Dalyan – 9th January

It was the start of my birthday week on Monday 9th January and the plans were coming along nicely. After breakfast I took the dogs out as usual but this time Charlie wanted to check on Milo, the dumped dog, who we had now found out was called Cookie. Apparently the owner of the off-licence, Yaman Bufet, had said he would take it if we could take it to the shop. I was struggling enough to handle the 3 dogs I did have on the lead so I sent the location to people who could help.

While Captain Caveman was on his way back from Son Doong, I was on my way for my first treat of the week. Kate was meeting me at Egehan restaurant, where her birthday gift to me was lunch and drinks. We had a lovely table outside by the pool in glorious sunshine and we were the only lunchtime guests. We had beers and a couple of beef dishes which were absolutely stunning. My meatballs were so tasty and Kate enjoyed her meal too. I was wearing winter clothes and was too hot, even the pool wasn’t that cold.

Next we went to Tez bar where we were later joined by Mark and we were discussing plans for my birthday.
On my way back to Jamie’s villa, around 5.30pm, I called at the shop for some essentials, a little bit tipsy. Louisa was arriving tomorrow so I’d asked her what she might want so I could get it in, and I also took some vodka from home as she doesn’t like wine or beer. Here’s what I bought;

Migros Supermarket
1 Twix 13.95
Skimmed milk 15.50
Carrots 16.25
Toastie loaf 17.50
Crisps 18.45
Apple juice 22.00
1 tin of tomatoes 24.90

Total spent 128.55 lira (£5.66)

After shopping and walking Norman and Edna, it was time to take Charlie for his walk. This time we went a different route and ended up in Waterfall where I met up again with Mark and Kate. After a couple of drinks I went back home and sent the Bistro Blue menus out to the potential birthday party attendees so they could preorder. On the whole, prices had an average increase of 20%, which was normal but I expected some cancellations because of it. As my diet was on hold until after the celebrations I treated myself to a couple of pieces of the white Terry’s Chocolate Orange which Josh had brought me over from England.

Dalyan – 7th & 8th January

I had quite a steady day on Saturday 7th January, when walking the dogs there was a small dog who had probably been dumped and was hanging around Charlie’s house. It looked like Milo from the film ‘Mask’, he was shaking and crying. I didn’t have my phone to take photos or try to find the owner but I suspected the cost of having a dog was getting too much for some Turkish people, prices of pet food was expensive as they class it has a luxury item which has a high tax on. At the corner shop the fresh bread was now 5 lira per loaf, only 22p in English money, but used to be 1 lira not that long ago. I met up with Vanessa in the afternoon at Kaunos Tea Gardens and left the dogs together for about 3 hours, feeling happy they had been walked and were now friendlier towards each other. I called in Bim supermarket to see if they had any Dairy Milk chocolate as I kept hearing rumours, but there was none. I didn’t stay out late as I felt a bit tired and headed back to Jamie’s villa for some dog and sofa time.

My Sunday, 8th January, was full of dog love and nice Slimming World friendly food.
After letting the dogs out and feeding them, Norman insisted that we all go back to bed. I obliged and, this time, Norman had priority place next to me while Charlie and Edna were near my legs. There was lots of snoring and farting during an extra lay in, and that was just the dogs! By 11am I decided we were all being far too lazy and that we should get up and go for a walk. I wouldn’t say I’d mastered it, but we were now all 4 of us comfortably walking without me being tied up in dog leads. It was clear that Edna was the boss but I loved how well behaved Charlie was on his lead. When we walked near his house we saw Milo (the dumped dog) again and I spoke to the neighbour to check if it was their’s. This time we took photos and posted on Facebook to see if we could find the owner. It turned out the owner had been traced but didn’t want the dog, Milo had now moved in to the vestibule of Charlie’s apartment block and was being fed by two of the kind neighbours. Charlie wanted to be friends with him but there was no way I could surprise Jamie, or Helen & Abi, with a new dog.
I had a late lunch of leftover curry with steamed rice and played outside in the garden with the dogs. All 3 of them were getting along much better now and they were less jealous of my attention since walking them all together. We watched TV while all 3 dogs stayed near to me and each other, which was sweet. I had another healthy meal of chicken and veg pasta for dinner and I had some of the white wine left over from the other night. When I got off the sofa for more wine the dogs spread out and I couldn’t get back to my spot.

Dalyan – 6th January

All 3 dogs came back to bed with me on the morning of Friday 6th January. Even while I waited for the kettle to boil, Norman and Edna were halfway up the stairs and it was still too early for breakfast. They got on the bed together and there was some repositioning as Edna and Charlie both wanted to be nearest to me. In bed, while some of the dogs snored, I made some arrangements for my 50th birthday celebrations next week. It was likely to be bad weather and so I envisaged I might need to have a Plan B, just in case. I’d decided I fancied going for a nice meal and some drinks at Bistro Blue and was having conversations with the owners to arrange. I had to wait for them to reprice the menu as the prices were increasing for 2023, the new menus would be with me on Monday. I was really looking forward to having Louisa come over to celebrate my birthday with me but I did hope she wouldn’t be too bored – Dalyan can be very quiet in the winter time.
I’d brought my tape measure with me to Jamie’s so I did my weekly figures;
Bust & Hips remained the same,
Waist +1cm,
Both thighs and Right calf +0.5cm,
Left calf still the same.
I popped to the shop to get some provisions for a soirée I was hosting that evening. Here’s what I bought at Migros Supermarket:
880g chicken 67.00
400g tin of chopped tomatoes 24.90
1 carton of cream 18.90
Total spent 110.80 lira (£4.89)

I suspected that wasn’t far off the cost of the same things back in England, although I hadn’t been back for over a year. I put the ingredients for a Slimming World friendly curry in the slow cooker and brought my rice cooker over from one house to another. I had a bit of a tidy up then Vanessa popped over to join me on a dog walk.

