Dalyan – 2nd May

On Saturday 2nd May, Vanessa was celebrating her 60th birthday, a few months early with a boat trip and I had been invited to join her, her family and friends. I was also invited to Irenea’s 79th birthday dinner at River House later. I had took the day off and was ready for celebration number 1 on the yellow boat at 10.30am.
In the news the decision to hike up the residency permit fees in Turkey had been revoked so everyone was happy again, it looked like there had been so many complaints. This was good news and it was one less thing to worry about. My next renewal would put me in a position to be able to apply for long term residency too, if I wanted it.
I had brought Vanessa a bottle of Kahlua as she’s quite partial to a cocktail which her daughter was bringing the other spirit to match. Onboard the party boat were; Vanessa & Matt, Alicia, Lucy, Damo, Liv, Ma & Pa, Julie & Gareth, Adam & Kath, Kate & Mark, Hakan (the Captain), Nilüfer (2nd mate) and me.
The boat trip was absolutely fantastic and the best yellow boat trip I’d been on so far. There was lots of delicious food (including steak that melted in the mouth) and lots of swimming for those brave enough to get in the cold water (not me). Some of the guests took the kayaks out and brought back some logs which were impressive. It was also great to see Vanessa surrounded by her friends and being spoiled – this was just the start of her celebrations for her being 60! The booze flowed and there was cake and Vanessa’s favourite shots, Blow Jobs. They started out as Baby Guinness but then we used the cream from the cake to make Blow Jobs. I poured them out and, looking back, it’s probably a bit wrong to ask Dad if he’d like another Blow Job but he didn’t say no. Luckily, we are a family with a good sense of humour which dips it’s row in the gutter every now and then!
There was a lot of laughter and later some dancing and singing – we almost purchased a karaoke machine right then when a Baileys-fuelled Kate got on to Trendyol to find one we could all have shares in! Matt had very kindly paid for the impressive boat trip for everyone so I only had to pay for my 4 white wines which I paid 800 lira (£13.33) for.

We didn’t get back until it was almost dark and I had to rush home to get to my next party while the rest sacked off a wedding in favour of more drinks at Ozzy’s bar.
I got in, got some warmer layers on, picked up more teabags for Ian and hurried to River House where everyone but me was already seated with a drink.
I sat next to Debbie (Darling) who had saved me a seat and while she had a lovely looking prawn cocktail, I ordered a mushroom risotto which was excellent.
After a couple more wines and more birthday singing and cake, I had well and truly done it! I paid 1,350 lira (£25.83) for my food, drinks and a tip and thought the River House meal was very good. I walked Sue to her taxi while some of the party animals continued to Sofra Bar for more celebrations. I was getting old and couldn’t keep up!
Back home I tried to drink 3 pints of water before bed, conscious that I had agreed to go to the beach in the morning and was working all afternoon tomorrow to make up for the day off today. I put all my devices and battery pack on charge as there had been a warning of a planned powercut tomorrow and I didn’t want to get caught out. My road was not on the list I read, but there’s always a chance it could still affect my area.

Gratitude List
1. The residency permit fee increase being scrapped due to complaints
2. Vanessa’s 60th birthday boat trip on the Yellow boat
3. Irenea’s 79th birthday meal at River House.

Photo Credit – some photos by other party goers

Dalyan – 1st May

Friday 1st May started early as I had been fannying about with stuff yesterday which meant I was a bit behind on tasks for this week. I decided to set my May budget at £550, this would be an increase to £15 per day for the first 2 weeks, then an increase to £20 per day for the rest of the month. Now that my parents were here I hoped to invite them over and go out with them more this month so that’s why I increased it from today. I also was looking forward to doing more with the family once my sister and brother-in-law arrived, mid-May. I also still had the envelope of English money from Captain Caveman to cover the boat trips.
I had a chat with a friend who was getting ready for her family holiday away and finished off lots of half started chores before getting on with lots of work admin and phone calls.
Vanessa and Matt had organised a Dalyan pub crawl from 3pm with their daughter and her friends and had invited all the usual Dalyan Dwellers who often go. They had also organised a boat trip for tomorrow which most of us were going on and I was taking the day off, properly! This did mean that I couldn’t make the pub crawl this afternoon and still hadn’t spent the time with Vanessa and her family. Instead of going out, and because our last meeting on Wednesday got unexpectedly cut short, I messaged my parents to see if they were going on the pub crawl. They had decided not to, on account of not having too much to drink before tomorrow’s boat trip and I felt the same. I suggested they come round to mine and we could have a bottle of wine and order some food in or I could cook. They agreed and said they would be over at 7.30pm, plenty of time for me to get finished in the office.

At 6pm I nipped to the off licence to get wine as I no longer keep it in the house regularly. I bought a bottle of white, a bottle of red and a share pack of salt and vinegar crisps. The white was my usual brand Kilitbahir at 300 lira (£5) which I knew Mom would like as we’d had it before, but they had completely sold out of the red version. I decided to go with Tigris as it’s less harsh than some of the cheaper ones they had and would be good for Dad. It was a bit of a treat at 530 lira (£8.33) and the crisps were 60 lira (£1).

