I was feeling slightly delicate when I woke up rather early on Saturday 26th February. I came downstairs and realised I had eaten burnt sausage casserole last night and it accounted for why my stomach was a bit off. The slow cooker was certainly going to need a good scrubbing and I may even need a chisel. I couldn’t face tackling it so I filled it with hot water and went out. Kitler, the cat, was waiting for me and wanted to follow me everywhere. Leanne picked me up at noon and we went to Ortaca, with her daughter, to try a new eatery. Next door to Pier Gusto is a kumpir potato place which Leanne had recommended. It has a play area too so the small child was kept entertained. Leanne and I ordered slightly different fillings on our baked potatoes, both of which were really good and a reasonable cost too. I really enjoyed the food then, as the weather was nice, we had a walk to the park which was busy with locals. My stomach was still dodgy for the first time in ages, just typical when I have a car journey. Leanne’s daughter really enjoyed the park and even mastered walking up the big slide without going up the steps, which made me nervous and her laugh! After fun at the park we headed to Külah for ice creams, although my stomach isn’t usually a fan of ice-cream. When we arrived, and I saw all the flavours, I had to have a scoop of ‘çarkıfelek’ – I love passion fruit and it was a new Turkish word I had learned. I also got to taste the caramel, which is blue, as well as Leanne’s choice of lemon – they were all excellent. When I got home I made mushroom and pesto pasta for dinner and I decided I would also make chicken fajitas. I had leftover yoghurt and chicken that needed using so I had 2 meals because I felt I needed the carbs. I watched TV in the evening and planned to have a rest day tomorrow.
My first job on Sunday 27th February was to tackle the burnt slow cooker! I made a note to self never to leave it on low for 9 hours again, after it took me ages to get it clean. It was raining so I didn’t go out and had decided to have a relaxing day at home I had already decided against Sunday dinner this week as I’d got pasta and fajitas to eat up. I restarted doing the word game Quordle, as I had not done it for a few days, and I did some writing then watched Netflix. I tried Worldle, country names, for the first time and got it in 1 because it was Ukraine. I had a video call with Captain Caveman then made pizza, Slimming World style. It had BBQ sauce, chicken, cheese, peppers and mushroom on it and it was nice. I finished off my evening with a much needed early night. This coming week was set to be a busy one and I was looking forward to one of my very good friends returning to Dalyan!
Friday 25th February has got to have been one of my favourite days this year, so far! I was up very early so that I could speak to Captain Caveman and get the sausage casserole in the slow cooker before my day trip. I did my weekly weigh-in and wasn’t as disappointed as I thought I’d be. I had lost just 0.5kg and my leg measurements had increased a little bit. Zumba was definitely helping with my legs and today I would arrange with Penny when I could pick up my new bicycle. I went to the bank and the shop before coming back to pack a bag with the drinks, plus some popcorn and biscuits – I took my own Earl Grey tea bags too. I saw that Kitler, the cat who looks like Hitler, had returned to the Fire Opal complex and was following me about begging for attention. In the news there was a mention of bootleg booze in our province of Muğla, more here: https://www.dailysabah.com/turkey/investigations/antiaircraft-bullet-seized-in-bootleg-alcohol-op-in-turkeys-mugla Just before I left for my day trip I got a message from Captain Caveman to say he couldn’t video call as he was out with Tatas at my favourite Phong Nha eatery, East Hill. They were already on lunch time and having BBQ chicken with sticky rice – my favourite! He sent me photos and told me that Tatas was joining him on a holiday to Hanoi next week. Then I had to go to get on the boat and I wouldn’t have WiFi so I would speak to him tomorrow perhaps. As I walked to the boat I met with Penny and Phil who were fussing some street dogs along the way and had their stash of booze with them. As we got to the boat outside Okyanus, they were resurfacing the terrace there and concreting it. It was windy and sunny but looking like we had picked a good day for the boat trip.
At 11am we were ready to start our boat trip. Penny and Phil had brought pastries and croissants for everyone’s breakfast, I just had a cup of Earl Grey tea because I didn’t want to risk a bad stomach and ruin the day. Ann had arrived and brought sparkling wine for her tipple, unfortunately Debbie (Darling) had already rocked the boat by deciding she wasn’t coming and a couple of others were unable to make it. After picking up Mark on the way we went out to sea, the water was fairly choppy and the sun was shining as we headed for Ekincik Bay. We were the only boat out that we saw and the water looked so clear and inviting. Ann and I didn’t have an alcoholic drink until after midday (we were pacing ourselves) and I started on the white wine. We sat at the front of the boat in the sun, chatting and drinking, while Turgay cooked up a delicious lunch. I’d taken a bottle of red wine which I’d be given by my aunty and uncle in England. It was a lovely Primitivo which Mark and I shared with our meal. The food was fantastic, as always, but after eating Turgay was keen to have a swim. He said he’d been swimming a few days ago and that the water temperature was cold but not too cold to swim. No one had brought their swimmers except for Turgay so he jumped in off the top of the boat. I managed to get up the ladder on to the top of the boat for the first time since my leg injury and was pleased with that. In the 5 months I’ve been here I’ve not yet been in the sea because of the cyst on my shoulder and my leg so I was keen to get in. I had suitable enough underwear on to pass for a bikini (if anything it covered more than my bikini did) so I decided to go for it. I should have realised, when only Turgay thought this was a good idea, that it was going to be freezing! I went down the steps and my legs were cold but once I was half way in I just had to go for it – there was definitely an expletive! If I had to guess I would say the water temperature was around 16°C and my legs were pretty numb. It was definitely fresh and I was pleased to find I could do the steps a lot better than I had been able to before. Ann, who looked like she was feeling the cold for me, wrapped me in the towels and I made my way to the front of the boat where there was sun and a wine waiting for me.
Before sunset I was back in my leggings as we headed to the beach to get ready to watch the sun go down. I wanted to walk on the beach to take photos and have a paddle so I dragged Ann and Mark with me. While Mark and I headed straight for the sea, Ann took herself off along the beach to sit on a wooden post and admire the view. The sea was actually quite warm and we paddled and drank our drinks while watching the sunset. We went back to the boat and topped up with more drinks as we returned to Dalyan.
It was almost 7pm when we returned to Dalyan. We discovered when we docked that we still had almost a bottle of wine left between us so we stayed on the boat to finish it off. We drank, danced and sang until gone 8pm then made our way off the boat. Ann was being sensible and decided to go straight home, Penny and Phil got a taxi home, Mark was intent on going to Sofra bar and I decided I needed a shower and bed! I remembered to turn off my sausage casserole in the slow cooker which was looking rather well cooked. I’d forgotten it was Friday night bingo at Lukka bar so I decided to go to that with Mark and Turgay. There was dancing and I threw myself in to that with Mehmet, Annie and Sara. As far as I recall we left there about 1am and I had the bright idea that a sausage casserole supper would be a good idea!