Cheeky Charlie, obviously had us call in to Waterfall bar, which ended up being 2 drinks and Charlie getting lots of attention from his friends. When Vanessa and I got back to Jamie’s villa to pick up her bicycle, Ann and Nanny Kay were already on the patio waiting for me.

Once indoors and the dog fussing had been completed, we got the wine out. Ann had brought me a lovely birthday gift; a gift bag with Buzbağ red wine, Dairy Milk chocolate, M&Ms and a lovely purple bobble hat. Nanny Kay gave me a bottle of Tigre wine, which I also thought was a pre birthday gift as she also wasn’t coming to my birthday party on Wednesday. As Jamie would be away for my birthday, and Nanny Kay and Ann weren’t able to make it, we said we would do a night out at the end of January instead.
I thought the curry turned out well and the ladies were impressed with my rice cooker rice. Charlie took a real liking to Nanny Kay and was loving being a bit cheeky with both our visitors. We had a lovely evening and I was quite merry by the time they left.

Dalyan – 5th January

On Thursday 5th January it was cold when I got up to let the dogs out. I made a cup of tea, fed them, then we all went back to bed. The dogs were getting used to each other a little more, which was nice, and I had a feeling they would be best friends by the time Jamie got back home. I had cornflakes for breakfast while Charlie and Edna were sunbathing. I’d even brought a sun lounger near to the back door, popped a towel on it and was able to keep an eye on them from my stool at the breakfast bar. Norman remained inside but Edna got too hot in the sun and had to come inside to cool down after a while. There was a lamp on the breakfast bar which was constantly on so I had to message Jamie to ask how to turn it off, he laughed that I couldn’t figure it out. I took a few photos to send him of the dogs so he knew they were doing fine without him. I did more editing but then got summoned to go over to meet the plumber at Charlie’s apartment because they had come to try to fix the leak which was still going in to Katrina and Mehmet’s bathroom, below. It had been going on for more than a month now and was getting ridiculous as no one seemed to know where the problem was. Charlie had taken himself off for an afternoon nap and I didn’t know how long I would be gone for. I booked Louisa’s taxis from and to the airport, for her trip to see me next week, while I waited for them to finish.
I’d been less than an hour out of my day when I got back to Jamie’s to another ‘situation’. He’d told me he had ordered some bathroom tiles at a bargain price and they had been delivered while I was out. Not only were they placed right in front of the patio doors where the entrance to the villa is, but a lot of them were broken. I took a photo to send to Jamie so he could organise to have them moved and I noticed Edna and Charlie looking out of the doors wondering what was going on. I got in the house but decided not to let the dogs out until the tiles were moved and I could sweep up the sharp bits. I didn’t have to wait long, as 2 ladies from the Agent’s arrived promptly and moved each one by hand in to a more practical spot. By the time I had walked all 3 dogs and was getting back to my laptop, Captain Caveman called me to chat for the first time since he’d got to Phong Nha. Unfortunately, we had just started chatting when a Phong Nha friend turned up and Captain Caveman had to go. It was a good job the call was cut short as Charlie had spotted some cake toppers in the form of Norman and Edna, which he was trying to push on to the floor. I moved them and he tried again so I had to pop them in a cupboard. I finally got some food, quite late in the day, just a jacket potato with cheese and salad. I watched Dragon’s Den and The Apprentice in the evening then had a glass of wine and a piece of Christmas cake, courtesy of Jamie. It was quite chilly so I was glad of the dog snuggles until bedtime at gone midnight.

Dalyan – 3rd & 4th January

Before I’d walked Charlie on Tuesday 3rd January, I’d already had some photos from Captain Caveman in Phong Nha. He had been out and about meeting friends at familiar haunts and because of the 4 hour time difference had already had lunch. Ganesh, the Indian restaurant, was now open and he was looking forward to trying it in the next few days. I walked Charlie and completed some editing, which Charlie wasn’t impressed about. For lunch I tried to salvage the ruined mushroom risotto by making risotto balls and they weren’t too bad. I also started looking at flights to the UK, hoping to pop back for a week or so. The prices to get to the UK were very cheap but to return to Turkey were not. The temperature felt cold here at 19°C at 5.30pm so I knew I’d struggle with the cold weather in England. My parents and Captain Caveman had left Dalyan a week ago now but it did seem like a lot longer.
While Captain Caveman had been to Bamboo cafe and then was out with Tatas, I moved in to Jamie’s for another pet sitting stint. At 6.30pm I arrived, with Charlie, at Jamie’s villa and we had a glass of wine before he jetted off on his holidays. Dale, who handles residency applications, amongst other things, popped round and he joined us with a tonic water. I would be staying for 16 days to look after Jamie’s dogs, Norman and Edna, but Charlie seemed a little apprehensive of his new sofa buddies. When it came to bedtime he came with me, Norman and Edna slept on the sofa downstairs.