Ma & Pa were ready early so messaged to ask to come earlier and that was great because I was starting to get peckish. I only quickly had time to hoover and then I was ready. They arrived with a bottle of red and a bottle of white which was very kind. We all agreed we were taking it steady on the booze tonight, though, as we didn’t want to ruin a birthday boat trip tomorrow. We are all a bit fussy with food so I had decided not to cook and to treat us to a takeaway pizza from Heybe’s. I’d really enjoyed it last time and thought my parents might like to try it. We decided on a pizza each so we could all choose our own toppings; tuna and onion for Ma, a mixed one without pepperoni or mushrooms for Pa and a Hawaiian for me. It took some deciding as the pizza menu at Heybe has lots of choice, plus you can choose a create your own. They also have the 2 for 1 deal on all pizzas so it made sense to throw in a margherita for us to share. I paid just 900 lira (£15) including a small tip and the guy who delivered it was the man who served me in Yaman Büfe 2 earlier, which caught us both off guard a bit. The pizzas now come in a Heybe branded bag with a QR code on which gives you the menu and phone number – great idea.

When the pizzas came, I topped up the wine and got the scissors out. My parents thought I was a bit odd as they wondered why I was using scissors! The pizza wasn’t fully cut and if I used a knife the box would get cut and I didn’t own a pizza cutter wheelie utensil. I’ve used scissors on pizzas for a while now and it’s so much easier (does anyone else do this – tell me it’s not just me being weird?).

We had a lovely night and it wasn’t too late when my parents went home, taking some leftover pizza home – the rest went in my fridge.
Today I had gone over the new £15 per day budget by almost double but we had a very nice evening and I still had wine in, because of my parents bringing some which meant we had it for the next time.

Gratitude List

1. Looking forward to a busy month with some time spent with my family

2. Wine and pizza night with Ma & Pa

3. Leftover pizza and wine!!! (Gosh, it’s a thing!)

Dalyan – 29th April

Before my alarm went off at 7am on Wednesday 29th April, I checked where I was against the weekly and monthly budget. In the last week of the month I had spent £85, of which £65 was on a preplanned boat trip where I had paid £45 in English cash. I decided that it meant I still had £30 of the weekly budget left, plus £20 for the last 2 days of April.
I had started to feel better so I went to meet a friend for a walk and talk at 8am.

We finished our morning walk at Kefal tea gardens, for a cheese toastie and a cup of tea. At only 175 lira (£2.92) for breakfast it was very enjoyable but then I realised I should’ve got weighed earlier. I was in charge of the Fat Club scales as Carol had to make an unplanned trip to the UK so this was my 3rd week in charge. My home scales had said I’d stayed the same as last week and I’d lost 2cm off my bust and waist, my hips were the same.
I was just logging in to my emails when I noticed an important announcement about Turkish residency. As this affected me I went to read and check the information. The authorities had decided to significantly increase the fees for both new and renewal of residency permit fees. There was also not much in the way of notice as it was effective from the 1st of May!!! I currently have a 2 year residency permit expiring in 2027 which I had paid 6,523 lira (£133 at the time). In the next 2 days it would increase to 57,000 lira (£950) – an increase of 873%.
As you can imagine this was quite a shock for people who were about to renew imminently and without much warning. It did also make me question if it would be worth me saving up £950 just to renew my residency next year when I might not be in Dalyan as much as previous years. I messaged Captain Caveman who told me not to worry about it and it was still cheaper than moving back to the UK. There were lots of people on Facebook up in arms about it, with plenty of expats wondering if foreigners were no longer being made to feel welcome staying in Turkey. I googled how much it would be for a Turk to get a similar permit to reside in the UK and it was just over £3000 for 2026, so by comparison it was cheap!
I worked for the rest of the day and ate loquats for lunch, before heading out to Fat Club. I’d already arranged with Ma & Pa to meet them at Ren Garden after the group meeting at 4pm.

I’d put on 0.25kg (0.6lb) on Carol’s scales and was about to over indulge too. I had a pot of tea for 100 lira (£1.67) while behaving at Fat Club but it wouldn’t last long. I ordered a white wine and soda while my parents arrived and when they got there Dad ordered an Efes Malt beer and Mom a lemonade. They apologised for not making it over to mine after being in Jiks last night but Ma’s phone battery was dead. They had ended up giving the ball a right kick so Ma was off the booze today.
Eva, the waitress had made fresh chocolate cake and chocolate chip cookies so I ditched the Slimming World plan for a cookie and another white wine and soda. We all enjoyed the cookies which are so good and not diet friendly at all.
I’d decided to finish work today at 3pm but, as I’m never really off duty, I always have my work phone on me. I got a message from one of the Resort Expert owners which simply said ‘call Jenny asap’.
I excused myself from my parents and went in to the garden room area and called the mobile number. I use Rebel app while in Turkey as it’s free/cheaper than using my UK phone package. What happened next was great as Jenny told me I was going on a work trip next month. Even though it overlapped with other trips/birthday celebrations, I obviously said yes and she asked me if I would be able to respond to her email with some credentials as soon as possible today. Unfortunately, this meant that I had to bring my catch up with my parents to a bit of an abrupt end so that I could go back home and sort it out and look at changing my flights. As we went to pay our bill at Ren Garden my mom, who had already given me English cash to refund me for her shopping and putting her internet on, paid for my drinks and cookie, which was very kind and meant that I’d only actually spent just under £5 today, with tomorrow being the last day of the month and a £300 monthly budget.
Back home, I started rejigging my travel plans for next month. I called Captain Caveman to let him know and he helped me plan. I had a very late dinner as I was still trying to work out the best way to change my flights.

Gratitude List
1. Captain Caveman putting the new residency renewal cost in to perspective
2. Spending time with Ma & Pa
3. Planning a work related trip.

