Buying a House in Turkey Part 13

The foks at Sunshine kept telling us we needed to go to the bazaar in Turgutreis on a Saturday. It's the biggest town on the peninsula after Bodrum. We finally relented and rode the Dolmus there, and it was crazy. The market was HUGE. Lots of food vendors, produce, clothes and linens, bags etc. Lots of tourists, and lots of folks hassling us to buy. Did I mention it was HUGE? What started as a narrow lane of clothing vendors - expaned out into a plethera of food stalls and cruise line tourists.

There's a big expat contingent that live here, and down one of the side streets, we found a cafe serving English Breakfast -- made a change from salty cheese and olives - so we dived into eggs and beans, and a quick scan of an Engligh paper. Wouldn't want to live the Expat life here - but happy to dip my toe into it for a while every now and then when I fancy some Heinz beans!

This is the Mosque in Turg. it's down near the beach.

After a hot and muggy stroll around the market - we bought a lolly that looked and tasted remarkably like a Zoom! There's definatley more to this town than we've seen and appreciated, but it was a bit too close to the textbook expat life - and although it's nice to know it exists - I don't want to live it.

Our tourist quota filled -- we headed to the Dolmus station to catch a quick Dolmus to Yalikavak. We went hurtling over to the Yalikavak Dolmus, and grabbed a seat... and waited... and waited.....

Another passenger waited nearby......! He obviously knew the Dolmus wasn't leaving anytime soon. Chilled and comfortable with a curb-pillow - this dog didn't move a muscle, during our hour wait for the Yalikavak dolmus to leave.

We noticed that the dolmus's to Bodrum go much more regularly - but it looks like to Yalikavak - the service isn't quite so frequent. Nothing worse than 110 degree heat, dolmus pumping fumes, and an unknown wait -- to make you appreciate a cold beer in a bar in Yalikavak waiting for you.

Buying a House in Turkey 12

Friday morning - up with the larks - very excited that now we can enjoy our holiday - no house buying stuff to deal with until Monday.

After breakfast we walked to the Bus Station to get the Dolmus to Gundogan.

The following is from: BodrumLife

Known in antiquity as Farilya, Gundogan rightly claims to have been one of the earliest human settlements on the peninsula as Old Bronze Age ceramics, polished stone axes and milling stones have been found in a nearby cave. This extensive cavern encrusted with stalagmites and stalactites is a natural wonder not to be missed. Yet another fascinating destination for visitors to Gundogan is Big Rabbit Island with its still standing remains of a Byzantine monastic settlement, provisionally dated to the 9th century A.D. Today Gundogan is a quite relaxing place, its touristic facilities surrounding the long bay which is a paradise for swimmers and watersports enthusiasts alike.

We chilled on the boat dock for the day - not many people around - I think because it's the end of summer and the kids have gone back to school. We spent the day, eating and swimming and chilling until about 3.30pm, and then took the Dolmus back to Bodrum.

On the walk back to the hotel, we went to our back street Pizza cafe! It's a fab place, a little out of the way - the owners don't speak English - and it's a pokey little place - but it's fast becoming one of my favorite stops! Had a gorgeous Aubergine and Yogurt appetizer.

At night saw some BBC news about the US financial crisis!!! And the buyout of Merril Lynch. What's going on?

Buying a House in Turkey 11

After the morning at Yalikavak wandering around the market - we hopped back on the moped and drove along the top of the Bodrum Peninsula to the private beach for our complex. It was down at the bottom of the hill - ok for a vehicle, but too much to walk. There's a couple of cafes down at the beach, so if you're there for the day, you don't need to go far for something to eat or drink.

Then off through Gumusluk and back down to Bodrum to get back to the property office to sign some papers, and faxed them to the daughter of the owner. As soon as she has the Power of Attorney signed, she'll be able to accept our offer. The POA is going to take a few days - so we have nothing to do, but wait.

