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So, I will try to write a report on even fresh impressions about a trip with my beloved girlfriend to Marmaris (Turkey) from September 01 to September 10.2008. Hotel OCAKTAN 3 * food system HB
Having finished a gloomy and very hectic day on August 31 (Sunday), I grabbed a collected bag, a backpack, and jumping out into the street I caught a taxi in which I called for my girlfriend (Sveta) Her parents saw us off as if I were taking her to a slave market in an evil busurmania, so that my conscience even began to torment me a little, but when I got into a taxi and quickly rushed to the station, my mood completely changed and became completely vacation)) So, boarding the Dnepropetrovsk-Kyiv train, the journey began !!!!
The car turned out to be surprisingly clean and new, and even with such bells and whistles that I had never seen before!
(for example, if the toilet was occupied, the red light was on, there was also an outlet, a radio and air conditioning control) We got boring companions, so there was not much to talk to, and we fell asleep pretty quickly))
September 01.2008 In the morning in Kyiv, having a snack at McDonald's, and handing over a small package to my friend, we got on the bus and for 50 hryvnia together we rushed to Boryspil in about an hour. Before the departure of the flight, there were still 2 hours (the Kyiv-Dalaman flight departed at 13-30) and having packed the luggage (50 UAH for 2 bags), handing it over and passing all these controls, we stood in front of Gate 4, from which, in theory, in half an hour was supposed to leave our flight ....Alas, our luck for that day ended, and due to "the reason for the non-arrival of the plane" the flight was postponed to 18-10 ...kick ....neither get out of the drive, nor drink some water ...
there were also only 4 cigarettes left (((In general, the only consolation was that on behalf of the airline they apologized to us and gave us a coupon for the amount of 6 euros per body, so that we could not die of hunger))) (by the way, for 6 euros in IRISHBAR you could buy a couple of hamburgers and a bottle of iced tea, which we did))) The rest of the time my girlfriend listened to the player, and I wandered around Duty Free (where prices are not at all low !! ! (for example, a pack of Marlboro costs 7 hryvnias (5 UAH in the city)) etc. I also watched a funny company from a French plane, which consisted of a red-haired guy, a mulatto, and a black man))
BUT, finally, they announced the landing on our plane and we, tired, rushed to our seats !! ! We flew for 2 hours and 30 minutes on a nice (albeit old) Boeing 737, with a pleasant team of stewardesses and crew, for which they are merci)) Unfortunately, because of the cloudiness and the darkness that had already come, nothing was visible below (and I really wanted to see Istanbul! !!
(( ) and we were content with the view of the young Moon and Venus, against a dark blue sky background and a purple scarlet sunset))
On September 20-4.01 we landed in Dalaman, and for the first time I set foot on NOT Ukrainian land!!! ! The first thing I immediately felt was the heat (under +40 degrees) and humidity, interspersed with the spicy smells of trees. One thing overshadowed all this pleasure, the landing made my ear stuffy, and it hurt from it ((Besides, I really wanted to smoke, and the cigarettes were in my luggage ....Okay, all this is garbage, compared to the view of the Dalaman airport at night and beautifully painted planes on its runway!
) As always, our valiant tourists rushed in a crowd to the local customs officer, and for $ 20 they received stamps glued into their passports, which were extinguished by another official in another window, to which there was also a queue. Quite quickly, having completed all the procedures and having received our luggage, we got out of the airport , where we met a representative of Ter-Tus, who sorted us into hotels and buses, respectively)) In general, at 10 pm, we finally moved in a column towards Marmaris)) On the way, the guide reassured us that in addition to the airport, there is also a district prison in Dalaman , from which the prisoners are cultivating orange groves, which we are now passing ....a cheerful start, you can’t say anything. She also gave us price lists with prices for excursions and began to paint the charms of her offer.
BUT, having read advice on the Internet that excursions should not be taken from guides (by the way, the right advice), I didn’t really listen to her, paying more attention to the situation around me, which, unfortunately, was limited only to the space lit by the headlights of buses.
The first pip-stop was about 40 minutes after leaving the airport, and of course near the local cafe-shop, by the way, very nice and made in the Turkish style) Our valiant tourists immediately began to take pictures against its background, and we just wandered a little and looked at the prices on products that were, to put it mildly, rather big ((In general, without really stopping there, in a total of an hour and a half we got to Marmaris, which made me, if not stunning, then at least an unusual impression ...It was already about 23-30 but there was just a huge mass of lights and signs around, and the streets were full of people !!!!
