Dalyan – 3rd & 4th February

It was Dalyan’s weekly market on Saturday 3rd February and I did need a few provisions. I walked the long way round, calling at the bank for some cash and noticing that the pavement repairs were coming on near Çağrı.
Here’s what I bought at the market (prices in lira);

Onions 12.50
Peppers 42.50
Mushrooms and tomatoes 65
Eggs and pumpkin 75
Strawberries 100
Total spent 295 lira (£7.66)

Next, I called in to Şok supermarket where I bought some containers and a cheap birthday gift for a total of 109.40 lira (£2.84) for a party later. At Bim supermarket I bought more for the birthday gift, bread and chocolate milk for a total of 89.00 lira (£2.31).
Back home, I had more of the soup with veggie pasta in and a mini falafel taco with veggies and tahini.

That evening I got my gladrags on as we were off out for Aimee’s birthday, she’s Jamie’s best friend from the UK. At Bistro Blue there were Aimee, Scott, Jamie, me, Sioned, Ünal, their 2 kids, Katrina, Mehmet and Ann. I gave Aimee her small present which was a selection of my favourite Turkish chocolate bars for her to try. Jamie, Aimee, Ann and I all ordered the surf and turf which was very nice. I decided to stick to ordering a glass of wine so that I didn’t get sharing a bottle as I was pacing myself. I had just 2 red wines and the main course which came to a total of 1,160 lira (£30.13) including a tip. I thought that was a reasonable price although it wasn’t a huge portion.
I thought we were all going home after the food we went to Ozzy’s where the drinks flowed. I stuck to just 2 more wines, 220 lira (£5.71) but realised it might be time to leave when Jamie brought up a story about a broken fire extinguisher toy. I, sensibly, chose to skedaddle about 1am with the excuse that I had the Sunday walk to get up for in the morning.

I was awake before 9am on Sunday 4th February as I was getting ready for the Sunday walk. This time Carol (from Fat Club) was organising it so we had to meet at 10am at the Jandarma roundabout, out of town. This was a 20 minute walk from me so I was already quite warmed up by the time I met the others. I didn’t really feel like going after a late night but I thought I’d make the effort. I’d had strawberries and a lemon and green tea for my breakfast so I was ready for some exercise.
The walk was good but, crikey, it was the most I’ve ever done in one go – 4 hours 15 minutes I was walking for and I was done in by the time I got home.

I squeezed in beans on toast, strawberries, quark and honey for my lunch and a little sit down before my next lot of excitement, 15 minutes later.
Vanessa popped round for a cup of tea and she remembered I was getting short on Yorkshire tea bags and brought some. We had a few cups of tea and a good old natter, putting the world to rights! She left just before 4.30pm for her family WhatsApp chat and I had a video call with a freshly shaven Captain Caveman. He was in a hotel and was off for a few days over the Tet holiday (Vietnamese new year).
We discussed flights and we both were thinking the return flights were a bit expensive for my budget, I’d perhaps wait for at least another payday before booking anything.
After the call, I went to the shops. Here’s what I bought with prices in lira;

Migros Supermarket
Ginger 16.09
Cream cheese 34.00
Onion powder 46.90
672g chicken 117.53
Total spent 214.52 lira (£5.60)

I’d found a new recipe I wanted to try out and it turned out really well, the chicken and mushroom pasta could be a new favourite. I had some fruit cake and cheese as an evening snack which meant I was now on 202 syns so far this week, but I’d only had 10 today. I’d have to be very careful on tomorrow’s outing.

Dalyan – 1st & 2nd February

Thursday 1st February was a busy day; the Aussies were leaving Dalyan early the next day and heading to Rhodes. They wanted to have a Turkish breakfast before they left and so it had already been booked in that I would join them, Mark and Kate at Melekanne, a restaurant by the river. I’d only been a couple of times before but had been disappointed, so had not been back for well over a year. Lots of people had recommended it so I decided to give it another go, however we agreed for us to meet there after my Zumba class, rather than before.
Zumba class was good and I mentioned I was rushing off to go for breakfast at Melekanne to a few of the ladies. It was too late to change our minds but I got told the prices were shocking for what you get and that the breakfast isn’t that good. I tend not to react well to Turkish breakfast as it’s either food I don’t like or food that doesn’t like me. As I’d been doing Slimming World I’d started to get better with my intolerances so I decided I’d go for it. It was the Aussies last meal in Dalyan and worth a little celebration.
The Melekanne breakfast was 300 lira (£7.73) each which is more expensive than some other places but we did have nice views and were sat in the sun. Amanda, Greg and I ordered the Turkish breakfast, Mark ordered a hamburger and Kate ordered an omelette. There were plenty of chips (with and without yoghurt), cheese rolls, cheese, tomato, cucumber, marmalade, jam, chilli dip, fried eggs, olives, bread and lots of tea. In other places a Turkish breakfast can be hard to finish but the portion size here was not too big. Mark’s burger was all sauce and very messy, Kate didn’t rate her omelette which came with a tiny amount of chips so she had to have some from our breakfast. Mark and Kate’s bill was 590 lira (£15.21) which included 2 coffees and a juice. Quite unexpectedly, I had no bad reaction whatsoever to what I ate. Admittedly I only had bread, cheese, a cheese roll, olives and chips but I was pleased I wasn’t ill. Mark and Kate left to go run some errands but the Aussies wanted to try the new coffee shop in town. Mono & More is owned by Ercan, aka Mario, from Spice Garden and people were talking about how good the coffee was. I don’t drink coffee or frequent coffee shops but thought it would be good to have a look. The place has been decorated really well and it looked nice. We met Jill, their neighbour, there and while the others had some fancy coffee, she and I had a hot chocolate. It was very nice and probably full of sugar and syns, but only 60 lira (£1.55).
Our next stop was Ozzy’s, where they had started doing food. There had been a post on Facebook, from Ozzy, to let everyone know and he’d put a photo of some chips for attention. They were crinkle cut and it got a lot of comments that they were or weren’t frozen. Ozzy had said they weren’t frozen, I believed him, but we had to go and give them a test. Mark and Kate joined us and Kate helped us test the chips too. I had a couple of the chips, they weren’t frozen, and they were good. They also do a beer plate, which I took a photo of but didn’t eat, which was popular with customers.
I had a couple of wines in Ozzy’s which came to 220 lira (£5.67) and was home by 8pm, having said bye to Amanda and Greg. I had a burger for dinner at home then an early night as I had work in the morning.

