Breakfast was tea and toast again on Friday 4th October after I’d given Norman & Edna their biscuits. Captain Caveman was due to leave for the airport at 1.30pm Turkish time so I was getting excited for his arrival. I spent the morning cleaning up and moving my stuff to accommodate some free space. I saw that Captain Caveman had already invited people to a Sunday Walk in Dalyan, on Facebook and thought it wise for me to accept the invite so that I could be sure I would get to see him this coming weekend. He’d already said for me not to bother meeting him when he arrived as he would probably have a shower and a sleep while I looked after the dogs tomorrow. I got the feeling that Captain Caveman wasn’t looking forward to seeing me as much as I was him. While Norman had a mid-morning snooze, Edna helped me with some writing. I had a Slimming World pizza wrap for lunch and was about to go out when Jamie called to say a delivery he had ordered was on its way. After taking the delivery from the man who refused to bring it in to the house, I nipped to the bank. That evening I tried a new Slimming World recipe; a courgette risotto and it was amazing. After the dog walk, both dogs cuddled up and we watched a bit of TV, The Chase as it’s one of Edna’s favourites.
Thursday 3rd October gave me an opportunity to sort my banking out for the new month to make sure I put the required amounts in to my Turkish bank. I had already got my 6 months residency renewal but I would need to apply again in 4 months with evidence of 6 months of payments. The weather was hotting up as I gave Norman and Edna their breakfast then decided I was going to apply for some more jobs including a part-time remote Sales Consultant for a UK company. I had tea and toast for my breakfast, followed by a snack of feta cheese and an apple when I got peckish. I was also in discussions with Mehmet, the gardener, again as I decided I was going to complain that he still hadn’t sorted out my bushes to be able to hang my washing out but he had done some stuff on the other side of the complex. He said the lads would be there at 10am, they didn’t come and when I complained he said they had forgotten. They eventually came but it did take unnecessary time out of my day with all the chasing. Mehmet’s lads arrived at Fire Opal around 1.30pm, but I was at Jamie’s so I went back over to check – it had been done, finally! I treated myself to an açma for lunch which I had with some of Vanessa’s jam on.
Back at Jamie’s with Norman & Edna, they had a bone each, I had some leftover chickpea curry and then got ready for a rare night out in Dalyan. I had decided to invite Vanessa on a dog walk with me, Norman & Edna where we would call for my parents and then meet Linda at Ela’s Kitchen. I was keen to see my parents and hear all about their recent trip to Cappadocia plus it was 2 days since Linda had arrived for her week’s holiday in Dalyan so I was looking forward to checking on how she was doing. It was also Happy Hour at Ela’s and I know the dogs really enjoying going there on their evening walk along the river and through town. Vanessa got lost and ended up at the wrong end of the street and had to rush to catch me up. Norman and Edna were on a mission to eat cat poo so Vanessa and I shared the holding of the dogs. Vanessa was so busy telling my parents all about her recent trip to Datça that Edna got away with munching a little bit of cat shit outside my parents’ place. Edna and Norman were as excited as me to reach Ela’s Kitchen where Happy Hour was very welcomed. At only 120 lira (£2.67) for a decent glass of wine, I managed to polish off 3! Vanessa was on water and was updating my parents on all her trips she had planned. Linda hadn’t got my message until later due to having been down Iztuzu beach all day, but joined us still in time for Happy Hour. When Vanessa left to go back home, the rest of us decided we would like to all eat out together this evening. My parents suggested to Linda and I that we go to Firat’s for food as it is one of their favourite Turkish restaurants and I agreed. I had to wait until the sausages, which Sev had cooked for the dogs, were a bit cooler before I could walk them home. Norman & Edna love Sev’s sausages and were so happy to get one each. We paid and I left a tip to account for the sausages and water bowls, as not all establishments are that welcoming to pets. While the others finished their drinks, I hurried back to drop the dogs home and then rushed back.
I was back to join Ma, Pa & Linda within 20 minutes of leaving Ela’s Kitchen and I had even got changed. The 3 of them had managed to get a great table at Firat’s and it was a busy 9pm already. We ordered a bottle of Angora wine which was 650 lira (£14.50) between the 4 of us and we had complimentary balloon bread (lavaş) to start with. All of us went straight for mains and I had a delicious chicken shish. My mom had the fish as it’s her favourite thing on the menu, Linda ordered lamb and dad chose chicken. The main courses ranged in price from 400 lira (£8.90) to 600 lira (£13.36) and our total bill with wine came to about £60 for the 4 of us, which I would say was very reasonable. We all had a really good meal and then decided it would be a good idea to walk Linda back to her accommodation, at Riverside Hotel. I’d never been before, the 4 of us sat on high stools at the pool bar and ordered a nightcap, or two. Ramazan, who my parents and I knew from his previous locations, was working the bar and had a good chat and a drink with us.