I couldn’t reach the toaster at Jamie’s and I was struggling to open some of the new handle-less kitchen cupboards. On Wednesday 4th January I had to have cereals for breakfast because of this and they’d gone a bit soggy by the time I’d found and got in to the cutlery drawer for a spoon. It was sunny out, although I noticed Jamie had not expected nice weather in Dalyan as all the garden furniture had now been put away. There was washing hung out next door so I wondered if we were expecting neighbours but I think it was just the cleaner popping round to do a spruce up. Charlie was still unsure why he was staying at Jamie’s with Norman and Edna, so he had assumed the guard dog position. He barked at the Cleaner as we had a chat and she said she knew me from Facebook. I managed to get some editing completed on my laptop but working at the breakfast bar on a high stool made my legs a bit numb.
At lunch time I popped back to Charlie’s home to pick up more of his stuff, including his blanket, and he snuck in a cheeky sunbathe on the roof terrace. While I was there, I saw Jamie’s plumber who was on the roof, and it confused both of us at the same time. I was still walking the 3 dogs in 2 separate walks as I couldn’t manage all of them at once, yet.
Fat Club was exciting as Ghislaine had gifts from Atyom, the Russian, for the 5 of us from her birthday bash. We each had a lovely bracelet in a box and gift bag to say thanks – how nice was that!?
It was no surprise that the results of my weigh-in weren’t good and I had put on 0.8kg this week. I’d only left the dogs for 1 hour to pop to Fat Club, when I got back they had all been well behaved but acted like I’d been gone for a week.
I didn’t eat lunch until 5pm but I had a jacket potato with cheese (no butter) then I fed the dogs. I made sure to feed them in separate sections of the kitchen as Charlie was used to having his food bowl full at all times so he could eat when he wanted. The King Charles Cavaliers will snaffle anything so I couldn’t leave Charlie’s food out and he took his time eating while the other 2 waited for any spare, which never happened.
I spoke to my parents on video call and they were doing well, getting used to the cold back home in Sheffield.
Later in the evening I had some pasta then settled down for dog snuggles. Captain Caveman was settling in to Phong Nha well, he’d been to meet friends in Dong Hoi, had drank wine with Tatas and finished his evening with a Porter party, where all his work friends and colleagues were.

Photos from Captain Caveman in Vietnam

Photo credit – Captain Caveman and Tatas

Dalyan – 1st & 2nd January

Having been up most of the night with scared Charlie, the dog, because of the New Year’s Eve fireworks I was tired but hangover free on Saturday 1st January. I made a Slimming World friendly pizza with leftover salami and cheddar for lunch and decided to try the Slow Cooker mushroom risotto for dinner. I had a nice leisurely dog walk and then arranged to meet Jamie and Ann at Waterfall for a couple of drinks. The dogs love it there and they get to see Skippy, the dog, too. Unfortunately we were there a tad longer than planned and my risotto was overcooked. I popped it in a tupperware thinking I’d salvage it another day but I ate a small soggy portion of it for dinner. I filled up with left over Christmas cake and some cheese, which meant the diet was out of the window, once again!
Captain Caveman had left Saigon and was heading back to Phong Nha, moving back in to the Glass House and getting prepared to start work again.

On Monday 2nd January it was the end of my Christmas holidays and so I intended to get back on with working for a living. Things were tight money-wise as the inflation in Turkey continued to rise and prices of shopping was increasing by up to 35%. Ann posted a job advert on Facebook so I decided to apply and then I made a shopping list. At the top was a diary, I really needed one to get organised as January, for me, is a busy month.
I had strawberries for breakfast, the ones I had bought a week ago at Köyceğiz market and had cut them and put them in a glass jar to keep them fresher for longer. I was on my laptop editing documents but Charlie didn’t want me to, because he needed more belly rubs. I had pasta bolognese for lunch then soup and a wrap for a snack later. After a nice afternoon dog walk Charlie was insistent we went to Waterfall bar again, he was starting to find it impossible to go past without calling in to say ‘Hi’ to the locals. I met up with Mark and Kate who were on their way home from town and we had a jacket potato, courtesy of Mehmet. I left after 3 wines but, at 11pm, I’d had another glass of wine at home and more pasta bolognese before snuggles with Charlie.

