Fantastic holiday, I will be back!

[Pam]

Have been back from Kalkan a week and am already feeling deprived! Kalkan is a joy, everyone is so friendly and welcoming. I met so many great people. Highlights for me were the food and service at Fish Terrace, Kaptans, Fez, Kosk and Kaya. Loved the magic tricks at Kaya. Another was the Belly Dancing night at the Samira Hotel, it was very funny when we were all dragged up to have a go, I was a disaster. Need to be slimmer to bend that low! Will be trying to find a class to attend before my return next year.
  Having a full on Heidi moment up in the mountains was great with a couple that I'd met from the Samira Hotel. We found some tombs surrounded by fields of beehives up there when we suddenly heard bells and saw a herd of goats clambering down a steep cliff at speed. I spotted the woman looking after them and attempted to chat in my terrible Turkish, gave up and communication by sign language. She was lovely, there was such a sense of peace in her calm gaze, I found myself wishing I was her.
  The little stoney Kalkan beach was an experience. Found myself falling into the sea, which was gorgeous just like a warm bath, and then having to crawl back out on my hands and knees! I thought that there had to be a more elegant method when I noticed a lady strolling out of it like no stones were falling away under her feet. She had on little rubber slippers that she'd bought from a the first shoe shop on the left as you walk down the main street. A bargain at 10 Lira. I got them and they made such a difference!     
  Never thought I'd be a negotiator between an alsation and the golden dog that plays with all the kids on the beach either. There are two alsations that are walked on the beach every day and one decided to have a go at goldie. Just stood there barking in goldie's ear. Goldie was not having a good week. Will never forget the look of shock that appeared on goldie's face when a sunbather rejected his friendly advances and told him they didn't like him! That dog was devastated, he slowly stumbled back up the beach turning back to look at the sunbather every now and then with the most forlorn expression. He refused to play for quite a while. Which is why when the alsation had a go I went to his rescue. The alsation was generally well behaved when with his handler. He knew he was out of order when I approached. A couple more barks and he gave up.
  Thanks to everyone at BBQ, especially Erkan, for a memorable last night. It was great to meet so many people who had made Kalkan their home full-time or part of the year. I can understand why.
  Met Tricia Emptage on my last day, she was playing online scrabble at Kalkan Parc. Thanked her for writing The Road to Ruins as I'd I found it so useful. Recommend you get a copy as soon as you get to Kalkan from that bar or you can order it from Foyles in London.
I stayed at the Samira Garden where I felt like family! Naz and the team really go out of their way to make your stay special.
  Have reset my twitter background with a Kalkan collage. Until next year!

Pam x 

Linkback: https://www.enjoykalkan.com/forum/index.php?topic=4709.0

[Chucky]

Hi Pam
Thanks for taking the time to post your report. It is good to hear that even towards the end of the season, a good time can be had in Kalkan.
Joan

[Blue Lizard]

Yes..a smashing report that made me wish i was back in Kalkan,thank you for making me smile re Goldie!(a favourite)..although i will give the rubber shoes a miss!!

[itstime]

Hey don't knock the shoes. An absolute essential to truly enjoy Kalkan beach although even with them I remain completely undignified in my attempts to get in/out of the sea
Thanks for the wonderful report

[Blue Lizard]

Are you one of those people you hear coming before you see them?..all that squeaky foot noise in rubber shoes!!......eek eek eek eek eek eek eek eek eek     

[itstime]

LMAO hope not!!!!!! I wear traditional flippen floppen down to the beach then discard them for the beach shoes as I'm about to descend gracefully down into the sea and when I come back out again hey presto the flippen floppen go back on again
No squeaks that I'm aware of other than me squeaking with laughter at those who haven't had the forethought to bring beach shoes

[Blue Lizard]

Pam must be wondering whats going on!! Well Pam..as a seasoned kalkaner you will now Know that Flippen Floppen is the way to go regarding foot wear......if you walked on the stones in Scuba flippers you would knock someone out with those boulders!!

[kalkan4eva]

Itstime...a woman after my own heart. Most definitely elegant flip flops to walk down to the beach, but the crocs come out of my bag as soon as we're there - wouldn't event attempt to walk into (or out of..) the sea without them. Don't wear them to walk anywhere else by the way because the squeeking BL mentions
Unless you're a local - and therefore immune to the stones - without the shoes you're just entertainment for the rest of the beach - you have been warned

[michelle2]

Good Holiday report Pam, glad you enjoyed yourself.  The dog (Goldie) who you mentioned is Tango, a regular to Kalkan beach every day.  His owners own the shop opposite the shoe shop you mentioned.  He is a lovely dog and is very well known in Kalkan!