In general, it feels like I got on the day of the city of Marmaris))
Thank God our hotel (OCAKTAN) was the first, and my girlfriend and I, and several other tourists were dropped off near the hotel) There was a young guy at the reception, who, after filling out the questionnaire, gave us the keys to the room on the third floor. Having risen to the room, we basically liked everything, BUT, the windows overlooked the neighboring hotel (which was 10 meters away) and the rooms in it were visible like through binoculars (I guess that our room was also visible from there too)) Returning to the reception and inadvertently showing the administrator 10 bucks we got a room on the second floor, with a sea view! ! (by the way, very beautiful) The atmosphere in the room was modest, but nice and clean, with two paintings, two beds, a TV set, a mini-fridge and an armchair, in general, in our Dnieper, this three-star hotel would probably be quoted as five stars))
Leaving our things in the room, we went to explore, and here, on the Marmaris embankment, I felt for the first time that I was abroad, as we plunged into a discordant crowd chatting in English, Turkish, German and other languages \u200b\u200b(of course, I occasionally came across Russian, where without him))) Let's just say that I didn’t experience much shock from abroad, but I liked the atmosphere of carelessness and fun reigning on the streets)) On the way, Sveta (my beloved girl) spoke to a local resident (as I understood the owner of a boat moored nearby ) who introduced himself as “Captain Nemo (or Memo) )”, because it was difficult to make out his English, due to the fact that he was, to put it mildly, slightly drunk, and this captain was very surprised that we are from Ukraine and speak English so well)) As a keepsake, he gave us a couple of stones supposedly from his cave)) In general, after walking until almost 3 am, we returned to the hotel where we fell asleep safely)
September 02.2008 In the morning the sun shone brightly over the bay of Marmaris and we admired the beautiful view that opened from the roof of the hotel on which the restaurant was located Breakfast was modest, but it was difficult to die of hunger It consisted of olives, a couple of types of simple sausage, two types of cheese, cucumbers and tomatoes, butter, jam-honey-jam, two types of muesli with milk, buns, coffee-tea to taste, and a drink, such as yuppies, orange and green. In general, it’s not chic, but quite decent.
But the most important thing is that we had breakfast in a restaurant, which was located on the roof of the hotel and from which an amazing view of the city, mountains and the bay of Marmaris opened)) Under the blue cloudless sky of Turkey, it was just excellent) After breakfast, we decided to replenish water supplies, for then we went to the Migros supermarket (by the way, a couple of days later we found an arc supermarket, Point Center, which was closer, and the prices were a little lower), and along the way I decided to decide on an excursion program. What can I say, going out to the main street (it runs parallel to the embankment), I once again felt that I was abroad. A flat, tiled street, very clean (although there are no trash cans there), on which there are many cafes / restaurants, all sun-drenched and planted with palm trees)) it was so unlike my native landscapes that I even froze for a moment)).
Having skimped in the supermarket, we moved through the tour desks, of which there were many, and whose owners or employees vied with each other to invite us to their place. In the end, we settled on "April" (which we did not regret) and booked such trips for ourselves, Wednesday-Cleopatra Island (70 dollars), Thursday-Friday - Ephesus-Pamukale (240 dollars), Saturday - Diving (50 dollars) for my girlfriend, I was just there), Sunday - Aegean Islands ($ 45), Monday - Dalyan ($ 45) (prices for two) (we also wanted to visit the island of Rhodes, it is no more than an hour away, oh, alas, without a Schengen visa they wouldn't let us in there ( ) An employee of this office (Mustafa) turned out to be a very nice and talkative young man, outwardly not much like a Turk (more bright and Europeanized), unfortunately he does not speak Russian, but he speaks excellent English.