Dalyan – 31st December

On Saturday 31st December, Charlie woke up in a cheeky mood! He was rolling on, and in, Abi’s bed with his toy, Slothy. It was New Year’s Eve but I had no plans to do anything to celebrate it. Josh was booked to leave for the airport at 1.30pm so Jamie and I had said we would meet him for a send off meal at Bistro Blue.
I took Charlie out for a decent walk first and was walking him back, off the lead, through the garden. It looked like some neighbours had moved in downstairs but I’d not met them yet and I was looking over to see. Charlie found some green sloppy poo on the grass and decided to roll in it, then rub his face and ears in it! I was disgusted and shouted for him to stop straight away, he ignored me so I had to pull him off the grass, using the bit of his collar not covered in shit. I had less than 1 hour before lunch so he and I were straight in the shower where I wished they had a hose, and not just the overhead one. I panicked and used Abi’s Body Shop banana shampoo which worked a treat but Charlie was not too thrilled with it. I made him sit outside on his box to dry off, convinced he still smelled of poo!!!
At Bistro Blue, I ordered a breakfast, without eggs or tomatoes, and it was very tasty. We had a good laugh and a nice last meal before Josh and I walked over to the bank to meet Fikri. We said farewell, I had really enjoyed having Josh come to visit and would miss him, and his humour, for sure.
Back ‘home’ I didn’t really do much aside from polish off one of Annie’s homemade mince pies with kaymak and honey. No alcohol was consumed, despite me having bought a bottle of cheap fizz, and was in bed by 9.30pm. Before 10pm, Charlie had come to tell me he wasn’t happy with the fireworks he could hear and, as they got louder and more frequent, he got very scared. I kept him close and reassured him and eventually got to sleep.

Dalyan – 30th December

Charlie was loving having a bit of a lay in on Friday 30th December and even slept after I had got up, got ready, had my cup of tea and done some housework. He didn’t want to venture outside, even though it was nice weather. I took him for a walk, then back home before I went to meet Josh at the bus station in town. We had decided to go to the turtle hospital and the beach, but without Charlie this time. The bus left Dalyan at noon and the return fare was 36 lira (£1.58) per person. We were given a card for the return ticket and reminded that it was necessary to book a return ticket these days so that the driver knew he was required to come to collect us at 4.30pm, as per the winter bus schedule.
Josh and I went to the turtle hospital first and saw lots of good work and knowledgeable staff trying their best to ensure rescue, safety and recovery of the turtles. We tried to get some photos but the area where the tanks are is kept in low light and for obvious reasons, flashes are not allowed. Iztuzu Beach was very quiet today as Josh and I wandered from the bus end towards the boat end and back. We even had a paddle and the sea was not that cold, although I wouldn’t have swam right out.

We had lunch at the beach café and then decided to go off exploring up the side of the cliffs. It was beautiful scenery and we could see a German Shepherd dog was playing with his family. When he saw us he came running up the mountain side and I think he was just checking we were ok as he went back down when called.
We got the bus back just as it was starting to get a bit cooler and I still got off at the bus station and walked back to Charlie’s. Josh went back to our home and I was starting to miss being in our apartment. It was a month since I’d moved in to look after Charlie and he was so pleased to see me when I got ‘home’. We played catch Slothy, his toy, for a bit before walkies and then cuddles on the sofa.
That night was Josh’s last night in Dalyan so I’d planned to make the most of it!

I arrived at China Town, a few minutes late where Josh, Mark & Kate already had a beer. I joined them and we perused the extensive Chinese menu for ages, uncertain on whether to have a set meal or order dishes separately. I went for a set meal and had chicken and sweetcorn soup for starters followed by sweet and sour chicken with fried rice. It was very good and I completely forgot to take photos beyond those of the starters. After a couple of Efes beers and our Chinese we went to join friends for Lukka music bingo night.

Most of the time it was evident that Josh was too young to have heard of a lot of the songs but it didn’t matter and we had a good old laugh. We didn’t win but we didn’t care and I think Appo, the waiter, had to ask us to leave at gone 1am! Tomorrow was New Year’s Eve and Josh would be heading back to the UK to celebrate it, so I had no particular plans.

Dalyan – 29th December

I’d set my alarm for 8am on Thursday 29th December but woke up before it. Charlie and I were at Jamie’s with Norman and Edna while Jamie was on a quick trip away. I let his dogs out for a wee but Charlie was still asleep on ‘my’ bed. I made a cup of tea and took it back to bed only to find Charlie had taken my spot and got right in the bed!
Captain Caveman was in Saigon already where the weather was nice but it was pretty cold and fresh in Dalyan. Captain Caveman had news that a Ganesh Indian restaurant was opening in Phong Nha so he was excited.
Josh came over after I’d took the dogs for a walk then we sat outside in the very hot sun at the patio table and chairs. We were waiting for the plumber to come and I had been informed by the maintenance company that it would be mid to late morning. Nanny Kay popped over to drop off some ‘spare’ wine and a slow cooker from Christmas Day. Her hands were full when she opened the gate so Norman and Edna got out in to the complex. Luckily Edna returned as soon as I shouted her however Norman, who’s a tad deaf, had legged it to check out what was going off in the far corner, but Josh was able to find him. The plumber came and blamed holiday makers in another villa putting toilet paper down the toilet, then had to get a machine to suck out the blockage. Even though the problem was from another villa, they used Jamie’s downstairs toilet to do the procedure and the smell made me heave. Luckily, they were finished fairly quickly and I’d cleaned the floor and had a cheese sandwich before the next dog walk.
In the afternoon Josh went back to our place and I stayed at Jamie’s with the pooches. Cath (wife of Keith) messaged to say she had tested positive for Covid after feeling like she had a cold yesterday. This meant she needed me to tell all of the attendees of Monday’s boat trip to Köyceğiz, which I did. Everyone was kind and wished her well and some went to get test kits from the chemist as they had ran out.
After another short dog walk, first with Charlie and then with Norman and Edna, I went over to meet my new drinking buddy. Josh and I decided we would go for a drink in Lukka bar where a glass of white wine was 85 lira (£3.75) so I had a couple, Josh had beer and we watched the sun set over the river. Next we decided to go to Jiks bar where they would have a fire on, as we were feeling the cold at Lukka. We ended up have 2 pizzas each, I took one home, and they were really tasty for around only 80 or 90 lira each (less than £4). The price of drinks had gone up now to 80 lira (£3.53) and was more expensive than in Lukka for an Efes beer. We both went home early that night but with plans for an early start tomorrow and a night out for Josh’s last night in Dalyan.