Dalyan & Ekincik – 26th April

Sunday 26th April saw the first boat trip of the new season with Captain Ünal on Duran Duran boat. It was a bit of a cloudy day but not raining so we were off to Ekincik Bay. Joining us on the trip was Sioned (Ünal’s wife and my Turkish teacher), their children, Julia and her parents, Jamie, Drew, Elaine (Nanny Kay’s daughter) and me. There was tea, coffee, the famous specially prepared Welsh cakes and Turkish simit to nibble on as we sailed out to sea. I took a sea sickness tablet just in case and chilled out a bit until we got to Ekincik. There was just one more boat there and coincidentally a friend, also from Jamie and Julia’s neck of the woods, was onboard with friends – they were already in the sea.
Although the weather wasn’t warm enough for me to swim, Julia and the kids did brave it. We had another swim stop at Magic Lake where you can feel the warm thermals in the water – I wasn’t brave enough to get in as it was cold.
The boat trip was lovely and the BBQ and mezes very tasty. They served Angora wine which I had 4 of with soda. I paid £45 for the boat trip and 1200 lira (£20) for drinks, so a total of £65 for a full day out including food and drink. As we sailed back in to Dalyan it started to rain. When I got in, it was about 5pm and I was quite tired, I think it was the sea sickness tablet I’d taken. I had a nap and didn’t wake up until 9.30pm, by which time it was too late to bother with dinner, so I just went back to bed.

Gratitude List
1. Being invited on Julia’s boat trip
2. Spending time with Sioned as I don’t see much of her these days
3. Having a day off.

Dalyan – 17th April

It was a busy day in the office on Friday 17th April and I didn’t get round to eating lunch until gone 2.30pm. I just had a combination of left over chicken casserole with a chicken leg and some roasted veggies.
At 6pm I attended another cruise training webinar with Travelpack, a supplier I’ve used a few times for my customers. This free training was the last in this series and was on Antara luxury cruises on the Ganges. Previous ones had covered Lindblad, Riverside, Uncruise and Silver Sea but Travelpack covered all cruise ships. Before the session started they told us to grab a drink so I poured myself a glass of wine – they probably meant put the kettle on. Still, we had a great training session despite them being after normal office hours on a Friday night for my Turkish time zone. I’ve been to India before and it was no longer on my wishlist but, after this session I was very impressed and added it back on. The Antara cruise ships were absolutely fantastic and I would love to go on one of their trips with Captain Caveman one day. Coincidentally, an old Sheffield friend and ex-Norwich Union colleague (also called Jo) had recently set up her own travel business and was on the webinar too. I remembered her dad had connections to India so was pleased she was attending.
The webinar lasted about an hour and then we had a bit of a wrap up from the organisers at Travelpack as that had been the last for a while. There would be an announcement next month of who would win a Fam trip on one of their cruises this summer and I really hoped it would be me.

I was about to rush off to join the opening night at Dalyan Lounge as it had already started and quite a few friends were going to be there, in their various groups, when Captain Caveman called. I’d arranged to meet Vanessa at Dalyan Lounge and she said she would save me a seat but then, as it rained and she was tired from being out yesterday, she decided to stay at home. I walked along the river and it was really picturesque tonight.

By the time I arrived, there were no seats and the bar was full. I had been sat down all day so I wasn’t particularly bothered about sitting down. Andrea and John were the first people to welcome me and offered to squish up so that I could sit with them round the table with Jamie, Nicola, Nanny Kay, her daughter and her friend. I sat between Andrea and John when John insisted. We had good chat while I enjoyed a glass of red wine. Andrea and John had been expecting the rest of their friends group but they had cancelled due to the rain. It was very cosy on that couch as John and Andrea tried the the cocktails and we were all pleased to see that Captain Boris and Rebecca (the new owners of Dalyan Lounge) had a full bar on a rainy and cold evening. I had a couple of Angora red wines which were still on the cheap prices of 180 lira (£3) per glass, by which time all of the people we were sharing the table with had started to leave or move tables. I decided not to stay too long as I needed my dinner. I said my goodbyes just as it was getting too smokey for me and reminded myself that I wasn’t going to achieve all my goals by being in the pub drinking too much.

I left and went via the bank to draw out some cash for the market tomorrow. I also decided to spend the money I might have spent on a Friday night out on fish and chips from Cadde Balık Ekmek. I took them as a takeaway and also got myself some popcorn and a chocolate bar from the shop. Today I had spent a total of 975 lira (£16.53) and was in bed by 10.30pm feeling quite tired.

Gratitude List
1. Free Cruise training webinar from Travelpack
2. Opening party at Dalyan Lounge
3. Good food including fish and chips.