For breakfast on Friday 2nd February I had dried figs, an apple and a cup of Yorkshire tea. Then I got on with work for the morning, not noticing that I had got a missed call and a text from Greg. They had taken a taxi to Fethiye for a ferry they had booked with Sky Marine, only to find that there was no Sky Marine ferry. They were calling me for help as to what to do, unfortunately when I’m working I put my phone on do not disturb. There was another ferry company and they got that one but I later noticed they had put some angry posts on Facebook about it. I looked at Sky Marine ferries website and the ferries were not running in February so I’m not sure how that had happened. For lunch I had veggie pasta and a quick call from Captain Caveman. He’d just got out of Son Doong with Martin Garrix (a famous Dutch DJ) and Lando Norris (a famous F1 racing driver). We had a quick catch up and he said he would try to call me later.
I carried on with work with the waft of a homemade soup in the slow cooker, I was trying cauliflower, leek and courgette.
I had another break from work in the late afternoon when Captain Caveman video called me with Martin, Lando and their fellow cave trip members on the call. I got to ask what they thought of the tour, they said it was beyond amazing and the best week of their life!!! I didn’t get to ask my other 10 questions in person but Captain Caveman said that they would send the replies later. I was so pleased that they had called however, it meant I had to work until 8pm because of the time for the phonecalls. I had chocolate and some jellies to keep me going until I logged off the laptop.
For dinner I tried the soup with some potato wedges, it wasn’t my favourite meal.
Later, I got the answered questions I’d sent to Lando and I was so pleased, it had made my day. I’d also spent zero money today, in an attempt to get back on track with the budget. I went to bed in a good mood and looking forward to the weekend.

Dalyan – 30th & 31st January

Tuesday 30th January started with me being in a great mood, it would not end that way!
Captain Caveman had gone in to Son Doong this morning and would be back on Friday. He’d got some famous guests on the tour this time and I was a little bit jealous. One was a famous Dutch DJ and one was a famous racing driver for Formula 1. I asked if I would be able to send some questions to ask the F1 guy and Captain Caveman agreed that he would try his best.
For breakfast I had 1 slice of wholemeal toast and a cup of Yorkshire tea, which were getting dangerously low! Before Zumba I had a small snack of cheese, olives and cashew nuts. Zumba went better and I was really enjoying it. I popped to the shop on my way back and here’s what I bought (prices in lira);

Migros Supermarket
2 onions 4.62
1 red pepper 11.36
Tomato paste 30.00
Jasmin rice 39.50
All spice 53.90
2 Ginger ales 86.00
Olive oil soap 87.66
Total spent 313.04 lira (£8.11)

The ginger ales were to take over to Kate’s as she had organised a gin afternoon for the Aussies. I’m not a gin and tonic kind of person as I hate tonic, hence why I took the ginger ale. When I arrived Mark, Kate, Amanda, Greg and Linda were all having a drink. I’d took the bottle of Adil gin which we had bought to have with the Aussies when Captain Caveman was here, but then we were both ill. Kate offered me a glass of the prosecco they were already drinking and I obviously said yes, leaving the gin and ginger ales on the side. Linda and I had a good chat as she had cancelled the pencilled in dog sitting for next month. I was fine with that as we hadn’t firmed up the booking due to a slight flight overlap with Jamie. I put it to the back of my mind and sat chatting with everyone, still feeling quite positive. I even had one of Amanda’s biscuits and a slice of Kate’s lemon cake. The weigh-in tomorrow was not going to be good!
Kate had cooked a curry and asked if I’d like to stay for some so I joined the table and had a very small amount. I was having a nice time, I even joined in playing Uno, when the subject turned to Linda using a free pet sitter from a Facebook group, rather than me (the ‘experienced’ dog-sitter at the table). Again, I was not upset with Linda’s decision, I’d already pointed out why I didn’t do it for free and the level of commitment and priority I give to the pets. Unfortunately, Amanda offered to do any dog sitting that Linda required for free, which I wasn’t thrilled about, but there was nothing I could do as Kate was also endorsing the idea. I walked home with the Aussies at gone midnight after plenty of prosecco. I’d learned a valuable lesson this evening, house and petsitting was not going to be a viable money earner for me when I had friends who would offer it for free instead. I went to bed feeling like I needed a plan B, but it had certainly taken my mind off the fact that it was pay day tomorrow.

When I woke up on Wednesday 31st January, and decided I would have an easy day. January had been a very tough month for me, it looked like February was not going to be much better unless I made some tough decisions and changes. Jamie popped round for a cup of tea and he agreed. On more positive notes, today was pay day and I had been paid – on time, the correct amount and drama free!
I did a delayed weigh in at home and took my measurements, not expecting it to be good. I had lost 0.25kg on my home scales, 1cm from my waist, no change to bust and 1cm on my hips. I was 2.7kg off my weight target but I had reached my goal for waist size, having lost 12cm overall.
At Fat Club, Carol’s scales were not kind to me and I had stayed the same for the second week in a row. On the way home, and as I’d got paid, I bought myself some treats, here’s what I bought and prices in lira;

Şarküteri
Coconut milk 65
Sweet & Sour sauce 75
Brie 175
Camembert 175
Total spent 490 lira 12.73

£4.55 for some cheese was expensive but it was £6.88 in Migros so I got the bargains while I could.
I had chicken curry with nan bread for a late lunch then batch cooked some sweet and sour chicken, which I had for dinner.
Instead of having a wine as a treat this Wednesday, I had mac n cheese balls and some chestnuts as I watched Netflix. I totted up my spending for the whole month and it had been a whopping £462.16, making me £152.16 over the January budget of £310, £10 per day. Could I get through February only spending £280!? I doubted it, but I was going to do my best.

