Disney world of Turkey

Near Yucagan-Fethiye

Distance: 35 km
Time elapsed: 1 hr 40 min
Average speed: 15.1 km/ hr
Max speed: 43.3 km/ hr
Temp: 41 C

Chris and I made it farther than expected again, this time all the way down to the harbor town of Fethiye.

Woke up in the shade of a row of poplar trees, near the thin roadway. Backdrop setting was an enormous power plant of some sort, mmm... Frightening. I hope we don't grow extra toenails or something!


10 fingers, 10 toes, check!

We started up the shoulder-less road and quickly discovered the passing cars did not want to share, so instead we caught a lift in the back of one of many white pickup trucks constantly delivering goods across the country. It's amazing how many trucks vans and semis are transporting goods only one direction and returning empty. Incredibly inefficient, do we still do this in the US? I wish the trucking companies would wise up and save gas money by consolidating shipments, like Viktor Bout (Lord of War arms dealer). Makes sense economically and would certainly clear up traffic!

Anyway we continued out of town, stopping at a gas station for water and made some friends. They sat us down for some tulip glasses of Turkish tea, then we decided to grab breakfast; Chris ordered a steaming bowl of lentil soup. I already ate a bunch of peaches picked from a tree this morning, but I can't hold back on the pide! Turkish bread is so delicious; not the hard, white crusty bread favored in Spain, but soft and sourdoughy flat breads...


Gulce's brother shows off the awesomeness of pide bread!

After the gas station we got to ride several km on our own private, newly paved stretch of asphalt not yet open to cars. Glorious. Casually glided through villages identical to Albanian and Greek ones. Then our road stopped abruptly and we couldn't even squeeze onto the two way traffic, so again we caught a ride in a white truck.

The driver took us through Mugla, where we intended to stop for the day. We mısunderstood one another, and ended up past the town. He switched us to his friend's van and that guy took us into the mountains over the Gokova Pass. Although I would not have enjoyed climbing uphill I wish we'd been on bike coming down the backside with switchback views of the stunning bay below. We descended all the way down into the valley delta, then waited for another truck. On the other side of the road a team of Turkish women worked in the fields, I couldn't make out what they were growing but we could see thick irrigation channels and tropical banana palm fronds.


Apricot and cashew stop!

A family in an emtpy semi picked us up and drove us through the mountains. Once out of the lush Gokova valley the landscape become dry with pine forests. I was very grateful not to be climbing these steep hills in such heat. The family was returning to thier home in Antalya, and dropped us at the turn for Fethiye, where we could coast down slowly into the city.

Once in Fethiye I immediately regretted coming. The town has exploded into a touristy harbor enclave designed completely around serving Europeans. Not nearly as bad as Kusadasi, but still packed with overpriced 'real authentic Turkish' restaurants and shops packed with Chinese and Indian factory goods. Turkish guys sit near the entrances along the walkways and becon all the beautiful ladies to eat there while others try to sell you a package boat tour of the islands because 'doesn't your family deserve a boat trip?'


Men buying fish at the central market

We stayed out long after sunset at a nargile restaurant with wifi, next to a British family who were befuddled by 'the whole nargile thing' and were presented with a bowl on the house. We tried to ignore their fits of coughing and feeling a right bit tipsy! But I was too engrossed with facebook updates to care.


Free wifi= awesome

Then we rode as far out of the harbor as we could, having a hard time finding a camp spot. Seems all the forests were snatched up by the hotel resorts. Eventually we settled in a deserted lot of sorts, overlooking the water and a half sunken boat in the harbor. The next morning we woke and slowly got ourselves together. I feel like I didn't rest at all, and at 8 am it's already blazing hot.


Moonlit harbor, cok guzelle

The sunrise over the water was beautiful though. I really enjoy sleeping outside and getting to witness the morning light poking out each day, waking up the world. We see a lot of sunsets but don't always notice them, but a sunrise is impossible to miss.


Gunayden!