May-June 2008 The Road to Istanbul 1

Bondi Tram
Peter Colquhoun and Sandra Colquhoun
Tue 17 Jun 2008 12:55
On May 27 we left Marmaris on Turkeys south coast for Istanbul.  We have been making short hops along the coast, stopping at some beautiful anchorages, sometimes for a day, sometimes a couple of days.  We have not made an overnight passage since leaving Israel.
 
Our objective is to get to Istanbul about the 23rd of June, and to get through the Dardenelles by mid-June before the strong northerly winds known as 'The Meltemi' begin.
 
The highlight of Turkey has been how friendly, polite and helpful Turks are, and the highlight of Greece the very pretty and beautifully maintened old villages.
 
Leaving Marmaris Marina.....600+ berths and 1000 places on the hardstand!
 
 
Ancient Knidos...having lunch at the little restaurant.
 
 
Knidos...the trireme harbour where the galleys used to moor, now silted up.
 
 
View of the harbour from the ruins of Knidos.
 
 
Passing the Greek Island of Kos, with a large Greek flag painted on the hillside.
We stopped to buy fuel for the first time since Abu Tig in Egypt.  There we
paid US 0.33 cents a litre...here we paid EU 1.42 a litre (and that is cheaper
than in Turkey).  Welcome to the Med!
 
 
Gumusluk, Turkey.  A pretty bay with fish restaurants and the ruins of
the ancient Greek city of Myndus
 
 
Turkish gullet.  These boats are now mainly used for charter to tourists.
 
 
Stern to at Pythagorion on the island of Samos, Greece.  Our first effort at dropping the
anchor and backing in to the town quay.  Went very well too.
 
 
Electricity and water is supplied, and you pay a small fee per night,
much less than in a marina'
 
 
View of the town and castle.
 
 
The town was originally called Tigani, but was rename fairly recently
to Pythagorian in honour of Pythagoras whose statue with triangle is below.
A2=B2+C2. Or was it?
 
 
Octupus drying on the line.
 
 
The Town Square..or maybe it was the Town Triangle.
 
 
The ancient Greek city of Ephesus in Turkey.  Alexander the
Great marched in here.
 
 
 
 
The amphitheatre ..... 40,000 seats and perfect acoustics.