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Author Topic: Va Va June  (Read 11187 times)

Offline kalkan4eva

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Va Va June
« on: June 12, 2018, 10:50:33 PM »
Indeed.
Its been all go since we arrived in Turkey, Saturday lunchtime!
Out of the airport to stand 21 where the pre-booked taxi was waiting. Not Enes as it has been for the last 10 years, not any Kalkan company...and as we made our way down the slope to the stands at Dalaman there were lots of transfer companies we’ve got to know over the years but we passed them by.
Mehmet was waiting from Airport Transfers (does what it says on the tin!) and gave us cold water and biscuits as we set off for our Gocek adventure. Mehmet tells us his grandfather built the hotel we were staying in...what a lovely coincidence.
A mere 30 mins after leaving Dalaman we were pulling up outside a Kipa supermarket...here is your hotel...erm! Well Mehmet neglected to say, since his grandfather built it, he then sold it on and now the upstairs is hotel and the ground floor supermarket. It looked nothing like the photos on booking.com and I was mentally composing my angry email as we pulled our cases around to the pedestrianised front. Then suddenly it became very familiar.
We were shown to our room and the view made everything alright with the world....angry email a distant memory.
Gocek is smaller than I imagined and I’ve heard it described as Kalkan on the flat. It isnt! Just my opinion.
What impressed BH so much was their efforts to save the planet - recycling at every turn and electric scooters and buggies...what impressed me so much was the most amazing collection of yachts and super yachts in one place...I mean every single boat in either D Marina or Mega Yacht Marina (I swear this is its actual name) was in the multi millions of pounds. We spotted a cruise liner docked at the far end of the harbour and as we got closer we realised it wasn’t a cruise liner at all, but the amazing I Dynasty super yacht. A cool $200m worth of abject luxury owned by one of them there Oligarchs...
We both now hold the record for the number of times the word “wow” can be said if such a short space of time.

Sunday is market day in Gocek and I expected to walk some distance to get there but 5 minutes after leaving the hotel, we were in the thick of it. Albeit a much smaller, less tat sort of market than Kalkan or Fethiye, we still managed to find blag DVD’s and underpants so mission accomplished.

Next stop on the road trip was Fethiye, a place we have visited so many times but never stayed. We’d agreed a price with the Gocek taxi co-operative and within 40 mins we were pulling up outside a much better looking hotel ie no Kipa basement, right on the front overlooking the Marina. The view was super stunning and the room just right for our overnight stay. We dropped our luggage and headed straight to the old town for a wander around and could not believe how quiet Fethiye was. Later that evening we headed over to the Fish Market, a place we have had lunch in so many times over the years, but have never visited in the evening. It felt like everyone in Fethiye was actually here..the place was bouncing and we took one of the last tables in our restaurant of choice and waited for the king prawns we’d purchased from our seller of choice to be returned to us, cooked in garlic and chilli sauce. They did not disappoint!

We planned to visit a beach club next day, but one look at the weather forecast meant the plans needed to change. BH swears by BBC Weather and it was showing rain at 11am...I looked at Accuweather and it said rain at 2pm, which meant we could do a half day boat trip or a beach club before we had to check-out. I tend to look for the best one and stick with it, BH just sticks with BBC.

So the 11am rain won out and the beach club/boat trip shelved. A walk along the harbour was chosen instead and after going from the Marina right along as far the lighthouse building and back, rain did actually start on cue at 11am...BH felt vindicated by his decision...until it stopped 11 minutes later and the sun came out. Oh!

We spent the rest of the time on the hotel’s roof terrace until the Fethiye co-operative taxi driver came to collect us. As we drove away from Fethiye at 2pm, the rain set in...just sayin!

At this point we couldn’t wait to get to Kalkan, although our driver had other ideas, barely inching over 50 miles per hour, we noted the Bati Antalya would have got us there quicker. As we rounded the corner and took in Kalkan for the first time this year, I swear our driver gasped first. At this point he went even slower...if that was indeed possible...and spent as much time as us looking over at that special view. I get a quivery lip and moist eyes at this point then pull myself together by the time we hit the traffic light junction...no just something in my eye, I mutter to BH, I’m fine! Like he doesn’t know!