Photo Credit – some photos supplied by Dalyan Lounge

Dalyan & Göcek – 12th April

Events in Dalyan are like buses; there is often more than one coming along at the same time after not seeing one for ages!
On Sunday 12th April I had been invited to the engagement of Hannah and Halil. There was transport being put on from Dalyan to Suolo in Göcek about 45 minutes drive away. I’m not great at bus journeys so, when a friend had asked me if I wanted to go in her car, I had jumped at the chance. First, I worked in the morning and then met my friend at the tea gardens where I ordered some chips and a water for 200 lira (£3.33). The engagement party invite did come with a note to say that soft drinks and a light meze would be provided but if we wanted to drink alcohol we had to buy our own at the bar. I didn’t plan on drinking alcohol but decided to have something to eat beforehand so I wasn’t hungry.
On the drive over to Göcek the weather was quite warm so I was hot and a bit travel sick. The Göcek tunnel toll fee was now 75 lira each way so a total of 150 lira (£2.50) and we did get a little bit lost because of the road works. When we arrived at Suolo we were late and there were no seats for us. We headed to the bar where we saw Jamie and The Aussies. Hannah and Halil with their family and close friends were all dressed in black, they looked stunning so I was glad I’d managed to find a dress to wear – my summer outfits were still packed away, though. The venue was lovely and I’d not been before. I ordered a coke for my friend and a soda water for me. The soft drinks weren’t free but it would be a few minutes to wait for soda water. I paid 100 lira (£1.67) for the coke, which I thought reasonable for the waterside venue, and said I would wait for the soda. They would only accept card and it was a bit awkward as he only wanted me to pay for the coke as the soda hadn’t materialised yet and then it took over 30 minutes so the bar man gave it me for free after offering me every other drink he still had left.
When the food was served it was very popular and so many people rushed to get involved. I had a bit of rocket a spoonful of yoghurt and a piece of bread, there were other mezes available but I was conscious of the drive back. We took our plates towards the inside and kiddy area to find a table to sit at and we got talking to a couple of friends I hadn’t seen in ages.
After chatting and watching the dancing, the music came to an end around 5pm. We bumped in to Hannah’s mom and we all said what a lovely day it had been. I had plans to attend another function back in Dalyan but, before returning, my friend and I nipped in to Göcek.
We had a walk along the harbour, checked out a place with a pool and bar (for when visitors come in the summer), then I treated my friend to another coke and a cake for driving and I just had a Turkish tea. I paid a bargain 205 lira (£3.42) but I was feeling a bit tired now and wanted to get back.
We drove back and I was meant to be going to a birthday party at Efe bar but I was shattered so sent my apologies. I was hungry so I had my dinner of beans on toast at 8.45pm then I went to bed with a headache.

Gratitude List
1. Being invited to Hannah’s engagement party at Suolo in Göcek
2. Bumping in to friends
3. An afternoon off.

Photo Credit – Hannah Davies, Greg Le Couteur

Dalyan – 9th April

I was up super early on Thursday 9th April so that I could get work done, put the out of office on and get to meet The Aussies by 9am. We were off to eat Turkish breakfast at Mavi Yasemin, which is one of Amanda & Greg’s favourite places. It’s located over the other side of the river so we set off walking along the river path and got to the Deniz kızı ferry. It cost 25 lira (42p) one way as a foot passenger and took less than 5 minutes to get across. The Mavi Yasemin restaurant is located on the right-hand side a short walk after you pass Pirates and Skulls.

We got there early as I needed to be back for the Resort Experts team meeting and we all ordered the Turkish breakfast and a juice. The delicious and plentiful breakfast, which comes with as much Turkish tea as you can manage, cost 500 lira (£8.47) each. The fresh pomegranate juice is 130 lira (£2.20) and went down very well. The food was just so good and I think it is now my new favourite too. I often struggle to eat Turkish breakfasts but I did well with this one and wasn’t ill. What I didn’t realise is that they only take cash, so Amanda had to lend me the money. I managed to put the tip in but then forgot I needed the return ferry fare and Amanda paid that too! We had to rush back, although I could’ve stayed there all day!

After the Resort Experts team meeting I arranged to meet The Aussies at the bank at 2pm. I withdrew cash to pay Amanda back for the breakfast. So far this morning I had spent £12.46 then bought a bottle of red wine and some salt and vinegar crisps for 360 lira (£6.10) at the off licence. We had managed to be quite late for the 2pm start of Kate and Mark’s housewarming party as Amanda had ended up in a clothes shop buying a dress for Hannah’s engagement party. The shop had some gorgeous tailor-made outfits in for both male and female with various prices. The owner can do any alterations to make it fit and is pretty quick.
When we arrived at the party, Kate gave us a tour of her new house while Mark opened the red wine. Kate’s new bungalow was really lovely and I was really pleased for her. There were quite a few of the usual Dalyan Dwellers there, most of who I had not seen for months, and none of them so far this year. There were nibbles which I couldn’t resist and Kate had so many fruit trees that I was told to pick as many oranges as I liked, so I did. A small group of us remained after most people left and we had more drinks before heading back to our respective homes.
I was meant to be back for a video call with Vanessa but I missed that and had to reschedule. Instead, I attended my first online Neon Nookers meeting and we had quite a good ‘getting to know you’ type of session. It was a group for copy and tech help which I was pleased I’d joined and I really related to both Georgina and Holly. We even had a fun competition of who could get their pyjamas on fastest.

Gratitude List
1. Breakfast at Mavi Yasemin with The Aussies
2. Oranges from Kate
3. Spending time with friends.

Dalyan – 5th & 6th April

I spent Easter Day, Sunday 5th April, working on that Resort Experts Supplier list. I was finally getting through it, but not without so many interruptions from friends to meet for drinks. It was ironic really as I don’t think I’d had this many messages, voice notes and calls to invite me out this year, but as soon as I’m busy this is what happens. I felt bad for letting people down but I was happy to focus on what was important to me right now. I was also working on booking a family holiday for a client. They had been recommended by a friend, which is always good and much appreciated.

