afternoon I played telephone tennis with one of the suppliers I had asked to price me up a bespoke trip. I switched the laptop off at bang on 5pm and walked over to Janet and Ian’s villa. It was precisely 24 minutes but would have been 25 had Ian not come to meet me at the shortcut through some bushes. I met their friends, Sam & Lucy, who had a lovely daughter and they seemed somewhat familiar. We hit it off right away and we all had a lovely afternoon. I joined Janet with a glass of wine or two and it was very relaxing just sat by their pool. On the drive back to take me home, Janet, Ian and I decided to nip to Mono and More for a bite to eat. Janet had been telling me about the scampi she had tried so I was keen to eat that. We both ordered the same with a glass of wine while Ian had soup and fish and chips. All the food was very lovely and at a reasonable price for non-Turkish meals. The scampi was whole-tail, not the reformed stuff, and I really enjoyed it. I did see one of the owners eating a Chinese dish which looked amazing. Funnily enough I only ever eat a Chinese meal when I’m in the UK and even then, not very often but the portion size and the food looked impressive. I was even invited to try a mouthful, on account of my eyeing up of her food, but of course I politely declined. I’d had a really lovely evening and we made plans for when Captain Caveman arrived too. Ian offered to drive me home but I decided it would be a good idea to walk off my meal. Recently, I had seen various Facebook posts and news articles saying how quiet Dalyan was. If the streets by the mosque were anything to go by, that wasn’t true. It was 11.20pm as I walked past lots of tourists either on their way to a bar or doing some browsing in the shops.
Gratitude List 1. Being able to have a holiday with Captain Caveman 2. Eating great food 3. Having a wonderful time with friends.
It was only 23°C when I awoke on Friday 22nd August but, looking at the forecast for today and the week, the weather was looking great for Captain Caveman’s visit. I was super excited and his flight was tonight at 9.50pm from Gatwick. We both still had our last day at work to go but I had already put on my out of office and had a to do list longer than my arm. In my lunch hour I nipped to buy eggs from Şok and ended up getting 15 eggs and some jellies for 104.95 lira (£1.93). I also bought a Turkish loaf and a simit for just 30 lira (55p) from the bakery. I ate the simit for lunch and got straight back on to the to do list for another hour. Captain Caveman called me while he tucked in to a more substantial lunch (I think a fish finger buttie) and he was really looking forward to getting back to Dalyan. I tidied up, changed the bedding, did the laundry and ran out of time to do more cleaning up before dinner. I ate a chicken and mushroom Slimming World concoction for dinner at 10.15pm, but didn’t particularly enjoy it. I went to bed, knackered and thinking I’d probably forgot to do something important.
Gratitude List 1. Sunny weather in Dalyan 2. Captain Caveman coming to Dalyan in just hours 3. Getting a lot done, even if I still didn’t finish everything.
I had very kindly been invited to a friend’s house for a Turkish breakfast on Tuesday 19th August. I’ve known Murat from trips I’d been on with family and friends in the past and have always enjoyed his tour guide skills. He does bespoke trips as The Lost Tour Guide now, both in the Dalyan area but also Istanbul and even Montenegro. We hadn’t caught up in ages and Murat had ordered a copy of my book, ‘You Can’t Shit Yourself on a Bicycle’ which he wanted me to sign for him. I arrived at Murat and Sıdıka’s house where their daughter was a little shy at first. I bought her a notebook and a small purse as a little gift and she wanted to see Dad’s book too. The family welcomed me to eat a feast in their home and I felt a little sorry for Sıdıka as Murat and I chatted about all sorts of shit, including my family, who he had got to know well over the years. My sister was on the other end of the phone and we sent a video and photos. She was in Scotland where her dog, Sumo, was posing for a photo with my book. After a delicious home cooked breakfast by Sıdıka, we took a few more photos and then it was time to give some attention to Lina Su and the cat – the cat didn’t want our attention and escaped, while Lina Su and I did some drawing. I could’ve stayed longer but I had to get back to work, so I said thank you and farewell with plans to catch up again when Captain Caveman arrived.
Video as I walked towards the river
Video of the Co-operative boats
I walked home along the river and caught a glimpse of the garden boat as it went by. Lots of the co-operative boats were lined up in readiness to take tourists to Iztuzu beach after lunch and I noticed they had reduced the return fare to just 100 lira (£1.83). The sun was hot and there were not too many people around. Back at home, I was busy until 8.15pm when I knocked up some veggie fried rice for my dinner and looked forward to an early night – the trick is to fall asleep before the Jazz bar starts playing music.
Gratitude List 1. Having a Turkish breakfast with Murat and his family 2. Selling more copies of my handy travel tips book this month 3. Being busy.
Photo credit – some photos (the better ones) by Murat Deniz, The Lost Tour Guide.
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