It felt good to be “home”. We dropped our cases and headed into town for a very late lunch at Fotos....where the Efes is as cold and as cheap as you’ll find it in Kalkan.

Today has been our first full day in Kalkan and we’ve used it wisely, buying provisions, meeting friends and getting the essential Turkish bath. This year we thought we’d go to Rhapsody and give Dimitris our business after many years of going to Atlantis. Slightly more expensive but the longest time and most soap I’ve ever experienced...I think I disappeared at one point under a mound of foam.

Tonight we ate at Fener. The food fabulous, the bill ridiculous. How you can eat so well but so cheaply at the harbour is beyond me! We love that so many groups of young Turkish boys will come and drink lemonade and eat ice cream and do so in harmony with each other - so different from our own culture.

Rounding off the night with a trek up cardiac hill....it doesnt get any easier....meant we could reward ourselves with brandy coffees and chocolate on the roof terrace.

Hello Paradise...I’ve missed you.




Linkback: https://www.enjoykalkan.com/forum/index.php?topic=13979.0
« Last Edit: June 13, 2018, 09:09:34 AM by kalkan4eva »
Better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than to open it and remove all doubt :)

Offline joycie

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Re: Va Va June
« Reply #1 on: June 13, 2018, 07:33:25 AM »
Oh what a fabulous report mood and in it is me at the mo fighting my way through definetly going maybe  going and we’ll see if we can gat it in if all else fails mode.
I liked Fetiyhe when we were there for a short time three years ago. Our hotel wasn’t part of a supermarket but the hospital but very well situated for a walk along the front and to the old town.
Glad you arrived safely and look forward to your musings on our special place.

Offline Bob & Jayne

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Re: Va Va June
« Reply #2 on: June 13, 2018, 08:10:46 AM »
Oh K4E what a fab fab start to your holiday. Thoroughly enjoyed reading your blog and look forward to reading about more of your adventures.  :D :D :D
« Last Edit: June 13, 2018, 09:00:37 AM by Bob & Jayne »

Offline Lizilu20

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Re: Va Va June
« Reply #3 on: June 13, 2018, 08:59:16 AM »
Yay, you're back!

K4E anf Shirl in the same town, now you're talking!  ;)

Loved hearing about Gocek and Fethiye but glad you're back where your heart lies. Happy holidays.  :-*

Offline Babs

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Re: Va Va June
« Reply #4 on: June 13, 2018, 07:08:56 PM »
Precisely lizilu......watch out Kalkan!
K4E the start of your holiday sounds amazing.......I can't wait till I also get a little choked as we come round the corner and see the view......in 4 days!!!! :) :) :)

Offline Lizilu20

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Re: Va Va June
« Reply #5 on: June 14, 2018, 08:51:06 AM »
Oh my, Babs, K4E and Shirl! The 3 Degrees hit Kalkan!  :o I can't wait.  ;)

Offline kalkan4eva

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Re: Va Va June
« Reply #6 on: June 15, 2018, 10:19:44 AM »
Flaming June!
Its absolutely roasting for this time of year, the recently laid tarmac - which I have to say is most unpleasant - is oozing out of the great dollops that have dropped into potholes. Its an obstacle course to avoid it in the road that runs alongside our accommodation. We noticed, with great sadness, the baby tortoise from HanInn had met a horrible untimely end in one such expanse...no doubt getting stuck and then driven over. I was heartbroken.

We aren’t getting much walking in at the moment as BH is suffering from a hip problem...so much smaller less arduous treks for now, hoping the drugs will kick in shortly as I’m down on the cocktail points already! He also arrived in Kalkan with toothache but we popped into pharmacy to see if we could get some Bonjela or Ambesol...describing what he wanted by rubbing his gum, a tube of pink gel was offered as the solution....a rather large tube! BH rubbed it in, saying it felt gloopy but noted the pain had started to ease. Turns out we had been given glue to stick dentures in place! A different pharmacist, a different day...some tablets have sorted him out!