Dalyan & Köyceğiz – 29th January

I was once again able to go on the Köyceğiz boat trip because of not working on Monday 29th January. I did a quick check of my spending as of yesterday to find I was just £1.80 below my £300 budget, which I was so pleased with. Vanessa couldn’t make it but this time onboard were; The Aussies, their neighbour Jill, Mark & Kate, Nick & Michele, Donna & Neil and me.
I’d had my overnight oats and a cup of tea for breakfast, then drank 3 Turkish teas and had half a simit on the boat. It was cold and I think we all wondered what on earth we were thinking going on a boat trip in this weather. The yellow boat was still being repaired so we went on a boat without a toilet again and it didn’t have any plastic sides to put down. Still, for 200 lira (£5.18) return we didn’t complain.

Once in Köyceğiz, Kate and I headed up to the shopping centre as she needed some pyjamas and I was after a new pair of gloves. I’d been making do with just one but it was too chilly when the sun wasn’t out. By 1pm I had bought a pair of thermal fur lined leggings for 329 lira (£8.52), a pair of fur lined gloves for 300 lira (£7.77) and a bottle of prosecco at 190 lira (£4.92). We swung by the market where I bought a pricey pineapple for 60 lira (£1.55) and went halves on some shitake mushrooms at 25 lira (65p).
We rejoined Mark at Tuana, the Aussies and Jill joined us shortly after and we ordered lunch. I was on a strict budget so I ordered a Turkish tea for 10 lira (26p) and a chicken burger at 125 lira (£3.24). Unfortunately, when we came to pay, I ended up putting more than necessary in. I only had a 200 lira note for my 135 lira bill but I only got 30 lira back so I’d paid 35 lira extra but noticed not everyone put in a tip. My meal was nothing to write home about and a bit of a waste of going off my diet for, but Jill was pleased with her pasta and the Aussies enjoyed their Turkish breakfast.

We left Köyceğiz at 3.30pm and the Aussies were off to use the facilities of the mudbaths again. Luckily, we had the fizzy wine we’d bought and a couple of bottles from Hakkan and Nilüfer but I was reluctant to drink much without a toilet on board. It had been a great day – it’s pretty rare to see a peacock and a proposing street dog on the same trip!
By the time we got back it was pretty cold. The Aussies went to drop off the shopping while Mark, Kate and I went to Tapa. When the Aussies returned they had a hot chocolate each, I had a rosé wine and played Mark at pool.
Back home, it was too late for dinner so I had a few chestnuts and a bit of cheese before trying on my thermal leggings – they were amazing! It had been a good day out but I had splashed out almost 4 days worth of budget.

Dalyan – 24th January

It was a funny old day on Wednesday 24th January, where things didn’t quite go according to plan. I didn’t even get out of bed until almost 10am and the sun was shining. I got weighed at home to find I had lost 0.5kg (1.1lb) and I had lost 1cm from my bust, waist and hips which I was really pleased about and couldn’t wait for Fat Club later. I had Slimming World pancakes for breakfast with frozen berries in and some watermelon on the side, followed by lemon and green tea.
At 2.45pm I walked to Fat Club at Nil Lounge and was rather cocky that I would have lost weight. Unfortunately, I had stayed the same on Carol’s scales and I wasn’t too pleased. When we finished the group, I headed over to Cafe Ivy where I had arranged to meet Vanessa. When I arrived, there was no one there but I’d already told Jamie and the Aussies that’s where I was going and they said they were coming too. Jamie said he would bring the dogs and he invited Ann too as she likes a Wine Wednesday. I got a wine, Jamie and the dogs arrived and got a drink, then Ann arrived. I checked my phone to see where Vanessa was, she had gone to Tapa instead because that’s where the gang were playing pool today, as Rehab bar was closed. She said to come there but I couldn’t change now that I’d got a drink and we were settled with the dogs. The Aussies arrived and I stuck to just 2 red wines and we moved inside when it turned chilly. After Ivy, Jamie had to take the dogs home for feeding but I ended up staying out and we went to Nil Lounge to watch the band, I’d still not had any dinner so Ann and I shared some chips. I had another 2 wines and then called it a day. I’d spent 220 lira (£5.71) in Ivy and another 335 lira (£8.70) in Nil so I had to say no. The band was excellent and I really enjoyed listening to them. As Ann was rather more merry than me, I walked her as far as the corner shop on the way to her house and then came back to mine. As I approached our place, I noticed there were lights on in the apartment opposite me – I had neighbours again!

Video of the band playing one of my favourite songs

Dalyan – 22nd January

On the morning of Monday 22nd January I totted up my budget spend for the first 3 weeks of the year. I’d set myself a tight £10 per day to live off, not including rent and utility bills. To my surprise, I’d done even better than anticipated and had managed to only spend the equivalent of £147.78, a massive £52.22 saving. I was really pleased with myself as it had not been easy and had took strict planning and a lot less going out/drinking. Because of this, I had allowed myself to go a bit mad today, as a treat.
Given that I had been working every Monday, I’d been missing out on the Köyceğiz weekly market that a lot of Dalyan Dwellers had been frequenting, with Hakkan and Nilüfer on the Yellow Boat. Köyceğiz, in my opinion, is a lot cheaper than Dalyan too and I’d missed the market on Saturday so it was good timing.
When I got out of bed I regretted drinking so much wine yesterday and Vanessa’s coat in the downstairs toilet reminded me I’d come home in a heavy downpour. I messaged Vanessa who was fine and not hungover at all, she called for me and we laughed about yesterday’s impromptu piss up.
Unfortunately, the usual Yellow Boat was being repaired so Hakkan took us on a boat that’s used to go to the beach, and it didn’t have a toilet. It was cold but I’d brought my big coat, hat and the one glove I had. There was also plenty of blankets and hot beverages on the boat.