Fortunately, Sveta is fluent in English, so they talked for a long time and animatedly about our upcoming excursions, and in general, about living / being in sunny Turkey) In general, the entire package of excursions cost us $ 450, and as a result of bargaining (which in Turkey is always and everywhere appropriate!!! (except for supermarkets) the price has decreased only to 440 USD, however, a ticket for two for an evening walk, with dinner, on board the White Whale yacht was presented. So, having finished the excursion program, we we moved to the so-called "old city", away from the hotels, where we visited the fortress of Marmaris (small but very pretty, built by Suleiman the first, in the 16th century), which also housed a museum of antiquity and the Middle Ages. The entrance cost 3 lira each a person, though without a guide, which, however, did not particularly bother us, since there were many plates on which this or that exhibit was described in Turkish and English.
I will note one feature, there are a lot of cats in Turkey, and relatively few dogs, so you can contemplate some kind of Murzik napping peacefully under a palm tree on almost every corner. And yet, purely practical advice, learn a few words in Turkish, and periodically use them, believe me, in return you will get a lot of smiles and compliments and everyone will have more fun ))
After visiting the fortress and walking around the city center, we decided to have lunch at Alabi, a kind of symbiosis of a cafe and a restaurant, and having chosen a salad for me, something like a sandwich, tea began to wait for our order ...Imagine our surprise when the sandwich turned out to be somewhat different than we we were expecting (look at the picture), and the 1st portion of the salad was enough to eat to satiety for two (plus fresh bread, sauces, etc. ) ....In general, we left this Turkish catering establishment very well-fed and satisfied. All this pleasure cost us 18 lira.
After wandering around the city center a little more, we slowly returned to the hotel, and spent the rest of the day on the beach and in the sea. By the way, the sea near the hotel is clean, the beach is coarsely sandy, with small pebbles that periodically came across to us. There are a lot of fish swimming around, BUT one of them has never bitten any of us))
In the evening, we took a walk along the embankment, on which there were disagreements in musical tastes (although at exactly 01-30 everyone turns off loud music) and directions, and we tired believed in the hotel, because in the morning the first excursion was waiting for us.
September 03.2008 Turks are never distinguished by punctuality, and when we arrived at our meeting place at 9:30 a. m. , we began to get a little nervous and suspect that we had been deceived, but, thank God, our bus arrived at 10:05 a. m. and we got into a spacious lounge, with air conditioning, which was very handy, because it was +38 degrees outside.
At about 13 o'clock we were fed lunch (very good, spaghetti, a couple of chicken chops, salad) and at 14 o'clock we sailed to Cleopatra Island. I will not retell the legends that guides treat tourists to (by the way, our guide spoke first in Russian, then in English, and to be honest, he somehow sluggishly entertained tourists, but by and large there was no special need for him). Once on the island of Cleopatra, we first visited the remains of the Byzantine basilica, the amphitheater and the agora (more precisely, what was left of them). I was surprised by the land of the island, it was reddish, rocky and dry. How anything could grow there remains a mystery to me, although, as Sveta told me, in Cyprus, the picture is about the same. Having taken plenty of pictures, having satisfied our archaeological hunger, we moved to Cleopatra Beach.
The beach itself is fenced, and the entrance to it is closed, but there are many sun loungers around where you can stay, and the entrance to the sea from two sides is equipped with wooden platforms and stairs. There are souls standing there, so that you can wash off the salt water, and God forbid you do not pull off the precious sand. By the way, the sand is really unusual, somewhat similar to semolina. After spending about two and a half hours on the island, we safely returned to our yacht, and on the way we went to another bay for a half-hour swim at 6 pm returned to Marmaris. We decided to skip dinner, as we had a night walk (given by Mustafa) on the White Whale with the same dinner. Previously, we merged all the photos from the camera onto a USB flash drive, because tomorrow a 2-day excursion was waiting for us, at the local owner of a small shop. To be honest, he is still the “specialist”, and groaning for a long time and probably cursing in Turkish for 5 lira, he leaked our photos.
Further, at the pace of a waltz, we rushed off for a night walk, and rushed almost before everyone else)) Having risen to the upper deck, we sat down on a deck chair and waited for the start of the walk, looking at the audience around us)) Of the Russian speakers, we were the only ones, of the rest it was select a group of 5-6 tall girls under 1.8 meters tall, with a strong physique who, as it turned out, were from Iceland. The rest of the audience was represented by England, Germany, Poland, etc. To be honest, the walk turned out to be very long (almost until one in the morning) and boring (although maybe it's because I don't drink alcohol, otherwise you never know)))....