On Wednesday 2nd October Jamie had left me in charge of his dogs, Norman & Edna. First I did my measurements and found that they were very favourable; 1cm off my bust and 3cm off both waist and hips so I was looking forward to seeing Carol’s scales at Fat Club later. On my home scales I had lost over 2kg so it was looking good. I had a cup of tea with cheese spread on toast and grabbed a few things to take with me. On leaving mine, I noticed the gardener had now trimmed some of the plants and finally cleared the walk way by the gate. I arrived early at Jamie’s, Norman was still asleep but Edna was keen to know if Aunty Jo would be bringing any treats. I also noticed on Facebook that there were flood warnings in Sheffield. Here in Dalyan, the weather was lovely. Jamie had a new patio door in and I quickly found out that Norman was obsessed at going through it.
For lunch I had a feta salad with radishes then wrote my shopping list. I popped on a slow cooker soup back at mine then decided to go to the shops as I needed some toiletries. I bought Olive Oil shampoo, conditioner and shower gel for a total of 250 lira (£5.51) which I thought was reasonable for some really good stuff. Ideally, I needed to go to the hair dresser, as I hadn’t been since June, but I couldn’t justify spending the money on it just yet and hoped I could once Captain Caveman arrived. In Migros I bought sweet potatoes, tinned tomatoes, ginger and red cheddar for a total of 246.17 lira (£5.42). At Fat Club I was a little disappointed that I hadn’t lost more weight but I did lose 2kg (4.4lb) which was not to be sniffed at. I paid 50 lira (£1.10) for a large water to keep hydrated. At dinner time I had a bit of a feast as I had a Slimming World wrap pizza as a starter and then a portion of chickpea curry with rice, which was very nice. Dog walks and cuddles were had, Norman & Edna even came with me back home as I needed to turn off the soup and decant it in to batches.
I went in to October with a bit more optimism and stability, even if it was just knowing that I no longer had to live out of a suitcase, or remember which one had my travel towel in. I was awake at 3.20am on Tuesday 1st October, which was unusual for me, but then I couldn’t get back to sleep. I had fruit and quark for my breakfast with a cup of Yorkshire tea and decided to check out some healthy recipes. I intended to do some batch cooking so that Captain Caveman and I could enjoy some healthy home cooked food once he arrived and without us having to spend too much time cooking curries – they always taste better after they have been batch cooked and in the freezer, anyway. For lunch I had another pasta dish, Slimming World style, but then was peckish in the afternoon and had to try the jam which Vanessa had made for me. It was excellent strawberry jam and it was a good job there were no scones or kaymak (cream) nearby. I did a lot of writing and tidying today as I was trying to get organised in readiness for Linda arriving in Dalyan for a week, my parents’ return and, of course, Captain Caveman being back home. For dinner I had left over diet coke chicken with steamed rice and ended the week on 205 syns after ‘accidentally’ snaffling some ice-cream. It was a bit foolish of me as I had been pretty good all week and had been expecting to have lost at least half of what I put on last week.
At 6am on Monday 30th September I set to work on brushing up my CV and getting it ready to distribute. I did quite a few searches for jobs that were remote but based in the UK. I had tea and toast for breakfast and realised I had made it through September, without a massive meltdown. The family and friends I had spent time with had kept me going and helped me to get through a considerable uncertain and stressful month for me. I think because of not knowing what would be happening from one week to the next it was hard to plan and I do like to plan ahead. I had a linden tea before lunch, said to be beneficial in promoting relaxation, soothing the digestive tract and helping sleep. I had a chicken tikka wrap for lunch with green peppers, onion and quark in it. Instead of something sweet for afters, I had a nibble of white feta-like cheese. I had the slow cooker on for dinner and decided to make Slimming World diet coke chicken, as there was spare diet coke in the fridge. It turned out rather tasty and I had it with bread and steamed rice. I asked Captain Caveman about some plans for when he arrived next week as friends had started to ask us to things, based on Captain Caveman’s imminent presence. I was not expecting the answer I got which was that he wasn’t interested in joining a day or boat trip and sent me a list of all the days which he had something regular planned. He was only going to be available on a Saturday and even then he would be going to the weekly market on that day. It was not open for discussion and he had already committed to it!