At night we went out in Bodrum to an Italian restaurant -- go bitten by mozzies! It felt odd to be eating Italian in Turkey. In any other country - it's fine, but in Turkey -- I was to eat Turkish!

Buying a House in Turkey Part 10

Decided to have a scoot about on a moped, to check out the area where the house is. So we headed off from Bodrum - and went counter clockwize to Yalikavak.

Went past the windmills just as the guy was unfurling the sails - great to watch.

The following paragraph is From Azeleavacation.com

The overland journey from Bodrum to Yalikavak provides the visitor with some of the most spectacular scenery on the peninsular. Slowly climbing through fertile valleys, the road stops at the mountain range running down the peninsular center, providing unbroken vistas of the north and south coasts before descending to the seaside village of Yalikavak.

Once over the hills, you will see the magnificent view of Yalikavak, nature has carved the coast like a lace. You will slowly descend between the orchards full of tangerine trees and reach Pasha Bay, Tilkicik Bay and Agacbasi Bay.

For many years, Yalikavak has been one of the most important fishing centers on the Turkish Aegean, home to fleets of fishermen and sponge divers. Today the majority of the local men still work the sea. Yalikavak combines the ambiance of a working fishing town and the recent influence of tourism: cafes, bars and restaurants.

Thursday is Market day in Yalikavak. A great selection of foods to eat, and fresh produce to buy, as well as a fabric section. So much nicer than Bodrum market.

Buying a House in Turkey Part 9

Up early full of the joys of house buying! Were meant to be going out on a Boat trip for the day - but really couldn't concentrate on it - so we decided to stay on terra firma and start the contract signing business.

We got to Sunshine's office about 10.30am, and Nesrin called the seller to start the process. Hit the first bump in the road. We were dealing with the daughter who lives in the Netherlands, and her Tapu is in her mothers name, who's in hospital in Germany. In order to move forward, we need the mother to give the daughter, Power of Attorney so she can sign the contract on her mothers behalf.

We need to be able to sign the contract by next Wednesday, before we leave. We'd been hoping to sign the contract today, but the POA issue got in the way. So we'll have to be patient. The Daughter accepted our terms of 1% today, 9% on Wednesday and 90% by October 26th.

Red went off to the post office to exchange some $ for YTL.

We decided we needed a respite - so took the Dolmus to Torba - which took about 15 minutes from Bodrum. We had lunch and a chill on a big cushion on the boat dock. Had a lovely swim in really deep water. Should have seen it as an omen! The dock was in a small bay, and there were a few fishing boats

Paid our 2YTL to get the Dolmus back to Bodrum, and then went off to the solicitor to discuss the contract. Love the Turkish process -- a house buying contract was 2 sides of A4 paper!

Been a busy day - so home for a nap, before going out to Berk Balik for fish dinner. Red has discovered the joys of Boiled Octypus. It turns Red! In Turkey, it's served with olive oil and garlic, and is so soft and tender. The first time I ordered it, I think he thought I was crazy. But now he's a big fan of it. And this restaurant, certainly cooks it well.

Here's the restaurant details:

Berk Balik -- Bar Street, Bodrum

Website: http://www.berkbalik.com/

BODRUM:
Cumhuriyet Caddesi No: 16748400 Bodrum, Muğla,

TürkiyeRezervasyon:+90 (252) 313 68 78 - 313 02 39

Turkey Reading List

I've amassed quite a few books about Turkey, and even though there's quite a few I still have to read - I went and bought another one yesterday.