Dalyan – 28th December

On Wednesday 28th December Captain Caveman had arrived in Istanbul after midnight and was leaving for Saigon at 2am. Jamie had left early for an overnight trip away and I was ready to go over to his villa for dog sitting. The maintenance company were going to contact me to organise coming to look at his plumbing either today or tomorrow too. I walked Charlie, who must’ve known he was going to see Edna and Norman as he took his time on his walk.
My weekly measurements were favourable so I was hopeful for good results at Fat Club later. I’d put 1cm on my bust, lost 3cm off my waist and hips while my legs were the same as the week before. At Jamie’s the dogs were pleased to see me and they enjoyed a walk separately to Charlie, mainly because I thought I’d struggle to take 3 together. Jamie had some Christmas cake left for me and I had a small piece just to taste it, before Fat Club. It was rather hot and a bit of a sun trap on Jamie’s back garden so I was too hot in my long sleeved top. On my walk round to Nil Lounge I spotted a stray sheep, eating foliage in the garden of an unoccupied complex. Josh went to join the pool afternoon at Rehab bar but us ladies probably wouldn’t join them as it was Ghislaine’s birthday celebration straight after Fat Club.

There were Carol, Kate, me and Nil with Ghislaine at Fat Club to help celebrate her special day. She had brought bottles of Prosecco with her as a treat for us all and, before I’d even got weighed, Ghislaine and Carol were on it.
When I stepped on the scales I had lost another 0.5kg which meant I had lost a total of the equivalent of half a stone in old measurements. I was pleased with that and surprised to be slimmer of the week, as I got handed a chilled glass of fizz. We sat down to order food and I decided to go for a cheese burger, as did Ghislaine. Kate ordered a chicken shish and Carol opted for a vegetarian spaghetti dish. The food was very good at Nil Lounge and my lunch cost just 120 lira (£5.29).

The afternoon started off very civilised but you know you’re in a bit of a pickle when Mark and Josh turn up, to help us all get home ok. During our luncheon a nice Russian hotel guest had bought Ghislaine a bottle of fizz and had it sent over to our table. This was very kind and we got chatting to Atyom who bought us more champers and was very lovely. He ended up buying several bottles but when we asked him to join us for a drink he said he didn’t drink alcohol but he would have a coffee with us before he had to go to Dalaman to meet friends. By 7pm we had asked for the bill and were sorting out who owed what. Kate ordered Fikri’s taxi for Carol, who could not pronounce where she lived, and called her husband to ask for the address. Ghislaine decided to get in the same taxi, despite living at the opposite side of town to Carol, and she forgot to take LuLu the dog home. Mark and Kate went home in their invalidity scooter, Josh and I walked back to Jamie’s and Lulu was invited to stay by the fire at Nil Lounge.

I’d promised Josh a curry from Spice Garden which arrived so promptly that I had forgotten it was coming. We got the set meals which were so good that they weren’t on the plates long enough for me to remember to take a photo. I remember us eating every single morsel and then, when I went to check on Josh after sorting the dogs out, he was done! Sleeping on the sofa by 10.10pm, I popped a blanket on him and went to bed, knowing that tomorrow I would feel a little fragile!