The alarm went off at 7am on Sunday 29th September and I got up to see the sunrise over the opposite block in the complex. I had tea and toast for breakfast and then made my way to the meeting point for 10am. I noticed that a small miracle had occurred and that Mehmet’s Dad had been and cleaned all my cuttings off the floor beneath my balconies. He had not done the rest of the trimming and, when I asked Mehmet, he said not until the end of October. I said he had to do it sooner, as I still couldn’t hang my washing out, and he said tomorrow – I didn’t believe him. At the corner shop I bought a 19 litre water bottle top up for the cooler and it was now 100 lira (£2.19) which had gone up more than I had expected. I had decided to join the Sunday Walk which one of the Dalyan Dwellers had organised. A couple of friends had said they were going as well so was a good opportunity to see them. It was about 10km so would be a challenge for me after sitting at a laptop most days and not moving much. The walk was lovely and 18 people turned up, which was good. Michele, the organiser, asked me if I thought Captain Caveman would run the next one, with it being the day after he arrived, and I said I would ask him.
After the walk my friend, one of my friends talked me in to a beer with her at Tapa – so that she could take her dogs too. As I’d not seen her for a while and she was limited as to where we could take her dogs, I agreed and messaged my other friend to say we were there if she wanted to join. She had been at the front of the walking crowd and I am always at the back of the group as I walk slowly compared to everyone else. I introduced the 2 ladies who got on well and, despite me chatting to another friend about how well I’d been doing on not drinking any beer, I had 3! My drinks came to 270 lira (£5.92) in one of the cheapest places in town for draft Efes. By 3pm we were over in Okyanus having some lunch and another beer. My friend had a new dog from the shelter, called Polly, and she was a real cutie. I ate a chicken wrap with salad and chips and it was very good. My friends ordered a chicken wrap too and a pizza which the lovely waiter, Üstün, ordered in from Pamukkale restaurant. My lunch and drink came to about 300 lira (£6.58) which was very reasonable, especially for a riverside restaurant.
When I got home, shortly before 6pm, I messaged Captain Caveman to ask if he would do the next Sunday Walk but Michele and he had already arranged that he would. Later, Jamie and Drew were taking Norman & Edna for a walk and I suggested they call in. While the pooches had a snooze on the sofa, the boys had a drink and I only had tea because I had already overdone it today. I was now on over 170 syns for the week so far and had spoiled the idea of getting some exercise. I made myself a vegetable and egg fried rice for dinner and had another relatively early night.
I had just 2 important things in the diary for Saturday 28th September and that was to go to the weekly market in the morning and see my friend, Vanessa, in the afternoon. There had been some to do with the owner of the gardening company telling everyone he was going to be on the complex at 7.30am to the owners who were also cheesed off at the quality and lack of work the company were giving the complex. I was up and about in time but I had already assumed we would not see him, for obvious reasons. I didn’t bother with breakfast but I did have a green tea before getting ready for the market big shop. I took photos of the complex, looking scruffy and, at 8.30am, left for some fruit and veg shopping. Of course, the other residents were still sat waiting as I walked past.
I was gone almost 2 hours but I bought so much that I could hardly carry it, here’s what I bought with prices in lira;
Stall 4 Potatoes Red onions White onions Total spent 45 lira (99p)
Stall 5 Tomatoes Carrots Radishes Total 50 lira (£1.10)
I had spent just 555 lira (£12.15) on all of that and was quite pleased with myself. When I got back, and still with the heavy back pack on, I bumped in to my next door neighbours and helped them pick up empty beer bottles and litter that had been left by a random parked car, outside the complex. When I put it in the bin there was a local Turkish man going through it for anything he could salvage. As I was clinking beer bottles, he obviously thought I’d been on the bevvies a bit early already and gave me a look like he wasn’t the one rooting through the bins. It turned out that the gardener turned up at 8.35am but didn’t do much apart from hose the floor and I had missed meeting him again. I didn’t get chance for breakfast until 11am when I made myself a lovely fruit salad with banana, nectarine, apple, quark, fresh mint and honey.
Vanessa arrived at 1pm and she hadn’t been well so she told me all about what had been going on with her while we drank tea and I made us a nice chicken salad with yoghurt dip and warmed bread, from the market, for our lunch. The market seller’s sister makes the bread herself and it is just so fresh and last for ages in the fridge/freezer. Around 6pm Vanessa realised she needed to get back home to Matt and I walked with her so that I could borrow her garden clippers. I’d not even had any time to update Vanessa on my shenanigans so we said we would meet up again after Captain Caveman got back and settled in, next week. I walked back with the loppers and lopped off quite a few branches which were touching the balconies, but I couldn’t reach very well and it made my arms ache. For dinner I made a roasted vegetable pasta dish from the Slimming World magazine and it was surprisingly good. I had an early night in readiness for tomorrow’s fun – a bit of rare exercise!