My Turkish class on Wednesday 23rd February was a really good one and now we had started to learn a lot more, some of which was going in and other bits I kept forgetting. I had a cup of tea during the class but I had not had breakfast so for lunch I had sausages and pancakes at home. I still had no clue that yesterday hadn’t been Pancake Day and I was cooking sausages for a casserole anyway. Unfortunately, as is usual with sausage, I got a bad stomach shortly afterwards which was bad timing as I had an engagement to get to. I met Debbie (Darling) and Ann in Jiks at 4pm as arranged and they had a couple of wines. I had 2 ciders and noted that the service in Jiks today was a bit shoddy but we still ordered a couple of pizzas to share. Turgay joined us for one drink and Debbie (Darling) suggested we plan a boat trip for Friday. It would be the first one this year and I was definitely up for it. As we were eating pizza I got a message from John who was at Bambi’s with his wife, Andrea, and Mark. They wondered if I’d like to join them for drinks and so the 3 of us went over there about an hour later. Sarah was still working so we messaged to say to come there when she finished and we had another wine. Jacket potatoes were in the oven and when they were served to our friends they looked fantastic. They were massive and had various toppings – I tried a bit and was pleasantly surprised. Having introduced Ann to John and Andrea I left them chatting, to go looking for my ring which I’d lost – it had been a cold night so must have slipped off my hand. Sarah arrived and asked me to go to another table as she had an urgent HR work issue she needed to run by me. Obviously, I gave her brilliant advice, after consuming 2 ciders and 3 wines. It was a lively evening and I finally found my ring in my clothing so I was pleased about that. I walked home with Ann, it was raining heavily and by the time we got to mine we were soaked.
On Thursday 24th February I got up early and cracked on with jobs before lunch time. I didn’t have any breakfast and arrived for Zumba at noon, the class went well and I really enjoyed it, back home I had a shower and some buttered toast for lunch. I was meant to be meeting friends at 1.30pm to get a lift to the beach. It was to celebrate a birthday and we were going to be taking food and drink for a party on Iztuzu beach. I decided I would meet them in town when they got back as a work man had popped by and I wanted to point out the bits that needed fixing. I was about to get ready to go out when the doorbell went, it was Mark, he had been to the barbers, then to collect one of his bikes from whichever bar he left it at last night, and wondered if I fancied a drink and some food at Tez bar. He had beer, I had red wine (by the glass) and we were chatting about the boat trip tomorrow, which Debbie had also invited Mark on. Penny & Phil also had the same idea to go to Tez bar so we sat with them outside for a couple of drinks. Just as our food was served, the rain came and a thunderstorm started but we weren’t deterred. We moved to a table nearer the bar, which was undercover, but didn’t go inside to eat. I had a chicken shish, which was very good, and Mark had a nice spaghetti bolognese. We mentioned to Penny and Phil about the boat trip and Turgay, the boat Captain, came by to discuss food requirements. Penny and Phil decided they would also join the boat trip tomorrow so I let Debbie (Darling) know and an arrangement to meet at 11am was made. Penny was getting chilly so they left us to have 1 more drink, and we got a new friend who wanted to kiss Mark. Debbie (Darling) has taken in a couple of street dogs and Brin, the youngest dog, had come to join us. She is a beautiful dog and kept trying to get on Mark’s lap and lick his face. After food and 3 drinks it was time to go home, unfortunately for Mark he had to cycle back in a storm, while I only had to pop round the corner. We hoped the weather would be ok for our boat trip but decided it would definitely be too cold to swim.
It was time to get my next vaccine on Monday 21st February and my appointment was 10am. On waking, I read the news that Vietnam will open to international tourists on 15th March and visitors can get a 30 day visa, more here: https://vietnaminsider.vn/everything-to-know-about-getting-e-visa-for-vietnam/ Vietnam had also put a price cap on Covid tests. Sarah called for me and we walked to the local clinic where we had a short wait in the Monday morning queue. Once inside, Sarah got her booster but I was told to wait until March even though I’d had my last one in November. On the way back Sarah had work issues to prattle on about so we decided to go to Jiks for breakfast. When we got there it was closed so we went to Dal for a drink. That was also closed but the beauty salon told us to wait 5 minutes for the owner to come. Sarah had to wait for her coffee as the machine wasn’t on but I got my 20 lira hibiscus tea first. Back home I had buttered toast for breakfast and popped a beef bourguignon in the slow cooker. Later that afternoon I went to get some potatoes to go with dinner, only to find that the quality of potatoes in 4 different shops was really bad. I decided I would have to forgo the potatoes and walked back home along the river. I noted the price of taxis at the rank as, they too, had gone up again recently. As I got to Tez bar I saw Penny and Phil having a drink so I joined them for a wine and a chat. Before I’d finished my first wine, Mark arrived to collect his bag from the bar and joined us for a drink. Predictably, we got chatting about how I didn’t have a bicycle and that I was missing Bluey. Penny told me they had a spare pink bike, not dissimilar to Bluey, which I could borrow. Mark let me have a go on his electric bicycle, I only went round the block on it but it was super fast with the electric on and very easy to ride. As Mondays tend to turn in to ‘one of those days’ for me, this one was no different. The 4 of us went back to mine for beef bourguignon, having been given 4 potatoes from Tez. Phil picked up the white wine for them and I already had 2 bottles of red wine in the house. We had a good laugh, I attempted Yorkshire puddings, forgot about the potatoes and the night went on until 1am. I showed Penny and Phil round the apartment and mentioned about my bracing and slats on the bed in the main bedroom being broken. Mark and Phil had the mattress up and were looking at what needed fixing. Mark said he would leave his bike here and come back with his tools to fix it for me, tomorrow. We had to call Gürkan, the taxi driver, to take the 3 of them home and we were all very merry but I had the promise of a loan of a bicycle.
For some unknown reason I thought it was Pancake Day on Tuesday 22nd February! I woke up with an empty but messy apartment and was feeling slightly delicate. In the kitchen there was evidence of how much we had drunk when we got back to mine as well as every pot in the house having been used. I made myself a pancake with lemon and honey, had a cup of Earl Grey tea then got ready for some exercise. Zumba Gold with Maria was at noon, in the upstairs room above the gym and, this week, I managed to do most of it in time to the music. In the afternoon Mark came to collect his bicycle, he brought a battery for the clock which he had taken down to fix. We took the mattress off the big bed and he fixed the frame that was broken – it still needed something doing to the brace but would be good enough to hold. As it was ‘Pancake Day’ I made spinach and cheese filled pancakes for dinner before going out. Mark and I went to Lukka bar and, although I wasn’t going to drink alcohol today, we shared a bottle of red wine. It wasn’t a late one though and Mark cycled home at a reasonable hour.
