Dalyan – 2nd June

It was my last full day and night in Dalyan on Thursday 2nd June and I wasn’t at all ready to leave. I was obviously looking forward to seeing Captain Caveman again, after 257 days apart, and was keen to find out what he had planned for when I arrived. Captain Caveman is a good planner but a man of very few words so he was keeping anything he did have in mind to himself. He did send me a photo of the place we would be staying at when I landed in Ho Chi Minh City. I was pleased it looked like the monsoon rains there were subsiding a bit and it was mainly happening in the afternoons.
Here, in Dalyan, it was a lovely sunny day and definitely bikinis and pool weather. Our complex was full of holiday makers in or around the pool and it was the first time I’d seen it busy.
At lunch it was time for my next leaving ‘celebration’ as I’d been invited out to Hotel Dalyance. Angela had organised for us to have a little gathering with Nick, Maddie and Lyndsey as they were unable to make my party that evening. I met them at Casablanca hotel first and had a coke before we wandered round. I was tempted by the chicken and mushroom alfredo but was conscious I needed to not have a reaction to the creamy sauce so I ordered the beef wrap with chips. I was not disappointed as it was delicious and a very generous portion for a lunch time meal. Others did have the pasta dish, Lyndsey had an omelette and everything looked amazing too. I even had a glass of red wine with my food but found I couldn’t manage all of the beef wrap and took a doggy bag home. It was a lovely afternoon and I was going to miss my friends, we were already talking of reunions in September. Just before it was time to say bye, both Maddie and I had bad stomachs, as is often the case with the pair of us, so Nick had to drive Maddie home without me saying farewell. I cycled home but had to take some stomach medication to make sure I was ok for tonight’s excitement. Kate had certainly pulled out all the stops with what she’d organised for my party tonight and I was looking forward to seeing everyone! By 5pm I was not any closer to being packed for my departure to Vietnam. The apartment now looked like a bomb had hit it and there were various half filled boxes all over the place. It was hot and I had a dodgy stomach so I had a little rest and lots of water before setting off for my leaving celebrations. I still had all day tomorrow to sort everything out and get packed – loads of time, what could possibly go wrong!!?

I had to cycle Bluey2 to Kaan’s Tequila boat, the venue for my final leaving party at 6.30pm. Kaan helped me on board as the promenade had not been finished and it was a bit of a to do to access the boats. He was also a bit worried that we had too many people as I think Kate had almost 30 potential attendees at one point. As I got on, one of my friends was stressed and came straight over to me, he had to get off because his wife was at home, quite ill and they couldn’t make it, which was understandable. Sarah arrived and had her dog, Yaps, in tow. Kate is allergic to and not a fan of dogs so then I had to faff about several times taking Yaps off the boat, but she kept getting back on. Yaps didn’t understand when I told her she wasn’t invited, and the boat was already too full for her to come, she just wanted to stay with Sarah. Kate had made one of my favourites, lemon drizzle cake and buns, which she had put on the table for all to share. She had brought my delivery from Trendyol (an online shop) for something that had arrived just in time for Vietnam. Kate had also took the opportunity to invite Shiela to bring her accordion and guests had been encouraged to request some songs for her to play later. I was very happy, who gets a real life accordion player at their leaving do? It was certainly a new first for me and I was so pleased. Mark had kindly taken over dog watch at the back of the boat as he could see I was getting thirsty while we waited for some stragglers! We waited another 10 minutes after the departure time, until 6.40pm, as we were still missing a couple of people who had not shown up yet. As we had only booked Kaan and the Tequila boat for 2 hours, we wanted to make the most of our booze cruise. Kaan’s fridge was so fully stocked with everyone’s preferences that we were certainly on for a great trip.
Kaan was much happier that we had only 20 people on board; 4 had cancelled because it was a bit too busy for them, 2 no shows, 2 because of sickness, 1 had to work, and 1 decided to wait in Aşkın’s bar as we would be back by 8.30pm.

Kate and Kaan arranged for us to go to Jimmy’s island, I did a short speech to thank everyone for coming. I confessed I would miss everyone and that I was lucky to have had the chance to have spent so much time with such fantastic people. I was so surprised to see so many come to see me off (or make sure I left). I cut the cake and everyone had a slice or a bun, it was so delicious and perfectly moist. I played waitress for a few minutes, to help Kaan out and to make sure everyone had a full glass as we sailed along the river. Mark told me he had a present for me but he hadn’t wanted to give it to me in front of everyone (oo-er, that would get the gossipers going)! Kate had even suggested it would be more convenient if I could get it tomorrow, at their place, instead and I wondered what it could be. They both signed a card with a cat on to give me and I would keep it in my diary, which Ann bought me (to remind me of Dalyan).
Kate had got her play list at the ready and had selected a relaxed stargazing selection which had worked well for her before.
Shiela got her accordion out and we went on to sing a variety of songs. It was mainly Kate and I who did the singing but it was good to see Nanny Kay joining in on the ones she knew from singing group. Ma & Pa joined in too and Adam was forced to get involved when it was time for his request. Shiela had been learning ‘Friggin’ in the Riggin” by the Sex Pistols all afternoon and did a pretty excellent job while Adam, some of the men and I gave it our best shot.
It was absolutely brilliant, Shiela played lots of great songs and we all loved it. When Mark questioned Kate’s choice of playlist, as Van Morrison crooned ‘Moondance’, she decided to turn it up a notch with her playlist, to party and dance mode.

