October was going to be eventful! I was awake before 7am on Wednesday 1st October and it would turn out to be a busy day. Before I even got out of bed, I had set the budget for the month at £1,000 and, now that Captain Caveman was no longer coming to visit me in October, I planned to work as much as possible on Resort Experts, my handy travel planner and the next handy travel tips book. This would mean I could turn down anything that was not aligned to my goals and my budget and concentrate on what needed to be done. I checked the data on my JOLOYOLO blog to find that it had less visitors and views last month, than in August. Vietnam readers were not in the Top 10 (again), the Top 3 countries were the UK, Turkey and Spain. I sat out on the terrace with a big mug of tea and started planning my week of looking after Norman. I also needed to get my broken foot to a point where I could walk properly again. It was weigh day, so I got weighed to find I had put on 0.25kg (0.6lb). Not great, but my measurements were more favourable; bust -2cm, waist no change, hips -3cm. I wasn’t able to walk to Fat Club today and I had too much going on with work to go, anyway. Midmorning, I decided I would walk to the nearest shops to get some provisions. It took me about 25 minutes to get there and here is what I bought, with prices in lira;
I was conscious that I couldn’t carry any tins, bottles or anything too heavy so I kept it to small or light items. When I got back, it had took me around 1 hour to walk the 300m and back! I still had quite a bit of improvement to make on the walking.
After eating an early lunch of an açma and a banana I worked and also started to look at holidays for Captain Caveman and I. I started a Facebook thing with a couple of colleagues, where we shared Optimistic October prompts. Today’s was to write down 3 things I was looking forward to in October. Mine were going to Antalya on a work trip, getting my handy travel planner a bit nearer to being completed and getting more content written for my next handy travel tips book. I finally got little Norman out for a walk but we only made it as far as my parents gate and back. We didn’t go in, as they were out with friends on the yellow boat today, tomorrow they were off to Göcek. I’d asked them over for a farewell drink with the Aussies at the weekend but they weren’t able to join us as they had already been invited out with their friends for dinner and drinks on both Friday & Saturday. For dinner I warmed up a chicken dinner and then watched Netflix with Norman, before bed.
Gratitude List 1. Having good measurements despite putting weight on 2. Walking to the shops and back with actual shopping 3. Planning my own holiday.
Thursday 25th September was mainly a ‘getting stuff done’ kind of a day, given that I had taken a day off yesterday – the first one in a while. I was meant to be joining my parents tonight to go on a boat to Kingfisher restaurant but we had decided to wait until I could walk a bit better. Unfortunately, my favourite pen ran out so I messaged my Mom to ask her to get me a couple more if she was passing the stationers. I also needed some medication from the pharmacy so she said she would be able to do that, which was good of her. We had the Resort Experts team meeting where we discussed that Classic Collection were ceasing taking on any new bookings, which we were all shocked about. I had clients booked with them so it was reassuring to know that all would be fine for any holidays booked for the next year, and would run as booked. In the evening, I had a video call with a Sheffield friend where we talked about lots of different topics, including that her and her husband would be back in Dalyan at the end of next month. What I couldn’t talk about was that her hubby was booking her a holiday as a surprise for her birthday next year and I had to keep it quiet – that was tricky! I also had a video call with Captain Caveman who was sat outside the Sun Inn, in Barnes, freezing his bits off.
Gratitude List 1. Knowing my clients who booked with Classic Collection would all still be looked after 2. Chatting to my friend without revealing the secret holiday plans 3. Speaking to Captain Caveman.
On Friday 26th September I was busy with work stuff as it was a lot of people’s pay day weekends. I had enquiries to do and I was hoping to get finished in time for a soirée I had been invited to that evening. I had more pasta bolognese for a late lunch as I was running out of time. In the afternoon, I surprised a few of my colleagues, at Resort Experts, when I confirmed the ideal holiday for my friends. When I’d started this enquiry 37 days ago, I’d asked in the group chat for any help or advice from other Resort Experts who had more knowledge than me on USA, Canada and cruises – as these were areas I had the least knowledge in – I’d only been to New York once about 20 years ago! At the time I had replies saying that what the client wanted to do was impossible for the budget they had set. I called on friends outside of Resort Experts to help me, as well as an amazing lady at Travelpack. Over the last month, I’d contacted Norwegian Cruise Lines directly and I did endless training webinars and read up on all that I needed to know. So today, when we had confirmed the perfect holiday for the client and under the budget I was proud of myself. I sent all the confirmation to the joint email adress as instructed by the husband booking it, then waited for his wife, my friend, to see the surprise. It took a while but when she did, we all had a video call and it was honestly the best feeling to have sorted out her birthday trip which included a 12 day cruise. She was so happy and I was relieved it exceeded her expectations. After the call, I went over to Jamie and Drew’s where they were having a BBQ. I arrived with a bottle of Prosecco just in time for food and to find the party in full swing. I had a glass of Prosecco which got knocked over in to my chicken & salad and on to Nanny Kay’s crotch. We played loads of silly games and had a good laugh. After a couple more drinks, I ended up leaving just after Nanny Kay. It was about to get messy as I heard 3 people jump in the pool around 11.30pm. I’d taken no photos as my phone was almost dead.
Gratitude List 1. Being busy with Resort Experts 2. Getting the holiday booked for my friends 3. Having a good laugh at Jamie & Drew’s BBQ, especially when Nanny Kay had to cycle home with a soggy crotch!
Ma & Pa were off to the market on Saturday 27th September and had asked me if they could get me something. As they were coming to bring me some other stuff, I accepted their kind offer and they brought me nectarines, bananas and grapes. Mom wouldn’t take any money for the fruit so I wasn’t sure about the prices. But here’s what else they picked me up, with prices in lira;
I was shocked at the price the butter had gone up to and decided I would have to use it very sparingly. My parents didn’t stay long as they wanted to get back and rest up, ready for a trip to Ölüdeniz with friends tomorrow. I ordered some water which came immediately and cost 100 lira (£1.82) for 19 litres. That evening, I couldn’t be bothered to cook and I hadn’t remembered to get anything out of the freezer. I decided to treat myself to a takeaway, a first in a very long time. I contacted Onur at Simple and ordered beef noodles and a crispy chicken with fries. I decided I would eat half of each and save the rest for tomorrow. It cost 800 lira (£14.55) for the 2 dishes, including free delivery and was absolutely delicious.