I had more grapefruit for breakfast on Friday 18th February and I had invited Ann over tonight for curry. I got on with making that and had more Baba Ghanoush with bread for lunch. It was my weekly weigh-in day and I had put on 1kg which was disappointing, but not surprising. When Ann arrived at about 6pm I already had a beer on the go but she brought round 2 bottles of white wine and I’d already bought 1. She also bought me an ornament for the apartment which was very thoughtful. We decided to go to Lukka bar for just 1 drink and we did just that and came back so that we could eat chicken curry. The food turned out well and we had a good night, listening to music and even dancing. At one point we both managed to do a plank for at least 30 seconds! Ann couldn’t stay over because of the dogs and left about midnight, having had a great night. It made me appreciate not having any neighbours so we could have the music loud and sing.
I finally got round to opening the plum jam I bought in Fethiye before Christmas on Saturday 19th February. I had it on toast for my breakfast and it was really good with massive pieces of plums in. The spinach I had taken out of the freezer, in an attempt to make Saag Aloo yesterday, had finally defrosted so I made it today instead. I had managed to find most of the ingredients that I needed here but because I can’t eat chillies, I left them out. The curry that night was good but I didn’t eat too much of it – there was still some leftover too. I had a couple of glasses of white wine and a relatively early night, despite the noise of the Jazz bar keeping me awake.
I was pleased to speak to Captain Caveman on Sunday 20th February at 9.30am. We used the background changing function on the phones which looks as if you are somewhere else. I showed Captain Caveman that you could do this with a photo or video from your own phone. We were definitely missing each other now and this week would mark 5 months of us living in different countries. It wasn’t the longest we had spent apart in the 10 years together, but it was still hard and there was another 6 months to go, if we stuck to the plan. Captain Caveman had a week off coming up so he had planned to go to Hanoi – the trains had recently recommenced since they stopped due to the pandemic. I had toast with plum jam for breakfast and went shopping to Migros and A101 in the afternoon. Here’s what I bought and the prices in lira:
A101 Supermarket
3 onions 1.64 2 soda waters 3.80 3 red peppers 8.35 Toothpaste 22.90 White cheese 25.20
Although the prices in English seemed cheap because of the current exchange rate, I was still using Turkish money that had been deposited at almost a third of the rate so my shopping today had cost me more like £36!
I wasn’t hungry so I didn’t have lunch but I had yet more chicken curry and Saag Aloo left for my dinner. I even warmed up some lavaş bread to have with it. I was about to start my 3rd week of being busy so I got on with a couple of tasks to make it easier for time off in the week if I needed it. It was a great weekend, mainly spent at home instead of in the pub, for a change! The rest of the curry went in the freezer as I think I might have eaten enough of it for now.
My Turkish class on Wednesday 16th February was great and I really enjoyed it. After I finished the class, I was waiting for Debbie (Darling), as arranged, to go to the doctor’s for our booster vaccines. I’d also arranged to meet Sabine and Ray who were selling citrus fruit for charity and the time slightly overlapped. Debbie (Darling) didn’t turn up and I’d already been playing lightsabers with Katrina’s child, for too long. I went without her, but at the Doctor’s they had ran out of Pfizer vaccines and told me to come back next week. I headed back along the river to meet Sabine and Ray at River Terrace for a drink in the sunshine by the river. I managed just 2 diet cokes and a really good chat with my friends. Katrina joined us and I took home a kilogram each of oranges, grapefruit and lemons for 10 lira (54p) which was an absolute bargain! That night I tackled the mystery meal which happened to be chicken chasseur so I was lucky to have it with rice. I had the carrot cake from Sara for pudding and one of the oranges I bought earlier, both were great.
I started out with good intentions on Thursday 17th February and had half a grapefruit for breakfast. It was so sweet and juicy and I was glad I’d bought them. Today the weather was looking good so I went to Migros supermarket and had planned for another evening at home. My shopping bag consisted of:
I had a macaroon for lunch and tried to crack on with some emails, only to find that an email wouldn’t send and I needed it to. I decided I would nip to Lukka bar and try to send my email from there. When I arrived some of the pool lads were having a game so I went over to say hello. I ended up having a red wine while I sorted out my admin and watched the pool match. It turned in to a late night with a few glasses of red wine and a snack of Baba Ghanoush at gone midnight!
I’d stayed up late watching Netflix the previous night so I didn’t wake up in time for a chat with Captain Caveman on Monday 14th February. It was Valentine’s day but, obviously, we wouldn’t be celebrating it together. I got a message from Tatas wishing me a Happy Valentine’s Day though, which was nice. I didn’t bother with breakfast and was making pasta bolognese when Captain Caveman called, it was already early evening in Vietnam. We talked about the possibility of me going back to Vietnam for a visit this summer, if the visa and tourism opportunity allows, but it looked likely that the visa would be 30 days maximum. There was also no way that Captain Caveman could take any time off and would probably be working 22 days out of 30, no matter when I went. After my lunch I walked to my parents’ to take more photos of what needed to be painted and look for a missing patio door key. I found it in a box of freezer bags in one of several drawers I searched through. I started the word game Quordle which is more difficult than Wordle but good and I’m now getting better at Wordle. In the afternoon Sara, from River Terrace, popped round with some Valentine’s Day treats; chocolate truffles, chocolate brownies, chocolate covered strawberries and a slice of carrot cake. As I wouldn’t be seeing my partner to celebrate Valentine’s Day I had an exciting evening planned with the girls instead. Finally we were getting the chance to go to Yolo, a restaurant near to the petrol station on Atatürk Boulevard. I’d arranged for us to go on a ‘Galentine’s’ night out, with the intention of spending Valentine’s Day with the ‘gals’ instead of ‘absent’ men. Ann came over to mine just as Sara was leaving and she had one of the chocolate truffles with me – they were very good. We went to Jiks to meet Debbie (Darling) before we met Nanny Kay, Sarah and her friend, Rachel, at the restaurant. Yolo was busy and we hadn’t booked, I’d niavely thought there was no need to book but we managed to get a table for the 6 of us. The wine was a whopping 240 lira (£12.95) a bottle and the first white that was tried wasn’t good but we got lots of free mezes. Nanny Kay and I splashed out and shared a bottle of red wine and, I ate my pepper steak with jacket potato and salad. My steak at Yolo was excellent but it’s definitely not the cheapest place to eat. After we finished eating, the musician put the volume up and Yasemin, the waitress from Lukka bar, came over to get everyone up dancing. It was a great night but we left relatively early as Nanny Kay’s taxi had arrived and Ann was cycling home.
