Christmas update
Scott-Free’s blog
Steve & Chris
Sat 20 Dec 2008 08:53
Marmaris Yacht
Marina (http://www.yachtmarin.com/marina/index.php?lang=en)
Friday 19th December
2008
Since we last made
an entry in the blog, Scott-Free has been having a well-earned rest,tied up on
Juliet pontoon in Yacht Marine. She has not moved, unless you count the
swinging and swaying she does when there's a southerly blow! You can
follow the link above for more information and photos of the
marina.
We,on the other
hand, have been very busy, doing jobs on the boat and generally enjoying the
social life of the liveaboards here.
A typical week for
us would be as follows:
Monday - Quiz night
in the workers' canteen, including dinner from the workers' menu which is basic
but filling, and at 7YTL (about £3) per person, very good
value.
Tuesday - Turkish
lessons in the afternoon. Hamsi or fish and chips night in the
restaurant.
Wednesday - 10-pin
bowling in the afternoon. Pasta night in the
restaurant.
Thursday - Market
day in town. Turkish lessons in the afternoon. Film night in the
restaurant annexe.
Friday- Coffee
morning for Chris. Skippers' de-stress forum for Steve (and Chris if she
were so inclined but she usually isn't!) Cruisers' menu in the restaurant (with
reductions on the menu prices). Karaoke and dancing in the bar from 10 onwards
(we avoid the karaoke but enjoy the dancing and a good old
sing-along!) .
Saturday - a quiet
day in the marina, but there is usually a group to be joined who are going out
to one of the local restaurants for dinner. The restaurants lay on free
transport there and back, and are cheaper than the normal menu prices in the
marina restaurant, so these are well-attended!
Sunday - a day of
rest. Every couple of weeks there is a trip out to a local restaurant for
a typical English Sunday Lunch.
Happy hour in the
bar is from 6-7.30 every evening and there are always familiar faces there to
meet up and chat with, and often to join for dinner in the restaurant.
That's a typical
week, though we don't always eat out midweek, and of course it doesn't
include the visits we make to each other's boats for coffee, drinks, dinner etc.
Or the special occasions like the end of Summer party, Halloween party, November
party (couldn't think of a reason for this one so had it because it was
November), Christmas party,New Year's Eve party etc etc.
Also coach trips out to Mugla (the local big town, about 35 miles away) and
other organised tours.
In early November we
went on an organised tour to Cappodoccia, which is a region of Turkey in Central
Anatolia which has the most amazing rock formations, many of which were lived in
at one time. We left on Monday morning and got back late on Friday, and it
was a wonderful trip. The scenery is breathtaking. On the way there
we took the cable car up Tahtali mountain near Fethiye
On the top of Tahtali
mountain Hey,
wait for us!
In Cappodoccia we
went on a hot air balloon ride over the Goreme Valley.
Our own
shadow!
Enjoying the
ride.
Goreme Valley- nicknamed 'Love Valley'
-not sure
why!
The holes are
windows!
Fairy chimneys (with
window!)
Layers of rock - why
weren't these eroded
too? Weird
but
beautiful
More fairy chimneys
Never
seen a Police station like this
before! We
drove back through the Turkish lakeland
- stunning
There were only 8
people in the minibus and the driver and guide were with us all week.
Both spoke very good English and were happy to teach us some basic Turkish
expressions so now we can at least say 'Hello' and 'See you later'!
The motley crew! Nevruz the guide centre,and Ahmed the driver
behind. A
whirling dervish
We visited lots of places during the trip and
learnt a great deal about Turkey and its people. We went to the
Mevlana museum and a whirling dervish ceremony which was...interesting! We were
not allowed to take photos during the ceremony for religious reasons, but this
dervish kindly stayed on at the end to give us a twirl for the
camera!
The weather on the
trip was much cooler than in Marmaris, because we travelled inland and up into
the mountains. Here in Marmaris the weather was glorious throughout
November, and in December it is still between 15 and 20 degrees by day, and
although cooler at night we still only have a summer weight duvet on the
bed. We have used the heating briefly once or twice when the wind was in
the North, but otherwise it is very mild. The sea is still quite warm, as
Chris discovered recently when taking an unintended dip off the front of the
boat! Ever since, she has made sure she holds on with both hands
when climbing off the bow!
Last week we went
for a sail on a friend's boat (Scott-Free's engine is in bits and the sails are
away at the loft being laundered and mended) over to Rhodes. The reason
for this, other than a nice day out, was that our 90-day visas were
due to run out and they have to be renewed by leaving and re-entering the
country. So we went to Greece for the day!
We will be spending
Christmas and New Year here in Marmaris, and although the original plan was to
have a quiet Christmas, that may not now be the case! There is a Christmas
Eve party and on Christmas Day we will be joining a group of about 25
liveaboards at a local restaurant for Christmas Dinner,complete with log fire
and Secret Santa pressies. Over the Christmas and New Year period we will
be logged on to Skype to see and speak to the family, and we would love to hear
from friends who have Skype on their PC's.
We will just have
time to get over all the festivities before the boat is hauled out of the water
on 2nd January. She is to have her rigging replaced for the second time in
a year (long story involving sub-standard cable) and her teak deck will also be
replaced. She will be out of the water for a couple of months and because
of the extent of the work being carried out,we will be moving off her and into
an apartment in Marmaris from the 2nd Jan. And just to make life interesting we
will also need to get packed for our trip home on the 5th Jan! So much for
a quiet life!
We will be back in
the UK from 5-19th January, when we hope to see as many friends as
possible. We will be based with Kerrie and Lee in Crawley, but hope to
give them a break from us some of the time by taking up offers of overnight
accommodation from friends (ok, we admit that is a rather unsubtle
hint!) Steve will be attending the LSP Skippers' supper on the
9th and we will both be at the DSP reunion on the 10th and hopefully staying
over on Lord Amory so that we can attend the LBS on the 11th. We'll also
be at the Med supper at CA House,on the 14th, so we hope to catch up
with lots of friends along the way.
When we return on
the 19th to the apartment in Marmaris, we will be travelling to and from the
marina to check on work on the boat and to do some jobs on
her ourselves (e.g. servicing winches, scrubbing and anti-fouling her
bottom etc.) as well as continuing to see the friends we have made
here.
We wish you all
a wonderful Christmas and New Year and a very happy and successful 2009. May it
bring you everything you hope for.
Take care one and
all,
Chris &
Steve