The drinks flowed and we were positioned in a beautiful location at Jimmy’s island. Adam got off for a wander and found some donkeys and an English caravan club member to occupy him.
I’d asked Annie to take some photos which was fortuitous as I either forgot, or took terrible ones. As we danced well past 8.30pm I realised I had a party dress stuffed in my bag, as well as a bikini and a towel which didn’t get used. I managed to change without going to the toilet, not revealing anything inappropriate, and I tried to get as many drunken photos with everyone as I could. I missed a few people out though which was disappointing.
Kaan was amazing, and much to my astonishment, didn’t set off back to Dalyan until 10.30pm because no one had given him the instruction to. Of course, I’d had no WiFi while on the boat so the people who had gone to Aşkın’s for 8.30pm had either gone home without seeing me or were a bit peeved when I turned up a lot later than planned. In true leaving party fashion, I was hammered, so were most of us who made it out out! Matt, Mark and Kate were almost as plastered as me and were so funny at Aşkın’s. Adam and Kath were definitely merry on account of none of us having eaten a meal since lunch. Viv’s husband, Paul, was glad to see her and Nanny Kay were back safely and was happy we’d had an incredible time. Jamie was still there and I’m so glad I got to have a hug and a chat before I left, especially as I’d hardly seen him this visit. Even Gareth and Julie were still out with family so I got to say farewell to them too. Debbie (Darling) and Roy had waited as long as they could but I was very disappointed I wouldn’t get to see them one last time. When I went back to join Ma & Pa at the table, Matt was buying a T-shirt and was trying it on – he doesn’t usually do many boat trips so I was impressed and happy he had made it. I even said Vanessa should go away more often as Matt was on top form, being the life and soul of the party a few times.
We had more drinks at Aşkın’s then went on to Sofra bar, which I don’t remember an awful lot of. I do remember my parents, Matt and I thinking we were the lasts ones standing at Sofra bar and deciding to go to Sunset bar for a last drink. They set off walking and I went to get my bicycle to ride there. When I arrived they weren’t there and I suspected they had given me the slip, but I still rode back to Sofra to check. Luckily, Davut and Şükrü miss nothing and said they had walked down the left path towards home. Merrily I cycled back to Sunset bar where I had drinks with Annie. We finished the amazing night off with me playing gooseberry and drinking Amaretto until about 3.30am. Good old Bluey2 managed to get me home, somehow unscathed. I didn’t quite appreciate the fact that this would be my last chance to sleep in a bed, until Sunday night in Vietnam.

Photo credit – Annie Miller

Dalyan – 1st June

Wednesday 1st June was a very busy day and also another time to say my goodbyes to more friends.
I had my Turkish class at Casablanca Hotel with our usual group, Vanessa was still in England. After the class I chatted with a couple of the ladies while Kate had her Turkish class. Kath arrived and joined us, I had a swim with my friend, also a fellow student in the same class, and then the 3 of us joined Kate and our teacher for a leaving beer/wine/lunch. I had a chicken wrap with homemade chips which is great value and very tasty. It was a lovely afternoon and my foot was getting better so that I could take the plaster off now.

In the afternoon Kate and I cycled to meet the pool gang at Rehab bar. On the way we called at Waterfall bar to say bye to Dick, I returned his bag and he gave me some Stilton which had been forgotten about. When we arrived at Rehab bar a fair percentage of the chaps were very drunk. The Long Island Iced Teas had been doing the rounds, Kate and I were greeted by a spare one each, which we didn’t particularly want, as we had already ordered a pint of draught lager from Tayfur. Adam went home with a ‘medal’ for being a champion pool player and John tried to leave by electric bicycle. Kate followed him home, concerned he may be too drunk and he was pretty wobbly.
When Kate returned she helped me sort out the purchasing of my Priority Pass for airport lounges and we had to force the cocktails down to save anyone else drinking them!

It was quiz night again at Retro bar but Kate and Mark had decided to have a night in. I still joined my parents there, this time I’d managed to be better dressed and not drunk. Not having Kate on our team turned out to be unfortunate as there was a whole round about the Queen of England which we didn’t get any points for. We had a good night, I got to say bye to Nazim, Nusret and the Retro and Smyrna ‘family’ before I left, and we got Gonca a small birthday present from Maizie Moo. I got in about midnight and made myself cheese on toast with some of the Red Leicester cheese from Dick.

Dalyan – 30th & 31st May

I was surprised to find a snake at the bottom of the steps on Monday 30th May, it was dead and possibly a black whip snake.
I had a chicken and red pepper sandwich for breakfast and then my Mom called round for us to go to sort out her internet at Captain Net. It was the first of my leaving events in the afternoon with Ann. We met at 3.30pm at Okyanus, I just had a salad and a beer, Ann had a chicken wrap and a cider and we had a good catch up.
After lunch we said our goodbyes and I hobbled back home, where I emptied all the stuff out of the cupboards in an attempt to start some packing.
For dinner I had sausage casserole with Yorkshire puddings and thoroughly enjoyed it.

I had a bit of a stressful morning on Tuesday 31st May; I got an email to say my flight from Dalaman to Istanbul had been changed to 5 hours earlier, meaning I would fly at 3.30am. I accepted it, not realising it was for an earlier date so I had to spend ages trying to contact the airline to change the flight. In the end, I managed to get the right date but it still meant I had a lay-over of 8 hours in Istanbul, but that was better than the 32 hours I nearly ended up with.
News in Vietnam didn’t fill me with confidence as rain was causing flooding and it may be that when I landed I would be knee deep in water.
After sorting all my clothes which were needing to be packed away, I went to meet my parents for dinner. I had to cycle as it was more comfortable than walking and we had a drink at Bistro Blue first. We wanted to eat there but it was too full and we hadn’t booked a table. Instead we had a drink there and we booked a table for my last night in Dalyan. We were meant to be going to Gonca’s birthday party but Yaşar messaged to say it was cancelled.
For dinner we went to Kebapçı Yusuf and the food was really good as always. I was quite tipsy on account of not having eaten much during the day so when I cycled home I went the main street route, where it is better lit, while my parents walked home the direct route.

Dalyan – 29th May

My parents and I had a very important appointment at 10.30am on Sunday 29th May. Nusret and Gonca had invited us to Retro bar and Smyrna hotel to have breakfast with them and Yaşar. It was a hot day and I noticed that Phong Nha, where I would be in a couple of weeks, was hotter by about 5°C. I’d already cycled to the bakery to buy some baklava to take with us as a small gift. We sat outside under a parasol as Yaşar and Gonca brought so much delicious food to the table. It was really kind of them to invite us, they were very generous with the food and their time. I found myself lacking in Turkish vocabulary somewhat and we had to rely on Yaşar to translate my basic Turkish or Google translate.
The food was phenomenal and plentiful, my parents loved it too and we were made to feel like part of their family. I would miss them when I had to leave and we promised to keep in touch. We also got invited to another event for Gonca’s birthday in a few days.