I didn’t eat until 3pm, just more left over bolognese, and more messages to check if I’d changed my mind about going out yet. I hadn’t, as I really just needed to get on with the work task I had agreed to do. I muted my phone again so I could focus.
I finally finished for the night and was absolutely knackered. I didn’t leave the house so it was my 3rd zero spend day in a row. I had set my budget for April at £10 per day again and, so far, I was on track.
I was hoping to finish my Resort Experts task tomorrow and I was looking forward to getting out, after working all weekend and not leaving the house during daylight since Thursday! I didn’t eat another meal but I decided to have a glass of Ron Zacapa rum before bed. I put on a Netflix film and instantly fell asleep. When I got in bed the Jazz bar decided to play loud (not Jazz) music and then there was a big storm so I didn’t get to sleep early.

Gratitude List

1. Having the willpower to keep focused on what I needed to do.
2. More leftover bolognese
3. A 3rd day of zero spend!

Monday 6th April was a strange Easter Monday, not that it’s celebrated in Turkey. I was on day 4 of the Resort Experts supplier work and I was almost done. I totted up how much I had left to do and sent an update to Sam, one of the owners.
I decided to go outside to empty the bin and go to the bakery. I fancied a pain au chocolat or a croissant and I needed bread. Not having been outside in day light since Thursday, or in darkness and stormy weather since Friday night, it felt good. My new phone camera highlighted how tired I looked and I really did need to get more sleep!
I bought a chocolate croissant and bread at Parlak bakery for 140 lira (£2.37). Fresh bread had now gone up to 20 lira (33p) but was still cheap. I headed back to the office and cracked on with work. I got thanked and paid for working all Easter weekend so I was pleased with that. My new client decided to go ahead with the villa holiday and we got it paid in full so that the flights were secured too.

I had agreed to meet Debbie (Darling) who wanted to pay me some sponsor money to give to Captain Caveman. A few people, including Jamie, were meeting at Caria Hotel, on the river front, but were going to be eating there. I had a cheese sandwich for a very late lunch and didn’t get there until 5.45pm. By this time most people were rather merry. It was decided it was going to get chilly shortly as the sun was going in, so we walked to Sofra bar and I ordered a red wine. Debbie gave me the money and then went outside while Jamie, Helen and I tried to guess which city her friends were from. We had a good laugh and I ordered another red wine just as Debbie (Darling) came in to say hello to Ali and Brinny, the dog, who had just stopped by on their walk, to say hi. Debbie (Darling) announced that she had had enough and had to go home. Her Mr G (cocktail) was barely touched and she said she couldn’t drink it. Being a keen advocate of not wasting anything, I ended up having it.
I paid my bill of 300 lira (£5.08) for 2 red wines and said bye to anyone we knew. Jamie and I then went to Ren Garden for more red wine. Jamie insisted on a bottle so we paid 400 lira (£6.78) each then I insisted I needed to get to Migros before it closed as I didn’t have anything in for dinner tonight or food for tomorrow. We said bye and I, a little tipsy, went shopping – here’s what I bought with prices in lira:

Migros Supermarket
2 packs Mentos 46.90
1 Quark 55.95
Boiled beans 86.95
Toilet rolls 107.50
3 Bountys 109.90
1 Ham and mushroom pizza 189.95
A 2kg whole chicken 204.90
Total spent 802.05 lira (£13.59)

This is where I realised my error previously on the Bountys, they were on offer but only at 3 for the price of 2. As I was paying for the shopping, I realised I was desperate for a pee and decided it would be a good idea to nip in to Jiks. I ended up having more wine and ordering a pizza. A bloke who I know but hadn’t seen in a while, joined me and we ended up having a nice evening.
My bill in Jiks came to 600 lira (£10.16) meaning I had spent almost £38 today! I reassured myself that at least I’d only been out one day of the 4 day weekend, so it could easily have been more.

Gratitude List
1. Getting paid for weekend work, as promised
2. Finding a suitable villa holiday for a new client
3. Going out for drinks after finishing 4 days of hard work.

Dalyan – 3rd & 4th April

On Friday 3rd April I started the laborious task of moving all the missing Supplier data from our Resort Expert spreadsheets to the new Zone database. It wasn’t the most exciting job I’d taken on but it certainly wasn’t the worst and, for a bit of extra cash, I was happy to plough through it. A lot of the Dalyan Dwellers were going to be out on the town over the weekend as lots of bars and restaurants were opening up this weekend to start the 2026 season. By me working and not going out, I was going to be saving money as well as earning it, by not spending it on drinking.
I had a few messages and voice notes from friends requesting my time and attention this weekend. Most acknowledged that I was working all weekend but still wanted to know if we could go out for a drink or meet up. I explained I was busy and that I wouldn’t be drinking until I had the weekend job completed. I couldn’t do this level of detail with a hangover and it’s never just 1 glass with a lot of my Dalyan friends. When I take something on I do it, and I like to do it well so I was keen to get on with the job. I had a feeling I would get more requests to go out so I put my phone on silent and cracked on.
I also decided to sign up to a group programme with Georgina Chapman (copywriter) and Holly Frances (Tech whizz) so that they could help me get my copy and tech sorted ready for promoting my own products (books and digital travel products).
I didn’t get in touch with Captain Caveman as I knew he was working all weekend too.
I had a homemade curry for dinner then went over to The Aussies around 7.30pm for cheese, snacks and gin. They had brought me gifts of butter and a South Korean rice wine flavoured with lemon, which was so kind. I had a really good night with them and we planned to see more of each other in the next 12 days. The rain was quite heavy so I didn’t leave until midnight, having just had 2 gin and tonics all evening. As I walked home a storm started and it was pretty torrential just after I got home.