We’ve had a lazy few days, but can manage to fill our time amazingly well doing naff all. I had my usual pedicure at Jasmine on Kalamar Road. Once Betul had worked her magic - I bet she wishes she could take an industrial sander to my trotters - my feet were looking fantastic and only 50TL...it would cost a small fortune at home for a similar transformation. BH waited in Johnny’s AKA the Pirate Ship. I know its not everyone’s cup of tea, but good luck to him generating business...it was certainly full when we were there.

Yesterday was the first boat trip of the holiday - a special one for our Shirl’s birthday. Adem and Kemal had decorated the boat with balloons, bunting, rose petals and Christmas tinsel and her arrival was a greeted with music and fireworks - quite a spectacle and she was so touched! We had the best day on Yildiz 3 which was sailing so close and in parallel with Yildiz 2 for most of the day as they’d hired a photographer to do some photos for their website. Such a lovely group of people we were so lucky although one of the more colourful passengers, who was travelling on her own, did insist on regaling us with tales of her amorous love life with her Turkish suitors...Oh My! She was very entertaining, shall we say, and fortunately her stories didnt seem to offend or upset the rest of us.

We didnt get back to the harbour until after 7...a lengthy delay whilst the anchor was dislodged from its stuck position thanks to Yasin from Whisper boat (who seems to possess lungs the size of an inflatable dingy) and Ramazan who used the motor from his Eyul boat to drag it out. We all cheered but quite frankly we would have been happy to stay there forever.

It was drinks at Fener with Jayne and Bob and suddenly it was evening! It did mean the walk of shame with our beach clothes and hair styled by the sea past some of Kalkan’s smartest restaurants...Jayne keeping her eyes fixed to her feet in case she saw someone she recognised.

Days don’t come more wonderful than this....
« Last Edit: June 15, 2018, 10:09:39 PM by kalkan4eva »

Offline Bob & Jayne

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Re: Va Va June
« Reply #7 on: June 15, 2018, 01:24:15 PM »
K4E what  a fab holiday your having already! Hope Daz's hip and tooth improves soon. We've walked the tarmac along the boulevard road this morning and it is certainly gross!
But... on another note, thank you for sharing my day yesterday. What fun we all had it was absolutely wonderful! You summed it up so well!  :D


Offline Babs

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Re: Va Va June
« Reply #8 on: June 15, 2018, 02:29:00 PM »
Sounds as if you had a brilliant birthday Shirl, wish we'd been in Kalkan a few days earlier so we could have joined in the fun!
I don't like the sound of all this tarmac.......is it really Daz's hip or are you just being slowed down by the tar......I imagine once it's settled in, it'll look ok.....in about 10 years!
Sounds as if you're very busy doing nothing....just the way it should be!  :)

Offline Bob & Jayne

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Re: Va Va June
« Reply #9 on: June 15, 2018, 03:40:58 PM »
Oh I wish you were too Babs and of course my partner in crime!  :D :D

Offline Babs

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Re: Va Va June
« Reply #10 on: June 16, 2018, 07:35:04 AM »
Shirl, I think we’ve hijacked K4E’s blog!  :laugh:

Offline Lizilu20

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Re: Va Va June
« Reply #11 on: June 16, 2018, 10:45:56 AM »
How fantastic stuck on a boat with entertainment and photographers, I can’t wait to see those photos! Just wished I could have been there to witness it. Sounds like Shirl had the perfect birthday.

That tarmac sounds awful and I was nearly in tears thinking about that poor little tortoise. My tears of sadness soon turned into tears of laughter though as I read out to OH re your BH’s denture gel predicament! We both cracked up! Actually I bet the glue filled the little hole that caused the pain so was prob the best thing he could have used!

I’m really enjoying these blogs and now with Babs on board too it’ll be almost worth not being in Kalkan just so I can read all about your adventures and pretend I’m there with you 3 amigos.

Offline Bob & Jayne

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Re: Va Va June
« Reply #12 on: June 16, 2018, 04:30:33 PM »
Lizilu, next year definitely  4 amigos and not 3  :D. K4e apologies for hijacking your blog  ;D. Really must get on with doing mine, been nice taking a back seat and enjoying everybody else's.  :D

Sx

Offline kalkan4eva

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Re: Va Va June
« Reply #13 on: June 18, 2018, 11:32:55 PM »
I’ve already done that thing you shouldn’t do...start thinking about how many days are left and how we can fit everything in. BH has started a chart...I swear if he could access a PC it would be a spreadsheet!
We do have 2 weeks left, but boy oh boy how can we fit everything in in that time?