For breakfast on Friday 27th September I had half a tub of overnight oats and a cup of Yorkshire tea. I spoke to Captain Caveman around 10am my time, he was at Caroline’s and she had gone to 9 Grains for a meeting while he stayed home with Vee, the dog. Captain Caveman was now free to book his flights and so he did that and sent me his flight details straight after the call. He would leave Saigon on the 4th October, fly via Bangkok to Istanbul with Thai Airways and then get the Turkish Airlines flight to arrive in to Dalaman at 9.05am on 5th October. What a relief, he was finally booked and just had to avoid the next bout of stormy weather that was heading in that direction soon. I remembered I needed to get back to the shops so off I went, prices in lira of what I bought;
Bim Supermarket 1 Notebook 12.50 Bin liners 21.00 Total spent 33.50 lira (73p)
Şarküteri shop 1 Small (142ml) Henderson’s relish 1 (400ml) tin of coconut milk 1 (150ml) bottle of rice vinegar 1 (150ml) bottle of Oyster sauce Total spent 335.00 lira (£7.33)
All of these items are classed as foreign and so include import tax, making them quite pricey compared to back in the UK.
Migros Supermarket 1 bag 0.25 Bay leaves 24.95 Wholemeal sliced bread 44.50 Basil 44.95 650g yoghurt 77.50 10 eggs 99.95 Feta cheese 114.90 Total spent 407.00 lira (£8.91)
Over the last 2 days, I had spent the most in ages on provisions and groceries as I had not known how much I was going to need for my residency renewal. With that finished, it did mean I could actually get a little bit back to normal and actually spend some of what I had put aside for housekeeping and bills. My next task was to pay for another month of internet at Captain Net where the lady was reluctant to give it to me because of my residency card expiring on the 19th October. I showed her my piece of paper and explained as best I could that I was waiting for my card but it would come after the 19th of next month. She would only let me renew the internet for one month and told me that I must have my card by the next time I came to pay. This was unlikely as the new cards were being sent about 2 weeks after the old ones expired. It cost 400 lira (£8.75) which is a bit of a bargain for a whole month of internet and I don’t even have the best plan, as we no longer watch TV so I don’t really need it. For lunch I had a mini wrap with curried chicken, veg and yoghurt in and it tasted amazing. I had a green tea and completed the last of the Planner Ideation course with Claire Clarke. I’d enjoyed it and I had got plenty of free training and information out of the course, which was good. I did mean to top up my Turkish phone with credit but I decided to wait until Captain Caveman arrived as it wasn’t essential and I didn’t really go out much these days to need it. I complained again to the pool and gardening company that the pool water seemed very low and there was no pump on (they also had still not cleaned the grounds). To my surprise I got a reply almost straight away to say they were already on it and fixing the electrics because it was broken and he needed 400 lira from each of the 10 owners. I thought it a very convenient amount (the same as the hose) and asked for a receipt. His answer was that he could not provide a receipt or bill as the workman would then charge more for it – the joys of living in Dalyan!
In the evening I was reunited at last with my rice cooker and I had an amazing chicken curry and steamed rice for dinner, washed down with 2 gin and zero calorie tonics. I chilled out and watched some Netflix in the evening and even worked out how to get music on the TV after not being at home properly, since March.
As my parents left for a trip to Capadoccia with Dalyan friends, Captain Caveman should’ve been arriving in Turkey on Thursday 26th September. However, because he still needed to wait for some paperwork after leaving his job at Oxalis, he couldn’t leave Vietnam yet. He had decided that he would go to Hoi An to see our friend, Caroline, and other friends, while he was still waiting to tie up loose ends. I was obviously disappointed he wasn’t here yet and, of course, I was practically out of cash until he arrived. With hindsight, we should’ve planned it better and I should’ve stayed in Vietnam longer. I decided to check on my home scales how my weight compared to Carol’s yesterday and I was 1.3kg (almost 3lb) lighter but I still needed to lose 4kg (over half a stone) to hit target. For breakfast I ate half of my overnight oats and had an earl grey tea. I realised I really needed to go to the shops and had been saving a bit of cash to get the shopping in for when Captain Caveman arrived. Even though he hadn’t yet booked a flight, I decided to stock up and hope he booked it soon. Here’s what I splashed out on my ‘big shop’, prices in lira;
Şok Supermarket Red peppers 9.42 Couscous 10.75 Green peppers 18.94 Mozzarella cheese 57.90 400g Diced Beef 216.00 Total spent 313.01 lira (£6.86)
I was pleased to get the beef at a good price and I was surprised to find that chicken thighs were more expensive than breasts, although Turkish people often prefer thigh meat in cooking. I was in Şok when Captain Caveman messaged to say he could call now. I replied to say give me 5-10 minutes to get home and off I rushed, excited that he may have good news and could book his flight. I had intended to go to a couple of other shops as I didn’t have everything from my shopping list, however, I hurried back and texted to say I was back. I then got a photo from Captain Caveman of him and Caroline drinking beers in a restaurant and he said he was busy and out for dinner now so couldn’t call. How rude! For lunch I had cheese and crackers and finished the other half of my breakfast with a green tea. I put the beef, some sweet potato, onion, tomatoes and spices in to the slow cooker and adapted a Greek Lamb Kleftiko Slimming World recipe for dinner. I couldn’t be bothered to go back to the shops and I might not have time before my next appointment. I continued with the next session of the Planner Ideation course and then just chilled out at home. It was nice to be back at Captain Caveman’s apartment but I was still waiting to find out when he would return.
