My first impressions of Turkey were not entirely favourable.  What should have been a routine docking manoeuvre took us 2.5 hours. The marina staff seemed courageously incompetent at best. I found myself asking myself are these the people that repelled the ANZAC’s so ferociously? Obviously the ANZAC’s did not moor up in Kusadasi at 5pm on a Thursday night. Or maybe they did?

I found it equally strange that there was a large “Welcome to Turkeyyeh” sign in the Marina. The real spelling of countries in English is always different to how the perennially tongue tied English spell them.

The sour hangover which was Turkey did not abate the next afternoon when we were all given half a day off. Sadly given that I was on watch and as I love to be in front of a computer I was abandoned by the rest of the crew. I spent my day gorging myself on convenience food and muttering to myself.

We collected our charter on the Monday and travelled to Bodum. For the Turkey charter I found myself on my last night watch session as a Deckhand. Bodrum was a place I had heard much of. On my first boat we were at one point going to winter in Bodrum when we had a Turkish person interested in buying us.

What greeted me on a sheepish walk outside on deck at 9pm was a very well lit up beach side resort town. It also had some incredibly loud music wailing at me for multiple directions. It was also incredibly warm. The Greek climate had also been hot but Turkey seemed to have a far more hellish climate. A short tender ride later and I was up close with Bodrum. Our very knowledgeable Chef says Bodrum is the Cannes of Turkey. I guess it is. The music abruptly stopped at 3am, it was solemly silent and then at 5:20am there was chanting broadcast over loud speakers. This was eerie and strange even for my caffeine enhanced night watch mind.

From Bodrum we made our way to some place with Turk in the name, it appears my Greek travel habits hung about for this trip. This was the Saint Tropez of the Turkish Riviera, with exclusive waterside beach clubs and restaurants. There was also an interesting cacophony of semi passable house music, dire top forty chart music and traditional Turkish ballads. This horrible noise assaulting me kind of sums up a metaphor for the huge rapid development which hugs Turkeys extensive coast line. However……..

Turkey is incredibly beautiful. Once again thanks to my Chef who seems to always have time to take fantastic photos.

No thanks for me not knowing where these places are although the last photo is definitely…..

A heavily forested amazing place called Gochek. Although we were only there for a day or so our Boss was impressed enough to want to come back to Turkey for a month next year. Shame I won’t be here to see more.

From Gochek we started the long trip back to Athens, Greece. But that is Greece. Tune in for Greece redux soon.

Ciao!