Back home I had a whole chicken in the slow cooker which smelled lovely and was meant to be for dinner. I’d invited my parents over, they didn’t fancy chicken but would meet me later for a drink. We went to Tez bar for a couple and bumped in to Penny and Phil, which was nice as I’d not been out drinking with them for a while. I invited them to share my chicken dinner too but they had other ideas. I had another drink and then Penny, Phil and I got a taxi to their place where Penny and I got in the pool to cool down.
Penny and Phil were the perfect hosts, we had a couple of gins and a curry. I had a rather tasty chicken korma and they had a delicious jalfrezi. It was so good but they wouldn’t tell me where they got it from as it was top secret. I had a great night and I was going to miss Penny and Phil, they are a really good laugh and have been really kind friends to me. In a few days Bluey2 would be making her way back to their place and I would have to say bye to her too.

Dalyan – 28th May

I didn’t have breakfast until 11.15am on Saturday 28th May, mainly because I was super tired from all the excitement of the past few days. I was also struggling to put weight on my big toe and had to cancel a proposed trip to the market with my parents. They did bring me some strawberries and cherries as a treat, which I was grateful for.
I had less than a week left in Dalyan so plans for a bit of a leaving celebration were underway. Kate had very kindly agreed to organise my send off and had already started to message everyone for a party on Thursday.
About 5pm I decided to venture out on Bluey2 as I needed to go to the ATM. I found it easy to cycle but not so easy to walk so I went on to Rehab bar to meet up with the pool gang. By the time I got there, not many people were left so I got to join in the game of Killer with Matt, Adam, Wolfie and Mark and I wasn’t the worst player of the day! Tayfur had installed a draught pump so that Efes was now available on tap and I had to try a couple to make sure it was up to scratch – it was.
After Rehab, I went home for a homemade dinner of bacon pasta, another of my items from Dick which I was looking forward to having. I treated myself to cheese (also from my recent English delivery) with Quinoa crackers later too, before an early night. Tomorrow was going to turn out to be another food-lovers paradise!

Dalyan – 26th May

I woke up about 9am on Thursday 26th May after not having had many hours sleep. I checked it was a Thursday and thought I could go back to sleep and try to get rid of my hang over. Oh dear, I had booked in several beauty treatments today, plus I had arranged Des’s leaving drinks for tonight, and was deeply regretting it already. I texted Mom, she and Dad weren’t feeling too fresh either, and was glad she hadn’t booked in multiple things today. I vaguely remembered walking home from Sofra bar by myself, which I never do. I also had a weird feeling that I had lost something important but couldn’t quite put my finger on it as I dragged myself in to the shower. My first appointment was for waxing at 11am; Mom was just having her eyebrows done but I could not have picked a more inappropriate set of treatments to endure when I felt this hung over. I had full legs, bikini and eyebrows waxed and how I wasn’t sick when she did my undercarriage from behind, I will never know – I could have cried. By the time I was done, my Mom had already gone home for lunch with Dad but I couldn’t stomach any food.
Our next appointment was at 2.30pm at Kuaför Emrah, the hairdresser’s. When I arrived my Mom was already there and was mid-cut. In my opinion Emrah Kilis is one of the best hairdresser’s I’ve ever known so when he made a suggestion about what colour and style to have I just agreed because he knows what I like. Because of the hangover it felt like the longest hair cut and dye ever and I had to have sugar in my cup of tea. My Mom was finished in about 20 minutes, her hair looked great and she was pleased with it. Unfortunately though, her and Dad would no longer be coming out to Des’s leaving drinks tonight as they were feeling too under the weather. I was hoping for a good turn out so that I didn’t have to stay out too late but more people had started to send messages to wish Des well but to decline the invite to Rum bar this evening. Even Mark and Kate said they weren’t coming as they had overdone it yesterday. Debbie (Darling) was also having one of her rest days so couldn’t make it. As I was getting ready to leave the hairdresser’s, looking like a new woman, Des messaged to say his last class was cancelled so he could be out even earlier, 6pm instead of 8pm – oh no!
I replied to say I definitely couldn’t make it for 6pm as I needed to eat. I went home and ate meat and potato pie, cauliflower greens and gravy with lashings of Henderson’s relish. I then lay down for half an hour trying to find the strength and motivation to go out to make sure Des got a good send off.

Des’s leaving drinks were booked in to start at 8pm from the Rum Bar. I’d invited quite a few people and there were lots of acceptances to the event invitation on Facebook. After forcing down the pie and greens I knew I still looked like death so there was only one thing for it! I decided to get dressed up and wear a dress with a good fitting bra underneath so no one would notice how tired my eyes were. My parents and Kate had sent an apology message to tell me to wish Des well but they wouldn’t make the farewell drinks on account of them overdoing it yesterday and having to stay in. On my way to Rum Bar I stopped off at Tez bar where at least half of the party people were having a drink, some looked like they had been there a while. I was also surprised to see Mark, who was meant to be having a night in. As I approached the table I got quite a few gawps at my outfit and, of course, Andy was the first to comment on me having the puppies out. At the big Tez table I joined Andy, Kay, Nick, Angela, Maddie, Sarah, Mark, a couple I didn’t know, then ordered a coke. Debbie (Darling) and Sue were sat at a separate table so I went to say hello. I was met with more compliments on my dress and I was a little concerned I may have chosen the wrong outfit. I was pleased no one had noticed I was hungover, looked rough or that I had a coke. At 8pm Sarah and I went to Rum Bar. Mark, Debbie (Darling), Roy, Andy, Kay and Sue said they definitely weren’t coming as they were going home after Tez Bar, but the others said they were going to pay up and join us. I’d reserved an area big enough for 10 people but at 8.10pm there was just me, Sarah and the 2 dogs, Yaps and Persil! Des arrived and was very complimentary of me getting dressed up, I decided this dress was definitely coming with me to Vietnam. I forced a Pina Colada down which I made last for hours. Rach and Nuri were next to arrive, by 10pm Adam and Kath arrived after their meal and joined us for a couple, which was nice. Just before 11pm, I was honestly ready for bed, more people showed up; Ülkü & Onur, Angela & Nick, Roy, Gareth, Mark and Maddie. Gareth, Debbie (Darling)’s son-in-law amazed me by telling me he saw me last night, pushing Bluey2 past Lukka bar. I didn’t recall this but I apparently spoke to him and told him I was heading home, I’d collected Bluey2 from Retro bar on my way home from Sofra bar. When Mark and Roy ordered a beer I asked for a glass of red wine but Mark decided we would share a bottle, as well as him having a beer and being pretty drunk already. I had 1 glass, Mark had a glass and 2 beers but then we put the top back on and asked Maddie to put it in her bag. Louize and her husband, Billy, were out with family and were celebrating Billy’s birthday at Rum Bar with a cake, which they kindly sent us over a plate of.