No matter how the captain, the bartender, and the Turkish dancer tried to stir us up, it turned out to be rather weak)) Although, in some places it was funny, such as the “musical chair” contest, with SMALL Icelandic girls running and jumping, against which my Sveta looked like a first-grader among tenth-graders )), or the attempts of a Turkish dancer to teach men (including me ) ) the art of Turkish dance )) satisfied))
September 04.2008 Thursday, like all other days, began sunny and warm)) At 6-30 we were picked up from the hotel and put on the bus and taken to Ephesus. After 15 minutes we were transferred to another, no less comfortable bus (of course with air conditioning), where half of the audience was Russian-speaking, and the second half was English-speaking, respectively, and there were two guides.
We were more fortunate, as Alena (our guide) turned out to be a very smart and erudite woman who clearly loved her job. Almost all the way she did not stop and almost 4-hour drive to Ephesus with (40-minute stop for breakfast) was very interesting and informative))) muttering a few phrases in English, with a terrible Turkish accent)))
Ephesus - to say that it's just beautiful, again, it means to say nothing!! ! You just feel the atmosphere of antiquity in this city (more precisely, in what was unearthed), but I will start in order. Before entering, we were given tickets (entrance costs 20 lire, but this was included in the price of the tour), and through the turnstile we got into the excavation area.
There are a lot of people, discordant and multilingual calls of guides to their groups are constantly heard, a bunch of local entrepreneurs immediately hang out selling books (including in Russian) about Ephesus, and all sorts of different souvenirs. For more than two hours we wandered around the ancient city, which was GREATLY restored, admired the local "Verkhovna Rada", the library of Paracelsus, the baths, the clinic, antique statues and bas-reliefs ...If you liked Chersonesus in Crimea, then this will simply delight you! Impressions inexpressible!!! ! Feelings and emotions too, when for example you see a bas-relief of Hercules or Medusa Gorgon, or for example you can sit like an ancient resident in the Ephesian toilet)) (my advice, take water with you, it’s hot there and there’s nowhere to buy it). And of course, an amphitheater with 25.000 seats, the acoustics of which allow you to hear everything that happens on the stage even in the last rows!!!
Having admired this heritage of the past, we arrived by bus to a roadside restaurant with the proud name "Sultan", where we had a decent lunch)) Then our path ran to the house of the Virgin Mary, where she most likely spent the last years of her life. Despite the fact that Turkey is a Muslim country, they treat this place very reverently and respectfully. The house itself is small, but neat, it is forbidden to take pictures and talk inside, there are icons and a nun, as I understand it, is a Catholic. You can calmly pray, or just stand and think....In the courtyard you can draw some water from the holy spring, and leave a note with your desires...The place is really very unusual, it is located on a mountainside, like a terrace, there is a lot of shade, it is absolutely not hot, and somehow calm and peaceful atmosphere surrounds you ....Wonderful place!
After staying there for a total of more than an hour, we split up with the British and, forming a purely Russian-speaking group, went towards Pam Kale, where we were going to stay overnight at a hotel near this place. Arriving there at 8 o'clock in the evening, we were accommodated at the Traverten Hotel. The hotel is modest, but again clean, which is nice. After having dinner there, our group and I were able to watch the so-called “Turkish night”, in a camping version, so to speak) In general, as expected, an oriental girl paraded in front of us, relatively well performing all sorts of different body movements)) As usual, at the end of this action, she performed bypassing the audience, and shaking her forms collected money)) Eh, I had to donate 10 dollars, although she still danced better than the last one ...
Of course, we, as typical representatives of Russo-Turisto, decided to go to Pamukala at night, which is generally forbidden, but we wanted to look at Pamukkale at night, and for good reason, the sight is impressive)) Of course, the local security guard did not let us in (BUT, and a bewitching spectacle opened up from the foot. Having returned after a night extreme walk (having fallen under a fresh shower from watering grass on the way))) ) we safely fell asleep) Attempts to watch the telly were unsuccessful, because it turned off 10 minutes after turning it on
September 05.2008 In the morning, after having breakfast, our group went to Pamu-Kale, hoping that we would be the first! )) Figli, we were overtaken by the Japanese! ! )) They probably wake up by Tokyo time )) If we were not the first, then not the last, that's a fact! )) Passing by the ruins of Hierapolis (also an ancient city, smaller than Ephesus, much smaller, but still!