I woke up early on Tuesday 15th February to news that my Zumba class was cancelled this week. Three people had tested positive for Corona so we were unable to meet and anyone with symptoms was asked to do a lateral flow test. I read in the news an article pondering if Vietnam will open up for tourists, more here: https://vietnamnews.vn/society/1155051/viet-nam-could-fully-reopen-international-tourism-from-mid-march.html For breakfast I had chocolate covered strawberries, I took out a mystery frozen meal for tonight, then got ready for my lunch appointment with a new friend. We decided to meet at what used to be called Iz cafe and has now changed to Velvet cafe after it was Moto Lee for a while. We spent several hours there and ate a tasty lunch at a very reasonable cost. I had chicken shish, my friend had meatballs, both with chips, rice and side salad plus drinks for a total of 176 lira (£9.50). We only left as I needed to pick up my macaroons from Lukka bar, which Louise had left there. When I arrived I sat with Debbie (Darling) and Sue who were enjoying an afternoon beverage or two. I picked up my macaroons and Louise had given me a piece of home made cheesecake to try. I dropped them off home and rejoined Debbie (Darling), Sue, Sarah and Fiona at Tez bar. A little later Mark and Kate joined us and we ended up all having a good laugh. When I got home it was gone 8pm and I’d had 3 beers, I didn’t really fancy the mystery freezer food so I had the cheesecake for my dinner – it was very nice. Later I had a macaroon, which was delightful then some roasted chestnuts and I had an early night.
On Friday 11th February, it was about 9.30am when I opened my eyes and remembered I had gone back to Ann’s house with her and stayed there. Bendy, her dog, was in the bed under the covers and came to give me a Good Morning kiss. As I walked home, the sun was out and I was really hot in all my winter evening layers. King Emlak sent a man round to have another look at the ceiling where the leaks had been and then I had to go to meet someone at my parents’ place for another quote for the decorating. I was quite hungover and hot, I saw Debbie (Darling) and had a chat then I went home for a shower and some cornflakes for lunch. I was needing a night in but I’d already agreed to meet at Hotel Dalyance for Louise’s birthday drinks and cake. Louise, who makes amazing birthday cakes, had made her own in the design of a turtle and it was amazing. I had just 2 cokes as I couldn’t stomach any booze today. I got chatting to quite a few people but by 10pm I needed to go home to bed. Sonuç was working there and was encouraging me to ‘borrow’ Sarah’s bicycle to get home quicker but I couldn’t even get my leg over to get on it properly. I had a booze-free, early night because tomorrow I had big plans which I didn’t want to cancel.
I didn’t have breakfast on Saturday 12th February as I got up late and needed to get to the weekly market. I met Ann there and I bought mushrooms, carrots, chestnuts, cauliflower and red cabbage for a total of 75 lira (£4). In the afternoon I was meeting a friend for lunch and had already set off to go but she messaged to cancel. I didn’t get it until I’d already walked to the other end of town. I saw Mark’s bicycle outside Rehab and went in to say hello to him and the owner. I had a cup of tea as I was trying to cut down a bit on the booze. Mark was meeting the rest of the pool lads and some of the wives were stopping by later so I had a chat with a few of them. I caved and had 1 beer but then I headed home only to realise there was a planned power outage until 5pm. I sat for a while and chatted to Abi outside Maizie Moo, in the sun, then went home for some much needed food – a cheese and salami toastie. I was meant to be going out to Sofra bar but I decided I needed a bit of a rest. The toastie had not agreed with my stomach so I cancelled going out, got some lounge wear on, then later I had a spaghetti bolognese for dinner. I stayed up until 1am because of the Jazz bar noise and I even had a midnight snack of chestnuts, which were so good.
The local Dalyan football team were playing at home on Sunday 13th February and I’d been invited by friends to join them. If Captain Caveman was here, he would be going as he loves to support Dalyanspor – I’m not a fan of football. I had arranged to spend my Sunday in a leisurely way, seeing friends and relaxing. After buttered toast for breakfast I had a wander around Dalyan as it was sunny and I needed some exercise. I bumped in to friends along the way and called in to see a couple of other friends as I passed their houses. I was meant to have been going to Sunday dinner at Lukka bar with Sarah but had cancelled when I didn’t feel too well yesterday. I walked to Ann’s and we had a glass of wine outside in her conservatory and fussed the dogs. Ann had cooked a lovely roast chicken Sunday dinner with Yorkshire puddings and my favourite cauliflower cheese. We were sensible today, limited only to one glass of wine to be healthier, then I walked home before dark. In the evening I watched something on TV, put the washing on and made popcorn, using a small bowl as a replacement for the missing lid. It was a nice relaxed weekend with a sensible amount of alcohol, less calories consumed and some exercise.
When I got up on Monday 7th February I discovered several people I knew, and had been out at the weekend, had either symptoms of, or tested positive for Corona. I decided it would be a good idea to do a lateral flow test despite not having any symptoms, just in case. While I waited the 15 minutes for the result I read in the news that schools in Vietnam would reopen at last, more here: https://tuoitrenews.vn/news/education/20220207/vietnam-starts-reopening-schools-after-yearlong-pandemic-closure/65605.html There was also an article about how the people in Vietnam were queuing for Corona tests, following the Tet holiday: https://tuoitrenews.vn/news/society/20220207/in-vietnam-people-queue-for-covid19-tests-after-tet-holiday/65601.html Luckily, I was negative because at 2pm I had a meeting with a decorator. This is when I noticed I was missing a glove and that my boots were a mess from walking through the roadworks after the party at Sofra bar at the weekend. In the afternoon I went to Migros for some shopping, where I bought the following:
I was pleased to finally find a bowl for popcorn but then remembered the popcorn maker lid was missing so I didn’t get to use it. I had a very late lunch of bread with homemade baba ghanoush, a Babybel cheese, some crisps and an apple. I also cooked a 3 egg omelette to go in rice for dinner later. I made sweet and sour chicken to go with the egg fried rice for dinner which I really enjoyed. I also marinated some chicken in tandoori tikka paste for tomorrow. Captain Caveman had invited Tatas round to his place in Phong Nha and they were drinking wine, we had a video call and I saw he was cooking bacon pasta for her to try and he was pretty drunk as she had taken wine round. It was good to see them and I missed being there, drinking wine and talking about cave issues. It had been a pleasant day, my 2nd week of doing some work where I had managed 5 hours today as well as being a domestic Goddess! I’d also decided that tomorrow I would try something new in my ‘lunch hour’.
When I woke up on Tuesday 8th February I read the news that a Chinese city near the Vietnamese border was in lockdown due to Corona, more here: https://tuoitrenews.vn/news/international/20220207/china-locks-down-city-of-35-million-near-vietnam-border/65600.html In Dalyan it was windy, bad weather and lots of rain was forecast. I didn’t have any breakfast as I had an exciting event planned at midday which I needed to ensure my stomach was good for. Because I’d clearly found it easy enough to dance for quite a while at Alp’s birthday party, without too much pain, it was time to get more active. I joined Maria’s Zumba Gold class with a few other ladies and I’d gone for the easy session as this group is better for my leg. I foolishly stood at the front of the class which meant I had to keep going and had no chance for a cheeky rest. I actually enjoyed it and I was worn out after dancing for about an hour. Back home I had baba ghanoush, bread, Babybel cheese, crisps and some fruit cake for lunch and had a busy afternoon. I did my Turkish homework and accidentally finished the worksheet because I’m enjoying being on fuller sentences. I made tandoori chicken for dinner with rice and had plenty of leftovers for the freezer along with the rest of the sweet and sour chicken. I spoke to Captain Caveman who really made me laugh when I asked him if he had any plans for Valentine’s Day. His response was ‘I think the answer you want to hear is no’! Unfortunately there was some sad news; poor Carrot, the Elements Collection dog, had died! Captain Caveman didn’t know the details just that he was gone. I finished the night off with something on Netflix and some chocolate orange.