When we reached Köyceğiz, Vanessa and I went off to the market, not realising everyone else went a different way.
Here’s what I spent on splashing out, with prices in lira;

1kg Tangerines 10
Cabbage 20
Bananas 25
Potatoes & carrots 40
Chestnuts 60
Melon 70
2 bags of olives 150
1kg dried fruit 300
Total spent 675 lira (£17.53)

My bag was so heavy and I was certainly missing Captain Caveman for carrying the rucksack. He wouldn’t have appreciated our willy-nilly approach to shopping, though – we didn’t even go row by row or do the heavy stuff first! I’d probably regret that when I was eating squished olives.
Feeling a bit hot and bothered, we walked back towards the boat and restaurants, bumping in to Hakkan and Nilüfer. They took our heavy bags to the boat for us, which was kind, and we decided on a walk along the water’s edge to find a spot for lunch. I love Avangart, even though it’s certainly not the cheapest place at 180 lira (£4.68) for a glass of wine. But, as Vanessa and I had drank our quota of wine last night, we were happy with a big bottle of water and an orange juice. I ordered the beef wrap and she had the healthier tuna salad, both meals were great and here’s what we paid in lira;

1 Big water 35
1 fresh orange juice 70
1 beef wrap with chips 225
1 tuna salad 245
Total bill 575.00

I thought my 300 lira (£7.79) lunch (including a tip) was lovely and I took half of the wrap away with me as it was so filling. Vanessa and I were also both conscious of there not being a toilet on the boat when we both suffer with reactions to food. We walked back towards the boat and were a bit early for the 2.30pm departure so decided to join the others at Tuana. We joined the table and I had just had a soda water which was a reasonable 20 lira (52p). The plan was to stop at the Sultaniye mud baths on the way back so the Aussies had gone to buy something to swim in.
I was looking forward to getting back on the boat, as usually Nilüfer does a nice spread of fresh fruit and some nuts for the journey. This time, they had provided 2 bottles of white wine, which was a nice gesture. Nilüfer is so lovely and was making sure everyone had wine or hot tea.
The boat trip usually arrives back in Dalyan for 4pm but we only arrived at the mud baths at 4.10pm, I didn’t have anything suitable to swim in and wasn’t bothered about going in.
Once back, everyone but me went to Tez bar, after Vanessa and I divided up my cabbage in to 3 for me, her and Kate. I had a relaxing evening at home, for dinner a chicken, chickpea and spinach curry with steamed rice.
It had been a lovely day off work, making a nice change on a Monday. I added up what the day had cost me and was pleased;

Market 650
Lunch at Avangart 300
Soda water at Tuana 20
Boat fare 200
Total spent 1,195 lira (£31.04)

Dalyan – 21st January

I woke up at 10.15am on Sunday 21st January, took a cup of tea back to bed and did a bit of blogging.
For lunch I made a chicken stir-fry with a spoonful of black bean sauce and it was lovely. The Aussies came round, bringing me some spare white paint and we moved the table. I walked as far as the main road with them and then popped to the shop for wine as I’d decided to call in on Vanessa, now that I was back home. I paid 259 lira (£6.74) for 2 bottles of Rituel white wine and walked the long way round. I passed my parents place and had a quick check to see it looked well. Brinny, Debbie (Darling)’s dog, said hello as I went past her house.
Vanessa and I had a good afternoon and even sat out in the sun on the balcony as we drank wine with soda and chatted.
When I looked at my phone about 7pm, I saw on Facebook that there had been a Sunday Walk today but I had not known there was one and missed it. From the photos it looked good and quite a few of my friends had gone, including Fat Club Carol! There was a note that Bev (a new lady in town) would take the walk next week so I was determined to go on that one. Vanessa had made a shepherd’s pie so we had some of that and more wine. When Matt got back from the pub, Vanessa and I were very merry, we had not even noticed the weather outside. I had to borrow a raincoat and an umbrella to walk home and Vanessa said I turned the wrong way out of the gate when I left, as I turned left but they expected me to go right. I knew a shortcut on to pomegranate lane but I probably shouldn’t have gone that way drunk and in the dark. The arık (small canal) was full of water and no one would have found me if I’d slipped and fell in it! I didn’t recall getting home, going to bed or setting an alarm for the trip I’d been looking forward to for tomorrow!

Dalyan – 17th January

I got weighed at Jamie’s on Wednesday 17th January but I was quite a bit heavier than I expected and I hoped it wouldn’t be as much of a gain at Fat Club later. I did my measurements and found I’d put 1cm on my bust and waist, my hips had remained the same. I had tea and toast with 2 cheese triangles for breakfast then got peckish mid morning and ate a small wrap!
I was very jealous, and proud, of Norman when he did a massive poo right outside the back door, all on his own. I managed to catch him before he stepped or fell in to it which saved cleaning up what could have been a terrible mess. He was almost out of tuna so I popped to the shop to get some, along with some essentials. Here’s what I bought and the prices in lira;

Migros Supermarket
Milk 23.00
2 Quark 39.90
Tuna 69.75
Grated mozzarella cheese 69.90
Total spent 202.55 lira (£5.30)