Gratitude List 1. Shopping from Ma & Pa, which I really needed 2. Having a water delivery service 3. Delicious food delivery from Simple.
I had an appointment for my next hospital check up at 9.30am on Monday 22nd September. Ian and Janet had very kindly offered to take me, so I was up early having tea and toast before leaving at 8.45am. There were updates that the fires in the area had now been put out, which was great news. It had been less than 3 weeks since I broke my 4th and 5th metatarsals in my foot and I was optimistically hoping to be given the all clear today. Once at the Yücelen hospital, Janet insisted on pushing me in a wheelchair. Not surprisingly, this made the whole visit so much more efficient, and less painful. Umut the translator was back, the orthopaedic doctor was pleased to see me and I was whizzed back and forth to the payment desk and x-ray room. As I had already used 80% of my 5,000 lira (£91) limit, under my outpatient provision on my health insurance, I was fully prepared to pay for my consultation, x-ray and any other costs. I’d already researched this and the girl at the desk said she would ask about getting me a discount as it was related to the same issue. While they sorted the bill, I went with Umut to the x-ray room where he took photos of my latest (and third) x-ray. When the doctor had me back in, he was very pleased and said it was healing well and I could now start to go swimming but I still needed to be careful and not walk without the crutch for perhaps another few weeks. I asked if I would now be allowed to fly and they did indeed say they could provide a fit to fly letter, should I need one. I could tell that the orthopaedic doctor wasn’t a fan of my Vietnamese porter sandals and he suggested that it might be a good idea to wear more supportive shoes. He also said to the translator that he had never had such a happy and positive patient. That made me laugh as I’d certainly not been feeling that way lately – maybe it was the painkillers which he offered me more of! I shook his hand and thanked him for all his help, I also said I would keep in touch with Umut via his Instagram so that I could follow his Japan adventure. I paid the bill of 4,375 lira (£80) not knowing at the time that I would end up being reimbursed for a chunk of it. As I’d not been able to drink any alcohol while on the medication, I had decided I would put 200 lira (£3.64) in to a glass for every day without having had any booze. That was easily what I might have ordinarily spent on drinks on average and I now had 3,800 lira (£69) saved up. Umut wheeled me back to the entrance where Ian & Janet were patiently waiting, then we left to go for a breakfast in Ortaca. At Cetem, a lovely cafe not too far from the hospital, we all had at least 1 Turkish tea, Ian ordered the menemen, Janet had pancakes and I went for the Turkish breakfast – well, I don’t get out much these days. I really enjoyed the food as well as the company and we did have a good laugh. Our waitress was really sweet and kept checking everything was ok while trying to clear the plates before we finished (not uncommon in Turkey). The bill came to just 1,200 lira (£21.82) and we were all stuffed. Janet and Ian nearly didn’t let me pay for breakfast and I had to put up a bit of a fight. Their kindness didn’t stop there, though, as Janet had got some new sandals which I’d been admiring so they even drove me to the same shop so that I could try on and buy a pair. They were Lumberjack velcro sandals which made me look like a fully fledged ramp user but, as soon as I put them on, they felt like I was walking (limping) on air. I was sold and, although I probably could’ve got them cheaper online, I was more than happy with the service of the sales assistant who made sure they fit properly and the fact that I had them straight away. I thought they were worth every lira at 1,900 lira (£34.55) and I was so pleased that Janet had recommended them to me as I would not have considered them otherwise. I must admit, I’d even tried on a pair of crocks (in desperation) but they weren’t comfortable for my foot. We drove back to Dalyan and Ian dropped me right outside the door, Janet helped me to get inside the apartment with my new purchase and I was safely back home by 1pm. I felt a lot better knowing that my foot was healing and that I could potentially start to swim. I had some water then put my new sandals on in the house so that I could practice walking about in them. The bad foot fastened to about half way with the support bandage on which meant it was much more comfortable. I didn’t need any lunch and I did lots more cruise training in the afternoon. I was really fancying a Nile cruise in January 2027, now that I was learning all about the different types. At 8pm, Captain Caveman called me from London to have a video call. He was pleased that I’d had such a lovely morning with Janet & Ian and relieved I was getting better. At 8.30pm I warmed up more bolognese to go with pasta for dinner and then had an early night.
I woke up with my foot throbbing and itching at 7.15am on Saturday 20th September. The skies outside were still a little smoggy and the nearby fires were still ongoing. There were some posts on Facebook about local charities sharing, or not sharing, money donated from a recent event which involved some friends. I decided to leave all of the Facebook groups this related to as it was getting silly. I also did a sweep of any other Facebook groups or pages I followed that I no longer had time to follow and removed myself. I had a cup of Yorkshire tea and some cheese spread on toast for breakfast then did a little bit of work and caught up on my blog posts. Debbie very kindly went to the Saturday market for me again this week and here’s what she bought for less than 200 lira (£3.64), which I was delighted with; 2 onions 2 potatoes Mushrooms Red & Green peppers 4 carrots 1 lettuce Bananas Green Grapes The lettuce alone was 50 lira (91p) which Debbie was unnecessarily apologetic about, given that they were cheaper last week. She also gave me more fresh figs, some black grapes and plums from her own stash. We had a drink and a chat, which was nice. Later, Ma & Pa called in with some quark and bread for me from the shop. They didn’t stay long as they were off out with friends on a Dalyan night out. I warmed up some pasta Bolognese for dinner and spoke briefly to Captain Caveman who was working on site this weekend in North Wales.
Gratitude List 1. Cutting out the Facebook group crap made me feel better 2. Market produce brought for me by Debbie 3. Bread and Quark from my parents.
On Sunday 21st September I rested up mostly and caught up with some writing – I was quite behind. I treated myself to a bacon sandwich with the last packet of bacon from the freezer and the loaf my parents had brought yesterday. I contemplated inviting my parents over for a meal but they were having a rest day as it had been a late one last night. Meanwhile, I was feeling the benefits of not having had any alcohol for 16 days with several more to go. Captain Caveman was in Newark meeting up with some friends for a Sunday lunch. I reheated a roast chicken meal for my Sunday dinner and even treated myself to some gravy. I tried to have an early night, as I was up early for another hospital visit tomorrow morning, but I couldn’t sleep because of my foot pain and I had already taken the maximum amount of pain relief.