Here's my Turkey reading list, and I'll post my critique of them as I plough through them:

Istanbul - The Collected Traveler - edited by Barrie Kerper
Istanbul - Memories and the City - Orhan Pamuk
Strolling Through Istanbul - Hillary Sumner-Boyd and John Freely
Culture Shock Turkey - Marshall Cavendish
The Western Shores of Turkey - John Freely
Tales from the Expan Harem - Edited by Anastasia Ashman and Jennifer Eaton Gokmen
The New Turkey - Chris Morris

And not Turkish - but Expat related:

Expat Womans True Tales of Life Abroad - edited by Christina Henry de Tessan

Buying a House in Turkey Part 8

Tuesday is Fabric Market day in Bodrum. We had an amble around there -- it was inside, and pretty hot. And got hassled to buy. But they weren't too pushy, and I don't think we ended up buying much.

In the afternoon we went to Gundogan to look at another house. Was meant to see more - but to be honest - we'd made our mind up on one of the house from the first day - with the marble floors. So we went back there one more time, just to make sure.

We met the neighbours on either side. One was an older Turkish guy, who was plastering a wall, and offered to plaster our walls if we bought it. And the other was a retired couple - I think they were lecturers, and their son, who spoke good English. They invited us to tour their house. They's spent a lot of money renovating it. The landscaping looked great, and they'd converted one of the kitchens into another bedroom. The house still looked large, even with furniture. We had Turkish coffee - and I practiced my Turkish for the first time in a non-restaurant environment.... I noticed a cat, and said Kedi. Felt like a 4 year old, just learning to talk, but the house owners thought I was funny. Could imagine living next to these folks. And being able to see the potential of the house, solidified our decision.

Back in Bodrum, we had coffee in a new cafe, and then wandered along the beach to kill some time, waiting for the US to open, so I could arrange the transfer of some dollars to Turkey - to use as the deposit. My bank was great, and I had no problem transferring the money.

We went back to the hotel for a nap -- getting used to Siesta time! Then out at night to a Tapas place called Lapasion - it was down a side street, through a door into a central courtyard. Such a nice place - but we were the only customers... so the service was great! The food was great - but really expensive.

Have really started to notice the drop in tourists. When we first arrived, Bodrum was mobbed - it must have been the last week for school holiday, and all of the restaurants and streets were really busy - but this week, the place looked like Pied Piper had been into town, and taken all the tourists with him. I really like this new Bodrum.

Tomorrow we're putting in a call to the seller to buy the house. We had lots on our mind, and Red is a little anxious. We both really want this house. Can't believe we've been in Turkey less than a week, and we've got a property lined up. Both really excited - and I'm just running the numbers in my head, hoping the mortgage application gets approved.

Review of Turkish Coast: Bodrum to Marmaris

Sunflower Plus Series

Turkish Coast: Bodrum to Marmaris
Michael Bussmann, Gabriele Tröger, Brian and Eileen Anderson, Dean Livesley
Summary: Bodrum walks, car tours; Bodrum walking; Marmaris walking

“Let your mind start a journey thru a strange new world. Leave all thoughts of the world you knew before. Let your soul take you where you long to be...Close your eyes let your spirit start to soar, and you'll live as you've never lived before.”

This quote from Erich Fromm sums up the journey of discovery I like take before I even pick up my passport jump on a plane. It's a journey I never tire of, especially when I have limited time at my destination. As someone who loves immersing themselves in the destination before I arrive, it's disappointing when there's a lack of printed literature available. Sure Bodrum and nearby towns are mentioned in the main guides - but the 5 pages in D&K just didn't cut it for me. I want details about the surrounding area's, and like to use the author's descriptive narrative as a springboard to form my own soaring images of each destination. Somehow, reading about these places on a computer screen, just doesn't have the same feel.

Before my first trip to the Bodrum Peninsula I searched high and low for a guide book about Bodrum - with no luck. Fast forward a year. I took a side-trip to London, and shopped at Waterstone's on Regent Street. If you've never been there - it's a destination itself, and highly recommended. There, in the travel section, I found the pearl in the oyster - "Turkish Coast - Bodrum to Marmaris" - an intriguing guide.