At Fat Club I was so pleased to find that Jamie’s scales were wrong and I’d actually lost 0.4kg (0.9lb), definitely not to be sniffed at. Obviously, I then had to go and ruin my luck by eating 62 syns in a couple of hours of my new week! Ghislaine and I decided to nip to Ozzy’s bar for a cheeky drink after Fat Club. I’d already had my 1.5 litre of water at the group which hopefully meant I wouldn’t shovel food and drink down like it was going out of fashion. Vanessa, Matt and the Aussies also came to join us for a drink or two. I ended up having 3 white wines and tucking in to the free crisps which Ozzy always makes sure are topped up. It was amazing to see that he had now refurbished the bar, and made the whole entire inside area, no smoking. Ozzy had put up a sign and was telling people to smoke outside only. I was really liking that he’d took the advice on board and acted on it.
Back at Jamie’s for dog walking and feeding, Norman managed to eat from the bowl on the floor, instead of me holding it – another improvement to his health.
As it was treat day, I had a burger for dinner with cheese and sauce! I really enjoyed it but tomorrow I had to focus. I only had 2.4kg to lose to hit my target!

Dalyan – 12th to 14th January

I spent the morning of Friday 12th January chatting to friends over messenger and having a quiet morning.
For lunch I met Nanny Kay at Lukka bar, where I had a rather tasty Spaghetti Bolognese and she had a steak sandwich. The portions were large and I took half of mine home. It tasted really good and it was nice and warm in there.
For dinner I had a Slimming World Hunter’s Chicken with rice which I also enjoyed. I’d took to doing batch cooking which worked out great for avoiding any waste and kept costs right down – I was getting very good at it too.

I spent the morning of Saturday 13th January packing my bags, for another dog sitting stint at Jamie’s. Nanny Kay picked me up as I had bags and she was taking Jamie to the airport so it made sense. She was super helpful in taking me to the market on the way so I could pick up some provisions, rather than having to come back and carry it. I didn’t go mad but I bought bananas, peppers, broccoli and chestnuts for a total of 160 lira (£4.17) and we drove to Jamie’s. Norman and Edna were so excited to see me and little Norman seemed to be doing better than he was last time. Edna was just happy that we might get to go to the Waterfall to see Skippy. After saying bye to the humans, I played with Norman and Edna for a while then I ate my leftover Spaghetti Bolognese from yesterday. Vanessa popped round for a cup of tea and a natter. Edna was pleased as she had worked out that the probability of a pub visit had increased.
At the Waterfall, Vanessa and I had a couple of white wine and sodas before going to our respective homes for dinner. I had a beef stew for mine with 2 Yorkshire puddings (out of the freezer) and it was so tasty.
At 8.30pm I got to speak to Captain Caveman. It was 12.30am already there so he was tired – we didn’t speak for long. He’d got a day off tomorrow but then was working on Monday evening, back in the cave on Tuesday.
My cough had still not gone and I required 4 pillows to sleep with, I had a nice shower, got my pyjamas on and was in bed for 10.40pm on a Saturday night.

It was my first full day with Norman and Edna on Sunday 14th January. I was awake at 5.50am but I stayed in bed until 7.30am. I let the dogs out and made myself a cup of tea, I had my overnight oats for breakfast. Norman’s back legs were still a bit weak so it was necessary to make sure he got help eating, drinking and going to the toilet. For lunch I had vegetable egg fried rice which was tasty and Slimming World friendly. I got peckish in the afternoon though so, instead of something snacky, I made myself a SW veggie pizza and synned the wrap. For dinner I used the rest of the SW Hunters Chicken turned in to a pasta bake and had a small portion of that. I resisted any wine, despite the health benefits, and was lucky enough to have another video call with Captain Caveman. It’s very rare we speak 2 days in a row, but it was lovely to see that he was enjoying being back at work and in Phong Nha. The passport photos I had sent to Captain Caveman were useless as, apparently, you need to see my ears. I had to do them again so that he could apply for my visa for me. We decided I would go in a couple of month’s time and stay for the 90 days.

Dalyan – 11th January

I was taking out my fruitcake at 00.15am on Thursday 11th January, which was my birthday. I cut off the crispy edges and ate a piece as I stayed up until 1am looking at flights and did find some reasonable ones.
Good news came from my boss, he had picked up his replacement bank card and my overdue pay would go in to my account after the weekend. From next week I was asked to work a full day on Fridays which fitted well with me.
After a sleep, I woke up to a chilly 6 degrees and got myself a cup of Yorkshire tea to bring back to bed. Captain Caveman called me before 9am and wished me a happy birthday, which was nice. I stayed in bed until 10am reading my birthday messages. I felt really happy and loved, I’m so glad Facebook reminds everyone! I had a card from my parents and they’d put me some lira in for a present – how lovely.
For lunch, Vanessa and I had arranged to meet up, I’d suggested Ela’s Kitchen for a breakfast/lunch. I went over to their apartment, taking Matt’s laptop to give back to him and a fruit cake as a thank you. We said bye to Matt, who was off to watch football shortly, and Vanessa had decided she was taking me for a birthday treat. At Asaf Bey, Vanessa insisted that I order the waffle (highly recommended), which came smothered in chocolate, bananas, strawberries and crushed pistachios – I was very surprised at the size of it! Vanessa had her’s with just chocolate and ice-cream. We both drank tea and had a good chat.
Later in the afternoon I made a bacon sandwich with mushrooms from the Ela’s Kitchen leftovers which I had with potatoes for a late lunch. I also managed to make a slow cooker beef stew for dinner and clean the house, as Jamie and Drew were popping over later. I’d actually relished the thought of staying at home alone for my birthday. I had an unfinished biography which I’d been really looking forward to reading but Jamie said I couldn’t not celebrate my birthday at all – he was having none of it! He, Drew, Nanny Kay, Ann, Bill and Jaxx were coming to mine for a birthday drink. No fuss, no food, just a drink or two – did I even have enough chairs!?
Before the guests arrived I just had time for a birthday video call with my parents, which was really good and such a shame that they had gone home before my birthday. I even got a photo with my Dad looking at the camera! Unfortunately, they had spent 87 days out of their 90 days in Turkey but the flight they could get was before my birthday and they couldn’t go any later.
I could only just fit all my guests in and I was shocked to find that everyone brought me a birthday gift. Jamie and Drew went first as Jamie was so excited to give me something that he thought was ‘so me’. It was a framed print which said ‘Too Drunk to Cook’ in bright colours. It would turn out to be very appropriate as a message for one the guests later tonight. Ann had brought me a bottle of red wine and a box of baklava which showed she knew me well! Nanny Kay gave me a Maisie Moo ‘Shade of Nar’ candle which I really loved the smell of. I was so surprised to receive a very expensive face cream from Jaxx (& Bill) who made us all laugh when she said she’d been using it herself and she was actually 85 years old! Drew also brought a big chunk of his Christmas cake (with icing and marzipan) which was amazing. We had lots of wine and I fished out the cake I’d made once we’d finished Drew’s and the baklava. Jaxx said she hadn’t got the memo about not getting any dinner tonight but by that time Jamie’s present was already coming in handy! Drew fell asleep, and I was getting quite tired when Jamie decided the two of them and Nanny Kay were off. Ann, Bill and Jaxx didn’t leave until very late, I’d tried to get a taxi for them at 12.20am but couldn’t get a reply. Bill eventually got a taxi and they all said their rather merry farewells.
My impromptu, and not very well planned, birthday drinks had been rather lively but I’d rather enjoyed having more cake than wine!
Sadly, I didn’t take any photos of people as I was too busy being the host with the least!