Gratitude List
1. Having work to do over the weekend for extra cash
2. Being disciplined to saying no to drinking with Dalyan Dwellers
3. Joining the Neon Nook with Georgina and Holly.

I had a video call with Captain Caveman on the morning of Saturday 4th April. He was fuming as the weekend Easter work, that he had been scheduled to start in London yesterday, had been changed. Without being informed, he had been switched to work in Bristol on Tuesday and had been given the whole of the Easter weekend off. This went against Captain Caveman’s plans as he was meant to be in Sheffield on Tuesday to meet with the estate agent and move in to his new flat. I was also very annoyed as I could have booked a £30 flight to go see Captain Caveman for Easter in London.
By this time it was too late for me to go to the market and it looked like rain anyway so I decided to make do with what I had.
I worked more on the supplier list for Resort Experts after looking at flights to go to Captain Caveman tonight for a £100. We decided against it as he had to work all week in Bristol so I would only be there for the weekend.
I tried my best to ignore more messages from friends who were chomping at the bit to get me to go out drinking. I said a firm no and that I would only go once I’d finished this job. Instead, I had a bolognese for lunch, worked hard for the rest of the day, also quoted some holidays for clients too and then had a chickpea curry for dinner when I finished work at 7.30pm. I was going to have a walk outside for fresh air and a trip to the off licence for some wine but I couldn’t. I’d had messages from the usual various Dalyan Dwellers to say to come join them in Tez bar, Corner bar or Sofra bar but I didn’t want to drink too much and I was knackered.
I stayed in and made myself a White Russian (as I had no wine at home) and fell asleep on the sofa, while attempting to catch up on my writing. At least I’d had another zero spend day today, even if it hadn’t been intentional.

Gratitude List
1. Getting to speak to Captain Caveman
2. Working hard to save money
3. Good homemade food and a zero spend day.

Dalyan – 1st April

On Wednesday 1st April I woke up much earlier than I would’ve liked, now that I didn’t have to get up for Norman. April started off with me trying to decide if I could maintain the £10 per day budget for another month – I had proved it could be done but it wasn’t easy. I had friends here, I’d been invited to events and outings plus a boat trip booked in and a trip to the hairdresser’s. So, realistically, I really should try to keep my spending to a minimum even though Captain Caveman had offered to continue to support me, as needed. The minimum wage for a Turkish person was 33,000 lira (£550) per month and I was trying to ensure I lived below that. I didn’t have rent or electricity to pay out of that, though, so I didn’t know how the locals were managing to live. A 1 bedroom apartment in Dalyan was costing over 20,000 lira (£339) now.

I got weighed to find I had put on 0.6kg (1.3lb) using my home scales but my measurements were more favourable; no change to my bust or hips but 3cm off my waist. At Fat Club I did better on Carol’s scales but had still put on 0.35kg (0.8lb). I spent just 30 lira (51p) on water and resisted the very tempting cookies at Ren Garden. I called at Migros after the group meet up and bought the following, prices in lira;

Migros Supermarket

Green peppers 56.04
Red peppers 58.64
Olives 61.50
6 eggs 72.95
Cashew nuts 95.00
2 Quark 111.90
Cheese 166.90
Total spent 622.93 lira (£10.56)

After work I had arranged to meet The Aussies, Amanda and Greg, for the opening of Lukka bar. It’s one of the closest bar and restaurants to where I live and the owners, Mehmet and Katrina are friends of mine. In my honest opinion this place is not for cheap chasers as they tend to have higher prices than some of the popular places with expats, however, I like the location, the staff and the quality so it’s been on my favourites list for a number of years. We’d said 6pm and I got there on time and waited for my friends who are usually late, I met the new staff and spoke to Mehmet, the owner. Lukka bar had been decorated and it was much more red and black, which looked good. I ordered a soda water while I waited for my friends. I wasn’t planning on eating at Lukka as I had food out of the freezer but my friends wanted to. They ordered gin and tonic and whiskey sours so I ordered a glass of Angora red wine. Amanda ordered a satay chicken and Greg ordered another chicken dish with a sauce so I just ordered a starter of the garlic mushrooms. Incidentally, when we ordered our meals, we were asked if we had any allergies and Mehmet even checked if I could eat bread with my mushrooms and that I wasn’t gluten free. He let me know that this year they were going to be able to do gluten free meals and gluten free bread – this was good for my Coeliac sister who was visiting this summer.

The food was excellent and was still the old menu while the new chef and staff got up to speed. The service was good too and not intrusive. Although Lukka is certainly not the cheapest place in town, I didn’t think it extortionate by any means. Here’s what I paid for what I had;

1 Soda water 70 lira (£1.19)
1 glass Angora red wine 250 lira (£4.24)
1 Garlic mushrooms 300 lira (£5.08)
Tip 100 (£1.69)
Total spent 720 lira (£12.20)

It was a really good evening, despite the torrential rain by the time we were leaving. The Aussies went off to meet friends at Corner bar but I was good and went home for an early night. As I climbed in to bed, Captain Caveman was leaving Saigon to fly back to Heathrow. He would land at 3pm tomorrow and be back at work on Friday.