By midnight I was thinking I could say farewell to Des but that didn’t happen as he announced we were all going to Rodrigo’s bar. To be honest, it’s not my favourite bar; the owner and staff are nice but the toilets could do with a good clean and it’s the type of place that has pole dancing and karaoke on a Thursday.
Some people said bye but the rest of us (Roy, Gareth, Maddie, Mark, Ülkü, Onur, Sarah, Rach, Nuri, Des and I) made it to Rodrigo’s. I ordered a red wine, Rach and Nuri didn’t stop long and, with it being a school night, I don’t think Sarah was far behind them. Oddly Des and Ülkü were the next to leave on account of him having to get up early to go to the airport. He was getting picked up by Fikri, flying to Istanbul from Dalaman and then off to Georgia for a bit. He had loved Dalyan and Turkey so was hoping to come back at some point, but if not we would meet again, somewhere in Asia, in 2023. It had been great to see Des and his visit had gone even better than I could have imagined. When he left he said some lovely things as I hugged and kissed him goodbye. I was a little teary as he left so I thought I’d go to the toilet to wash my face and get a tissue. That plan did not work out well, at all! Things were about to get messy, very messy indeed!

As I went from outside Rodrigo’s bar to the step at the door, I had tears in my eyes and I was trying not to cry. I noticed there was a wooden pallet, with a plastic covering on top, as a step from the outside seating area to the bar area/dancefloor. I had my nice black sandals on, bought for me by Khánh Linh at Jungle Boss as a gift a few years ago. My right sandal went under the top of the step covering but my foot went to go on top of it. I felt a sharp pain, kind of like stubbing my toe but it was on the bottom of my big toe. I retreated and sat down as I felt a bit woozy and I didn’t want to look down. Maddie had gone to chat to Trish on the table next to me, Roy and Gareth were messing about on a mobility scooter, Onur was drinking beer and Mark was chatting to some new friends who he’d been out and about with earlier on. The pain was pretty bad but then I felt a warm and wet sensation which I suspected was blood and I didn’t want to look down. I interrupted Maddie and asked her if she would come to the toilet with me, I told her what happened, she looked at my foot, told me not to look and escorted me slowly to the bathroom. I felt faint and I tried to will myself not to fall on the floor, as it became apparent that my foot was bleeding, a lot!
Maddie took my sandal off and looked at it and it was difficult to see what I’d done exactly, she also has a phobia of touching feet. I fainted on to the toilet floor which was not clean. Maddie got the staff to bring me water and I asked for sugar as I came round. She had washed my sandal, and had got some damp tissue to try to clean up my foot. It hurt and was bleeding a bit too much, I needed to get out of the very small, and incredibly hot, toilet. The staff sorted out a sofa for me next to the dancefloor and we got there, where we propped my leg. Maddie had to face her fears and apply pressure to the cut to try to stop the bleeding. Savaş, the owner, wanted to call an ambulance but I wouldn’t let him. By this time, Onur had noticed what was going on and I thought he had come to help. He sat next to Maddie and I and seemed to be friendly enough until Mark noticed I was laying on a sofa with a bleeding foot. He was absolutely hammered and was hardly able to string a sentence together but he sat next to me to check what was going on. Maddie asked Mark to get more wet tissue from the toilet but he couldn’t function and eventually brought only dry. Onur took over this task and then got annoyed with Mark for being incapable of helping. Maddie was doing really well, despite also being quite tiddly and dressed in a lovely summer dress which I was very conscious I didn’t want to ruin by getting blood on. I was so sober by this time that I could sense that Onur had issues with Mark. Mark helped in the only way he knew how; by ordering me a glass of red wine and telling me to be quiet! He then had a temporary snooze at the side of me after drinking another double vodka RedBull.
While Maddie left me to sort getting Mark home I noticed a few friendly faces at the bar, one of which was Jackie, who’s a nurse.
She came over, applied pressure to my cut and told me I’d live. Mark rode off on his bicycle, Onur, the chef at a local restaurant, was getting a bit out of order now. He’d already tried to pick a fight with Mark, I had a go at him and asked him to leave, he wouldn’t and was nasty to me. I was not in the mood, I asked the bar man to call me a taxi, which he did and I left. I had no idea how I would make it up the stairs to the apartment but I had to.
It was gone 4.30am when I got in, my foot was still bleeding and it was pretty sore, I wrapped my foot in kitchen roll and put a sock on so I could get to sleep, just as the call to prayer started!