At my Turkish class on Wednesday 9th February we learned even more useful sentences. It was a lovely sunny day in Dalyan, although in nearby Köyceğiz there was a big storm which caused flooding, more here: https://youtu.be/SASXGcrsSM0 When I went to the bank I saw that there was more progress on the road improvements but it still seemed to be taking a long time to finish. I had more baba ghanoush with fresh bread and a Babybel cheese for lunch (no crisps today) then had sweet and sour chicken with steamed rice for dinner. It happened to be the 3rd day of me not having an alcoholic drink so it was only about right that Ann and I should plan to meet up tomorrow for a cheeky afternoon wine with some of our friends.
I was at King Emlak to see Leanne at 11am on Thursday 10th February. Captain Caveman had asked me to pay the council tax and it was proving difficult without any paperwork so Leanne was helping me sort it out. We had a good chat and then I went to my Zumba Gold class. I had leftover sweet and sour chicken for lunch, then popped to Lukka bar to meet more decorators. It was a sunny afternoon, Penny and Phil were there so I sat for a chat but didn’t get a beverage, until after the meeting. I joined Penny and Phil for a white wine and soda while sat outside in the sun. I’d arranged to meet Ann, Sarah and Debbie (Darling) at Wonky’s but Ann came to join us at Lukka for one. We got to Wonky’s late, Debbie (Darling) had decided not to join us and Sarah was working and on the phone. After one wine we decided to go to Porta Dalya for some dinner and more wine, the place was busy but welcoming. I should have stuck with having the pasta, like Sarah did, but I opted for the chicken shish and Ann had the chicken schnitzel. Mine was fine but I do prefer the chicken and mushroom Alfredo from there. While we were eating Ann said that she had seen Mal earlier who mentioned meeting up with a few of the other expats so we went to a new bar. It wasn’t officially open yet but in we went and had a jolly good night.
On Tuesday 1st February I was up early for my breakfast of cornflakes. Rain was due but it didn’t come until much later when I decided to go to the shop. I had chicken chasseur with steamed rice for lunch and a Double Decker chocolate bar but I forgot to get something for dinner out of the freezer. By the time I got home with the shopping I was absolutely soaking wet and decided to make myself some potato wedges to eat with a glass of rosé wine. I made arrangements to go out on Saturday night with Ann, Nanny Kay and Sarah to a new restaurant in town called YOLO. I stayed up late doing my Turkish homework then watched a bit of TV before bed.
Wednesday 2nd February was another good day in Dalyan; I was awake early and I got some updates from Captain Caveman who was with Andrea on day 2 of celebrating Tet, in Phong Nha, so he sent me some photos of what I was missing. I really was feeling bad that I couldn’t be there with them, eating and drinking copious amounts of mystery produce. In Dalyan the weather forecast was pretty bad and we were told to expect floods and storms in the Muğla province. I had cornflakes for breakfast and went to Turkish class at Lukka bar. The class was great today as we started to learn some fuller sentences, ones I would later find out needed to be used with caution! After class I popped back home for a light lunch of a simit with cheese spread before heading to the hairdresser’s. This was the first time that Mehmet had done my hair instead of Emrah. When he asked me if I preferred my hair to be cut when it was wet or dry I thought I’d try my Turkish out and told him I wanted to take a shower instead of saying I wanted him to wash my hair. Apparently, that could definitely get a girl in trouble and he told me to be careful who I say that to. Usually, after having my hair done I like to go out, while it still looks good. As the weather was so bad, I just went home via the off-licence where I bought 2 bottles of Tılsım red wine at 55 lira (£3) per bottle. I don’t know who cancelled Wine Wednesday but I had meat and potato pie with mushrooms, carrots and gravy for dinner but completely forgot to open the wine. Both the Dalyan Corona cases and the storm were getting progressively worse and it proved difficult to get to sleep.
The storms had been the worst I had experienced in Dalyan so I’d not had much sleep when I woke up on Thursday 3rd February. The electricity and WiFi were hit and miss for the morning so I just had simit with homemade Baba Ghanoush for breakfast. I was meant to be meeting a friend for lunch but I cancelled due to the weather. Captain Caveman had been walking with Andrea and new caver, Darren, on the third day of Tet in Phong Nha and was having wine and steak with Tony at the Lake House – it felt like ages since I’d been there. I had a hot chocolate with a chocolate spoon for lunch, then Leanne popped round to have a look at the ceiling cracks and collect her IKEA candles. For dinner I had smoked turkey with red cabbage, beetroot, gherkins, bread and cheese and had my 4th day of zero alcohol! I finished off the night by opening the last one of my chocolate oranges from Christmas and ate a quarter of it.
On Sunday 30th January it was raining in the morning, I still had washing out but it started to fine up by the time I had to go out. I thought I had set my alarm so that I could get up at 7am to go over to say bye to Jamie but I never heard it, or I had forgotten. I hate goodbyes anyway but I really was going to miss Jamie and was already looking forward to when he would next be coming back. In the afternoon I had arranged to have Sunday lunch with Sarah and Katrina at Lukka bar. Sarah messaged me an hour early to say she was waiting for me at Tez bar and when I got there she was sat with Brian, who had suffered a recent pet bereavement. Brian is a lovely bloke who usually has some fascinating travel stories so it was sad to see he was quite upset about his poor old Bruno. Mark then rocked up and came to join us and when he heard Sarah and Brian talking about Brian’s 22 year old cat he made an animal joke which was so inappropriately timed that even I was shocked. I’d already drunk my cup of tea while listening to Brian so I ordered a red wine. I invited Brian to join us at Lukka bar but he had to get back to the rest of his menagerie. The rest of us joined Katrina and we were really looking forward to trying the new chef’s Sunday dinner. The food was good, the Yorkshire pudding was plentiful and the meat as soft as butter. There was a choice of meat, I had beef with Katrina, Sarah and Mark had lamb and Sarah was keen to share a bottle of red wine. I had quite a bit of Sunday dinner left and took some home, as did Mark, Katrina left her’s as she hadn’t been well but Sarah was on a mission to eat it all. At 6pm Katrina and Mark left and I didn’t get home until 9pm, having missed speaking to Captain Caveman. I’d had messages from him to say he’d been to the airport in Dong Hoi with customers and picked up our friend, Andrea, who was going to be in Phong Nha for a few days. They had already had lunch at Karst Villas, where she was staying, and then had a bike ride in the afternoon.
