Well, have spent most of the day arranging the Customs Clearance of
the two antennas for our new SSB radio (the antennas have arrived but
the radio is stuck in Customs in Istanbul!). Luckily we have had the
assistance of the Marina Deputy Manager, Savas and the Marina
Receptionist, Sibel, without whom we would still be trying to get our
heads around Turkish Bureaucracy. UPS delivered the 2.5m box to the
marina and we duly parted with 530 Turkish Lira (TRY) for the
privilege (220 TRY was the duty and the remainder their fee for
delivering it from Istanbul to Alanya); but, of course, things were
not that simple; we had then to take the box (unopened) to the Customs
in Alanya to have it cleared into Turkey - luckily Sibel accompanied
us and also managed to arrange an estate-car taxi which could take the
box (although it did stretch right through the car from windscreen to
tail-gate. The Customs office was on the 3rd floor, so up we go with
Peter carrying the 2.5m long box! When we arrive we find that the
senior Customs Officer, who is the only person who can handle the
documentation, is down in the main port clearing-in a cruise ship.
Nearly 2 hours later he returns and, within about 15 minutes all
formalities have been completed and we can go - everyone is all smiles
and cordial handshakes (after-all we have paid nearly £100 duty on
things valued at about £200 in the UK). No doubt there will be a
similar, equally expensive, arrangement when the radio finally arrives.