Along with the standard fare of other guides - Getting there & Getting about and Recommended Accommodation and Restaurants, the rest of the content follows an easy to read format. The introduction section includes and A-Z summary of Practicalities about Turkey, as well as an palatable historical timeline. This is followed by sections focused on either specific town's (e.g. Bodrum and Marmaris), specific area's (e.g Bodrum Peninsula and Gulf of Gokova), and three Excusions with easy to read site plans. All of this content is printed on white pages, but the jewel of the book is what's printed on the peach coloured pages.

These peach pages hold the details of 20 great walks, half of which are in the Bodrum Peninsula. Each walk is summarized with the duration and grade, and includes details of how to get to the starting point (with some helpful tips on how to communicate to the driver when you want to off the Dolmus at an unusual point!). For many of the walks, there's a shorter version you can take, and each of the walks is illustrated with a map of the route, which includes key points along the journey and the places where photo opportunities should be maximized.

Next time I visit Gumusluk - I'm going to try Walk 2 - the Karakya circuit from Gumusluk inland village.

Time: 2 1/2 hours

Grade: Easy, but the paths are very stony underfoot; ascent about 150m

Travel: Dolmus from Bodrum or Gumusluk to Gumusluk inland main village

Start: With the Mosque/PTT on your left, head seawards, but after just bout 30m turn sharp right into a narrow cobbled trail..............

Even if I don't get to do all 20 walks, my mind can journey thru this strange new world.....

Channel 4 Country Guides

Started doing random searches to see what information I can find on the web. Came across a Channel 4 site with Country guides.

Here's the link for Turkey Country Guide. Here's a snippet below:

Date Published: 16/Dec/2009
In the region of one million Britons take a holiday in Turkey annually, a figure that has grown year-on-year over the last decade. Approximately 73,000 Britons are registered as having bought locally. But should you buy there? By Gordon Miller

Buying a House in Turkey Part 7

It's Monday.

Start of a new work week, so off we go to the Tax Office to get our Tax ID numbers. We need these in order to open a bank account. It was a little bit crazy in the tax office, I would have hated to get this organized by myself, but luckily we had our property broker to help us. She got us in and out in no time. Then we went across the road to the HSBC to open a bank account.... well 4 actually - one for each currency -- dollars, pounds, euro and Turkish lira. I felt like some kind of international money launderer! Again we had our brokers help, but the bank lady was really helpful and spoke good English. Good enough to offer us credit cards and a mortgage -- both of which we declined.

But speaking of mortgages, it was time to find an internet cafe to check whether our mortgage application in Holland had been approved. We'd started the process quite a few months ago, and it had taken ages to get the forms filled out. The broker assured us that the best country to get a mortgage in for Turkey, was Holland, and we were in the process of getting pre approved. Hadn't heard from the broker or bank since we'd been in Turkey -- but we weren't going to let that stop the house hunting experience.

In the afternoon we went with our property broker to the solicitor, who explained the contract process, and the power of attorney process. Then off to the Notary (in a very smelly, hot office) to get our passports translated into Turkish for the Military Approval process.

What a busy day! Had to go home for a nap, and then at night, we went out for quite a posh Italian meal. Bitten to death by mozzies. We went on the hunt for a bar down the back streets near our hotel, and we came across a funky place with a pool table, and friendly bar folks.

On the way home, we stopped off at the internet cafe again to check on the mortgage... still not update.

Buying a House in Turkey Part 6

Finally a day off from house hunting. We decided to go an discover a little bit more about the area we were considering moving to.... Gumusluk. We went to the Bodrum Otogar and jumped onto the Dolmus. We went speeding along the straights, and racing up the hills. Bibbing at the tourists "Hey do you want a ride?"

Some of the roads were pretty rural. It was a fun way to travel. Donkeys on the side of the road, cactus and olive groves. Arrived at Gumusluk bus station, and it was a short walk to the beach. We hung out at the beach for the day -- a couple of feet away from a restaurant, and they looked after us all day, bringing us food and drink whenever we wanted it. It was only a small beach. The bay is pretty enclosed, with a great view of Rabbit Island. There were a mix of different fishing boats, and trees with gourds in the bay.. As the sun went down, we walked along the bay and took some shots at sunset.