) we stopped near the Cleopatra pool, which is an irregularly shaped reservoir carved into the rock, at the bottom of which lie the marble columns of the ancient city, approximately 150x200 meters and a depth of about one and a half meters, with warm (40 degrees) mineral water, in one section of which gas comes out in small bubbles, and it seems that you are immersed in champagne. Having paid 20 lire for the pleasure of swimming in this miracle of nature, we immediately got down to business)) Awesome pleasure, you should feel it, especially when your beloved is nearby .....Enjoying it to your heart's content and having dried a little, we moved to the travertines. A very, very unusual and beautiful sight opened up to us. Imagine a dark blue sky and snow-white slopes and a mountain top! It felt like you were in the Alps on a snowy peak.
Underfoot, warm mineral water flowed and spread, and on the edge of the slope there was a small groove, 40x40 centimeters, along which the same mineral water flowed down to a small lake located below, it was very pleasant to splash in the groove, which we did. Plus, small ponds (maximum knee-deep) descended in ledges, in which lakes were formed from the same mineral water. “Lepota”, as the hero of the old Soviet comedy said For an hour and a half, we walked along this “warm snow”, and then, walking through the ruins of Hiierapolis, and photographing antique statues in the local museum (the entrance cost 3 lira, and, as luck would have it, we didn’t have money ( ) we returned to the bus.
After lunch we were taken to shopping (where would we be without it!!!
), first to a textile company (where, by the way, they were treated to tea and coffee for free), then to a clay workshop, then to a tasting and purchase of wine (which I don’t drink, so my Sveta tasted for the two of us))) and then to an enterprise for onyx processing (where I was almost tempted to buy 3 onyx grapes, for $10, as they promised me, but at the checkout they said that it was 15 bucks from me, which discouraged me a little, and naturally discouraged any desire to buy anything from them).
Quite interesting and informative, and surprisingly short )) We bought only wine, 4 bottles for 65 dollars (with payment at the hotel, since we didn’t have cash with us), but our colleagues who wanted what )) On the bus, on the way to Marmaris, a small lottery was played, in which I won a microscopic turtle, it is not clear from what material, it seems plastic, although it may be clay)) Also, thanks to our guide Alena, we were able to admire the cotton and tobacco plant, funny, even very much))
In total, by 8 pm we were tired but satisfied and overwhelmed with impressions and returned to Marmaris to the hotel))
After dinner, by the way, they were about the same, except for the main meat dish, which was different each time, and looked something like this, about 10-15 types of salads, from fresh and baked vegetables, with or without meat, several types of sauces, puree soup (mushroom, chicken), garnish (fries, rice, pasta), meat (chicken, or chops, fried fish, stuffed peppers), desserts (mousses, cakes) of 10-15 types, and watermelon, melon . Drinks for a fee
After the meal, we walked a little, lay on the sun loungers on the seashore, and returned to the hotel fell asleep ....
September 06.2008 In the morning diving was waiting for us!! ! In general, the idea of diving into the depths of the sea was not mine, but my Sveta, and I was there so, for the company) As usual, they took us from the hotel and took us to the yacht in a Mercedes, where the divers wrote down our names, age and asked to sign in magazine.
According to the plan, there was 1 training dive and a 2nd longer one. After the first dive (which lasted about 15 minutes), Sveta shared her impressions with Alice with her eyes wide open from fear and new sensations! )) In general, no one remained indifferent)) The second dive was after lunch (very modest), and longer (about 30 minutes). As I understand it, it was much more interesting and exciting than the first one)) Some fish sailed to the sound of a stone, they looked at sea urchins up close, in general, Jacques-Yves-Cousteau in real life. One thing is bad, from a quick change in depth, Sveta's ear still ached all day BUT, a lot of new impressions and emotions blocked all these minor troubles)) (I hope that the next time the dive will be in the Red Sea) Returning to Marmaris, we still walked around the city and to Dinner returned to the hotel. In the evening, having made another promenade and replenishing our water supplies.