Monday 31st January, was the New Year’s Eve in Vietnam, Captain Caveman had a busy day and when he messaged me he was at Oxalis with members of the BBC and my favourite photographer, Ryan De Boodt. I’d been keen to know what the electric bills for the apartment in Dalyan would be like, because lots of people were talking about the massive increases. When Captain Caveman sent me ours, it was very low. Granted, I had been away in England for 18 days of the previous month but it was looking ok even if it was triple the price, as others had found it. The next bill was due on the 5th February so we would find out then and, as January is generally the coldest month in Turkey, I was not unduly worried. I had one of Sara’s Chelsea buns for breakfast and then decided I would make a slow cooker chicken chasseur which I could have with rice later for dinner. After getting most of the washing dry I went to change the bedding only to discover that the duvets on the beds were the summer ones! No wonder I had felt cold, but it looked like the cleaner had got mixed up when she had last changed the bedding and put the lower togged quilts on. The builders were back working on the new villa next door as they had started to put on the roof. I ate my delicious dinner with a couple of glasses of chilled rosé wine (a gift from my friend, Janet) and was watching old episodes of Below Deck on Netflix when there was an earthquake in the nearby town of Ortaca but it wasn’t a bad one. As Tet approached, Captain Caveman and I had a video call and we both drank wine, he got peckish and snaffled down some reheated bangers and mash. I told him how much I would miss celebrating Tet with him and our friends this year. I’d not been in Turkey this late in to January before and, while I was enjoying it, I would have preferred to be in Phong Nha for Tet holiday – maybe next year! It was also the first call we had in the 4 months apart where he said he loved me and missed me. We still had 7 months to go until our planned reunion so it was going to be a tough year!
It was surprising to find that I had not put on any weight when I got on the scales on Friday 28th January. I was now back to my pre-Christmas weight, having lost 0.5kg this week. I had one of Sara’s Chelsea buns for breakfast, as I read that the Corona cases in Phong Nha were on the rise and testing was being carried out in the local area. Dalyan still had some hotspots but for now I was in a low risk area. I met Ann at Jiks for a second breakfast and a bit of a chat about our plans for leaving drinks with Jamie later – we were definitely going to miss him! After saying I was going to dress up I realised I didn’t have that many dressy winter clothes here in Dalyan, so I got the options out and sent photos to Ann for her to help me choose. She came to mine before the night out and even lent me a cardigan to go over my poppy dress and thermal footless tights. At Sofra bar, as well as it being a leaving party for Jamie, it was Şükrü’s 40th birthday party so the place was busy. The dancing started with Şükrü, Natalie and friends getting everyone up for songs like the ‘Cha Cha Slide’ and ‘Follow the Leader’ and of course I joined in. By 10pm there was a full dancefloor and a couple of rude aprons were out. The female apron had a body of a woman with a large bosom and sexy lingerie while the male one was naked but holding his fishing rod! I put the woman one on and gave Şükrü the other one to wear, then everyone wanted to swap the pinnies as often as the songs changed and it was hilarious. By this time Ann and I had got a bottle of prosecco on the go, we were sipping it on account of it costing 250 lira (£13.60) but we were mainly dancing. There isn’t actually a specific dance floor in Sofra bar so it was busy and we just danced wherever we liked. My leg was definitely getting better and I had missed dancing so much. By the end of the night I was downstairs doing tequila shots with the girls for our belated birthday celebrations, having a right old laugh! You know it’s a good night when there is only 2 photos on my phone and I didn’t leave until after midnight!
When I woke up on Saturday 29th January I was pretty hungover but I did still have my phone. I had a vague recollection of agreeing to go to Jazz Bar last night but by the time we were all leaving Sofra it was closed anyway. I ate a Chelsea bun for breakfast and texted the girls from last night to check everyone was ok – we were all as hungover as each other it turned out! I decided I was definitely staying home today and I got a pasta bolognese out of the freezer to have for dinner. I thought I would hear from Captain Caveman as he was due out of Son Doong today but he went straight to Chay Lap for the after party and forgot. After dinner I was sat watching TV and wondering why my legs ached so much when I got a message to ask if I was coming to Sofra tonight. No! There was no way I could go out again so I politely declined the kind offer and had a quiet night in.
I have no idea what time it was when I went to bed in the early hours of Monday 24th January after the frivolities of the night before’s Comedy night at Lukka Bar. The initial CSI style evidence check downstairs showed that we had drank whiskey, white wine and red wine, there was a coffee cup but I don’t have coffee in the house. I found soda water and Coke zero in the fridge, the apartment was very tidy still, there was a nice scarf on the sofa, a pair of black leather gloves, a couple of blankets and lots of glitter! I checked my phone and gleaned information from the other ‘party people’ that when we got back I had put Rod Stewart on the music channel, which was great as I didn’t even know how to, and it must have been a request as it would never be my choice of artist. I messaged the rest of the gang to all meet in Jiks at 1.30pm for a ‘post-piss-up’ debrief over much needed food, not realising at the time that most wouldn’t make it. At Jiks there was a glimmer of sun so they had all the doors open and it was freezing, I was the first to arrive and ordered an orange juice and a cup of tea. Due to hangovers it was a slim turn out, I had a bacon sandwich and another juice, I could hardly eat it and was about to go back home to bed but the sun was out and a window table became free so we moved. I was about to go home, after leaving most of my breakfast, when Roy had the bright idea to have a wander round to Tez bar for a bit more sun as it was really warming up a bit now. As it was on my way home we decided to join some others there and this time I had an IPA blonde beer, a hair of the dog at 3pm. Captain Caveman got in touch, he asked how my comedy night had gone but I didn’t get to speak to him as I was still out. I made my 1 beer last until 2 more friends arrived then had one more beer. I’d almost forgotten that I’d agreed to go to the Wonky’s quiz but I couldn’t do it alone so messaged Jamie for reinforcements.
At Wonky’s I ordered a mini burger which came with chips for just 50 lira (£2.71) and decided the only way to get through a quiz with a hangover was wine. Jamie commented that it looked like I had got dressed using a charity bag as I was wearing Christmas patterned trousers, a pink t-shirt, a camouflage hoody, a multicoloured scarf and a black coat – fetching, but I had only gone out for breakfast! Everyone enjoyed the quiz but most of it was way beyond me, even The Beatles section which I thought I would be good at. It turned in to a mental Monday evening and Jamie got told off by the quizmaster for having his phone out (he was reading an email) and people were smoking indoors which I didn’t like as it made my cough come back again. As another bottle of wine was ordered to get us through the rest of the quiz, we made friends with a new couple in town who had just moved to Dalyan. Debbie left first as she still wasn’t feeling well, then Sarah as it was a school night, then Roy. As the rest of us were about to leave, it started to snow so we had another drink thinking it would stop but it just got worse. It was definitely after midnight when I went outside to check how bad the snow was for my walk home and saw that it was settling and coming down very quickly. I did have my boots on, but not my wellies, and I certainly had enough layers of clothes to be warm enough but I knew I was drunk and shouldn’t walk home alone. I was walking (actually drunkenly skipping) down the newly concreted bar street while sticking my tongue out to catch snow on it. It felt so strange but fun until I put my hands in my pocket and noticed I didn’t have my phone. I was suddenly stone cold sober – not my phone!! I went to bed, as I went to turn the light off my glass of red wine from Sunday night still sat in my Jacqueline De Plonk glass on the bedside drawers!