Gratitude List 1. Bacon 2. Writing 3. Sunday dinner.
It was market day on Saturday 13th September and I’d offers from a few people to get me some shopping in, should I need it. I was running low on a few items so I asked Debbie if she would mind grabbing me some items. I spared my parents having to carry their own stuff and mine but did ask if they would get me some items from the shop, including a wholemeal sliced loaf for toast. The water man came and, luckily, he always brings it upstairs and replaces it in the cooler, all for 100 lira (£1.82). Debbie arrived in the afternoon and brought me nectarines & onions from the market, figs from the garden and a Dido chocolate bar and some homemade cookies. It was a lovely treat and we sat and had a good natter over a cup of tea. I should send her to the market more often as it came to less than 100 lira. My parents arrived with shopping and it was hot outside as Dad moaned about Mom forgetting the shopping list. Ma bought me a loaf, a whole chicken and some cheese spread. They didn’t stay as they were a bit out of sorts with the heat, and Dad didn’t even notice Debbie was there. That evening, I made a chickpea and spinach curry with steamed rice, which was very tasty and had spare for the fridge/freezer. I also had some naan bread in the freezer which I had to go with it.
Gratitude List 1. Having people who were able to go shopping and to the market for me 2. Tea and a chat with Debbie 3. Curry for dinner.
I’d toyed with the idea of inviting my parents round for a Sunday dinner on Sunday 14th September, not quite sure if I could hobble about long enough to cater. They had been here a week already and I’d only seen them twice. It turned out they were busy when I asked if they had plans but I decided if I cooked a roast chicken anyway, it would make me quite a few meals for the week. I had fresh figs, nectarines and cheese for breakfast, which was delightful. I had beans on toast for lunch and then excelled myself on the roast dinner – I even did stuffing (but no Yorkshire puddings). It tasted lovely but I think I’d overdone it as the washing up took longer than I thought and my foot hurt a lot. By the time I spoke to Captain Caveman at 8pm I was tired, in pain and emotional. He reminded me that it was not even 2 weeks since I broke 2 bones in my foot and that I needed more rest.
Gratitude List 1. Having nice food 2. Being able to cook for myself still 3. Knowing that things could be a lot worse and I would get better soon.
Sunday 7th September was a busy day as I prepared for Captain Caveman leaving and my parents arriving. My parents’ flight was due to land at 10.20pm and Captain Caveman didn’t need to leave to go to the airport until 11.30pm at the earliest, however, I thought it would be a lovely idea to arrange for Captain Caveman to say hello (& goodbye) to Ma & Pa at the airport. My ‘crazy’ idea was that Captain Caveman and I would set off to Dalaman airport much earlier than required for his 1.20am flight on Monday morning. We could be at the Arrivals exit to jump out of their taxi, say hello and then leave Captain Caveman while the 3 of us headed back in the taxi to Dalyan. My parents last left Dalyan almost 10 months ago so I was also thinking they might need some help putting on the electric and sorting out their apartment so they could get to sleep quicker and I could perhaps help. Captain Caveman had agreed despite knowing he would be stuck in the most expensive airport for way too long, I wrongly assumed my parents would like this idea. Ma replied to say they would rather get straight off as they didn’t want to be hanging about. My first mission for the day was to very slowly make it out for breakfast. Captain Caveman and I decided to go for a last day breakfast and treat ourselves to a large full English at Ela’s Kitchen. It’s not for the fainthearted (or those supposed to be doing Slimming World) but it is fantastic. Here’s what we had with the prices in lira – not the cheapest place in town but in my opinion it is one of the best;
1 Large bottle of water 100 1 Espresso 130 1 Yorkshire Tea 150 2 Large breakfasts 1,190 Tip 100 Total spent 1,670 lira (£30.36)
What a treat and we even asked for extra toast which we weren’t charged for – my eyes were bigger than my belly, even though I gave Captain Caveman my eggs and tomatoes (why he needed more toast). While we were at Ela’s we noticed a sign which stated they would not serve people who were half naked. This was a good move, however, a guy sat down under the sign and then took his shirt off! He didn’t get served and had to take his order away but the young waitress was clearly really embarrassed. While I crutched back home, Captain Caveman nipped to the shop for peppers and courgettes.
I rested up all afternoon while Captain Caveman sorted his packing and the moving of anything I might need/not around the house. We obviously didn’t need a lunch and I wasn’t mobile enough to do any cooking. Captain Caveman decided we should enjoy his last meal at Duble, another one of our favourite places to eat in Dalyan. Here’s what we had with prices in lira;
2 Lentil soups 250 1 Haydari 155 1 Beetroot 160 1 Hummus 170 1 Potato croquettes 165 1 Prawns 495 1 Liver & Onions 295 1 Red wine 140 1 Big Water 95 Tip 200 Total spent 2,125 lira (£38.64)
The food was fantastic and I felt so lucky to get all the prawns to myself as Captain Caveman can’t eat them. Ibo, the owner, was still chatty despite the place being really full. A couple even got turned away and told to come back later as it was so busy. I really had been spoiled today although I was quite drowsy from the medication and the walking about when I had to say bye to Captain Caveman. Sonuç picked him up at 11.30pm but I didn’t go to the car to wave him off on account of me not wanting to come back up the stairs in the dark without any help. Hopefully, Captain Caveman would be coming back again in October, so I might get to see him soon.
Gratitude List 1. An amazing breakfast at Ela’s Kitchen with Captain Caveman 2. A wonderful dinner at Duble with Captain Caveman 3. Having had the best time with Captain Caveman in Turkey.
