Kas to Kekova Roads

Saturday 01 June

Shopping for supplies - found a brilliant green grocer and bought loads of fruit and vegetables for 14tl (£5.00) and a great bread shop - and then a fresh orange juice sitting by the harbour before returning to the marina for an afternoon by the pool.  Since we left less than a week ago a new system has been put in place at the pool and now a charge of 25tll (not quite £10) is made, but this included food to that amount - a no brainer - lunch as well by the pool.

And then dinner out in Kas at a restaurant Matt & Heather had been to about eleven years ago - they must have been babies!?

Sunday 02 June

My birthday. Really not having any more after this one. But had a lovely day and so looked after.  Didnt lift a finger.  Breakfast provided by the Captain and the Crew made lunch and dinner.  The weather was very overcast to start with but with a very warm southerly blowing.  By early afternoon though when we set off for Kekova Roads the sky had cleared and the sun shone again.  It took about 3 hours to get there amongst small islands and spectacular scenery.  We anchored for the night at the end of a long inlet, Polemos Buku, with a few other yachts and the crew had great fun jumping off the boat to swim and we were all very excited when the Captain spotted a couple of turtles. Had loads of messages and e-cards, for which thank you, FaceTime with the Bighams and Hannah and a phone call from my sister and many smuggled on board presents, again thank you.

Polemos Buku

Monday 03 June

Beautiful morning and we set off for an almost completely landlocked bay, Ucagiz Limani (only Matthew could pronounce this despite telling us a few times how to) only 15 minutes away where we anchored again and then set off in the dinghy to investigate the small hamlet and to buy bread for lunch.

Whilst there we were persuaded to take a boat trip on a supposedly glass bottom boat, although for the life of me I couldnt see how this could be, to visit the sunken city, which was probably ancient Simena, and destroyed by two earthquakes which took place within about 200 years of each other and around 100BC. We set off at 2 p.m. and by then the wind had picked up. Initially the boat we took, on our own, seemed a little rocky but we were fine.  A slight change of plan took us to Kale Koy, a very picturesque spot, and we walked up to a castle whre we were rewarded with a view right over Kekova Roads.  On the slopes outside the castle there are numerous sarcophagi and a lonely sarcophagus still stands half submerged on the western side of the small bay.

We then set off in the boat across the bay to the main ruins of the sunken city along the side of the opposite island but the wind by now was a yachtsman gale (force 4/5) and we rolled our way over hanging on for dear life.  We were entertained intially by two of the front deck sunbeds (foam mattresses) blowing into the water and the boatman trying to rescue them by reversing up to them at least half a dozen times. There was a stage when we thought we wanted to turn back but we were committed (or perhaps should be) and then we tried hard to be enthusiastic at the remains of the sunken city.  We discovered that the 'glass bottom' consisted of a small trap door in the floor of the boat with a glass pane to see the ruins but it was hard to see anything other than a lot of disturbed water under the boat. Heather got the giggles.We were then taken to a small bay, miraculously calm, for a swim and a snorkel to see more remains but unfortunately within less than 5 minutes we were joined by two other tripper boats and the bay was full.  It was a huge relief to get back to the jetty (I use the term loosely) at Ucagiz and then amazed at the boatman's tenacity in mooring his boat. (See photo below of Captain's disbelief).

But we still had to get back on Sequel against the wind in the dinghy, about a quarter of a mile, away.  By the time we did we were wet and exhausted but in an odd sort of way had really enjoyed ourselves - particularly the part where we got back on Sequel. And then the wind died, typically, and we had a lovely calm evening on the boat.

Tuesday 04 June

Slightly worried about the forecast so set off back to Kas but had a good trip and spent the day relaxing on the boat and in the early evening the crew helped wash the salt off.

Wednesday 05 June

A last morning at the pool as departure day for the crew.  Very sad to wave them goodbye at 4.30 p.m. for their flight back to Bristol.

Thursday 06 June

An early start back to Gocek hoping to take advantage of reasonable conditions - had not been looking forward to a repeat of ten days ago - but so far so good and I might even be able to make coffee now. And while writing this spotted Mike on Skype so had a chat with Sue & Mike on Lollipop in Corsica. The Captain has also heard from Geoff and Anne so might also meet them tonight for that dinner - although slightly concerned that this is now a euphemism for more crew arriving? 

A gulet making way on our port side
N.B. very flat sea!