On Tuesday 25th January I didn’t even wake up with a hangover, just a snowy Dalyan and a real panic that I had lost my phone and that really upset me – I can’t believe I would be so careless! I got up and decided I was going to go out to try to find it and report to the authorities. There was no way anyone could get hold of me without it and only Jamie had my new Turkish phone number. I was hungry so I had some buttered toast for breakfast and had just eaten it when there was a knock at my door. It was Jamie with my phone – I was so excited and relieved. He had received calls and arranged a meet up with the person who took my phone by mistake at the quiz. Dave, the new man in town, had mistakenly put it in his coat pocket during the Wonky’s quiz and hadn’t realised until he got home! Jamie and Dave had arranged to meet up this morning to return it which I was very grateful for. I was definitely happy about getting the phone back and was looking forward to a quiet day and night today but I’d already arranged to go to Jamie’s with Ann and Nanny Kay for a Sunday roast – it was all go! Captain Caveman messaged to say he was off to his Son Doong briefing tonight and would be off in to the cave for 4 days with customers tomorrow and I was pleased he was busy again. Jamie picked me up at 6.45pm, we had wine and pre-dinner chat with lots of laughs with Nanny Kay and Ann, before we sat down to a roast beef dinner which was fantastic. There was beef, veggies, and three different potato dishes as well as Yorkshire puddings and a full on cheese board for afters. The wine and chat flowed and we didn’t end up going home until almost midnight, after a wonderful night.
Friday 21st January was weigh-in day and I wasn’t optimistic. It was also 3 months since I had left Vietnam and I had hoped by now to be slimmer and the torn ligaments in my knee and ankle to be back to normal. On the scales I found I had lost another 0.25kg and so I was now only slightly heavier than I had been when I arrived here but, ideally, I needed to lose another 4 or 5kg to be my ideal weight. I was having trouble buying a couple of items in the supermarket lately and I posted on a Dalyan Residents Facebook group to ask if anyone had seen any chopped tomatoes recently. I also fancied making a sweet and sour chicken dish so I also asked about tinned pineapple. Within minutes I had lots of answers but by the time I read them it was raining heavily again and I couldn’t be bothered to go out in it. I made the beds adding extra throws as I was still finding it a bit cold when I woke up. I had cornflakes for breakfast and watched the TV. I’d not been able to watch English news for some time but now the content was hard to watch so I tended to choose programmes like ‘Homes under the Hammer’ as background watching while on my laptop. In the afternoon I had a glass of red wine and made another batch of Yorkshire puddings with my Mom’s direction (via text) as I wondered if I wasn’t putting enough mixture in for the depth of my new muffin tin. These came out better but I still think it was the milk that isn’t helping. I’d almost forgotten it was Friday Music Bingo at Lukka Bar but this week I’d decided not to go as I fancied a rare Friday night in. The stew and Yorkshires were better today and I really enjoyed them with one more glass of wine and some birthday cake. I lit some candles and got cosy on the sofa while watching TV and thinking I really had better get on with writing my comedy night.
I saw on Facebook that friends were getting in to a game called Wordle on Saturday 22nd January and I wanted to play but couldn’t work out how. Captain Caveman was already posting his answer patterns but I didn’t get it. After having only cornflakes for breakfast I’d started to plan my comedy night for tomorrow when Jamie messaged to see if I fancied meeting at Jiks. It was still fairly bad weather but I needed to buy the tomatoes, pineapple and some baked beans so I nipped to Star Gurme where I bought the following;
4 tins of chopped tomatoes 50 lira 1 big tin of pineapple 70 lira 2 tins of baked beans 30 lira
Total spent 150 lira (£8.30)
This was expensive but the baked beans in Migros now are 27 lira (£1.47) and they didn’t have the other stuff. In Jiks Jamie and I both had Shandies and cheesy chips, we were chatting about our plans for the rest of his stay. When I got home I was going to see if I could have a video call with Captain Caveman but unfortunately for me he was otherwise engaged. He had gone for a mini break to the Vinpearl in Dong Hoi, one of my favourite places. I was jealous that I wouldn’t be there to have a bath and wear the robe that always reminds us of our mate, Josh! I had some more of my birthday cake and started gathering my notes together for tomorrow’s comedy night then remembered I still had an open bottle of wine I needed to drink a glass of. For dinner I had more beef stew and Yorkshire puddings. Captain Caveman had already gone to bed in Vietnam and I was disappointed that he hadn’t wished me well for the Comedy night tomorrow.
When I woke up on Sunday 23rd January I saw the Corona heatmap in Dalyan was showing a red area and I was slightly concerned that it might be a bit quiet at Lukka bar tonight for my comedy night, there was also a chance it could get cancelled if anyone involved got the virus. I decided I needed to write the rest of my act regardless. I also needed to find an outfit to wear but first I made pancakes for breakfast with honey and had Earl Grey tea. It was very cold and my TV had a bit of a blip so I messaged Andy and he fixed it remotely within a couple of minutes which lead me to pop in a joke about the guy in my act. I spent the rest of the afternoon writing and learning my comedy material, which I probably should have written and learned earlier but I knew I would be fine even if I had to improvise as I had enough material. I realised about 7pm that I hadn’t had any dinner but thought it would be too late to risk getting a dodgy stomach. Instead, I had a cup of tea and a couple of biscuits!