We hopped on a dolmus to Yalikavak, and spent a couple of hours in a local bar, before hopping back to Bodrum... it took about 45 minutes to get back.

Buying a House in Turkey Part 5

We couldn't sleep that night -- too excited about all of the houses we'd seen. The next day we were due to go to Tuzla - so even though we went to bed at 11pm - we got up again at 2am - and searched the internet for Tuzla properties.

Tuzla houses had great views -- but the whole development was still in flux. I really liked this area - and as soon as the local golf course was built, and some local shops started popping up - this could be a great place to live. But the complex looked like it had run out of money, and the grounds were a little bit ropey!

This was a house we drove by on the way to the complex. I believe this is on Tuzla Lake.

After a busy day house hunting - we went to a beach to chill out. House Hunting is hard work... lot's of nervous energy I think!

Bodrum Bulletin

I've found an alternative to the Expat Forums - in the shape of The Bodrum Bulletin, which is a fortnightly newsletter. It really has a community feel, and looks like it's written by an Expat, who lives in the area. There's articles and tidbits of information about shops, events and living in Turkey.

The below links are examples of a couple of articles:

Price of Food between Turkey and UK

One year ago a basket of shopping was compared between Turkey (Migros) and UK (Sainsburys), and this article is an update on the pricing differences at the beginning of the summer season.

Solar Engergy

This article is well researched and has links to additional sources for information - there's everything you'd need to know about Solar Engergy - and more

The articles in the Bodrum Bullent are diverse - from different sources - and on a broad range of services and subjects.

There's a lot of tid-bits of information - which are great to scan through - these include Classifieds, Questions; Useful Information; Weather, Recipes; Events and PC Corner.

A couple of my fave's on this site:

Previous 7 Day Timelapse Videos
You can watch a 26 second Timelapse video to see what the weather has been like for the previous 24 hours.

Reader Recommendations

Browse through recommendations about local suppliers -- from building work to baking cakes.

You can SUBSCRIBE to the fortnightly newsletter - for free. Or better still - become a premium member for 12BP. Some of the content is only available to Premium Members -- but for a Pound a month - it's really worth the money. What I like about this news outlet - is that it has a true community feel.

Buying a House in Turkey Part 4

My main criteria for a house was a view: and this house delivered. Of course, in order to get the view, we had to drive up a steep hill, and then climb a bunch of steps -- but I fell in love. We really liked he style of these houses, and inside, they were split level - Roof Deck, down half a flight, bedroom, down, living room, kitchen, balcony, bathroom, down, front door and dividing door, bedroom, down, living room, kitchen, balcony, bathroom, down, basement bedroom.
Straight away we could see the possibilities. 2 Apartments, and plenty of opportunity for revamping. It definitely needed some love, but the basics were there. It seemed like the house went on forever, and I just loved the marble floors throughout.

Tried not to get too excited... if my heart was in charge, I'd have stopped my search now. But logic won out as this was only our 4th house we'd viewed. Plus there was a house in Yalikavak that I really wanted to see, that I'd built lots of plans around.

We drove up the coast to to Yalikavak - about 7km, and stopped off for lunch in a local restaurant in the middle of town.

Now Bodrum was great, and it is a great place to be situated for a vacation. But Yalikavak. This was the type of town I'd imagined having as my local town. The old town part, had restaurants along the beach side, and local houses and shops on the opposite side of the street. Not massively touristy, more local oriented. The as you drive further into Yalikavak, past a new Marina, you reach the main part of town. Again, lot's of restaurants, and a bunch of side streets, full of restaurants and shops. It looked like a great balance between local and tourist living. Both Red and I fell in love with Yalikavak.