[Enişte]

And even though he looks like a labrador, he is in fact a retriever who went for the all-over shave.  To take things one step further, check out Tango Keskinler on Facebook and see his holiday photos!

[itstime]

Lol Kalkan4eva I have enjoyed many a pleasant hour watching unshod tourists trying to get in and out of the sea. Techniques vary from crawling on all fours, sitting down and trying to "bum" along, hopping madly from one foot to another, taking a few steps backwards and attempting a sprint. Never fails to entertain. I am though always amazed at how many locals manage to negotiate the terrain with absolute style and grace Wish I knew how to do that as even with my shoes I am somewhat less than elegant in my attempts

[kalkan4eva]

You're so right Itstime....I try not to laugh but some of the methods are hilarious and the locals just act as though there's no stones and incline coming out of the sea doesn't exist - I marvel at their skill. Even in crocs I look like I'm trying to negotiate to north face of the Eiger

When we were there last month, I encountered my first ex-pat snob. This lesser spotted creature has been mentioned on this forum, but I thought it was a Kalkan Urban Myth. No, two middle aged women on sunbeds next to us, complaining loudly that the beach was "full of tourists" and we had the audacity to bring alcohol 
After lots of tut-tutting and "Kalkan isn't the same anymore" one of them went off for a swim. I thought I'd check out her exit technique as a practically local person....and watched, albeit smirking behind my book, as she went for what I can only describe as the Sea Lion method - a bit of bum sliding mixed with rolling over onto her front as she made her way - with not an ounce of grace - to where she left her shoes. After all her years in Kalkan, it was a poor show, in my opinion

Despite being a tourist crowding out the empty beach and having had a couple of glasses of Angora my exit attempts and that of every other tourist that day beat hers hands down....in my opinion, of course

[Blue Lizard]

Are you sure it wasn't 2 Old Walruses washed up on the beach....maybe the Angora was stronger than you thought

[kalkan4eva]

You might be right, BL 
Although one of the walruses had become marooned on her sunbed - should have called KAPSA

[Kefgirl]

Great description of the "Walrus" I wish I'd seen it. 
Fancy moaning about tourists, if we didn't go, there'd be hardly any restaurants etc for the lucky ex-pats to enjoy!
If I'm fortunate enough to retire there one day, (please, please....) I promise to be kind to tourists!   

[MartynE]

Kalkan4eva, I sooo hope that one of the aforementioned walruses is an EK member and recognises your description... do you think they will own up??? 

[Blue Lizard]

K4E.....A sure fire way of identifying would be to next time throw your beach ball in the general direction,if one catches it on it's nose and claps wildly it is indeed a member of the Pinniped family(Seals, Walruses etc)

[Pam]

You've all made me laugh so much as I read your responses and now I miss Kalkan even more! Have found Tango on Facebook, thanks for the tip. It's so cold here that your warm sunshine already feels like a distant memory.
  I've kept my rubber shoes for my next visit. I suspect they'll come in handy when I go on my next gulet cruise. I didn't actually go for a swim on the last one as I wasn't feeling too well. But I really enjoyed watching the fake mudbath!
  We arrived at a bay when the Captain started yelling 'mudbath!' Well, I stood on deck and all I could see was a rocky cove with a sandy beach. A large group of walkers were taking shelter from the sun under a huge overhanging rock at the time. We were all wondering where the mudbath was when the Captain's assistant leaped off the boat with a plastic bowl. He bent behind a boulder and rapidly clawed some dry earth into the bowl. When he'd got enough he added fresh seawater and mixed it up to create the 'mud' for the bath. Hilarious and very inventive. Nearly everyone half killed themselves trying to get to the beach over the rocks apart from me and a couple of older ladies. I took snaps of the mud being liberally applied to the brave souls who made it onto the beach. They all swore when they got back to the boat that their skin felt smoother!
Pam 

[Blue Lizard]

We went to the mudbaths at Dalyan...your skin will be covered in slimy mud that you let dry in the sun before washing off...make sure you get it all off because you will smell like a rotten egg and people will talk especially if your rubber shoes make "that" noise......

[kalkan4eva]

BL, you should know better than to mention a beach ball to a Liverpool fan
Pam, I loved your description of the "mud" baths. The first time we went on one of those we cried with laughter trying to get out of the water without the shoes The "mud" is just a clay off the rockface, but my skin always feels better than when I've paid for something similar at an expensive spa - providing you use the shingle in the sea to take the mud off. It's great fun drying off in the sun and watching your skin turn into elephants skin.
Martyn, I doubt the Pinniped Two would own up to either the snobbery or the poor exit strategy - the latter being the most embarrassing given the many years they've had to practice