I arrived at Lukka Bar and there were quite a few people in, to say it was winter, so I was surprised and pleased to see some friendly faces. I had taken a couple of props in with me to use and decided I would wear my dressing gown and a surgical face mask to come on. Carrying what looked like a mug of tea, in which I had already stuck the end of the teabag with sellotape to make it look like a hot beverage. It was really filled with wine. I gave Yasemin, the waitress, my special glass to put my wine in which I intended to drink while I did my act. What I didn’t realise was that I was going to have to stand up and move about for everyone to be able to see and hear me. I made a point of going to say hello to every table beforehand just to get an idea of my type of audience. We were all set to have a laugh, I thought. I took the microphone and started the show! My comedy night, as Jacqueline de Plonk at Lukka Bar, started with me dressed in my pastel green fluffy dressing gown, a white surgical face mask and holding what looked like a hot mug of tea. The act started with the New Year song by Flo & Joan which I particularly like as I think it sums up what a lot of people have experienced during the pandemic. You can have a listen from 0.50 to 4.01 here: https://youtu.be/H9JQ23xwfS8 As everyone listened, got a drink, finished their food or generally got settled in I stood at the front of the bar blowing on my hot tea (wine) and sipping it with my mask hanging from one ear. I did a bit of an introduction, then some warm up jokes, followed by some observations about COVID and my experience of being back home for Christmas. I found it tricky to move about the audience with my mug, my mic and use my notes and other props. I had to move about because, if I stayed at the front, I got feedback from the speakers. In the first half people did laugh, people joined in when asked. There wasn’t any heckling which I had actually prepared for with lots of comebacks, so I was a bit disappointed. In the break I had to take off my dressing gown as I was really warm but audience members were cold, including one who put my dressing gown on, while I was getting more wine. The second half was more about me and I upped the anti a little on the rudeness scale by including a section on Sex Tips – things not to do. I started this bit of the show with another song by Flo & Joan that reflected what my life could be like if I drank too much: https://youtu.be/tTViy5WK-EY (play 0.08 to 5.26 if you want to check it out). The rest of the show was going well until I was given the nod that some people couldn’t hear because another table were talking amongst themselves. This meant I could go over and pick on them a bit, which I did. After I finished my next joke/story I told everyone I’d finished and if those who think they can be funnier and want to take over they can! I joined my mates’ table and started drinking the wine. The people causing the disruption left and then our table (or most of it) carried on drinking until late. All my friends were supportive and I wasn’t upset or annoyed as I didn’t really care. I was glad I could get on with having a drink with everyone. I don’t remember who else left or when, I vaguely remember drawing rude things on the sequin cushions with Nuri which then led to Mark being told off by Appo the waiter, for starting a pillow fight! My solution, at way past midnight, was to get some takeaway drinks and invite everyone back for a party.
I was looking forward to a quiet(ish) week on Monday 17th January as I got on with some chores, including making a bolognese in the slow cooker, ready for dinner later. I had also lined up a few interviews and discussions with various people from my LinkedIn connections about doing some paid work for a spell, just part-time temporary positions until a more permanent opportunity presented itself. I had leftover Sunday roast for lunch and thoroughly enjoyed it. The pasta bolognese for dinner was so good and it was another day of zero booze.
On Tuesday 18th January I arranged to meet Jamie for lunch so that he could try Kebapçı Yusuf for the first time. This was not before I managed to almost embarrass myself and Captain Caveman in front of the advisor for the Deputy Prime Minister of Vietnam, as you do. It was cold so I had on my thermal lounge wear with my fluffy dressing gown on top when Captain Caveman video called. He was at Chay Lap drinking with Vinh and his son, who had just returned from their trip to Son Doong. I was on the video call when Captain Caveman noticed my dressing gown at the same time he wanted to put Vinh on to say hello so he pointed it out. My reaction obviously was to take off my dressing gown, to expose my perfectly decent black top underneath but Captain Caveman didn’t know I had anything underneath and thought I was stripping off! It was nice to see them in Vietnam having a good time, though, but I had to go get ready for my lunch date. Jamie and I both ordered the Turkish sausage pide which came with complimentary side salad and fresh chillies at Kebapçı Yusuf. Even though I warned Jamie the chillies would be hot he still shoved one in his mouth – he didn’t have a second one. The lunch was lovely and we had a good chat and decided we would have a wander along to Lukka Bar for an afternoon alcoholic beverage. It was a very cold day but inside it was warm and cosy. For dinner I had pasta bolognese with birthday cake for pud and an early night after making a list of things to do in Dalyan for when my friend comes to visit in April.
Another day off the booze was had on Wednesday 19th January and my knuckles were still bruised but my face was less painful now. It was my Turkish class today and I was a bit tired because of not getting to sleep until about 2am due to it being so cold that I had to double up on duvets on the bed. Turkish class went well and it is helping me progress on Duolingo better but I still can’t hold much of a conversation with a local. In the afternoon the weather had improved, it was cold but dry, so I decided it was time to go shopping, properly this time:
I was certainly noticing the difference as prices in Turkey continued to escalate to try to cope with the extreme rates of inflation – I was managing ok but I really didn’t know how the locals were coping. I’d had no breakfast but I had a simit with beef ham and a cheese spread triangle for lunch, which looks boring but is one of my favourite things. I wasn’t too hungry for dinner so I just had a smoked turkey sandwich with 3 cups of earl grey tea and some birthday cake. Katrina and Abi made a poster for my comedy night as Jacqueline de Plonk, the event was on for this coming Sunday! By the time I was watching Catfish on my new Firestick TV I had to indulge in some crisps making a note to myself not to buy them as I find it hard to resist eating a whole packet.
On Thursday 20th January I woke up with a sore throat and a cough but I didn’t feel unwell. I lounged in bed a little while reading the news and saw an interesting article from yesterday on how you can now buy Turkish citizenship, given the economic crisis here, more info: https://tfiglobalnews.com/2022/01/10/in-a-desperate-move-to-save-its-economy-turkey-puts-its-citizenship-up-for-sale/ I had a cheese sandwich for breakfast and was slightly expecting a bad stomach from it, as this was the first uncooked cheese I had eaten this year – I was fine! After popping all the ingredients for a beef and ale stew in the slow cooker I decided to have a walk while the weather was decent enough and walked past my parents’ place. I saw a chicken cross the road and it reminded me I had better write my comedy routine when I got home. I did a bit more shopping for the things I was missing at Migros and I was still struggling to find a popcorn bucket or receptacle that didn’t involve buying a 5 litre tub of ice-cream to eat first. Here’s what I did buy:
Migros Supermarket
Ginger 5.60 Bounty 6.95 Apple juice 8.45 Milk 11.75 Mushrooms 12.67 800g Chicken breasts 32.17 6 mini magnums 42.50
Total spent 120.09 lira (£6.65)
It was interesting to see how much the price of meat was increasing so I got a bargain on the chicken while it was on offer, I suspected others were doing the same as there was not much of it left. The fresh milk was much more expensive these days too so I had gone for the skimmed UHT carton which keeps better but isn’t as good for pancake mixture. It was still shocking to see apple juice is cheaper than milk. I got a few treats in and hoped some fresh ginger would help with my sore throat and cough. Back at home I had a smoked turkey sandwich, crisps and a mini magnum for lunch then finished off half the bottle of Efes beer I’d used in the stew. That night I made Yorkshire puddings to go with the stew but they didn’t rise enough, despite tasting good and me having a very hot oven. The stew was so good and I was glad to have the slow cooker mix from the UK to put in it. For afters I had a chocolate spoon (the ones Ann bought for my birthday) with a couple of glasses of birthday red wine. The red wine made me cough more so I had a ginger tea and a Tylol before bed. Tylol is like an English Lemsip mixed with a Vietnamese Tiffy and it makes my heart palpitate so I have to be careful I don’t have them often. This time I was asleep within seconds of my head hitting the pillow.
joloyolo 