Kalkan Turkey Forum - EnjoyKalkan.com
Kalkan Discussion => Holiday Reports and Reviews => Topic started by: SarahS on June 22, 2008, 09:13:07 PM
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Hi Everyone
I''m 15 and if I''m honest I can''t get enough of Kalkan.
I''ve just finished doing my English coursework on it and thought I''d post it just to see if anyone is interested in having a nosey at it :)
More and more resorts in Turkey are becoming commercialised. Filled with English bars, night clubs and karaoke bars, resorts such as Marmaris are gradually becoming a late night London with sunshine. However, less than 1% of people who step off that plane, including myself, venture away from Marmaris to a quiet little town called Kalkan.
After a tiring 2 hour coach drive from Dalaman Airport, I found myself looking at a breathtakingly beautiful view of Kalkan. The picturesque town is situated on a mountain side descending towards the sea in terraces of whitewashed houses. The windy cobbled streets lead down to a pretty seafront and sleepy harbour. The sun beamed down on the calm blue sea and I found myself taking a deep sigh of relief as I saw no sign of a McDonalds or Tesco anywhere! I knew I was going to enjoy it here.
Suddenly I began to perk up from the jet lag and decided to go and explore. As I wandered into town, the friendly locals waved and shouted “Merhaba!†I waved back and felt a small smile creep onto my face. I could feel the hot sun blazing onto my head and decided to stop for a cool drink in the shade.
As I sat sipping a glass of chilled water watching the boats gently floating across the sea, I felt myself becoming utterly lost in the unique atmosphere that this small town had to offer. The bar I was relaxing in overlooked one of the many twisty, sloping streets and I began to enjoy watching the local Turks go about their everyday business. I began to notice that the majority of the locals used motor scooters instead of cars. A wise choice, I thought, as the streets were incredibly narrow and the driver would have great difficulty trying to get their vehicle through town! As I thought this I noticed what appeared to be an entire family riding on one scooter! I quietly chuckled to myself as they passed and asked one of the waiters for the bill.
I began the difficult walk up one of the many steep hills to my hotel when I noticed a taxi rank. I convinced myself that a taxi wouldn’t be necessary and that the walk was doing me good but after trekking halfway up in the baking heat I was beginning to regret my decision! I opened the door to my hotel room and collapsed on the bed with exhaustion.
After a quick nap I decided to get ready to enjoy the wonders of Kalkan at night. I mastered the hill on the way down and chose to go straight for dinner. After struggling down the cobbled streets in my heels, I settled on a small restaurant on the harbour as, after glancing at their menu, I noticed it was filled with nothing but traditional Turkish cuisine. A polite and friendly waiter showed me to my table and asked what I would like to drink. After he had left, I glanced out to the bay, enjoying the panoramic views and soothing sounds of the calm waves beneath the boats.
Following the most delicious meal of calamari and a selection of mezes, I went for a quiet stroll around town appreciating the little carpet bazaars, creative jewellery shops and petite grocery stalls that were still open despite the late hour. I was surprised by the local’s friendliness and hospitality as I sauntered round town noticing how they all said “Hello†to me and asked me how I was. They all seemed to sincerely enjoy my response and conversation. I’d never been to a place where everyone was so friendly and hassle-free. After wishing everyone good night I wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice and jumped straight into a taxi.
Later in the week I, yet again, jumped in a taxi but this time travelled over the mountainside to Patara Beach. It was an incredible sight – 9 miles of nothing but unspoilt white sand, luscious blue waves and swooping dunes. Time flew by as I sunbathed in the scorching sun before taking refuge under a parasol. On the way back to Kalkan I admired the ancient ruins close to the beach and gazed at the remains of the colossal amphitheatre. This country truly is amazing...
The final day of my holiday arrived and I was overcome with depression at the thought of landing in the dark and dreary weather in England and being greeted with moody, straight-faced fellow Brits. I tried not to think about it as I wished my new friends good-bye and clambered into a taxi. As the car struggled over the top of the mountain I caught a final glimpse of Kalkan and felt overwhelmed with sadness yet anxious to return again. You wouldn’t think such a small town would have such an effect on you.
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Sarah, what a wonderful essay. You have made some astute observations as to the reasons why so many of us love Kalkan and it''s residents.
Well done, you have made me remember what it is that draws me back to Kalkan and made me quite homesick. ...........
I''ll just have a look at some flight sites!!!! ;)
Thank you
Joan
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What a good piece of writing, Sarah. Don''t stop writing, even though you may not be in wonderful Kalkan. You obviously have a talent with words.
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Oh the wonders of Kalkan, glad you had a lovely time and good luck with your course work.
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Lovely writing sarah - and sounding so mature for someone of your age...can''t see my 15 year old writing so eloquently!! Keep it up - your love and passion for kalkan shines through - top marks!! ;D ;D
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Well done Sarah, your course work made excellent reading especially when it came to the bit about coming back to Britain!
It was accurate both in observation, spelling and grammar! A rare thing these days - I look forward to your next holidays!
I kept a diary from the age of fourteen till my 20''s and am so glad that I did now as the memory is failing! I''ll get around to typing it up one day.
Thank you,
Wendy
;D
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Worth an A*
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Sarah
A delightful piece of work, making me wish I had just ten minutes and not ten days to wait for our next visit. I think we are in the presence of the next Judith Chalmers (your parents will explain). My faith in the education of British youth has been restored.
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Top marks Sarah,I look forward to reading one of books in the future,looks like the bug has bitten you ! ;D Neil
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Thank you everyone for your comments.
Put a smile on mine and my mothers face :D
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wooo!
Go Sarah ;D
That''s amazing, And all true. Missed the bit about Dancing in the Moonlight out thought! Good times. Makes me want even more to be back there.
Loveyouxx
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As an English teacher, I thought your coursework was great and loved the imagery which really brought Kalkan alive for me. As a lover of Kalkan, too, your writing evoked very happy memories. Well done! I''m guessing you''re in Year 10 and will have plenty of time to add more detail to this piece as you''re hopefully going to be back in Kalkan once more before you submit this work to the dreaded exam board in Year 11!!Thank you for sharing your work.