Captain Caveman decided to treat me to breakfast at La Sorella on Friday 5th September. We ordered; 1 water 1 Espresso 1 Green tea 1 Croissant 1 Croissant with banana, berries & chocolate
I forgot how much it cost, though, I was slacking! It was very nice and, as I wasn’t able to drink alcohol for the next 2 weeks because of the painkillers, I was happy to have a food treat instead. While I crutched back home, Captain Caveman went off to do the shopping and made sure he stocked up on items I would find hard to carry once he left Dalyan on Sunday. Here’s what he bought on the first visit, with prices in lira;
It was sunny in the afternoon so we went to Okyanus so that Captain Caveman could have a few beers in the sun and we could meet up with The Aussies who we hadn’t seen for a while. We ended up having some food there too – here’s what we paid;
Okyanus 3 soda waters 210 1 Lamb wrap 420 1 pizza 440 3 Efes Malt beers 450 Tip 150 Total spent 1,670 lira (£30)
While Captain Caveman went off for more shopping, I went back home to rest my foot and get more medication. Here’s what Captain Caveman bought on his evening shop;
Şarküteri 2 tins of beans 170 1 tin coconut milk 100 Total spent 270 lira (£4.84)
We spent the evening at home and we had more friends arriving in Dalyan tomorrow to join family who had already arrived. I was in quite a bit of pain so I needed to sleep.
Gratitude List 1. Breakfast and a late lunch out 2. Seeing our friends 3. Medication
On Wednesday 3rd September Captain Caveman and I were due to check out of the Mithra Cave Hotel and were thinking of staying 1 or 2 nights in the Göreme Cave Suites, which was fancier and had a pool. We were undecided as Captain Caveman had hoped to travel back to Dalyan via Eskişehir and take a scenic train back to Denizli. I was still sceptical that we could fit the trip in and return to Dalyan in time to see friends before Captain Caveman left Turkey. Captain Caveman decided he would get up to see the balloons again. The hot air balloon flights were super cheap at this time of year, at less than 50 Euros per person. However, neither of us wanted to do it. We were still to decide what to do and we were thinking we might go mad and stay in the nicer hotel for a night or two. Captain Caveman had been looking at flights, trains and buses and weighing up the affordability. I was reluctant as I didn’t feel I should ‘waste’ the money. After breakfast, I had to get my laptop out to do some work on a booking. We finally decided we should get back to Dalyan so Captain Caveman sorted out a flight and a transfer. I asked reception what time check out was (11am) then ask to extend until 2pm. Captain Caveman went off to buy more water and some travel snacks while I did a few things on my laptop. After checking out, I sat with the bags on a seat outside while Captain Caveman went sightseeing for the afternoon. At 5.30pm we were in a minivan on our way to Nevşehir airport for a flight to Istanbul. I remember two annoying passengers with tons of bags sat opposite us and that the driver had chatted up and taken the phone number of the young lady in the front seat, 7 minutes before we arrived at the airport. We were delayed a bit which was eating in to the Lounge time at Istanbul that Captain Caveman had booked for us. There wasn’t an awful lot of food left at the Lounge so I had some vegetables, rice and then later a plain bowl of pasta. I had 4 glasses of red wine, though. Captain Caveman drank beers and had a lovely chicken dish which I avoided in case it was too spicy. We boarded our flight from Istanbul to Dalaman on time and I fell asleep straight away.
Gratitude List 1. Getting to visit Cappadocia with Captain Caveman 2. Last minute flights and transfers working out 3. The Lounge, which was £20 approx each, so worth it.
We landed at Dalaman airport around 2am on Thursday 4th September and Sonuç, from Dalyan Transfers, was there to meet us. After some sleep, I woke up about 9am and Captain Caveman was getting ready to go Bumming with the Riverbums. Unfortunately, my day was not going to be quite as pleasant as picking up other people’s litter. I’d done something to my foot when I didn’t see a very shallow step and thought I’d stepped on a twig which had crunched. It was hurting, so I decided to go to the hospital to get it checked out. While Captain Caveman went to Riverbums, I tried to make a hospital appointment but I was in a bit of pain and couldn’t really concentrate. I decided to ask Sonuç to take me to the Yucelen Hospital in Ortaca and get checked out. Captain Caveman had arrived back by the time I was leaving but he didn’t come with me. Sonuç had made me the appointment but when he looked at my foot he said he didn’t think it was broken and probably didn’t need to go. As I’d injured this leg 5 years ago I wanted to just check. I saw the orthopaedic doctor who touched my foot gently to see if it hurt, at first it didn’t, then I screamed out when he touched the bit that hurt. A translator was sent for, an x-ray was booked and I had to give my insurance documents and residency card to another receptionist. The walking between the different bits was starting to get tricky and extremely slow, but I managed. The translator, Umut, was really good and we got talking about his trip to Japan. The x-ray person was friendly too and we went back to the doctor after, for him to tell me I had broken my 4th & 5th metatarsals. Oh dear. He gave me a prescription and told me to come back in 10 days for a check-up. I walked back to the pay desk where my insurer had already confirmed they would pay my bill, all but 875.16 lira (£16.21), and I had to sign a piece of paper. At no point was I told not to walk on it but I had crutches which Sonuç had picked up from Tay at Rehab bar. I was impressed with the service at the Yucelen and was back home by 3.25pm. I paid 2,000 lira (£37.04) for Sonuc’s services, too, which given he’d driven me about and waited there the whole time was a good deal. Although he’s not an official translator for medical stuff, he’d come in very handy and was great at taking my mind off the pain! I managed to cheese Captain Caveman off by not hobbling in to the chemist on my way back and assumed he would be ok to go and pick up my prescription for me. He was a bit put out but went anyway. The prices were as follows;
Balcı Pharmacy Ketoprofen Painkillers 108.69 Naproxen spray 159.10 Frenag spray 247.21 Support Bandage 450 Total 965.00 lira (£17.87)
I was hungry as I’d not eaten yet today so Captain Caveman suggested we eat at Lukka, so I didn’t have to walk far. Here’s what we had with prices in lira from Lukka bar;
The food was lovely and a generous portion size – I’d somehow forgotten to eat sensibly this holiday! I went back home for a rest and to put my leg up, the medicine can’t be taken with alcohol and I hadn’t known this so I would have to start the pills tomorrow as I had already consumed 2 halves of draft lager with a bit of lemonade. We had no food in at home, on account of us coming home earlier, so for dinner we went out again. It took me far too long to hobble along to Ayaz, a fairly new local eatery. It was quite late so the staff were very apologetic to have run out of all lamb dishes. I had a chicken shish and Captain Caveman went for a chicken iskender. I had a fresh pomegranate juice and the whole meal was amazing at a great price, even though I forgot to note the prices. On the way home, I bumped in to Aytaç Burçak Saraymine, my insurance broker. He wanted to check how I was and also how the service had been with the insurer. I knew the insurer would only pay up to 80% of any outpatient costs and I was happy with that. Aytaç invited me and Captain Caveman for a cup of Turkish tea with him and we sat and had a chat. I had been so happy that I had taken out the insurance with him. Lots of people (obviously, not experts) had told me that the cheaper insurance for residency wasn’t worth having but I certainly disagreed with that. My injury could’ve been a lot worse and cost me quite a bit just for not noticing a really small step!We stayed out until 11pm and I needed to rest my foot when I got home. The sprays were really helping and tomorrow I could start the stronger painkillers.