Gratitude List

1. The Fat Club group
2. Meeting up with The Aussies
3. A great night out at Lukka bar.

Dalyan – 29th March

My first job of the day on Sunday 29th March was to check the expenditure for the last week. I’d spent only £28.64 this week and had 4 zero spend days and 5 zero alcohol days. Things were back on track. I did still have 3 days left in March and I needed to buy some things so I would see if I could keep this up through to the next month.
The sun was back out after a very wet and stormy day yesterday so I took Norman out for a walk and Nanny Kay popped round. I also did some writing, ate my Sunday dinner for lunch at 4pm and worked until gone 6pm.
Over in a very hot and sticky Southern Vietnam, Captain Caveman had completed the 300km of his charity cycling event and was almost broken. He was very pleased to have raised a great amount of money for Saigon Children’s Charity and said he was going to do it again next year, too. We discussed me coming over to Vietnam and decided we would both go together next year as I had missed being there to support him.
At 7.30pm I took myself off to the shops and decided to treat myself, here’s what I bought with prices in lira;

A101 Supermarket
Popcorn 40.00
Cheese spread 50.00
Chicken pieces 189.00
Frozen pizzas 265.00
Total spent 544.00 lira (£9.22)

Yaman Büfe 2
1 bottle of red wine 300 lira (5.08)

I put Netflix on, opened the wine and popcorn and tried to watch something. I fell asleep!

Gratitude List
1. Norman
2. Doing better against the budget this week
3. Treats.

Captain Caveman’s charity link here if you missed donating and want to:

https://www.justgiving.com/page/adam-spillane-1?utm_medium=FR&utm_source=CL

Dalyan – 28th March

Saturday 28th March was very wet and windy so Norman wasn’t impressed when he went out in the morning. I decided it was too wet and wild out there to bother with the Dalyan weekly market. I had to nip home to swap my footwear – from sandals to wellies again. It was very cold and I’d stressed myself out trying to fully switch to my new phone. At 11.30am I did have to venture out in the bad weather to pick up bread. I had arranged to buy sourdough from Mesude who is a local Turkish lady and is brilliant at making various types of sourdough, including gluten free. I bought 2 different types to try at a total cost of 400 lira (£6.78). When I got back I divided it up and sliced some for the freezer and some for the forthcoming days.

I spoke to Captain Caveman after he had finished day 2 of the charity cycling event. He was still smiling and it’s a good job he had borrowed some suncream!
He put me right that today’s circuit was a circular route in Quy Nhon and he wouldn’t actually be arriving in Tuy Hoa until the end of tomorrow’s final day. He did go on about the elevation and how hard day 1 was when I said it looked like the easier day – I was wrong!
In the afternoon there were weather warnings and the rain was so bad that Norman couldn’t do his usual walk.

Gratitude List
1. Norman
2. Wellies being back on
3. Speaking to Captain Caveman after day 2 of his charity cycling event.

If you didn’t get chance to donate to Saigon Children’s Charity for Captain Caveman’s event and want to – it’s still available and even a small amount can make a big difference in Vietnam. Here’s the link: https://www.justgiving.com/page/adam-spillane-1?utm_medium=FR&utm_source=CL

Dalyan – 27th March

On the morning of Friday 27th March I wasn’t too happy at my early alarm. I let Norman out and then we both got on the sofa for an extra sleep. It was cold and rainy so it was nice to get under a blanket and try to get rid of my hangover. I’d consumed far too much alcohol yesterday and was feeling extremely delicate. No breakfast or lunch was eaten and I barely moved from the dining table/desk once I was functioning. Jet2 had yet another sale on so I had a few enquiries to deal with. It was pay day weekend for a lot of people and I was working all weekend after being a bit part time these last couple of days for Norman’s birthday.

Norman was well and truly done with celebrations and had requested an embargo on them for a while. After having his breakfast, he had gone back to sleep and not woken up until after 1pm! He insisted he was having a Doggy Day, like Debbie (Darling) has her Debbie day – both of whom were going nowhere today.

Meanwhile Captain Caveman was busting his chops in lycra in a very hot Vietnam, raising money for Saigon Children’s Charity. I had misunderstood the elevation of the route and thought Day 1 of the route ‘looked easy’. It was not, and I think Captain Caveman was regretting not having had any exercise, let alone been on a bicycle, in about a year! I was very proud of him as I could not have attempted what he was doing – he had 2 more days to go!

Then I remembered my agreeing to meet up with Ian at 3pm today, to give him some Yorkshire tea bags. I made the effort as I had no contact details for him, to cancel. I invited Norman who flatly refused.

I arrived at Ren Garden and we sat in the garden as the sun was back out again. Debbie (Darling) and Irena made it and Debbie foolishly ordered a white wine and soda, which she left. I had a pot of tea for 100 lira (£1.69) and then left as I had work to do and training sessions on cruises to attend.

I finally had my first meal of the day, a veggie pasta, at 4.30pm and I still struggled to get it eaten. Norman refused to go for a walk, stating he had already done his steps for the whole week, then reminded me of the Doggy Day! I finally finished my work at 8.15pm and was begging for mercy – vowing to never drink that much again (until the next celebration)! While sat on the sofa drinking water there was a massive bang (well actually 3 or 4 in quick succession) coming from upstairs. When I went to investigate, a framed certificate had fell off the wall at the top of the stairs and ‘bounced’ down the stairs, landing on the middle step. It was heavy and glass so when I picked it up I was expecting the glass to be broken. It was completely intact, despite hitting several travertine/marble steps. It was Jamie’s late husband, Graeme’s, star certificate. It was a bit spooky that it had managed to fly off the wall, but on further investigation it had been stuck on with velcro! I left it on the spare bed and made a note to tell Jamie.
It was an early night for me, ready to get up early tomorrow.