Dalyan – 25th May

Wednesday 25th May turned in to one of those days! I was already missing Vanessa, who had gone back to England on Saturday, the day we all had the jolly out with the Muğla Chamber of Commerce and Business. I knew I was going to miss her at Turkish class, and for drinks with the pool gang later that afternoon. I used leftover Yorkshire pudding mixture to make pancakes for breakfast before going to Turkish class, which I ended up late for. Today we started learning more about family in Turkish which is similar to Vietnamese in the hierarchy and complexity of who’s who.
While we were having our Turkish class, Kate arrived early and was able to make use of the lovely swimming pool at Casablanca hotel, I’d forgotten my swimmers. After her lesson we ordered food and this time I went for the cheeseburger which Vanessa had recommended from last week. Kate ordered a spaghetti bolognese which didn’t come with cheese but the waiter brought some when asked. We had a beer to wash down our very tasty lunch and then we went over to Retro bar to join the pool gang. It was very busy at Retro today, lots of the women were already sat outside so we joined some of Kate’s friends. My friend, Annie, who I met on a Dalyan boat trip, had just arrived in town so she came to join us for a beer too.
When Nazim closed Retro bar’s pool table, so that he could get the place ready for the Wednesday night quiz, some of the pool guys were disappointed that they weren’t able to continue playing. Matt got everyone together and suggested they go to Sinan’s bar, which had a pool table and was nearby, a few of the fellas were quite drunk and it was almost 5pm. Most of the people I was with, left, and either went home or to Sinan’s. Kate had gone home to feed the cats but was coming back to join us. Annie and I went to Sinan’s as it’s on the way back to her hotel. It was only my second time of being in Sinan’s because in the past I’ve usually found it a popular place for smokers so have always avoided it. It was friendly and seemed nice, a merry Matt was just happy to be playing pool again. By the time Kate arrived at 7.15pm, we were sozzled but some of us were booked in to do the quiz at Retro bar. I still had my shorts and strappy top on but not enough time to change so I had to cycle down to Retro, with Mark and Kate, looking underdressed.

While Annie had to get back to her hotel to get ready for dinner, Mark, Kate and I cycled back to Retro bar and joined my parents in readiness for the quiz. I said hello to Nazim, Andrea, Nusret, Gonca, Murat, Deniz and then went to see Dick and his team to wish him well for the quiz tonight. Mark and I were pretty drunk so sharing a bottle of red wine was probably a bit silly, but seemed more cost effective as we got a good one at a decent price from Nazim. From what I remember, the quiz went well, we didn’t win but we had a good laugh. There was a massive storm where it rained really hard, I had the sense to move Bluey2 to a sheltered area when Kate moved their bikes.
We paid our bills then things got a tad messy as we all decided to go to Sofra bar and we invited Nusret and Gonca with us too. At Sofra we drank draft beer and I danced with my parents and Nusret. I tried to ruin a karaoke singers song and don’t even know what the song was. I took lots of photos and after Nusret, Gonca, Kate and my parents had all left, by 12.45am, Mark and I ordered another pint each. We got chatting to a young fella and Mark got his skipper’s ticket out, presumably to show he could drive a boat. I think I got in very late and I was certainly still awake when the call to prayer went off – Thursday was going to be a struggle and a half!

Dalyan – 18th May

At 5am, on Wednesday 18th May, I got up and cycled back ‘home’ to Mark and Kate’s so that I would be back in time for breakfast for their cats. I also messaged Des to let him know that he had to be back on house and cat sitting duty for tonight as I already had my hands full. Mark and Kate were due back late tonight and I planned to have left by the time they arrived back, so they would have the house to themselves. I also had plans to meet Dick, a mate from England, who was bringing me a stash of sausage and cheese! My first task was to cycle over to Captain Caveman’s apartment to take the washing out and pick up my notes for Turkish class. Michelle, the tortoise, was under a sun lounger near the pool and the roses outside a neighbour’s apartment were looking lovely. Vanessa came to call for me before Turkish class and she got to meet Michelle, we even tried again to feed the tortoise but she must not have been hungry. Turkish class was good as we did more telling the time, where it was apparent that telling the time in English was confusing enough. Vanessa and I decided to stay for lunch at our new Turkish class venue, Casablanca hotel. I ordered a chicken wrap, Vanessa a cheese burger, both came with homemade chips and we enjoyed our meals.
While Mark and Kate were off to enjoy the lounge at Bristol airport I popped to the shop to get a few essentials in and pick up bread, milk and diet coke for their return. I met up with the pool gang at Retro briefly on my way back to Mark and Kate’s house to feed the cats for the last time. I managed to strap the shopping, a pair of boots and a tin of paint plus my handbag on to the back of the bike and get it all back in one piece.
I saw a post on the Dalyan Visitors Facebook page offering a free trip out this coming Saturday, courtesy of the Muğla Chamber of Commerce and Business. Obviously, I will attend the opening of an envelope, so I messaged VLS, one of the organisers, to reserve my space. When Mark sent me a photo of his ham from the airport lounge I told him and Kate about the trip and they added on, as did my parents.
I packed all of my stuff, fed the cats and booked a taxi to take me home – JC even helped me bring in the washing and had some cuddles. After dropping my stuff off I went straight to Retro bar for the quiz with Ma & Pa. They had been out in the afternoon and were tipsy so the night ended up messy, again, us drinking cocktails with Nusret and Gonca. I finally got to meet Andrea, Nazim’s wife, and we had a lovely chat before it got busier with everyone coming for the quiz. Tom Cree does the fun quiz every Wednesday and has different rounds including music, picture and general questions, usually with a bit of a theme. Deniz, the new bar man, was also there and getting in to the swing of things well. Des had turned up from Marmaris with a face on with me for insisting he come back to honour his house and cat sitting at Debbie (Darling)’s. We got invited to breakfast with Nusret, Gonca and Yaşar the next day and we forgot that we were already committed to meet our friends in Fethiye.
I was meant to be meeting Dick at Rodrigo’s about 11.30pm but I’d not heard if he’d arrived so I stayed at Retro bar a bit later. Des came with me and we saw Mark on the way, he had already been to Rodrigo’s but was heading to another bar. He was still happy about the lounge experience in Bristol airport and had to show us the marmite sachets in his pocket. I had a glass of white wine at Rodrigo’s while Des went to Backyard No.9. Dick didn’t show up for a while and my internet wasn’t working so I walked down to Sofra bar, with my wine in a rakı glass, bumping in to Jo on the way.
Dick arrived and had a massive bag of English produce for me and I was so grateful. I had one more drink with Des and his friend, Jo had disappeared before I could say goodbye. Mark had called at Aşkın’s then Rehab but had gone home, without us having a drink together or him taking Kate’s order. Des walked home with me, carrying most of the English delivery and, when we parted, I gave Des some sausage and bacon for his breakfast tomorrow. I was very glad to get in my own bed after so long and I was looking forward to getting plenty of sleep.