Friday was weird (weather-wise) for June. After the oppressive heat of the last few days, it was probably right that we had some rain...and it was the cats and dogs variety as opposed to a shower. The black clouds kind of enveloped Kalkan at 6pm and as we sat from our vantage point in Moonlight an hour or so later the heavens opened! Then we watched what can only be described as organised chaos as large TV’s were taken in then put out again then taken in again, whilst the parasols doubled up as very large umbrellas...once they were in place, which only seemed to happen after lots of shouting and gesticulating. We had booked to eat in Alternatif but similar chaos ensued...heavy rain in June, it seems is a deal breaker. Wegot chatting to a couple who had to abandon their evening in Lal as no makeshift rain barriers were forthcoming...how sad! When we eventually got to our table the seats nearest the balcony were soaked through but the welcome was warm and the food, although smaller portions than previous years, was just delicious.

Our daily walks have returned although not on the level I would prefer. We were invited to a BBQ and the walk up to Lizo on Kalamar felt as arduous as anything we’d done to date. I think...no, I know...we thought getting in the pool at midnight was a jolly good idea, but really..it isnt! I could still smell the chlorine the following day.

On Sunday, as Jayne has already said, we met for drinks in Kaya where Kadir wowed us with his amazing magic and then Marley’s delivered some more magic of a different kind. Loved their food and also enjoyed a pretty good Margarita. The company made the evening, of course it did, but do pop this place on your restaurant list...particularly if you like burgers.

Today has been another full-on day with one thing and another...we also found that a lot of ATM’s were cashless at the end of the 3 day holiday. Our usual exchange is Is Bank, but that wouldnt play ball so we ventured into the Bank itself to see if they could help. We were given ticket 519 and told to take a seat...at which point I noticed although there were only 6 people waiting but person being served was ticket 215..? I cannot explain what happened over the next half hour but the ticket system certainly does not work the way you would expect. I could also not get my head around what people were actually doing in the bank...they appeared to be handing over money, then being given money which they then handed back.

It will come as no surprise to know that we needed to exchange sterling into Turkish Lira in order to buy Euro’s...go figure!

We’d planned to watch the England game with friends in Moonlight...the place was rammed but as if by magic...not sure if it was Kadir’s doing....as soon as the game kicked off, so did Muhitidin’s internet connection! Every game we have watched here over the last couple of major tournaments has gone the same way, with a half full Utopia cheering the goal around a minute before the Moonlight TV’s have caught up, means quite a quickly a fully-occupied Utopia and a loss of business. And they never learn from this....we vowed to watch the next game somewhere else, although as it’s on Election Day, it will be a dry house wherever we end up!

We are off to Meis tomorrow, by Gulet! New for us, and something we’ve been looking forward to from the minute we booked it...! If I don’t see a turtle or two...I’ll be pretty miffed...!

Offline pw

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Re: Va Va June
« Reply #14 on: June 19, 2018, 07:15:58 AM »
Try AKBank ATMs for sterling. The one just up from Akin has never let me down.

pw
« Last Edit: June 19, 2018, 07:10:50 PM by pw »
re-branded & abbreviated

Offline kalkan4eva

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Re: Va Va June
« Reply #15 on: June 19, 2018, 10:15:43 PM »
Thanks, pw. We had sterling, just needed the exchange ATM facility at IS Bank to turn it into Lira :) :)

Offline Bob & Jayne

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Re: Va Va June
« Reply #16 on: June 20, 2018, 11:11:44 AM »
Another fab report K4E, it's hard not to count down isn't it? But you have ages yet. It's only just begun, looking forward to hearing all about Meis, and hopefully you got to see the turtles  :D :D :D

Offline kalkan4eva

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Re: Va Va June
« Reply #17 on: June 24, 2018, 10:54:12 PM »
To be fair, I’ve been a bit lardy with my reports this holiday....
The weather has thrown me...clouds and rain in June...? What’s the world coming to?
More Blurgh Blurgh June than Va Va June since I last checked in, but it appears normal service has now been resumed.