Wednesday 25th September was my last day of doggy day care and I only had Fat Club and the next day of the Planner Ideation course to concern myself with today. I had really enjoyed looking after Norman, Edna, Coco & Bebe and it was like therapy for me. I even gave a bit of therapy to Coco and Edna as Coco had been trying to monopolise my time and push Edna out, this had made Edna sad. I got them both on the sofa with me and we had a little story and a chat about why being kind to others is very important. Coco was low growling at first and Edna wouldn’t look at Coco. After an hour they were being more tolerant but I guessed Coco was still wanting to be the boss of the house, and Edna was good enough to let her. I had tea and toast for breakfast with a keen audience and I even had to put an extra slice in the toaster so that each of the dogs could have a corner of it. I still managed to do my measurements and I think they may have lulled me in to a false sense of security as my waist and hips had stayed the same as last week and I had lost 1cm from my bust. I had lentil soup and toast for lunch and packed everything up ready to leave. I’d not heard from Jamie or Julia to say they were on their way back and I expected it might be fairly late so I left the dogs while I popped in to town for Fat Club and to face Carol’s scales.
I was not prepared for the huge weight gain! I had put on 3.35kg (7.3lb) since my last weigh in and I was shocked!!! It was the most I’d put on in quite a while and I was not pleased with myself. The last time I weighed this heavy was at the end of July last year! I needed to have a word with myself and get back on it. The time I had spent with the girls had been invaluable though, so I couldn’t regret pigging out in Rhodes! As I was walking back to Julia’s to see to the dogs for the afternoon, I got a message to say they were already back and Jamie, Drew, Norman & Edna had already gone home. I knew Julia would probably want some time to sort out the shopping so I didn’t go in to say bye to Coco & Bebe, who I would miss. Julia kindly dropped me back home and I was looking forward to a quiet night in. I caught up with the next session of the planner course which was really interesting. Unfortunately, I hadn’t done a meal plan this week and I had lots of tempting food in the freezer. I ended up having chicken nuggets and oven chips for my dinner – a first in a while. I promised to do better tomorrow!
I helped myself to a delightful sage tea on the morning of Tuesday 24th September after feeding Norman, Edna, Coco & Bebe who were all just so cute. I was outside before the sunrise and it was really lovely to enjoy the river views at Julia’s while the dogs had a good sniff about in the garden. I’d not heard from my parents yet, but they arrived in Dalaman about 12.30am and were probably sleeping. I did finally hear from Captain Caveman and he gave me a call from The Villas in Phong Nha, where he had popped in for an early lunch. I told him I got the residency, he was pleased that I had got the result I needed. He was a bit distracted, though, as he was planning his leaving party for tonight at the floating restaurant on the Son River. It would be at 5.30pm Vietnamese time, so 1.30pm Turkish time. I told him I had some wine left so I would do a video call to join the party and do a cheers with him and everyone to commemorate leaving Oxalis. I also messaged Tatas to say I would do this and to ask her to ring me to facilitate – she agreed. I finally got some breakfast down and noticed a great tip if you’re trying not to eat too much; all 4 dogs were always the other side of the fridge door when I opened it, or if the toaster was in use they would wait for a little morsel. They looked at me with those puppy dog eyes every time I opened that fridge door as if to ask what I was eating (again)! I sat some more outside and ate some plums. After breakfast, while the dogs napped, I did some preparation for a course I was starting this afternoon. It was a free course on Planner Ideation with Claire Clarke, who has a business producing planners, journals and such like to enhance businesses. I thought this would be a good idea for the future if I decided to set up my own business. I was very much sure that I would be going back in to the travel industry in some way and I just needed to figure it out.
Just before I got ready to join Captain Caveman’s party from a far, I got a reply from my Mom. I’d mentioned getting together before they left for Cappadocia in a couple of days time but unfortunately she messaged to say she wasn’t sure they would have time and would have to see how things went. Obviously, I was disappointed but they were only going to be away for a week so I sent her a cute photo of Coco & Bebe. For lunch I polished off a cheese sandwich and a pot noodle, for convenience, poured myself a glass of wine and went down to the river front ready for Tatas to call me. I messaged her and Captain Caveman to let them know I was here and ready to virtually join in the celebrations. I also recorded a video as I suspected that they might be having so much fun that they would forget to call me. I was right and, after an hour of waiting, I finished the wine and went back to the house.