Dalyan – 27th December

The day that my parents and Captain Caveman had to leave Dalyan was Tuesday 27th December. My parents flight back to Manchester was the first, while Captain Caveman’s to Istanbul wasn’t until much later in the day. We’d arranged to all go out for a Goodbye breakfast but it proved trickier than we thought. We’d said to meet at Lukka bar but my parents and Josh had got there first, to be told they weren’t doing breakfasts today. I suggested Ela’s Kitchen which was still closed, Heybe’s and Jiks were both open restaurants but had not opened for the day yet. Then we remembered that Kordon does a breakfast and off we went there but we couldn’t sit inside because we had Charlie, the dog. At Kordon my parents were concerned that they were not going to have enough time to eat breakfast and get back home before Fikri came to pick them up in the taxi. They were already going very early so they had a bit of room to manoeuvre but Dad didn’t want to ask the driver to come later. My mom made me laugh when we suggested it, by saying they may as well be sat in the airport bored, than here!
After breakfast Captain Caveman and Josh said bye to my parents in the street and headed back to our apartment. Captain Caveman still had to finalise some packing and have a spruce up of his belongings before he left later. Josh just needed to limber up for any shenanigans he was to encounter on the rest of his holiday.
I walked with Charlie and my parents to their’s and Altın, a street dog, followed us. My Mom had some leftover food to give me so I was going to pop over to pick that up and see them off. When we arrived, Fikri was already waiting and so my parents hurried to get their hand luggage, pass me the bag of food and say farewell. I wasn’t sure when I would see them again but I hoped I’d be able to get a cheap flight to England at some point. Charlie and I walked with Altın following us, a couple of street dogs came to check Charlie out and she saw them off. Back at home I let Charlie in while I put my parents stuff in the cupboards and he went straight upstairs to see what Captain Caveman was up to. We left after a few minutes and Josh joined me while Captain Caveman carried on packing. We went over to Jamie’s to pick up a key for my next bit of dog and house sitting. While we were there we had a beer and Jamie updated me on the knife drawer on account of Captain Caveman complaining people don’t have sharp knives. Our next stop was Waterfall bar, Captain Caveman came back and joined us and then we went back to Lukka bar for a drink and early dinner. The fellas had burgers and I had the sweet and sour chicken, which I love. After Lukka, we went for one in Tez bar, joined by Jamie, with less than an hour before Captain Caveman’s taxi was coming. For some strange reason, my other half could not take the hint that I might want to see him in private to say bye and was about to go to look over our Aussie friend’s properties instead of saying bye. The farewell was brief and he went outside to wait for Fikri early. He then messaged to say he was still outside so I went to wait with him. Things were ok between us again but now he was leaving for Vietnam with neither of us knowing when I would be able to join him.
I went back to Tez bar where Josh, Jamie and I had a really good laugh and I wasn’t feeling too sad.
When I got back to Charlie’s at 10.30pm, he was sad that Captain Caveman wasn’t with me. I had Christmas cake and cheese for supper then went to bed. Tomorrow I had to face the post Christmas Fat Club weigh-in!

Dalyan – 26th December

As it was my parents’ and Captain Caveman’s last full day in Dalyan on Monday 26th December, I had organised a last outing. After the copious amount of booze yesterday I was somewhat woolly headed as we walked Charlie and told him he would get to have a day at home. We were off on a boat trip to Köyceğiz and there was 28 of us on Ali Özalp’s boat. To make it simple we had organised it via Kaan, who’s boat was out of the water, to leave from near Kaunos Tea Gardens at 10.30am. We would take our own drinks, have a mooch round Köyceğiz market, have a bite to eat and then return before it got too cold. Josh had agreed last night that he would bring a rucksack full of Efes and we would meet him at the tea gardens. We called for croissants and Sprite at Migros then when we met Josh, he had also bought Sprite and we were all begging for mercy, after last night’s boozy shenanigans.
On board the boat were some of the usual reprobates as well as a few new people; my parents, Captain Caveman & me, Josh, Kaan, Tayfur, Vanessa & Matt, Janet & Kev, Adam & Kath, Mark & Kate, Linda, Julio, Julius & Toni, Peter, Bianca, Sue, Ron & Sarah, Cath & Keith, 007 and Gay Gaz. Of course Gay Gaz had turned up already tiddly and hadn’t got the memo that it was bring your own booze, as he stepped on the boat and asked for a vodka and coke. Kaan and Tay sorted out a quick trip to the shops to get Gaz his required fix and then we were off on the pleasant journey to Köyceğiz. I did my best to be sociable with everyone but I was feeling quite tired and delicate, and it wasn’t my last day in Dalyan, afterall. When we got to Köyceğiz I was keen to go to the fruit and veg market on account of not going on Saturday in Dalyan. There had been some talk of us all meeting up in Tuana restaurant and, if not, back on the boat at 3pm. My parents, Josh, Captain Caveman and I went off in search of fresh produce and left the others to decide what they were doing. After purchasing a rather heavy bag load of groceries I was looking forward to having a sit down and a cold drink. We didn’t get as far as Tuana before I needed to put the bag down and nip to the loo at Avant Garde restaurant. A lovely little place on the waterfront which also had good veggie options on the menu. I got a bit over ambitious and ordered a chicken burger, mom had a seafood pasta dish and the men had various quesadillas/wraps. Only Dad and Captain Caveman could manage a beer, while I hoped I’d make it home in tact.

By 3pm we were all mostly back on the boat but just waiting for a stray or two. It would be have been easy for any onlooker to think we were in the throws of a murder mystery afternoon but it turned out Kev was feeling rather more delicate than I was and had gone for a lay down on the front of the boat. Sailing back was pleasant and sunny but it was rather fresh as the sun dipped. Gay Gaz was on one of his ‘drunken and don’t care’ missions by leaning on the anchor chain while being precariously close to the switch. A few of us tried to talk him in to moving due to it not being safe and that he could end up decapitated, but it fell on deaf ears. What made him move in the end was that he might get his bright yellow coat dirty.