Gratitude List 1. Sonuç being available for hospital visiting 2. Not having a cast on my foot 3. Health Insurance covering 80% of the cost of my injury.
I went downstairs in the early hours of Sunday 31st August to find Captain Caveman fully dressed and asleep on the sofa. I had barely slept upstairs while full of cold and my alarm went off at 2am. Sonuç was insistent on taking us to the airport early, as he thought there may be queues even for the domestic flights. He arrived at just after 2.30am, the fare was £30 and we were at the airport before 3.15am. Captain Caveman was a bit mardy when we only took 5 minutes, maximum, to get through to the gate and, of course, it was too early for us to know which gate for our flight at 5.10am. Captain Caveman had booked us on a cheap flight to Ankara for less than £25 each and we would arrive at 6.25am. We landed a bit early and made our way to the Havaş shuttle bus which took us from Ankara airport to the main bus station. I forgot the price as we paid cash but it was cheap. Captain Caveman had booked us a Flixbus from Ankara bus station at 9am to take us to Göreme in Cappadocia which was less than £15 each and took about 4 hours. The bus station at Ankara is huge and we sat and ate our Ela’s Kitchen sandwiches there. There were toilets which had squat and western ones but you did have to pay to use them. I bought a water, a coke and some travel sweets in the bus station for 100 lira (£1.85).
The Flixbus was good, it had a toilet on but we also stopped for a loo break. We arrived in Göreme, Cappadocia, a little early after a couple of tours round the bus station. There was a bit of a walk up the hills to our cave hotel and it was hot and sunny. This was Captain Caveman’s first time in Cappadocia and he already looked impressed as he sped off up the hills. I had to shout him to wait to take my heavy bag at one point. We were early for check-in by an hour at Mithra Cave hotel, but the room was ready. Our room had a round bed and was inside a cave suite, I thought we had booked a room with a view and that the hotel had a pool but their Website was a little misleading and neither were available.
After unpacking and drinking all the water in the minibar we went off to find a tour company to book our Red & Green tours with. Originally, I’d asked a lovely guide called Ozzy but he was booked up already. It cost us €220 (£191) for each of those for both of us with Cappadocia Visitor. We also got a free bag from the guy in the office, which I was happy about. We went in to an off licence where we didn’t find any screw top wine so we just bought a big water for 25 lira (46p) and a big bag of crisps for 75 lira (£1.39), before making our way back to the hotel.
It was so good to be in Cappadocia with Captain Caveman. We had a stop off at a cafe for soft drinks, here’s the prices in lira;
1 small water 80 1 Lemonade 120 1 Double Espresso 170 Total spent 370 lira (£6.85)
It was definitely more expensive than being in Dalyan and I drew out more cash at the ATM. I had to check the budget later but I had a feeling August had been an expensive month. Captain Caveman and I were still on holiday in Turkey for another week too, so September was also likely to be extravagant in the first half. We walked back up to the Mithra Cave Hotel and had a rest in our cave suite before I attempted a bath. It leaked and the water went everywhere so I didn’t try the jacuzzi part. The toiletries were also screwed to the wall and not near the bath.
For sunset we walked around the hotel then sat on the hotel terrace with a glass of wine each and took the obligatory Cappadocia skyline photos. I went to pay the bill and was quite surprised to find it was 880 lira (£16.30) for 2 glasses of red – luckily we just had the one!
Captain Caveman had chosen a rooftop eatery for dinner, close to the hotel. At Zukra we had a glass of wine each, a bottle of soda water and 2 tubs of very tasty mantı (Turkish ravioli) for 1,800 lira (£33.33). Not the cheapest meal but we enjoyed it, despite the paper container and wooden fork to eat it with. The staff were lovely and they also had a beautiful dog which we petted. I was begging for mercy by 10.30pm having still got cold and being dosed up on Theraflu. I checked the budget spreadsheet and found that despite a £1000 budget for August, we had gone over that. I’d put in £844 and Captain Caveman had contributed £900 but we still had £310 left to go in to next month. I was happy to have spent less than £1500, given that I had been in the UK for 11 days and Captain Caveman had been in Turkey for 9 days already – we spend more when we are together. I was tired so it was an early night, ready for our full day tour tomorrow.
Gratitude List 1. An easy (& cheap) journey from Dalaman to Göreme, Cappadocia 2. A holiday in Cappadocia, staying in a cave hotel with a round bed 3. Being able to afford a short trip to Cappadocia!
I woke up on Saturday 30th August with a cold and sore throat, I’d finally caught what Captain Caveman had in Köyceğiz. It was toast for breakfast and some Theraflu medication with my cup of Yorkshire tea. I mainly did nothing until my video call with Vanessa at 3.30pm, which I did from my bed. Captain Caveman and I looked at flights to Vietnam for Christmas and New Year but we couldn’t book them yet as not all of Captain Caveman’s holidays had been agreed by his boss yet. They also didn’t look that cheap as we would be flying the Friday before Christmas. We hoped to go for 3 weeks and would return on my birthday. Ideally, Captain Caveman would take flights from the UK but I would meet him there having flown from Istanbul. At 4.15pm Captain Caveman got us both Dubai chocolate Magnums which we ate on the sofa together. He’d been in search of 100% fruit juice in each of the supermarkets and finally found some. Here’s what he bought with prices in lira;
Migros Supermarket Travel sweets 26.45 2 Dubai Chocolate Magnums 150.00 2 Cherry juice 179.90 2 Orange juice 206.40 Total spent 562.75 lira (£10.42)
In the evening, Captain Caveman popped out to see The Aussies and I went to bed feeling like shit. He said he was just going for one in Ozzy’s so I asked him to get me a Chicken pizza from there as they are delicious. We didn’t have anything in for dinner so I was really hungry by 10pm but Captain Caveman was still out and wasn’t answering his phone. I eventually tracked him down to Ela’s Kitchen when one of the owners let me know he was there and asked him to bring me a takeaway pizza. The pizza was ok, but it wasn’t the one I’d originally had in mind so I was a bit disappointed. Regardless, I ate it in bed and hoped I’d feel better soon because we were getting picked up at 2.30am tomorrow to go to the airport, and I had hoped to get some sleep. Captain Caveman didn’t bother coming to bed that night.