Gratitude List

1. Norman

2. Yorkshire tea bags

3. Free cruise training with Travelpack.

Dalyan – 26th March

Things got completely out of hand on Thursday 26th March! I got a few things done in the morning after getting up at 6.15am. After an hour of working with AI prompts for monetisation and doing my own research, I had tea and toast. Norman was now 15 years and 1 day old and he said he was entitled to 2 corners of toast today.
I spoke to Captain Caveman who was about to start his charity cycling event with a warm up practice which had been organised for today. You can watch a short video of it here:
https://youtu.be/21nVJ1luaaE?si=XanZFFjA7cMZPgoH

I got ready to take Norman for a walk as it wasn’t raining, but he had accidentally fell asleep. When he woke up he had complaints about how I was running the household. On our walk at lunch time, Norman was so slow that we turned into the road where Debbie (Darling) lived and Norman decided he wanted to find out why she hadn’t been over yesterday. Debbie (Darling) invited us in for wine and for Norman to chase the cats on the terrace by the pool. We had a lovely catch up in the sun and then decided to finish Norman’s walk by taking him to Ren Garden. Norman loves it there and they always serve him his water before the human drinks, because he’s 15 and deserves priority – especially when the sun’s out.
We sat by the pool in the garden and the weather was glorious. The hotel part (Grandma’s Garden) was starting to get customers and there were some workmen getting stuff fixed up for the season. Joining Debbie (Darling), Norman and I were Helen, Ian and Irena which was a nice eclectic mix for a Thursday – the conversation and laughs flowed. I had a couple of wines and had to say I’d call back the Resort Experts owner when he called me because I was in the middle of belated birthday celebrations for Jamie’s dog (as you do).
There was an agreement for me to give Ian some Yorkshire tea bags as he had inadvertently run out so I would see him again at 3pm tomorrow. Debbie (Darling) and Helen went on ahead to Cadde Balık Ekmek to have fish and chips. Norman and I followed after I’d paid my 300 lira (£5.08) for my 2 wines.

The fish and chips was lovely and it was my 2nd visit. Everyone enjoyed them, including Norman who managed to snaffle some fish that had dropped on the floor.
I paid 520 lira (£8.81) for fish and chips with a small bottle of water then it was time to go home.
Debbie (Darling) and Helen were meeting friends at Tez Bar and Norman insisted we go say hello. He was ‘out out’ now and on round 2 of his birthday celebrations. At Tez Bar, Norman got barked at by jealous resident dog, Cani, but they soon settled down when the treats came out. Ali & Kev had just arrived back from their motorhome drive from the UK with their dog, Brinny, so it turned in to another celebration – welcome back Brinny and a belated Birthday for Norman. I just had the one wine and then it really was time to go home. Norman had enjoyed all the fuss, the extra treats and had missed his afternoon nap, so as we got near Debbie’s he was flagging. I was also needing a pee so we went in to Debbie’s for a nightcap.
Hilariously, Norman made himself right at home then fell asleep and we finished off the vodka with limonata before going on to the gin!
I didn’t get back until gone midnight, having missed various calls. I also hadn’t attended the team meeting this week but it turned out there hadn’t been one. I’d spent £16.44 today which meant my weekly spend was now at £21.86, with 2 days left to go!

Gratitude List
1. Belated extra birthday celebrations with Debbie (Darling) for Norman
2. Fish and chips
3. Having a good laugh.

Dalyan – 25th March

Norman, the dog, was 15 years old on Wednesday 25th March. It was a miracle that he’d made it this far and that he’d outlived younger Edna. After feeding Norman with some extra egg in his birthday breakfast we went outside where it was a bit wet and said a few words to Edna’s and Big Daddy’s pots.
I left Norman having a nap and popped home to get weighed and pick up some chicken for tonight’s dinner.
My weight on the home scales remained the same as last week, despite 5 no alcohol days! My measurements weren’t very promising either as I had put 1cm on my hips, 3cm on my waist and lost 1cm from my bust.
There was a break in the rain so Nanny Kay popped over at lunchtime with the carrot cake she had made to celebrate Norman’s 15th birthday. Norman was super excited to see her but we took the decision to not give him any of the cake. Instead, he had lamb bones which were much better for him. Nanny Kay makes the best carrot cake and we had a slice with a cup of tea. Luckily, Nanny Kay timed it well by coming early as the rain was on its way.
I didn’t go to Fat Club as I was expecting more visitors but I did invite anyone to pop over for a bit of cake. Carol came over and I’m sure little Norman managed to snaffle a teeny bit of her cake. I also gave her an extra slice for Ian as he was unable to be at the party and I had another slice. It started to rain just as Leanne arrived with the 2 pooches and a round of Happy Birthday sang to Norman. He was impressed at so many visitors – whenever I’m in charge, we rarely see anyone. Unfortunately, Debbie (Darling) didn’t make it to Norman’s 15th but the rain was now torrential and Norman was napping!
For dinner I had chicken and saved some with carrots for Norman’s dinner too. It had been quite a day and I felt lucky that Norman had lived to be 15. He did very well considering 2 years ago we were pushing him round in a pram!

Gratitude List
1. Norman
2. Nanny Kay and her amazing cake
3. People caring about Norman on his 15th birthday.