Lunch was appetizing. Evren was great company. He'd been a tour guide in a former life, so his English and local knowledge were great. It was the type of cafe, that you could have spent 3 hours meandering through lunch. No rush, just easing into the Aegean lifestyle. I think my jet lag finally subsided, and I started to feel like I was finally on holiday.

I also had my first taste of Elma çayı - apple tea. Really it's hot apple juice made from dried apples, ground into a powder, and then added to hot water. A refreshing drink for a hot summer day.

After a quick scout about the harbour, we drove off to our next house viewing in Gundogan. Nice enough house, albeit a little on the small side. But only a short walk to the beach, and a mature olive tree in the garden. There wasn't a lot in the local area, and we weren't fully sold on the location.... next stop.... our Yalikavak property, that I'd spent hours pouring over on the web.

It was a hillside complex, and the house we viewed was at the bottom of the hill, with unobstructed views of the ocean. A multi-tiered house. With a separate granny-flat on the ground floor. I loved the view from this house. By far the best we'd see. There wasn't really a local beach... more of a jetty.

The only problem with having a house at the bottom of the hill, is the water drainage from the top of the hill. The kitchen in the granny flat had warped kitchen cabinets from the damp. This was the house I'd been having dreams about - it was an emotional bond with the view. The area wasn't as developed as the other houses we'd seen earlier in the day, and it seemed a little out of the way. Really nothing around except a few complexes. This one did have a nice pool though - but Red didn't want to deal with the damp, so we called it a day and headed back to Bodrum.

That night we walked along Bar Street again and found a fabulous local fish restaurant - Berk Balik. The waiters didn't speak much English, and most of the Clientele was Cigarette Smoking, Raki Drinking Turks. No menu's here -- just pop to the kitchen - choose your mezze, choose your fish and sit and wait. This is one of my favourite restaurants we've visited in all the trips we've had to Turkey.

Buying a House in Turkey 3

Went to meet Evren from Sunshine Turkish Homes. We'd found these guys from the Internet -- via a site called Turkey Twinkles. I swapped a few emails with the site owner, and they recommended Sunshine Turkish Home. We'd been surfing the STH site for a couple of months, and had a good idea of the area we wanted to buy - but we were open to any suggestions. Although Bodrum looked like a good place to have a vacation rental, it wasn't our idea of an optimal place for living long term. It was definitely going to be a balancing act to make a decision. With Sunshine and Twinkles -- how could the future look anything but bright?

Evren sent us some info about some possibles, and I spent more than a few hours in my corporate castle in LA perusing the house specs and photo's:

"We have few properties that needs renovation in Gumsan Complex, GUMUSLUK. Gumsan is a well maintained complex with swimming pool, cafeteria, markets, private beach and 24 hours security. It is split to 2 as GUMSAN 1 and GUMSAN 2. Gümsan 1 is located on the beach side and Gümsan 2 is located on the hill side. The swimming pool is located in Gümsan 2. The cheapest property is located in Gumsan 2 just by the swimming pool. It is already renovated but the kitchen is not fitted yet. The property has 60 sqm closed area. There is a living room with open plan kitchen and a bathroom in down stairs. There are 2 bedrooms and another bathroom in top floor.

And Also in Gumsan 1, there is a great property which is 100 meters from beach. So, it is a really good investment and a summer house.

The other property that needs renovation is located in Yalıkavak. Ideal for the DIY expert or the true bargain hunter, 3 bedrooms, roof terrace and sea views this property is located about 7km from Yalikavak. The property is located on a complex with 2 swimming pools, mini market and snack bar. The property itself is split into 2. The main part of the house with 2 bedrooms open plan kitchen livingroom and bathroom and the lower apartment which can be finished to consist of bedroom and bathroom (or small studio unit). There is a roof terrace with great sea views and a small garden to the rear and a good sized plot to the front of the property. Currently the property needs completely renovated. There are PVC windows and door but full refurbishment is needed. If you can do it yourself great, if not no problem we have a team of experts to take care of everything for you.