Gratitude List 1. Theraflu medication – it’s cheap and better than paracetamol 2. Dubai Chocolate Magnum to soothe my throat 3. Finally getting some pizza.
We decided on a more relaxed day in Dalyan on Wednesday 27th August. Captain Caveman had planned to help out with a bit of Dogging at the local dog shelter in the morning. It was going to be another hot one so I declined to join him and caught up on a bit of blogging, as I was quite behind on the editing. I had beans on toast for breakfast and Captain Caveman made himself an egg related concoction before I had even surfaced. As it was weigh day, I got on the home scales to find I had put on 0.25 kg (0.6lb), which wasn’t ideal but could’ve been worse. My measurements were not ideal either with a 1cm off my bust, my waist stayed the same and I’d put 1cm on my hips. In the afternoon our friends, Amanda & Greg (aka The Aussies) had arrived from Australia for 6 weeks, and had invited us over to their villa. As soon as Captain Caveman was back and cleaned up, we walked over to see them and we were met with a surprise. They had brought us gifts and the most thoughtful one was a T-shirt for me which was my ‘You Can’t Shit Yourself on a Bicycle’ book cover with a QR code on the sleeve, to scan to my blog! I nearly cried with happiness at how good it was! And it fit perfectly – how fantastic. We had a drink to celebrate but then I had to leave Captain Caveman and The Aussies to it for a bit. I stood in for Carol at Fat Club as she was away, her scales told me I had put 0.3kg (0.7lb)! We had a good chat at Fat Club but then I had to rush back to rejoin the welcome party. We had a few more drinks and then left to call at the supermarket opposite our friends’ house. Here’s what we bought with the prices in lira; Garlic 54.90 Halloumi cheese 76.90 Frozen fruit 164.90 Total spent 296.70 lira (£5.50)
We had a bit of a walk through town and by the river towards home. We took the shopping home and I hung up my new t-shirt. Before dinner, Captain Caveman suggested a bit of a walk and then a drink in Lukka bar, which turned in to 3!!! Here’s what we had with the prices in lira;
3 Efes Malt 540. 3 Angora red wine 750 Total spent 1,290 lira (£23.88)
Although Lukka is certainly not for the cheap chasing crowd, I didn’t find the prices extortionate and the service is very nifty. I noticed on the receipt that Lukka quoted the price in lira, US dollars, Euros and UK pounds. They had the GBP price listed at £25.80 which meant that they were still using 50 lira to the £, but it was actually cheaper than that if paying in lira. While at Lukka we got chatting to Katrina and a couple of our neighbours, they were eating what looked like some rather tasty meals. Katrina let me try her Çökertme which was very good so we decided we would ask The Aussies if they fancied joining the Music Bingo night tomorrow and have dinner there. As luck would have it, they did and we booked the last 4 seats (it’s very popular with the tourists) and even pre-ordered the lamb’s leg for the men. We went back home for a dinner of halloumi salad, knowing tomorrow we would be giving the ball a good kick!
Gratitude List 1. Catching up on blogging 2. Seeing The Aussies and having my surprise T-shirt gift 3. Impromptu drinks at Lukka bar with Captain Caveman.
While friends in the UK had a bank holiday on Monday 25th August, Captain Caveman and I were off on another adventure from Dalyan. I’d arranged to join a friend’s boat trips to the Köyceğiz market and then I had booked a night in the Kaunos Hotel. It did mean we had almost a full day on Adıl boat with Captain Fuat and all the lovely guests. We were meant to set off at 9.30am so I was on at Captain Caveman to be on time, he seemed to have increased the amount of times he leaves thing to the very last minute. This means he can rush there but then it always looks like I’m the late one as I can’t keep up. He wasn’t ready, so I decided to take the bin out and said I would wait for him by the bins. It was hot, I waited ages, he never arrived. I called him but he didn’t answer his phone. I walked back to the apartment and he wasn’t there so I decided to walk to the boat – he was already on it, sat playing Bridge on his phone and we had our first fall out! Captain Caveman was annoyed that I lost my temper at being stood by the bins in the hot sun while he had gone to the boat a different way, not even passing the bin! He then retaliated by going quiet and going on his phone rather than speaking to anyone. We set off late so Captain Caveman was annoyed at me nagging him to not be late so the trip didn’t get off to a good start. I soon forgot about it when Captain Fuat got out the cake for breakfast. We sailed to Prison Island where some had a swim around it but I was conserving my energy for a swim in the hotel pool later; so we just had a shorter swim. The lunch was a feast of many delicious dishes and Captain Caveman and I had a beverage or two! When we got to Köyceğiz, we paid our 2000 lira (£37) bar bill, in addition to the £30 each for the boat trip and said farewell. Our friends on the boat had an hour in Köyceğiz while we were going to check in to the hotel and return tomorrow.
Captain Caveman and I checked in to the Kaunos hotel, which was right on the Köyceğiz lake path and had a gorgeous pool. Debbie at Fat Club had been before and had recommended it. I’d chosen the most expensive room type to ensure we had a lake view with a balcony to sit on for sunset and sunrise. My plan was to go to the market and off licence to stock up on cheese, olives, fruit and wine so we could enjoy a romantic evening after our swim in the fabulous pool. Of course, that didn’t quite go according to plan. I knew Captain Caveman wasn’t feeling 100% but thought it was because he’d been necking beer in the sun and was dehydrated. He wasn’t his usual speedy self as we walked to the market and he didn’t even taste all of the cheeses and olives (it’s not like him to turn down free nibbles). At the market, here’s what we bought with prices in lira;
In the Carrefour supermarket Captain Caveman wasn’t in a rush to get out and was browsing slowly for snacks, while I got the last 2 bottles of Prosecco. When Captain Caveman put orange juice in the basket I assumed it was to have bucks fizz the next morning. We spent 940 lira (£17.41) on snacks and fizz which was rather extravagant for me.