When we got off the boat most people went home for a good rest while only the foolhardy and inebriated soldiered on for a last drink at Rehab bar. Captain Caveman and I decided we would go get Charlie and walk him back to Rehab. By the time we got there, Kate was doing a superb job of trying to get Gay Gaz in to a taxi where neither them nor the driver knew Gaz’s address. Luckily, I had it marked on my phone and could tell the driver as Kate shouted ‘Get in to the choppa, Gary!’
In Rehab bar, Julius and Peter got their decks out and gave us a few tunes while they waited for their taxi back to Fethiye. Charlie didn’t really care for the music but he certainly was up for meeting more people and chasing a stray dog if he got the chance.
That night we didn’t even all go out as I think we had overdone it. Captain Caveman and I stayed in and he insisted on having some quiet time with Charlie to say goodbye – I think they would miss each other. My parents still went out as they had nothing in for dinner and Josh went out, but separately. Tomorrow we would all meet for breakfast and to say farewell.

Dalyan – 25th December

When I woke up on Sunday 25th December, I was slightly regretting agreeing to a Christmas Day walk so early. Our friend, 007, had previously suggested that she would like to join Captain Caveman, my parents and I if we decided to opt out of the usual Christmas Day festivities and go for a walk. We’d been looking after Charlie for 26 days now and I was wanting to make sure that we gave him plenty of exercise before we left him to go out enjoying ourselves.
007 was prompt and outside Waterfall bar at 9.30am and it was just us and Charlie, who wasn’t really wanting to go out for a walk and wanted to stay at home.
We had a lovely walk, chat and 2 stops for a hot beverage at the tea gardens, one of which we couldn’t take the dog to so we had to move on. We had set off in the cold but had ended up taking several layers off and by 1pm, when I headed back ‘home’, it was very sunny. 007 had kindly given me a small Christmas gift which I put in the kitchen for later. Charlie was absolutely done in and had decided he was getting on the sofa and not moving. This was concerning as I’d already told my parents I would go on another walk with them this afternoon. The one this morning had been too early for them but I was also worried I’d even manage it as it I was pretty tired already. Captain Caveman was about to leave to meet Josh and they were heading off to Dalaman to watch Dalyan Spor play football. I was unsure if they would be going at all as they had struggled to find transport to accommodate everyone who wanted to go.
When I contacted my mom about the walk she suggested we went to the tea garden for lunch first and then see about a walk afterwards, which I was pleased about, even though I’d already been to the other two this morning. I didn’t take Charlie with me, much to his delight and we bumped in to Tay (from Rehab) and he joined us. My mom and I had Fanta, Dad had a beer, my parents had a sandwich and I just had chips. It was really warm and we spent a couple of hours there before going back home, ready to meet up again in a couple of hours, once the fellas were back from Dalaman.

By 5pm on Christmas Day, Captain Caveman and I were treating Charlie to a trip to see his friends in Waterfall bar after his walk to Poo Corner. My parents were on their way to meet us and Josh had popped back to Captain Caveman’s apartment to get ready for tonight’s shenanigans. After dropping Charlie back off at home we walked to Bistro Blue where I had booked the 5 of us in for a meal. Captain Caveman was on good form and behaving himself, he even agreed to share starters with me. We chose stuffed mushrooms and garlic mushrooms, Josh had the onion bhajis and I can’t remember what my parents had. I was too busy trying to make sure Captain Caveman didn’t snaffle both starters. For main courses my parents had casserole type dishes, Josh had a veggie stir fry, Captain Caveman had chicken fajitas and I decided to have the steak with peppercorn sauce. My parents ordered a nice wine that they particularly liked, Captain Caveman and I stuck to the cheapest, Buzbağ, and Josh was on Efes. The meal was really lovely and I enjoyed my steak very much, having gone for the big size I had to take some home. Captain Caveman couldn’t eat all his chicken fajitas either so we had that packaged up along with a trifle and a mince pie, courtesy of Annie. We had thought we might pop by Adam and Kath’s for a drink to wish them, as well as Mark and Kate, a Merry Christmas but it was getting late. By 9.45pm Captain Caveman had surprisingly ordered an Irish coffee and was scooping the cream off, Dad was on brandy, Josh on the posh whisky, Mom and I on the Bailey’s. Annie gave us complimentary shots, Ferrero Rocher and After Eight Mints to finish off our meal and we didn’t leave there until almost midnight. I’d really enjoyed my non-festive Christmas Day and it seemed like everyone else had too.

Dalyan – 24th December

Charlie was excited to be going to the beach on Saturday 24th December, Christmas Eve. Captain Caveman had packed a bag of goodies for us to take which included a bottle of vodka, full fat and diet cokes, paper cups, fruit cake soaked in brandy, cheddar cheese and Red Leicester cheese. Fikri picked us up in the taxi at 11am and off we went to the beach, having to have a slight stop on the way because Charlie got travel sick. We decided when we arrived at the beach to take Charlie for his walk straight away to make sure he got his exercise first. We dropped our bags next to Bill and Jaxx, who had brought meat pies(!) and off we went. Charlie was much more used to the beach this time and had a lovely run and even a little paddle.