Dalyan – 10th January

It was great to wake up back in my own bed on Wednesday 10th January, I’d missed it a lot. I had planned on sleeping in and had not set an alarm but I woke up about 8am. It was still not fully light so I stayed in bed planning my day. I knew I needed to adopt the right attitude today, I also needed to get back on the healthy eating and continue to exercise. I knew that mentally, I needed to look after me more, too. I started the day with getting weighed and measured as it was Fat Club later. It wasn’t as bad as I’d expected with only a 0.5kg gain since I last got weighed at home. My bust and hip measurements remained the same and I had lost 2cm from my waist. That was pretty good considering my syn intake, but then I had been walking 2 big dogs every day, even in the rain! I had some dried figs for breakfast, the ones my mom had given me. They can count as a Healthy B option, instead of bread, and I used to do this when I reacted badly to gluten. I had the sausage from the left over Ela’s Kitchen breakfast, for lunch then I went to face Carol’s scales at Fat Club. I was flabbergasted to see I had lost 0.8kg, back to my pre Christmas with Josh and Martha weight! I was back to my usual habit of ordering a big bottle of water (1.5 litres) and taking the hour at Fat Club to drink it all. It’s only 40 lira (£1.05) which is the same price as a cup of tea.
After a successful Fat Club, I took myself off to the shops for a restock and proper big shop, which would take more than one trip to carry it all. I noticed there had been quite a few price increases as I tried my best to get the offers and bargains, using all the different supermarkets available. Here’s what I bought with prices in lira;

Migros Supermarket
1 lemon 2.69
1 Dido chocolate bar 9.50
Gherkins 22.50
6 eggs 44.90
Ground ginger 47.90
3 Quark 59.85
Fabric Softener 67.50
Cheese slices 87.90
Chicken breasts 111.95
Beef burgers 116.91
Chicken thighs 125.47
Mince beef 154.90
Total Spent 851.92 lira (£22.42)

Şok Supermarket
2 Pasta 18.00
Baking powder 32.00
Mozzarella 46.50
Sweetcorn 56.90
Toilet roll 68.00
Mac n cheese balls 84.90
Total spent 306.30 lira (£8.06)

Bim Supermarket
Popcorn kernels 12.50
Burger buns 28.25
Hamburgers 62.50
Diced beef 150.00
Total spent 253.25 lira (£6.66)

A101 Supermarket
3 packs of Taco wraps 37.50
BBQ Sauce 49.90
Total spent 87.40 lira (£2.30)

Yaman Büfe 2 off licence
1 bottle of red wine 129.50
2 bottles of white wine 439.00
Total spent 568.50 lira (£14.96)

I had spent a grand total of 2,107.37 lira (£55.45) but it did mean I could do lots of batch cooking and be frugal with the housekeeping. Good news came from my boss, that his replacement bank card had arrived from the UK and he was able to set up payment for my wages. I was so glad to hear that I would finally be getting paid early next week.
Before dinner, I put the ingredients for another Christmas fruit cake in the slow cooker, it would be ready just after midnight. My meal this evening was an attempt at fake fast food, called a Fakeaway in Slimming World circles. A Big Mac, using the fresh burgers from Migros and a homemade sauce. I adjusted the recipe from the airfryer Bored of Lunch book and it cost me 14 syns but it was worth it!

Dalyan – 8th January

It was my last full day and night at Bill and Jaxx’s villa on Monday 8th January. On our walks today, Big Boy had decided he wanted to go after a cat and I only just managed to keep him from zooming off. He wouldn’t listen and he got a little telling off for nearly pulling me over. To say sorry he licked me on the nose while I was trying to tell him the rules.
The dogs had sofa snoozes while I drank tea, ate an apple and then some noodles for breakfast. I was meant to be back on the healthy wagon but I indulged in fruit cake and cheese instead of lunch.
The Turkish lira was now over 38 to the pound, the highest it had been and was not good news for the Turks.
At 11.40am Captain Caveman and I had a video call and he seemed to be missing me. He suggested I send him photos for my Vietnamese visa and he would apply for it for me. That way he could pay for it as I didn’t know exactly when I’d get paid. Ordinarily, I would’ve been working today, as I do on Mondays, but it was on hold until after I received my wages, next week.