We got back to the hotel around 5.15pm and went to get our swimmers on. Again, Captain Caveman wasn’t as speedy as usual and by the time we got down to the pool it was almost 6pm. Unfortunately, the pool was closed for cleaning so we were unable to use it and I was so disappointed – it was the main reason for choosing this hotel. I couldn’t believe it was almost the end of August and I’d still to swim in a swimming pool! The pool man could see my frustration and came over to show me the signs and explain that the hotel pool is always closed from 5.45pm until 10.15am for chemical treatment. In just my swimwear I went off to the reception to check what time we had to check out. I was flabbergasted to find we had to be out by 10am, 15 minutes before the pool opened! I said to Captain Caveman that we would check out tomorrow but then come to the pool until midday and he agreed. I also insisted we sit on a lounger by the pool for half an hour now, just to get some photos of the pool and hotel grounds.
Back in the room we opened the Prosecco and I got some of the nibbles out. Captain Caveman had to be coaxed out on to the balcony and we had orange juice in our fizz. Captain Caveman was not bothered about sitting out as ‘he’d seen a sunset before’! He had also started blowing his nose and sneezing a lot and remained laying on the bed for the rest of the night, on his phone. I sat out on the balcony drinking Prosecco, eating cheese and olives and admiring the romantic view, by myself. It wasn’t quite the day off I’d imagined for the money we had spent!
Gratitude List 1. A lovely boat trip on Adıl boat 2. A hotel stay in Köyceğiz with lovely views 3. Prosecco.
Captain Caveman arrived about 5am on Saturday 23rd August while I was fast asleep. Sonuç had picked him up from Dalaman airport and it cost just £30. He’d had a good journey but was tired after a busy week. Our plans to go for breakfast at La Sorella were postponed. It was time for Captain Caveman and I to get in to full tourist mode and enjoy our holiday in Dalyan. Our first job was to pop to Aksoy Jewellers to change some English pounds. The rate was 54 lira to the pound so Captain Caveman changed just £100, obviously giving us 5400 lira to spend over the weekend. I felt rich, given that in January that amount had almost been my entire month’s budget. Our next stop was for lunch, we had skipped breakfast, and we decided to sit by the river at Okyanus. On the way, we bumped in to one of the boat men who used to play football before an injury. He had spotted Captain Caveman’s Dalyan Spor football top so was having a chat about that. I’m not a fan of blokes on holiday wearing football tops (probably because I don’t like football) but it turns out that if you’re wearing a foreign one, no one thinks you’re English – the Croatian one always catches people off guard. Okyanus is one of our favourites due to both the location, right on the river, and the friendly waiter, Üstün, who we’ve known for some years. My parents had introduced us to him and he’s got a great sense of humour. Captain Caveman ordered an Efes Malt (for breakfast, as he’d not eaten) while I ordered a soda water. We both had chicken wraps, mine with homemade chips and Captain Caveman ordered onion rings. We got chatting to Simone, a fellow Yorkshire lass, who I’d not seen for ages. It was good to chat and see her and Üstün were still doing well. We paid 1,490 lira (£27.60) for 3 dishes and a couple of drinks each.
Our next stop was to see our old mate, Mehmet, at Lukka bar. Obviously, with living so near to Lukka, I see Mehmet and Katrina often but Captain Caveman likes to make Lukka one of his first stops to say hello. We sat at an outside table enjoying the view and with me moaning on about sport on TV – unless it’s F1 I’m not interested. Obviously, it took me 30 minutes to realise that Captain Caveman was not listening intently to me rambling on about holiday plans – he was watching the footy on the TV behind me! We paid 500 lira (£9.26) for 2 Efes Malts, 1 Angora white wine and 1 soda water. Captain Caveman was keen to nip to the shops so here’s what we bought, prices in lira;
Migros Supermarket 1 red cabbage 26.22 2 toothbrushes 27.95 710g tomatoes 42.56 1 lettuce 49.95 Sliced bread 64.50 Cherry juice 89.95 Total spent 301.13 lira (£5.58)
We did laugh at how cheap all those tomatoes were and I confessed I had started to eat them in Dalyan as they are just so cheap! Back at home, we had a bottle of prosecco with our chicken salad and had our first night at home, just relaxing.
Gratitude List 1. Spending the whole day with Captain Caveman 2. Seeing familiar faces in Dalyan in our favourite places 3. Prosecco – I had been saving it to celebrate Captain Caveman’s arrival.
Weigh day certainly seems to come round a bit too quickly; Wednesday 20th August was meant to be my last good weight loss before Captain Caveman arrived for our 2 week holiday. I’d definitely cut down on the alcohol and only had 5 glasses of wine all week but I had been round to a friend’s for dinner and been on a boat trip this week, so I hadn’t avoided 2 lots of desserts. At home I’d lost 0.45kg (1lb) but we would see if Carol’s scales differed later. My measurements were good and I’d put 1cm on my bust but lost 2cm from my waist and 1cm off my hips. I got on the bandwagon with the water bottle to make sure I drink more water. I always drink at least 2 litres per day but, as it was hot, I was aiming for 3! I popped over to Jamie’s for a quick Resort Experts conflab and I intended to pick up his loppers and pruners but forgot them – we were too busy chatting about holiday destinations. On the way back, I remembered as I went in the Block A entrance rather than Block B, that side looked much better, as if the gardener only does that side of the complex then gets bored. At Fat Club I was pleased to find I’d lost 0.6kg (1.3lb) although I was still 4.35kg (almost 10lb) over my target now. It just goes to show how much crap I was having in the UK, how quickly I was putting weight back on when I went there and wasn’t following the plan. It would be interesting to see how much I put on when on a 2 week Turkey holiday with Captain Caveman in just 3 days time! I missed a Zoom call about my forthcoming travel planner which happened to clash with Fat Club and then I also had to get back for a client call. This one was the start of a special enquiry as it was with a friend’s husband who was wanting to organise a surprise trip for a specific birthday next year. I can’t say too much on here as she will probably be reading it and it’s going to be one of the best kept secrets! The call went so well and I actually couldn’t wait to see what I could find on this one. We had quite a long discussion and there were lots or requirements and a specific budget but it was a good ‘un! Jamie popped his gardening tools over to mine so that we had them ready for Captain Caveman. For dinner, I had a mystery meal from the freezer with mushrooms in (forgot the photo as I was hungry) then decided I needed to go shopping at 9.30pm. I had hoped the supermarket would be less busy at that time but it wasn’t. Here’s what I bought with prices in lira;
It was certainly a sign things were better than at the start of the year as I would have thought twice about buying nuts as they were a treat. I was still concerned at the sharp rise in Quark prices, though.