In the afternoon I received notification of the water bill for Captain Caveman’s apartment and it was 7 times the amount of the previous month, which was a bit of a shocker when money was tight and I’m between jobs. Apparently, the electricity and water prices had increased quite a bit recently. At 3.30pm I attended the first session of the planner course and it was quite informative and full of ideas. This was good as it helped give me some motivation and guidance for the ideas I’d already had. By 5.30pm I was relaxing in one of the huge hammocks and assuming that Captain Caveman would now be pretty drunk. I made pasta for dinner and totted up my syns for the week, ready for weigh in tomorrow. I had consumed 394 syns so it wasn’t going to be a good result, especially as I had been out, eating and drinking with my family and while on holiday with friends over the last week.
Captain Caveman was still out drinking at stupid o’clock Vietnamese time, when Chung and Uy called me to say he was at their house. Now it was my turn to not be that interested in speaking to him as I was trying to cook and he’d forgotten earlier. After 2 sets of walkies and trying to beat the mozzie spraying vehicle back home, Bebe came to me with one of her toys for snuggles and was so cute. Norman and Edna slept in their beds but Coco and Bebe were a little more clingy while their mom was away.
My residency renewal appointment was at 8.30am on Monday 23rd September at the Fethiye Government office. I had enlisted the help of a friend so that I wasn’t doing it alone and at least I wasn’t on the bus as I needed to be at Julia’s straight after to look after the dogs. When I got to the Government building, I gave my documents in to a woman and waited. After less than 15 minutes I got called in and she asked if I had paid the application fee/taxes yet. I said not and she gave me a piece of paper, with the $55 fee written on it, to go and do that. I’d been hoping I could apply for 1 year but it wasn’t to be and I could only go for 6 months. We went to the tax office and paid the fee, which was fairly quick. Back at the Government building, I gave the lady I saw before, my receipt and she granted me my residency renewal, for 6 months. I got the official piece of paper and some of my documents back. I was pleased although now it meant I would need to apply again in February for the next one and wouldn’t be able to leave the country for more than 15 days until after I got my new card at the end of April, which was an inconvenience. We walked back to the car, calling at a bag shop to get a handle fixed for my friend. Then we were off back to Dalyan, as I needed to be back for the 4 dogs. In the car, we ate the sandwiches, biscuits and mints which I had brought and then drove back. I should have felt excited that I was able to celebrate another 6 months of legally being able to reside in Turkey. For some reason I didn’t feel that and I wasn’t sure why not. It had not cost me as much as a lot of people had been saying it would either – here’s the breakdown of what I spent the money on;
Health Insurance for 1 year 1924.20 lira Residency application fee for 6 months $55 (1,883 lira) New Residency card fee 565 lira 2 lots of passport biometric photos 750 lira Post Office and eDevlet sorting 400 lira Location check for my address on the system 500 lira
Total 6,022.20 (£132).
I was pleased that I hadn’t had to wait for a delayed Captain Caveman to return for us to pay for a new rental agreement when I could use the original one from 2019. It also turned out I hadn’t needed the other ones we had paid to translate at the notary in the subsequent years, as the original one is on a rolling 12 months anyway.
On opening the gate at Julia’s house at 11.30am, I was met by a cheeky looking Norman, who was patrolling the perimeter. All the other dogs were inside, in the AC, having a chill out. I was so glad to switch people for dogs as I messaged Jamie to let him know I got approved and that I was now back in Dalyan with some very happy dogs. For lunch I had been left a tasty bolognese that needed eating up so I reheated it and had that. Later, I popped my bikini on to have a swim in the lovely pool. I did 2 separate walks with Norman & Edna first and then with Coco & Bebe.
That evening, I relaxed with the dogs who were so cute and I ate a Sunday dinner which Jamie, Drew & Julia had left for me to eat and it was delicious. All 4 dogs wanted some but they didn’t get any as they had leftover chicken and steak saved for them. I was so happy to be sat having cuddles with cute dogs while having a glass of red wine and some chocolate as a treat to myself for getting another 6 months residency. I was glad to know that my parents were already on their way to Dalaman airport and would be arriving after midnight tonight. I was very much looking forward to seeing them again. I left the dogs snoozing and I walked in to town and called at the supermarket. Here’s what I bought, prices in lira;
Gayle messaged me on the morning of Sunday 22nd September asking where is good to go for Menemen and did I fancy a last breakfast with them. I don’t eat eggs and tomatoes generally so it’s not a dish I like but everyone I know who does, says that Ela’s Kitchen has the best one. Gayle said they had already been there 3 times this holiday so had wanted to try somewhere else and was thinking of Cinar. They didn’t have Menemen on their menu so we ended up at Ela’s, anyway. Beforehand, I had walked over to their’s and they had helped me bring all the rest of my stuff over from my parents’ upstairs room. My parents were arriving in a couple of days but I only had a 2 day window to get my stuff before they left for a holiday in Cappadocia. Once at Ela’s Kitchen, one of my favourite breakfast places, Neil and Gayle both had their usual and I was extra hungry so I had a large full English (no tomatoes or eggs) and a cup of Yorkshire tea. The food was as good as always and I ate every bit of it as I was pretty peckish. The bill came to a total of 1300 lira (£28.63) for all of us so less than an English tenner each for a great breakfast.