I fed Big Boy and Lucy early so that I could get the bus in to town for my parents’ farewell evening. I was looking forward to going out for a nice meal and spending some time with Ma & Pa before they went back to the UK, especially as I wouldn’t be seeing them for 6 months. I was still not 100% better and the cough was pretty bad so I wasn’t thrilled that we were meeting at Tez bar at 6pm – I find it too smokey even though I would be sat outside. My parents, understandably, had lots of friends who also wanted to see them off, as well as it being Adam and Kath’s leaving drinks too. The 4 of them were travelling to the airport together and had become firm friends. They had given the ball a right kick last night, getting on the gins after everyone had left – I can no longer keep up with them all. When we got to Tez bar it was very busy so I sat between my mom and Daisy. It was smokey and I nursed my white wine for ages as it was making my cough worse. When my mom went to the toilet, John took her seat so I wasn’t even sat near my parents and would’ve been better off meeting them at the restaurant. After 2 hours at a smokey Tez, I’d had enough, I think Ma and Pa would’ve stayed there if I hadn’t have insisted on us having a farewell meal. I should’ve learned after Captain Caveman’s leaving drinks, that perhaps not everyone wants a farewell meal!

When we got to Simple at 8.15pm, we only had 45 minutes before closing so I hoped it would still be ok. Onur greeted us and was fine about the time and I was relieved because I was famished.
We all had the red pepper and sun-dried tomato soup for starters and it was amazing. It was 100 lira (£2.62) per bowl but well worth it. For mains my parents had the Asian style noodles and I was tempted, but after having the burger last time, I couldn’t resist. They had sold out of the pulled beef burger, with us being so late, but the cheeseburger and fries that I had was still fantastic. The chicken noodles were 180 lira (£4.72), beef noodles 210 lira (£5.51) and my burger was 250 lira (£6.56) which we all agreed was value for money. Simple is not licenced for alcohol so we got a bottle of wine from Nazo’s, next door, which was 450 lira (£11.81) for a decent bottle of chilled white. I thoroughly enjoyed our ‘last supper’ and I was going to miss my parents a lot. They’d had such a great 3 months in Dalyan that I did worry that they would be going back to a more sedate, somewhat boring and more expensive life back in Sheffield.
After Simple, we decided to have a drink in Ozzy’s, the new bar which had replaced 2 Charlie’s. John, Andrea, Daisy and the Aussies were in there and apparently had been shouting us as we walked past but we’d ignored them – I hadn’t noticed.
It was very smokey inside which set my cough off straight away and I had to go outside and use my inhaler. Ma and Pa were fine and stayed inside the smokey bar but I couldn’t go back in. I drank my wine outside but that meant that I wasn’t making the most of being with my parents. Daisy and the Aussies came out to join me and I got updates on the eventful first week of January, which I’d missed from being so ill.
I decided I’d had enough of the smoking inside, and complained to Ozzy, it is illegal here and the bar owner can get fined 9,000 lira (£236.22) per time. He listened and said he would take it onboard.
As I was finishing my drink a drunk woman was becoming annoying to my friends so I messaged Fikri for my taxi, said goodbye and left.

Dalyan – 7th January

On Sunday 7th January I’d been invited to join my parents at Adam and Kath’s house at 4pm for a Sunday lunch type meal. I decided I would get the bus and go for a drink but not stay as it clashed with the dogs’ dinner time. Big Boy tried to tell me he would like the first walk for a change but I explained that Lucy would bark until we got back so she had to go first. He was patient as he’s such a good dog.
For breakfast I had fruit and then I forgot to have any lunch, for some reason.
I was surprised to see that the fire from last night was still burning, not bad to say Captain Caveman and Dad were both giving me tips on how to do a proper fire.
I got sent a photo of Captain Caveman from Bich at the Phong Nha Farmstay, he was there having a beer and the eggplant dish that we both like. He looked happy and relaxed, which was nice.
I was going to get the bus in to Dalyan but it was raining very heavily so I paid 150 lira (£3.96) for a taxi. It wasn’t Fikri who came so the driver dropped me at the bank instead of my parents’. Luckily, the rain eased up for me to get to my parents from the bank. It started again as we walked to Adam and Kath’s but it wasn’t far. Ma and Pa took a few beers and a bottle of red wine, I took a bottle of red wine too. I did ask my parents if that was enough as they usually end up staying there late. I opened my bottle when we got there and shared it with Dad. Mark, Kate, Daisy, John and Andrea were already there and my mom opened a beer.
I ordered a taxi at 6pm as it was raining and dinner time for the dogs. Luckily I’d had just about enough time to finish the bottle of red wine with Dad and he still had one more to drink. I said my goodbyes and went back to Villa Infinity where Lucy had taken issue at my lateness. She wanted her chicken dinner and she wanted it now!
I fed the dogs then warmed up mine – wild boar stew. This time I had it with a glass of red wine, but just a small one as I still had the cough. Tomorrow was my parents’ last night so we had plans for a farewell meal out.

