Starting the season

Despite the volcanic ash cloud which disrupted some of K8’s plans, Visits flowed in steadily. We were eager to blow away the dust from the yard, and concentrate on exploring the blue cruise coast line which we had heard so much about. The photos in the literature do not do it justice, as it is all about the experience too which can not be portrayed in a still image.

Provisioning

Provisioning alone is an experience to behold – the market runs every Sunday and Thursday in the centre of Marmarais town. Farmers from neighbouring villages set up stands with their wears and tout for business as potential customers wander about. You can buy the freshest fruit and veg, but only the local produce that is in season, there are spices piled in colourful sacks and wicker baskets of dried fruits and nuts. You can taste all the local goat, cow and sheep cheeses and gorge yourself on a million different olives. Some of the vegetable were new for me and a stand holder took me under his wing and cooked a wonderful stew on a gas camping burner right there as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Friendships were forged over a quest for understanding the Turkish for coriander and a place to buy some.

Visitors

Our visitor are arriving and sadly leaving, but all I hope are taking a little bit of Turkey and the magical Kealoha experience with them. As we visit different places we are making new friends. The coast line seems an endless discovery of little bays and historical ruins. The people we meet are so full of knowledge and very proud of their history. We have got to know a number of Turkish Gullet Captains and International Cruisers in their own boats who are eager to share their knowledge of the coast line with us so that we can get the most out of it together with our guests aboard.

None the less, nothing replaces your own experience of each special place. A few weeks ago we went to Gocek town for the evening; a friendly waiter served the guests with drinks on the quay side and upon learning that they were cruising the coast on a yacht, insisted they take freshly made stone oven bread with them free of charge. We devoured it with some home made Hummus and salad for a light lunch. Last week we went to a restaurant with guests in Selimiye and some German Crew kindly entertained all the diners with a jamming session on a banjo and saxophone. A few days later while crossing the bay of Marmarais in the tender, we were joined by a curious loggerhead turtle, which swam with us for a few meters before departing to the depths of the bay. He must have been 1.5m large, I wonder how old he is and what he has seen in his life?