Dalyan – 16th May

I woke up on Monday 16th May to news that Captain Caveman had booked my flight to go to Vietnam next month and all I had to do was apply for a visa online. The cats were fed, the plants were watered and I had fruit cake with Red Leicester cheese for breakfast. In the afternoon I cycled back to Captain Caveman’s apartment on Mark’s electric bicycle to be greeted by a tortoise. I had no idea how it had got to be shade-bathing near to Amanda and Greg’s apartment but it was surprisingly spritely. I tried to feed it some leaves but to no avail and so I left it where it was to wander about, while I put some washing in. The pool was starting to look much better for a clean and a refill and I looked forward to getting in it when I moved back home, in a few days time.

That afternoon I met up with my parents, Des had gone to Kargıcak beach for the day with a friend. We decided on a visit to Dalyano where I had a couple of margaritas (well, it was a Monday) at 90 lira (£4.60) each. They were pricey but very good and the place was very busy for a Monday afternoon. For dinner we went to Yakamoz which has always been a firm family favourite and, as we ordered wine, I remembered when I came here with Kelly, Claire and Clare – it seemed so long ago now. The staff at Yakamoz were lovely and even took some group photos of us, despite the strong sunlight intruding on the quality of the images. Dad and I drank red wine to go with our beef casseroles while Mom had white wine to go with her fresh fish and we thoroughly enjoyed our time there.
By 7.30pm I had to get back to Mark and Kate’s for the cats so I said bye and rode off. Tomorrow I had a very busy day ahead and I needed to get organised to start to leave Dalyan.

Dalyan – 9th & 10th May

I packed my suitcase on Monday 9th May, in readiness to move in to Mark and Kate’s place for 9 days of house and cat sitting.
I had leftover chinese for breakfast and pasta for lunch followed by the apple pie from yesterday, which was more of a tart and looked like something bought from the bakery.
I got a taxi with Fikri to go over an hour before Mark, Kate, Daisy and Phoebe were due to be leaving to go to Dalaman airport. When I arrived, around 6.30pm, no one was about except for Kate, who was on the phone. Daisy and Phoebe were both in bed, Mark had gone out for a drink. We learned that the flights were delayed just as Mark arrived to get ready, so the girls went back to bed and Mark went down the jetty with a beer. I chatted to Kate, had a glass of red wine and discovered that salt and vinegar crisps are available here in Dalyan. I had no idea and had already asked a friend to bring me some over!!! Eventually it was time to go to the airport and we all said goodbye. I ate a whole bag of the salt and vinegar crisps and then watched some Netflix in bed. Tomorrow I wanted to have an easy day where I didn’t have to do anything except for make sure the cats were ok.

I was up early on Tuesday 10th May to feed the 5 cats, Casha, Kylie, JC, Bubble and Squeak. The older cat, Casha, is Kate’s favourite and likes to be fed separately and has snuggles after breakfast. This time Bubble was on a diet so she had to also be fed separately. I watered the plants, there was a hose pipe to make things a bit easier and then all the younger cats went off to play out, while Casha followed me back to bed.
Because of doing something exciting with my parents tomorrow I had asked to join another Turkish class and Sioned had kindly allowed me to join a group today. The venue had been moved to Casablanca hotel as our usual place, Lukka bar, was getting rather busy with tourists. I arrived to meet my temporary class mates and we did a lesson on telling the time. I noted that the Casablanca hotel had a nice menu and that next week I would try out the food, and maybe even use the pool.
My next stop was to the supermarket and then back to Fire Opal for a bite to eat; a croissant and a cheese roll from the bakery section in Migros. At 6.30pm I went to Pilates which had started to help with my back and legs and I was enjoying it, even though it was difficult.
I had a cycle back over to Mark and Kate’s on the electric bicycle and chilled out. After feeding the cats and watering the plants, I decided to make some dinner. Kate had asked me to use up some meatballs in the fridge so I had some of them with beans on toast and a glass of wine. I had a relatively early night because tomorrow we had some excitement arranged.

Dalyan – 8th May

Sunday 8th May was one of my favourite days and I felt so lucky to be able to have an amazing day with family and friends. I’d arranged for 7 of us to go to Çandır Resort for a Turkish breakfast. Ma, Pa, Vanessa and Matt were picked up by one of Fikri’s taxi drivers and driven to the ferry crossing near to Mark and Kate’s house. I cycled Bluey2 over and met Mark and Kate as they were walking to the meeting point. The ferry crossing was about 8 lira for each passenger, one way, and I had arranged the minivan pick up when we reached the other side. The journey wasn’t for the faint hearted and the venue is not to be confused with Çandır Terrace, which is not as remote. Our table was on the end of the balcony with lovely views of Çandır. The breakfast was massive and only just fit on the table, Mark was in charge of pouring the tea. The Turkish banquet costs 150 lira (£7.80) each, it took us about 2 hours to eat and it was definitely the best one I’ve had in a while.