Dalyan – 5th & 6th January

On Friday 5th January I was hoping to hear news from Rhodes that meant I’d be getting paid next week. My last wage had been just over 5 weeks ago, on 29th November, and things were looking pretty bleak. I had a bad feeling and I was preparing myself for more disappointing news as, assuming it did arrive and was picked up from the post office today, it was still the weekend. The wages wouldn’t reach my account until Wednesday, next week, which was the day before my birthday. I decided to try to remain positive, optimistic and hopeful as I walked each dog in the misty, cold morning weather. I had buttered toast for breakfast and made a shopping list. I needed to get the bus in to Dalyan to go to get some provisions.
A friend got in touch to ask if I could pencil her in for a 2 week dog sit next month and we said we’d meet up to discuss further. She sent me the requirements and dates for her dogs and I sent back some info. I also had Jamie’s dogs booked in for February so I needed to check if there was any overlap on flight times.
At lunchtime I got an update from my boss about my wages, it was not good news! I read the message but couldn’t reply as I’d not topped up the credit on my phone and was on my way to the bus stop. The Post Office was closed until the 10th January so I would have to wait another 5 days, which was not going to be easy.
Here’s what I bought at the shops with the prices in lira;

Migros Supermarket
3 packs of crisps 76.50
1 pack jellies 17.50
Total spent 94.00 lira (£2.48)

Bim Supermarket
Bread 7.50
Dido chocolate bar 9.75
Naan breads 34.75
671g chicken 106.69
Total spent 158.69 lira (£4.19)

Yaman Büfe
1 bottle of rosé wine 150 lira (£3.96)

This shopping trip was a little different to usual because I was replenishing the crisps and jellies Captain Caveman and I had eaten at Villa Infinity and I was stocking up on bread products to go with soup, stews and curry. I’d thought, as it was the weekend, I would treat myself to the wine, which was on offer, and my favourite chocolate bar.
I ate left over chicken and stuffing for my lunch then had some fruit.
For dinner I had some of the wild boar stew but I wasn’t really in the mood, I didn’t even open the wine.

I woke up early on Saturday 6th January and decided that I couldn’t let not getting paid get me down any more. Unfortunately, there was nothing I could physically do to get the money any quicker. I walked both dogs who got quite dirty and wet, as it had rained last night. It was good therapy having Big Boy and Lucy to look after and they definitely were getting more and more used to me. I made a chicken tikka masala from scratch and popped it in the slow cooker. I’d not seen my parents since Captain Caveman’s leaving drinks at Waterfall on Tuesday so I’d invited them over to Villa Infinity. My mom had suggested that we meet when I came to the weekly Dalyan market and that we could either walk or get the bus over and go to Günlüklu restaurant on the way back. Dad’s not keen on going to other people’s houses so Mom had said they might not come to see the dogs but just go to Günlüklu and I said that was fine. I’d eat the curry if Dad couldn’t be persuaded once I saw them. I got the bus in to Dalyan and went to the market where I splashed out 70 lira (£1.85) on a cheese and mushroom gözleme for breakfast. The price had increased by 17% since I last had one a few weeks ago, but it was still worth it. My mom had changed her mind about coming to the market as they didn’t need anything. They were leaving in 3 days so asked me to get them some rocket and tomatoes for a dinner party they were going to tomorrow.
Here’s what I bought at the various stalls and the prices in lira;

Mushrooms and pumpkin 75
1kg of mixed dried fruit 250
Rocket and tomatoes 50
Total spent 375 lira (£9.89)

I dropped some stuff off at home and decided I should get weighed and measured, seeing as I hadn’t for a couple of weeks. I was 0.65kg less than at the last Fat Club weigh-in but I’d put 2cm on my waist.
I went over to my parents’ at 12.30pm thinking I was going to pick them up for us to go to Günlüklu for lunch. I’d misunderstood as Dad was making lunch at home for them both. I stayed for a bit while they ate and then we went to get the bus.

At Günlüklu my parents had a couple of Efes beers and I had 2 glasses of wine, I didn’t realise the wine was 180 lira (£4.75) for a small glass, twice the price of a beer, and should have checked the cost of a bottle. Dad was up for the curry so the three of us walked to the corner shop to get some wine on the way.
At Villa Infinity, Big Boy and Lucy really enjoyed having some visitors and were very well behaved and friendly. The wine and the curry with naan breads went down a treat and we had a good laugh. Dessert was a Dido chocolate bar each, and my parents hadn’t had them before. It was just what I needed to cheer me up and the dogs didn’t want Ma & Pa to leave. Big Boy kept pretending he wasn’t tired or falling asleep but he was shattered.

Dalyan – 3rd & 4th January

I’m not sure if I’d overdone it yesterday or if my cold was getting worse on Wednesday 3rd January. I’d hardly slept and at 5.30am I was tracking the progress on Captain Caveman’s flight while coughing up a lung. His flight from Istanbul to Saigon had been delayed by 4 hours, but his flight from Dalaman had been moved forward. It was a good job he’d made it to the airport on time, last night, as he didn’t know it was flying earlier than planned. It did mean he had several hours during the night in Istanbul airport, which was not ideal.
I walked the dogs, separately and Lucy insisted on going first. I explained to Big Boy that he would be going next and he waited patiently. It was a cold misty morning, very wet underfoot and I was coughing a lot. The 2 walks went well but I needed my cup of tea when I got back. I decided I was too sick to get the bus in to Dalyan to go to Fat Club and spent the day on the sofa with the dogs.
I didn’t really eat that much on account of me being poorly; fruit for breakfast, noodles and a tangerine for lunch and a treat for dinner. I couldn’t be bothered to cook so I had cheese, crackers, apple and chestnuts. I tried to have a small glass of wine but it just made me cough too much.
Captain Caveman arrived in Saigon and was flying on to Dong Hoi the next morning. I didn’t get to speak to him as he was tired.

On Thursday 4th January I was still ill but functioning ok. I walked the dogs and had tea with fruit salad for breakfast before trying a new dish. I decided to make a wild boar stew using some meat Jaxx had told me to use. I popped it in the slow cooker and didn’t eat until dinner when I had a cheesy jacket potato.
Big Boy and Lucy were really cute and Lucy kept telling me she wanted a snack.
Captain Caveman called me from Oxalis, his work place, he’d arrived in Phong Nha and was happy to be back. We discussed flight options and I looked at going via Athens with Scoot. The costs were between £446 and £502 for a return fare if I went mid March to early June. I could then incorporate a work related trip to Rhodes on either direction. We didn’t have the money to book it yet so I had to be patient.