September 07.2008
Having ordered Turkish coffee (4 lira) (which by the way is not possible in all catering places), we spent a wonderful evening with live music!! ! )) The guys sang the repertoire of the Beatles and Tina Turner, and quite well ))
September 08.2008 So the day of our last excursion has come BUT, let's not be sad, but rather, having boarded a very solid three-deck ship “ORCA”, we will go to Dalyan! )) The rumpled saying "who got up first and slippers" we arrived on time and took chic seats on the pillows on the third deck (the topmost one). The transition to Dalyan took about 2.5-3 hours, with one half-hour stop for swimming)) Having sailed to Dalyan (the place where the Dalyan River flows into the Mediterranean Sea), we were transferred to small motor boats (rather even boats), forming 1 Russian-speaking group and 5 English-speaking.
As always, the boat came last for us, but oh well, we are no strangers)) First we were taken to the crab catcher, which those who wished could immediately taste it, boiled of course, for 10 lira, or they could order a fish (delicious by the way) for 15 lire, with delivery already on board the ORCA. Then we were given one crab as an exhibit, and everyone could take a picture with it, and the most exciting thing was, of course, when we caught the Caretta-Caretta turtle in the scopes of cameras, which had very strong dimensions (about a meter in diameter), and which I already I nicknamed Tortilla in advance)) Then we were given a little more than an hour of free time, which we spent on the turtle beach and swimming in the Mediterranean Sea)) Finally, I was able to feel the sea waves!! ! Urya!!!!
An idiot's dream came true)) An hour passed quickly, we boarded these boats again and moved up the Dalyan River (although we never waited for two guys who then caught up with us on another boat). A river is a river, it’s not a sea, but nevertheless, it’s still beautiful))) High reeds (2-2.5 meters), many islands, greenish muddy water and a lot of boats scurrying in all directions)) 30-40 minutes later we reached our destination - mud and hydrogen sulfide springs) It was great!!!
)) In turn, with Sveta, we plunged into a mud bath (a kind of trough measuring 10x15 meters and a depth of 30-40 centimeters), after 15 minutes we dried and then washed in the shower, which was nearby. And finally, we plunged into a hydrogen sulfide bath (a marble container measuring 10 by 15 meters and a meter and a half deep, filled with hot (45-50 degrees) hydrogen sulfide water)) The smells are of course specific, but in general nothing, “invigorates your mother”))) After, again diving into our watercraft, we swam back to the “ORCA” that was waiting for us in the Mediterranean. On the way, we stopped near the tombs of the Lycian kings (impressive, the burial places of this nobility were carved into the rock), about which the guide gave a brief info) Returning on board our liner (at 17 o'clock) we set off on the way back, which was somewhat less pleasant than in the morning, because we got into pitching and the sensations were still the same ((Brrr, I will never forget this trip, but oh well, the elements, however !!!
))) But it looked very impressive when the splashes from the crashing waves reached the third deck!! ! Hurray, after 3 hours we got to our hotel where we collapsed to rest from the pitching.
September 09.2008 Waking up in the morning we even felt some relief, because today we didn’t have to go on any excursion ...Today we had the last full day of vacation. After having breakfast and lounging on the beach until lunch, we moved into the city to buy souvenirs, Turkish delight, and, in general, take a walk)) Having bought almost everything that we planned (we bought the rest in the evening) and had lunch in the same cafe / restaurant "Alabi" we returned to the hotel in the evening, where we spent the rest of the evening on the beach and in the sea)) In the evening we went to a farewell dinner in a restaurant, which was located in the apartment area, and where there was no Russian-speaking public. The kebab we ordered, with a bunch of vegetables and other seasonings, was cooked almost right in front of us, on an open fire!!!
But this is purely my observation, it may not be true at all))
The Turks try to save expensive fuel as much as possible, each house has solar panels and water tanks, which are heated by the bright sun.
They respect the disabled and try to make it easier for them to move around the city, in the hotel, etc. Each toilet has a separate cubicle for the disabled.
Their average income level, like ours, is 200-500 dollars a month, but they do not lose heart, they are developing! We would like their optimism
Smile at people and they will smile at you )) Even if you don't buy anything from them, everyone will be at least a little pleased ))
P. P. S. I don’t know if I will get to Turkey again, or abroad in general, I will definitely not forget about this trip!
Having finished a gloomy and very hectic day on August 31 (Sunday), I grabbed a collected bag, a backpack, and jumping out into the street I caught a taxi in which I called for my girlfriend (Sveta) Her parents saw us off as if I were taking her to a slave market in an evil busurmania, so that my conscience even began to torment me a little, but when I got into a taxi and quickly rushed to the station, my mood completely changed and became completely vacation)) So, boarding the Dnepropetrovsk-Kyiv train, the journey began !!!!
