No 4 Kas

see all photos »

Yesterday I left a bit of backpacker heaven in Olimpos after 4 days -- it's just 'treehouse' pensions (wood shacks on stilts with a mattress and pillow) -- with breakfast and dinner included for about 8D a day. There is no town to speak of. Beautiful pebble beach that the boats cruise into during the day and it's deserted at night. Have to walk through the ruins about 1/4 mi. to get to the beach (I'm trying to retrain into meters and celcius again). You hang out on little raised platform areas (no shoes zones) with pillows to read, play backgammon and drink into the late afternoon and evening. Mad rush for dinner at 8pm each night. Food remarkably good for so cheap -- we even had fresh trout 1 night. Haven't had any problems with food or drink and am even drinkύng tap water here and there. I took a killer huke on Tues up to the Lost City of Upper Olimpos -- about 800 M straύght up for 2 1/2 hours (a few breaks) and then lunch and then straight down for 2 hours. Had to whip myself in shape to lay on a boat for 4 days.

Most of Lonely Planet foreigners here right now are Aussies and Kiwis who came in for Anzac Day (April 25: WWI - Gallipoli commemoration). They're all working in London or Ireland on visas for 2 years to save up and travel every 6 months or so. Even though I'm 5-10 years older than most of them, they are tons better travelled than I. We've been having a smashing good time and I'm picking up all the good Aussie/Kiwi slang again --- good on ya - no worrύes - kit (clothes) - nude up (skinny dipping), etc.

I left, kind of reluctantly, because I booked out (too soon) on a Blue Voyage -- a 4 day, 3 night boat trip up the coast to Fethiye yesterday. It's me and 3 couples -- 2 Aussies and an American/Chilean one. Lucky for me there wasn't another single so I don't have to share a berth or bathroom. Slept on deck last night under the stars. We're in Kas (hey I actually got to us the Turkύsh letters on the keyboard on purpose instead of my accident) for the afternoon and evening. Swimming is beautύful and the water a pretty turquoise. I'm tryύng to build up my tan slowly and not overdo it in the fύrst few days on the Med. So gotta get out back into the Mediterranean sun.

Sincerely content after 2 weeks. Love, Eliz