After our feast we did the reverse journey and my stomach started to have a bit of a problem, despite me avoiding the pastries. Luckily my bicycle was next to the ferry stop and Kate gave me her key so I could cycle back to their’s to go to the toilet. Everyone else had been invited over too, so they took a slow walk back while I ended up waking up Phoebe who was in ‘my room’. Mark was a great host, making sure everyone had a cold beer or glass of wine, he wiped down chairs and arranged them on the shaded terrace, next to the pool. My Mom was excited to try out the sex swing and we also all had a walk down to the jetty to admire the river views. After a few drinks we decided to get taxis in to town, I left Bluey2, and we went for more drinks at Sofra bar. Strangely, and probably because of my stomach, I only had 1 beer at Mark and Kate’s then 2 pints at Sofra. The men seemed to have a thirst on and were racing through the beers, while pretending to be watching the football. Mark, Kate, Daisy and Phoebe had to go to eat at Balıkcim around 8.30pm because it was their last night in Dalyan and the rest of us discussed dinner plans. Vanessa was hungry and Matt fancied River House for Sunday dinner, my parents wanted to join them. I had still got a dodgy tum so was wary but eventually agreed to go join Matt and Vanessa who had already gone over there. When we got to River House Matt and Vanessa were nowhere to be seen and I text her to ask where they were. My parents and I sat down and ordered drinks, Mom and I had a soft drink but Dad went on to red wine and was quite drunk. We didn’t hear back from Vanessa, Matt and her had gone home because Matt was also drunk and had not wanted to leave the bar. Dad said he didn’t want to leave Sofra as he tucked in to his meatballs, mom tried to enjoy her lamb chops but was annoyed with dad and my Sunday dinner wasn’t amazing. It was very potato heavy and they had sprinkled an unnecessary paprika powder over the whole thing. It was cheaper than anywhere else in town though so would be fine if there weren’t other, better, Sunday dinners available in Dalyan. I asked to take my apple pie home as I wasn’t too hungry and then we walked home, with Dad in a bit of a tangle.
It turned out that all of the 3 couples ended up having words that night. Vanessa had gone out for a walk to calm down, Mom had to put up with Dad either snoring or choking in his sleep, and Kate was not happy at Mark staying out with the girls until the morning. I, on the other hand, was blissfully unaware and thought it had been a wonderful day.

Dalyan – 25th & 26th April

I had a croissant for breakfast on Monday 25th April and was extra tired from not getting much sleep. I’d still got the winter quilt on so it was a tad warm and I’d slept in the spare room because of the handle coming off the ensuite bathroom in the main bedroom. I was meant to go over to collect my stuff from Mark and Kate’s house today but I couldn’t be bothered, instead I went to get some essentials from the supermarket. I had a simit and cheese spread for lunch and didn’t do much else really. I booked in for Pilates tomorrow and I got news that a friend was arriving in Dalyan on Thursday so I needed a couple of days off, in readiness for more shenanigans which I imagined could get messy. For dinner I had a cup of Yorkshire tea and some pasta with Turkish sausage and pesto sauce, then for afters a Bounty chocolate bar. It was nice to be home where I could relax completely for a couple of days.

It was another easy day on Tuesday 26th April, there was meant to be a power outage in the afternoon but it never happened. My parents were staying in with a slow cooker meal that night too and it was my first time at a new Pilates class. I had Christmas cake with cheese on for breakfast and loved it. In the afternoon I walked over to Mark and Kate’s to collect the rest of my stuff and Bluey2. When I arrived they were eating the leftover Chinese meal which was quite a few days old and asked if I wanted to share it. I declined as I could see it wouldn’t sit well with my stomach and I chatted with them while Kate instructed Mark on how to warm up food in an oven, the correct way! News came that masks for the under 65s in shops and public buildings were no longer compulsory in Turkey so I was slightly concerned that there could be an increased risk of catching the virus.
Before I cycled Bluey2 back home, Mark and I arranged to meet at Okyanus for a beer in the sun before the pilates class at The Room Dalyan. Our friend met us at the class and it was definitely more difficult than I anticipated. My bad leg still wouldn’t allow for certain positions but the sciatic nerve pain I’d had seemed to benefit from the stretches. I was surprised to see how good at pilates Mark was, he was pretty flexible (for a Tuesday)! After the class, Mark went home with indigestion and I met up with Drew, Ann, Sarah, her friend and Katrina at Lukka bar to say bye to Drew. He was off back to the UK and so I had a glass of wine to see him and Sarah’s mate off. After hugging and kissing Drew goodbye I went home to have a mystery meal I’d got out of the freezer earlier, it turned out to be teryaki chicken so I was lucky to have cooked rice with it. Tomorrow’s plan was to attend a big celebration for Dutch King’s Day at Waterfall bar which I’d been invited to by a couple of Dutch friends.

Dalyan – 16th & 17th April

On Saturday 16th April I got up fairly early and went out to the market. First, I cycled over to my parents’, put some of my stuff away and went to make up the spare bed so I could stay there when I needed to. Bluey2 was doing really well cycling on the Dalyan roads now and I was enjoying being able to ride about like a local. I was in a rush at the Dalyan market today because I’d planned to meet Jamie for lunch but I bumped in to quite a few friends and got talking. In the end I bought just a few bits and went back to my mom’s to put stuff in the fridge.
I met Jamie at Porta Dalya where he was nursing a hangover after a boat trip with Turgay yesterday, who also rocked up to say a quick hello. The restaurant had no pasta left so Jamie had a pizza and I had chicken breast and chips which was tasty but it wasn’t our favourite chicken alfredo. It was good to see Jamie back in town and have a brief catch up but we both had prior engagements to attend in the afternoon. I met Vanessa, Jackie and Tracey at Rehab bar and the usual pool games were underway. When everyone had gone I sat and had a good chat with Jackie and Chris, we had more drinks and then found ourselves going for a bit of an impromptu dinner at River House. At River House Chris ordered liver and onions, Jackie had the chicken with almonds and I had chicken with halloumi. Jackie and I also shared a carafe of white wine, the food and wine was reasonably priced and we all enjoyed it. Kate messaged to tell me she had made me a treat and wanted to know if I was coming back to their’s. Not wanting to miss out on anything, and while it was still daylight, I set off on Bluey2 and just made it to Mark and Kate’s as it went dark. I was excited to find that Kate had made proper Cornish pasties which were fantastic, she’d made me some curry paste too and had got the fruit soaking in readiness for Christmas cake making tomorrow.