After breakfast, Gayle & Neil were going back to get ready for leaving Dalyan tomorrow and, as I was up and off to Fethiye really early, today was the last day I would see them. They invited me to join them at Kingfisher restaurant that night but I was mindful they would probably want a romantic night by themselves. I did invite them to call in at mine for a drink before or after though, so we could say goodbye. I had really had a great time with them and I wasn’t really sure when I would see them again. I popped to the shops and picked up some essentials, including provisions for my trip to Fethiye tomorrow, prices below in lira;
Migros Supermarket 1 plastic bag 0.25 1 Quark 29.95 Water 34.90 Total spent 65.10 lira (£1.44)
Şok Supermarket Water 9.75 Biscuits 17.00 Turkey ham 22.00 Cheese slices 28.50 Total spent 77.25 (£1.70)
Bakery 1 fresh loaf 10 lira (22p)
When I got home, I had a video call with Captain Caveman and I mentioned about me going to Fethiye tomorrow. He didn’t seem at all interested and was preoccupied with something else. He said he would call me back after he had a shower but then he forgot. I was a bit cheesed off that he had not wished me well for my appointment either. Was I maybe imagining that he really didn’t care if I got it renewed or not!? Jamie picked me up at 6.30pm and I was outside trimming the bush that our gardener still hadn’t touched. The elusive gardening company were still experts at doing absolutely nothing and the bougainvillea was below face level for anyone going through the gate. My neighbours were older than me and had to duck beneath the spiky branches. We drove over to Julia’s so that I could pick up a key, meet her dogs and go through the requirements of what I was needed to do for the next few days of doggy care. Coco & Bebe were a little shy of me at first, while Norman & Edna were pleased to see me. Edna was a bit less giddy than usual but it was probably because she was at Aunty Julia’s house and wanted to show she was behaving better than the resident dogs! I wasn’t there long and then decided I would walk the 20 minutes back in to town, calling at the shops again on the way back. Here’s what I bought with the prices in lira;
Migros Supermarket Dido Trio chocolate bar 13.50 Dido Lemon chocolate bar 14.00 Popcorn 21.50 Total spent 49.00 lira (£1.08)
Nova Market (used to be Selcuk Market) 1 bottle of white wine 200.00 lira (£4.41)
I was definitely noticing that, although prices had gone up a little in Dalyan, the prices for drinks and snacks in the shops were definitely cheaper here than in England and Rhodes.
I made cheese and turkey ham sandwiches for tomorrow’s trip to Fethiye, even though it should have been a short visit once there. I was preparing for if it was not straight forward as I didn’t want to be spending money on lunch out. I ate a sandwich while waiting for Gayle & Neil to pop in after their meal at Kingfisher. When they arrived, they weren’t as merry as I had expected they might be on their last night. They had a lovely meal but said they were finished quite early and then had to sit around for a while waiting to get the boat back. We had a couple of drinks and a good laugh. We had used my parents’ shopping trolley earlier to bring some of my stuff over, so they took that back with them. We had hugs goodbye, which is unusual as my sister is not normally one for hugs or soppy farewells. We had all had a really good time together on the occasions I had joined them and there had not been any falling out whatsoever – we were obviously maturing! I was actually very sad to see them leave and a little bit glad that I wouldn’t be able to see them drive off to the airport tomorrow at 9.30am, in case I got upset. I don’t think they wanted to leave Dalyan, having had such a great holiday but they had to get back for the dog. I got all my documents together and set my alarm for 6am so that I could be up and ready for tomorrow’s residency renewal appointment.