By midday Captain Caveman had poured himself a vodka and coke and was mingling around the various tables of people and their food. I took Charlie and went to find my parents who were sat with Vanessa, Matt, Mark, Kate, Debbie (Darling), Roy and Melanie. Folk were already eating and Charlie was keen to see who would drop food first as my parents ate some chicken in front of him and he snaffled a morsel of chicken breast from Dad. I saw Jamie, Norman and Edna so I took off for another walk with Charlie. He even got introduced to playing fetch the stick but he wasn’t very good at it yet.

By 1pm I was sat having a gin and a sausage roll with Penny while Charlie snaffled a couple of sausage rolls too. At 2pm Charlie and I took another stroll down the beach with Kate and then I decided to find Captain Caveman and give him Charlie for a bit. I managed to see Nanny Kay, 007, Sabine and Ray while I had a vodka and coke. I noticed Captain Caveman was getting down it, Carol from Fat Club and Vanessa joined us and they were very merry – I needed to catch up as I’d been walking and talking too much!
Before 2.30pm I had succumbed to one of Bill’s pies which were bloody lovely. Katherine, also from Fat Club, brought me over some of her goodies and I gave her some of ours. By 3.30pm a few of the Turkish fellas had arrived and I said hello to Tay, from Rehab bar. Captain Caveman introduced me to Cath and Keith, his walking buddies, and we hit it off straight away. Vanessa came in search of more wine because she’d finished hers and I saw my parents were having a good time.

For some reason a lot of our friends left rather abruptly while it was still very sunny and warm but we stayed because Fikri was booked to pick us up at 4pm. Charlie had a great time, he was such a well behaved boy and had made loads of new friends, including seeing his old mate Skippy, from Waterfall bar. Fikri had to come and get us as we were still near the cafe and we went straight back to Lukka bar to meet our friend Josh, of Phong Nha fame! As Captain Caveman, Charlie and I were in Fikri’s taxi going back from the beach, our friend Josh was already in Lukka bar waiting for us. We’d last seen Josh in March 2019 when he had left Phong Nha, Vietnam to move back to England. I was so excited to be seeing him again and that he was going to be staying in Dalyan for a week. We had welcome hugs and Efes and introduced Charlie, the dog. Charlie was not so keen on men but he liked Josh and Josh loves dogs so they were going to get on fine. I’d invited others to come to Lukka to welcome Josh but, for various reasons, it was just us. Most of the other expats were already in Tez bar, or had gone home drunk, after the Christmas Eve Iztuzu Beach shenanigans. We played pool in Lukka so that Josh could be reminded how bad I am at playing it and we caught him up with our very loose itinerary for his stay. He would be staying at our place while we were still at Charlie’s so Captain Caveman took him to drop his bag off and gave him a key.

The 3 of us and Charlie joined my parents, Mark and Kate, plus a few others at Tez bar, which was very busy. Captain Caveman took Charlie home and came back then we all got on with introducing Josh to as many Dalyan expats as possible. We were all pretty merry and by 8pm most people had overdone it. Kate got a taxi home but left Mark with us so we all decided Duble for food would be a good idea.

The 6 of us got a corner table with a heater nearby and it was very cozy. My parents had glasses of white wine while Captain Caveman, Mark and I shared a bottle of Isabey red wine and Josh had a Sprite. A few of us had the lentil soup which was lovely and then we had lamb, chicken, liver and a veggie dish. Josh was the first to go home as he’d had a long day travelling from England. The rest of us were still in Duble at 10.45pm when we insisted on Mark getting a taxi home and the rest of us walked home with arrangements to meet up tomorrow.

Photo credit – various including Captain Caveman, Jamie, Melanie and Facebook

Dalyan – 23rd December

On Friday 23rd December I wasn’t feeling too lively, after last night’s debacle. Amongst having to finish quite a few tasks and a plumber coming, I did speak to Captain Caveman about why we were arguing. He was upset because he says I micromanage him and get involved in stupid things. I begged to differ on the micromanaging, if I did I was definitely rubbish at it! Mid morning I had a break from editing and took Charlie out for a walk, he hoped his ‘dog sitting parents’ weren’t splitting up because he loved us both. Captain Caveman went out after lunch, to the barbers, and I said I might meet him, and the pool lot, at Rehab bar after 5pm. The pool afternoon for Saturday had been moved to today to accommodate Christmas Eve on the beach. I finished my stuff early and I went to the bank to get some cash. When I got to Rehab, with Charlie, Captain Caveman had found Vanessa’s purple hat and was wearing it, he’d had a shave and a haircut. Charlie made more new friends and was even giving Mark sloppy kisses – he was certainly getting used to men more!
Back home, Captain Caveman made a tasty chicken pasta for dinner. When we went in to the lounge to sit on the sofa, Charlie staged a protest by sitting on Captain Caveman. I think he was trying to make him apologise to me for upsetting me yesterday, but it didn’t work.
Tomorrow was Christmas Eve and we had lots planned, my parents and Captain Caveman were only in Dalyan for a couple more days and it was time to make the most of our time left!