I decided to cycle Bluey2 to town on the morning of Sunday 17th April. Kate was up and about early with her usual routine of cats and plants, Mark was still in bed.
I had more visitors to Dalyan who had brought me some treats out which I was very grateful for; Yorkshire tea, a bottle of Silent Pool Gin and some slow cooker sachets. The day started with us going out to get some milk at about 2pm. Having waited ages for the washing machine to stop and it didn’t, we left it and went for a late lunch with wine at Bistro Blue. It had only recently opened for the season so it was nice to see Selahı and Annie again. I had the beef fajita wrap, my fellow diners had the warm liver and onion salad and we all had a couple of glasses of wine. Next we went to River Terrace where we had beers and one of the party got confused when returning from the toilet and couldn’t find her way out to the bar. She ended up slipping out the back exit and walking round on the road, which made for much amusement for the rest of us. Mark and Kate came to join us and we decided to go to Yener’s Place for dinner. I stuck to beer as the wine was very pricey at 370 lira (£20) for a bottle of red wine, but the food wasn’t bad. I couldn’t eat all my İskender kebab so took half home, the others had casserole, beef fajitas, lamb shank and chicken with pineapple. It was a lovely night and I appreciated Kate making the effort to come out to meet my visitors as they had not yet met. By 10.30pm Mark, Kate and I were back at their house where Kate had made 4 Christmas cakes. She gave me one which was really kind and meant Mark wouldn’t have to be mardy about me eating any of his.

Dalyan – 14th & 15th April

It was all go on Thursday 14th April; I was awake at 7.30am, Captain Caveman had a friend staying at his apartment, my parents don’t have WiFi yet so I had temporarily moved back to Mark and Kate’s house. The sun was out and it was Easter weekend so things were busying up in Dalyan now. Before 10am I had booked our lodger a taxi, discussed ingredients of a recipe with Kate, borrowed a bicycle pump from Mark and walked home, while noticing that Alegria restaurant was back open. When I got home I tried to pump up Bluey2’s tyres but the pump broke meaning I would have to walk today. I was moving all my stuff that I couldn’t leave in a cupboard at Captain Caveman’s to my parents’ place so that I could stay there when I didn’t need to use a strong internet connection. I packed up lots of things, including the entire contents of the fridge freezer. I had pasta for breakfast then walked all my stuff over to my parents’ in the hot sun. The pool guy was there cleaning their pool ready to fill it up with water. By 5pm, I took the last of my stuff to my parents’ place and I was off to meet Debbie (Darling) and Sarah at Sofra bar ‘for one’. When I returned to pick up Bluey2, Mark had already stopped by while I was out and pumped up my tyres with another pump. I went to the bank to get money from my English card and there was a lot of people complaining that the bank wouldn’t let them use their foreign cards, mine wouldn’t work either. For some, the limit per day to withdraw from our Turkish banks had been reduced to only 300 lira (£16) which was pretty low and concerning.
After a couple of pints of draught lager, I made it back to Mark and Kate’s. It was just before dark and I saw a dog waiting outside the gate. He looked like he wanted to be friends, possibly with the cats. There was also a stork in the garden which had recently been soaked with the hosepipe. We had some red wine and Mark prepared us a cheese platter for a late dinner.

I woke up coughing on Friday 15th April and thought I may have Corona. I did a test and waited for the result with a nice cup of Yorkshire tea. I had some strawberries with yoghurt for breakfast and got a message from Ann to say she had some symptoms but was negative. My results also came back negative and I went to go about my day, I was using the spare room as my office. For lunch I had a crisp sandwich and then helped Mark with a tree he was trimming. He was using a saw on a palm tree and making it look like hard work. I found 2 axes in the shed and suggested we used those instead. Later I sat in the garden with a beer and enjoyed the afternoon sunshine.

Dalyan – 9th April

I could easily have stayed in bed all day on Saturday 9th April. I had overdone things yesterday and was begging for mercy but I had arranged to take my visiting friends to the market. I couldn’t stomach any breakfast and Kate had already fed the cats before I got out of bed. What I didn’t realise is that Casha had not been home yet. After helping put the bike together in the kitchen and 2 cups of Yorkshire tea, I got a lift from Mark. He dropped me at Jiks where Louisa and family were waiting in the sunny garden at the back. Jiks is always busy on a Saturday so they had to wait for drinks then we finally set off to the market. On the way there, Louisa filled me in on any gaps in my memory from last night’s shenanigans. It was going to be a long day and my hangover wasn’t helping. At the market I bought some strawberries which had gone down to 35 lira (£1.82) then we had a bit of a wander around the other stalls. My friends tried, and bought, a few sweet treats and had a browse for a sun hat. This was the first week I’d seen the market back to it’s full compliment of stalls, including Musti, one of my favourites.
We both bought a purse as I’ve been after one for ages, mine was a Hermes and Louisa wasn’t sure at first. She went back to get the one she liked after we all had a pancake. The purses were great value for around £20 each and my old purse needed replacing. I knew the pancake would give me a dodgy stomach so I only ate a bit then took the rest as a takeaway. After the market we all walked through town and to Rehab bar where the pool gang were playing. Linda and Louisa were still in pursuit of a lamb shish for dinner so I messaged Donny at Heybe’s to check if they had some available that night. When I arrived everyone was already seated with a drink and I apologised for both my hungover state today and our drunkenness last night. I ordered İskender kebab, Alex chose a pizza, Louisa had the lamb shish but Linda decided to go with a lamb tandır. Before the food came I got a message from Kate to say that her favourite cat, Casha, still hadn’t come home and she was very worried. She’d looked everywhere, had called her but there was no sign. I enjoyed my food but had to take half home and Alex loved his pizza. Linda said her’s was nice too but had expected it might come on skewers, like the lamb shish did. While we were at Heybe’s there was a power cut so our Algerian waitress told us a ghost story of the mountain with no name. It had been a long day and I vowed not to drink that much again! I was so happy to be back home and in my own bed tonight, for a change!