Gratitude List 1. Losing weight this week (even if it wasn’t much) 2. More new enquiries for my travel business 3. Being able to rely on Jamie for gardening tools.
There was a bit of excitement on Thursday 21st August as I had been invited round to a friend’s after work. I was really apprehensive about taking time off when Captain Caveman arrived but I knew how much he needed a holiday, and I probably did too. I didn’t want to be spending the money we were getting in just yet, as I really wanted to build back up some emergency funds and rainy day money. I was also a little worried that I might miss some precious holiday bookings and book sales. I was still at the stage that each opportunity was important and every bit of commission counted. I was keen not to be ‘unavailable’ should a potential customer want to book. Captain Caveman wanted to travel around Turkey and some of the journey by train, which meant I probably shouldn’t take my laptop with me. It’s a fine line but I would see how the first week went, I was already pre scheduling all my social media posts up to the end of the first week of September, just in case. I had quark with berries (no oats) for breakfast then I worked all day. In the morning I had a catch up with my friend and colleague, Dagne, in Majorca. There was a Resort Experts team meeting too at lunch time, so I ate beans on toast around 2.15pm. In the afternoon I played telephone tennis with one of the suppliers I had asked to price me up a bespoke trip. I switched the laptop off at bang on 5pm and walked over to Janet and Ian’s villa. It was precisely 24 minutes but would have been 25 had Ian not come to meet me at the shortcut through some bushes. I met their friends, Sam & Lucy, who had a lovely daughter and they seemed somewhat familiar. We hit it off right away and we all had a lovely afternoon. I joined Janet with a glass of wine or two and it was very relaxing just sat by their pool. On the drive back to take me home, Janet, Ian and I decided to nip to Mono and More for a bite to eat. Janet had been telling me about the scampi she had tried so I was keen to eat that. We both ordered the same with a glass of wine while Ian had soup and fish and chips. All the food was very lovely and at a reasonable price for non-Turkish meals. The scampi was whole-tail, not the reformed stuff, and I really enjoyed it. I did see one of the owners eating a Chinese dish which looked amazing. Funnily enough I only ever eat a Chinese meal when I’m in the UK and even then, not very often but the portion size and the food looked impressive. I was even invited to try a mouthful, on account of my eyeing up of her food, but of course I politely declined. I’d had a really lovely evening and we made plans for when Captain Caveman arrived too. Ian offered to drive me home but I decided it would be a good idea to walk off my meal. Recently, I had seen various Facebook posts and news articles saying how quiet Dalyan was. If the streets by the mosque were anything to go by, that wasn’t true. It was 11.20pm as I walked past lots of tourists either on their way to a bar or doing some browsing in the shops.
Gratitude List 1. Being able to have a holiday with Captain Caveman 2. Eating great food 3. Having a wonderful time with friends.
It was only 23°C when I awoke on Friday 22nd August but, looking at the forecast for today and the week, the weather was looking great for Captain Caveman’s visit. I was super excited and his flight was tonight at 9.50pm from Gatwick. We both still had our last day at work to go but I had already put on my out of office and had a to do list longer than my arm. In my lunch hour I nipped to buy eggs from Şok and ended up getting 15 eggs and some jellies for 104.95 lira (£1.93). I also bought a Turkish loaf and a simit for just 30 lira (55p) from the bakery. I ate the simit for lunch and got straight back on to the to do list for another hour. Captain Caveman called me while he tucked in to a more substantial lunch (I think a fish finger buttie) and he was really looking forward to getting back to Dalyan. I tidied up, changed the bedding, did the laundry and ran out of time to do more cleaning up before dinner. I ate a chicken and mushroom Slimming World concoction for dinner at 10.15pm, but didn’t particularly enjoy it. I went to bed, knackered and thinking I’d probably forgot to do something important.
Gratitude List 1. Sunny weather in Dalyan 2. Captain Caveman coming to Dalyan in just hours 3. Getting a lot done, even if I still didn’t finish everything.
I had a busy morning with holiday enquiries with Resort Experts on Friday 15th August, a few friends had asked me to do them some quotes for winter sun holidays. I’d suggested Turkey to a few of them as it tends to stay nice weather until the end of October, and they can see me if they want to, too. I didn’t eat lunch until 2.50pm, fried rice, as time was running away with me. I was acutely aware that while I’d been in the UK I had eaten much less fruit, so I took a walk to the shop after lunch to get some fruit. Here’s what I got from the shop, with prices in lira; 3 onions 4.10 4 nectarines 69.30 4 bananas 101.46 Total spent 174.86 lira (£3.21)
The bananas were more pricey as it’s not the season but still I needed fruit! I’d had a request from my friend, Sausage Dick, to meet up with his daughter who was in Dalyan. He had bought a copy of my handy travel tips book, ‘You Can’t Shit Yourself on a Bicycle’ and wanted me to sign it for him. Georgina was staying at Central Park, a lovely small hotel in the Gülpınar area with a really nice pool. I agreed to arrive at 6.30pm and I was about 5 minutes late. When I went in, there was no one around and Kudret the owner wanted to check who I was and what I was doing before letting me in (a safe hotel). I sat in the bar area outside and the only 2 people I could see were snoozing face down on sun loungers. Kudret told them I was here and Georgina joined me first. Shortly after, Tom grabbed a beer at the bar then came to say hello. We exchanged stories of Sausage Dick and I gave her the signed book, which was in a bag. She didn’t look at it but promised she would take it back home. I was only there an hour tops and then walked back home to start dinner. I made a meatball and mushroom pasta which I portioned up for the freezer too. It was 9.20pm by the time I ate dinner and then I was back booking hotels until 11pm, including one for myself.
Gratitude List 1. Getting some fruit 2. Sausage Dick buying a signed copy of my book 3. A delicious dinner at home.
joloyolo 