It was a funny old day on Saturday 21st September. Most of it was spent faffing about with stuff that needed to be done. I had quite a lot of my belongings at various different places so I gathered those up and dropped them round to Captain Caveman’s apartment. I did about 2 trips from my parents but the heavy stuff, Neil said he would help me with tomorrow. At 11.30am I did the application for my residency renewal appointment, hoping the time slot they gave me would be held on Tuesday or Wednesday next week, and not as early as Monday morning. A friend was helping me do it so we ended up chatting and it taking a while. Eventually we proceeded with the application to the stage where I needed to submit my photos but the ones I had taken in Fethiye wouldn’t. I then had to pay another 400 lira (£8.81) which was more expensive than the first lot I got in Fethiye, for another set. After he had taken them, the photographer legged it for lunch and said to come back in 30 minutes so I went home and ate the leftover calzone that was in the fridge. While I was in the apartment I had a good look around and checked it out. The tenants, Ann & Stuart, had not only left the place clean and tidy but they had also left me quite a few goodies, sun cream and toiletries which were very much appreciated. Finally, the photos got added to the application and the appointment came through for 8.30am on Monday morning! You couldn’t make it up, could you!? I was meant to be looking after and walking 4 dogs that day from very early in the morning, while their owners were on a trip to Fethiye. I had to message them to check this would be ok and I already regretted applying today and not on Monday. I finally managed to get to the supermarket at 8.30pm, having missed the Saturday market today, and I bought the following, prices in lira;
I couldn’t even be bothered to cook anything for dinner as I had more to worry about. I ate a pot noodle which was in the cupboard and then went to bed but I couldn’t sleep.
I felt like I was incredibly lucky on Friday 20th September as I said goodbye to the villa and got in the taxi, with Liz, to go to the port in Rhodes Town. In my bag, as the girls had insisted, was the bottle of red wine we didn’t drink and my leftover ham and mushroom calzone. My ferry back to Marmaris wasn’t until 9am but check-in rules are to be there an hour before. Liz had planned to explore the old town and wait for the other girls to get up and join her for the day. I took my sea sickness pill expecting that it could be as choppy going back as it was coming, and that was not doable for me without medication. Liz and I said our goodbyes and had the privilege of a couple of knights to see us off. It was an emotional goodbye and I had been so grateful for being able to spend time with Liz, Clare, Kelly and Louisa. We had laughed and talked so much and I even had more ideas for my book which they were all very supportive of. I felt I had a renewed energy and belief in myself that, although things were tough at the moment, I was going to be ok. The ferry left over 30 minutes late and there were no fresh sandwiches on this one so I had a peanut bar from my bag and a bag of salt & vinegar crisps with a cup of black tea. I wasn’t quite up to cracking open the wine and eating the calzone for breakfast as I didn’t think it would be too pleasant if I couldn’t keep it in. I fell asleep and woke up as we approached Marmaris, realising that I did not have very long to get my bus connection. The crossing had been relatively calm too so there were no sick bags out. The queue to get off the boat was long and I wasn’t at the front of the immigration queue. I got through and found that there was only 1 remaining taxi and jumped in it. I used my best Turkish to ask to go to the bus station and established it was 200 lira (£4.41) which turned out to be less than a 5 minute journey. I was so lucky to make the bus from Marmaris to Ortaca as it pulled out. It was a small dolmus type bus with only one seat remaining right at the back corner and it was hot and very full! I still had the ham and mushroom calzone which was now in the top of my rucksack as I tried not to offend any muslim passengers who might be getting a whiff of pork products. When I got to Ortaca there was no time to waste as the Dalyan bus was also in and about to set off so I squeezed on, also on the back seat. I made it back to Dalyan just in time to drop my laptop and bag at Gayle & Neil’s and grab my travel towel and swimmers because we were off on one of my favourite things to do in an afternoon.
Gayle & Neil had wanted to book on to one of the Captain Boris’s Cheese & Wine boat trips and had tried to get a space before they arrived in Dalyan. Rebecca and Basrı had been fully booked but I’d asked them to let us know if they had any late availability. We were very lucky to get on the trip although the timings were cutting it a bit fine for me, to say the least, but I was determined not to miss it. On board there were no other people we knew but that was quite nice as it meant the 3 of us could relax and enjoy what would probably be our last night together. The boat trip departed at 2pm and was 5 hours of absolute bliss. There was so much cheese, meats, fruit, nuts, olives, jams, honey, gherkins, breads and crackers, as well as the wine now being included in the £50 price tag per person. We got talking to some of the other guests and everyone seemed lovely, especially after a few wines. We even got to see a gorgeous sunset before heading back to Dalyan around 7pm.
To top off the night, it wouldn’t have been complete without being able to say bye to Captain Caveman’s tenants, Ann & Stuart, who were leaving tonight. The 3 of us had arranged to meet for a drink or two at Aşkın’s and as Neil had insisted on paying my £50 for the Captain Boris trip I insisted the drinks were on me. I think everyone warned Gayle off ordering any Marshmallow Martinis this time but even I had a gin cocktail. Here’s what we all had and the prices in lira:
I didn’t think that was bad considering we had 8 cocktails and spirits are expensive in Dalyan. I found it certainly cheaper than where we had been in Rhodes. It was a great end to Gayle & Neil’s stay who were off back to the UK on Monday and I loved the fact that we had made new friends of Ann & Stuart who were flying later, hence the cokes. We were all sad to say bye but knew we would see each other next time that everyone was in Dalyan at the same time.
joloyolo 