12th September 2008: 2nd day in Turkey, and off we went to STH to meet Evern, who was going to drive us around to Gumusluk, Yalikavak and Gudogan.

The view from the first house we went to see in Gumsan 1, Gumusluk, and the

outside of the first house we visited: These properties were really well situated, and the scenery was so lush, but the houses were quite small. But what this first house did do, was make us fall in love with the Northern coast of the Bodrum peninsula.

The next house, just a little bit further up the coast, had another great view: It was a baking hot day, and I could image waking up with view of the Aegean each morning. Any disappointment from our trip to Gumbet, had disappeared, and I was getting butterflies in my stomach.

The next house made those butterflies multiply. The complex was about 3km outside of Gumusluk, and I loved the view. But there was lot's of work to do on the house -- or to put a positive spin on it... lot's of potential.

Go! Oversea's Summary and Blog List

http://www.gooverseas.com/

I saw this post on Go! Oversea's website, and thought it would be interesting to share with you. Especially since, Being Koy is the top site I follow.

Blogs We Love in Turkey!
Listed here are some great blogs we have found that offer interested readers a glimpse of what life is like living abroad in Turkey. If you have a blog in Turkey and would like to share it with the community, please email us at Info@GoOverseas.com.

Top Blogs in Turkey
1. Being Koy
2. Cafe Fernando
3. Istanbul Notes
4. Journalist in Turkey
5. Talk About Turkey
6. Travels of an Overpacker
7. Turkey's For Life
8. Turkish Delight
9. Turkish Muse
10. Turkish Travel Blog

If there's any Blogs about Turkey you find interesting - let me know, and I'll add them to my list.

Buying a House in Turkey Part 2

Met a really helpful guy outside the airport. Farmer Mustafa explained all about buses, cabs and options to get to Bodrum. Each time we've arrived in Turkey, he's been outside with his cab price sheet - ready to drive tourists wherever they want to go.

[On our second trip - the Ginger Prince and I arrived separately - and there was a couple of hours to wait until my flight arrived. Ginger Prince got a lesson about how to prepare olives - from tree to jar. Turns out, Farmer Mustafa was a part time cab driver, part time farmer.... with a big olive grove. He tutored Red on the best way to Salt-cure an olive - in an old water bottle, salt and water. This needs to be done for at least a month - and products a salty and wrinkled olive. We have a baby olive tree in our Turkey garden - looking forward to trying out Mustafa's method!]

So back to our first arrival, we ended up choosing a shared bus, but because we wanted to go to central Bodrum, we ended up being moved, with another couple, to a shared cab. I think we went round the houses to get to Bodrum, but it was great to see some of the scenery - even though it was the early hours of the morning.

Of course we couldn't sleep when we got to Bodrum, so went for an early a.m. stroll to the harbour. Couldn't wait to sleep and then get back up again.

It was time to explore, and we had high expectations of our surroundings. We wandered around Bodrum - and it was everything we thought it would be, and then we wandered along the coast, until it got too hot, and we flagged down a Dolmus to Gumbet.

Ugg!

All things I profess to hate about holiday destinations have ended up in Gumbet. Dirty beach. Loud Music. Banana Boats. We were both so tired; lay on the beach for a while; ate so non-local food; both got headaches from the music (and extreme fatigue). Neither of us saying the obvious "what are we doing here?" I lay on the beach thinking about all of my plans for my future life in Turkey -- and I felt so deflated -- there was no way I was moving HERE!

We headed back to Bodrum and wandered along Bar Street for dinner. It was a little better than Gumbet -- but not a lot! We kept walking all the way to the other end of the street - towards the "biggest open air nightclub in the Med" -- and came across an upstairs restaurant, with a patio, local acoustic guitarist, and a waiter who couldn't speak English very well --- I felt much better.

Had our first taste of Mezze. I found home!