Our trip to Meis on a Gulet...? Oh yes, that was where I left off and what can I say about  this day that I havent already on social media? We’ve been to Meis a fair few times on the ferry and thoroughly enjoyed it, but this trip just beats it all ends up. Yes it’s cheaper to take the ferry and spend a few hours on Meis, but if you want to see more of the island and get a feel for it “after hours” this is the trip for you! We were picked up at 9.30..the car was not designed for 4 people who are above minature size and weight, but we managed and made friends immediately with a our lovely fellow passengers...how could we not almost sitting on each other’s knees..? After the formalities which included a man with a gun checking us and our passports over, we arrived in Meis...maybe 10 minutes later than the ferry. Passports again, somewhat smoothed by Captain Osman’s freshly picked cherries from his family farm...not sure if it was true but the huge bag of the blackest, juiciest cherries seemed to go down well with the Greek authorities. We then left the harbour to sail around beautiful Meis...it was an overcast day, but eventually the sun poked through the clouds as we made our scheduled stops. I’m not sure what the highlight of this part of the trip was - the fabulous BBQ fish lunch or the Blue Cave - both were spectacular.
We docked back in the harbour at 4.30pm, giving us 5 hours free time on Meis....our sunset wasn’t as clear as I’d hoped....clouded out at the crucial moment, but I took so many photos my camera died. If I tell you it has a battery life of 10 hrs and was fully charged, you will understand the pressure I put it under. Turtles frolicking in the bay as we ate dinner at Athina was probably BH’s favourite part of the trip. It was, we all agreed, the best way to see this pretty island on a day trip!

We said goodbye to Bob and Jayne on Thursday, but hello to Babs and Gary! BH doesn’t frequent this site and is a bit sceptical of the friendships I strike up online through our shared love of Kalkan but has loved meeting new friends through EK. Bob is now known as Monkey to BH...I have no words.

As we said our final farewells in Moonlight after a fabulous dinner at Lal, we bumped into the Lizards and it rounded off the night beautifully.

Next day we were on Yildiz 2, but Bh was feeling “worse for wear”...I told Os it was a hangover but as the day wore on, it was apparently a little worse than that. BH slept for most of the trip and missed all the lovely food and socialising. By the time we got back to the harbour he was feeling slightly more human but still not right. It was only when we got back to our apartment and were chatting did we realise Osman hadn’t charged us for BH....a trip down to the harbour first thing next day allowed us to put that right!

Its been Election Day today and so many of our Turkish friends believed a change was coming....early reports say otherwise so we can only hope any protests that may follow in other parts of Turkey are peaceful and don’t involve injury or loss of life. Alcohol was freely available to buy all day in bars, restaurants and independent retailers but the national chains played by the rules. The bottle of Angora we tried to buy in Kipa was easily bought elsewhere...bars were full to bursting with people watching the England game...fortified with Efes.

The days have  already started to run away with themselves and I wonder how we will decide on the things we’ll miss out on this year. Patara is on our schedule for tomorrow, but with BH still not 100%, who knows...?

« Last Edit: July 11, 2018, 06:04:16 PM by kalkan4eva »

Offline Bob & Jayne

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Re: Va Va June
« Reply #18 on: June 25, 2018, 05:16:31 AM »
K4E loving your blog and your trip to Meis is definitely on our list next time, sounds amazing! Hope Daz feels better and hopefully you get to Patara. Monkey that has just made us laugh!   ;D ;D

Offline Alibobs

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Re: Va Va June
« Reply #19 on: June 25, 2018, 03:11:44 PM »
As a long time lurker on the site I finally had to register so I can comment!
 We were on the Meis trip with K4E, it wasn't until the day after and I was back lurking that it clicked! I'm slightly miffed that I may have passed Blue Lizard in the street, I have a secret ambition to meet him, his posts always make me smile!
The trip was indeed a wonderful day, so many different elements made it special, the car journey not withstanding!  I am sure that as word gets round in Kalkan more people will take up the opportunity .
I trust  Daz is feeling better, hope it wasn't all the seawater he swallowed whilst performing his life saving techniques  that did for him ;)
Enjoy your last week X










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