The car turned out to be surprisingly clean and new, and even with such bells and whistles that I had never seen before!
(for example, if the toilet was occupied, the red light was on, there was also an outlet, a radio and air conditioning control) We got boring companions, so there was not much to talk to, and we fell asleep pretty quickly))
September 01.2008 In the morning in Kyiv, having a snack at McDonald's, and handing over a small package to my friend, we got on the bus and for 50 hryvnia together we rushed to Boryspil in about an hour. Before the departure of the flight, there were still 2 hours (the Kyiv-Dalaman flight departed at 13-30) and having packed the luggage (50 UAH for 2 bags), handing it over and passing all these controls, we stood in front of Gate 4, from which, in theory, in half an hour was supposed to leave our flight ....Alas, our luck for that day ended, and due to "the reason for the non-arrival of the plane" the flight was postponed to 18-10 ...kick ....neither get out of the drive, nor drink some water ...
there were also only 4 cigarettes left (((In general, the only consolation was that on behalf of the airline they apologized to us and gave us a coupon for the amount of 6 euros per body, so that we could not die of hunger))) (by the way, for 6 euros in IRISHBAR you could buy a couple of hamburgers and a bottle of iced tea, which we did))) The rest of the time my girlfriend listened to the player, and I wandered around Duty Free (where prices are not at all low !! ! (for example, a pack of Marlboro costs 7 hryvnias (5 UAH in the city)) etc. I also watched a funny company from a French plane, which consisted of a red-haired guy, a mulatto, and a black man))
BUT, finally, they announced the landing on our plane and we, tired, rushed to our seats !! ! We flew for 2 hours and 30 minutes on a nice (albeit old) Boeing 737, with a pleasant team of stewardesses and crew, for which they are merci)) Unfortunately, because of the cloudiness and the darkness that had already come, nothing was visible below (and I really wanted to see Istanbul! !!
(( ) and we were content with the view of the young Moon and Venus, against a dark blue sky background and a purple scarlet sunset))
On September 20-4.01 we landed in Dalaman, and for the first time I set foot on NOT Ukrainian land!!! ! The first thing I immediately felt was the heat (under +40 degrees) and humidity, interspersed with the spicy smells of trees. One thing overshadowed all this pleasure, the landing made my ear stuffy, and it hurt from it ((Besides, I really wanted to smoke, and the cigarettes were in my luggage ....Okay, all this is garbage, compared to the view of the Dalaman airport at night and beautifully painted planes on its runway!
) As always, our valiant tourists rushed in a crowd to the local customs officer, and for $ 20 they received stamps glued into their passports, which were extinguished by another official in another window, to which there was also a queue. Quite quickly, having completed all the procedures and having received our luggage, we got out of the airport , where we met a representative of Ter-Tus, who sorted us into hotels and buses, respectively)) In general, at 10 pm, we finally moved in a column towards Marmaris)) On the way, the guide reassured us that in addition to the airport, there is also a district prison in Dalaman , from which the prisoners are cultivating orange groves, which we are now passing ....a cheerful start, you can’t say anything. She also gave us price lists with prices for excursions and began to paint the charms of her offer.
BUT, having read advice on the Internet that excursions should not be taken from guides (by the way, the right advice), I didn’t really listen to her, paying more attention to the situation around me, which, unfortunately, was limited only to the space lit by the headlights of buses.
The first pip-stop was about 40 minutes after leaving the airport, and of course near the local cafe-shop, by the way, very nice and made in the Turkish style) Our valiant tourists immediately began to take pictures against its background, and we just wandered a little and looked at the prices on products that were, to put it mildly, rather big ((In general, without really stopping there, in a total of an hour and a half we got to Marmaris, which made me, if not stunning, then at least an unusual impression ...It was already about 23-30 but there was just a huge mass of lights and signs around, and the streets were full of people !!!!
In general, it feels like I got on the day of the city of Marmaris))
Thank God our hotel (OCAKTAN) was the first, and my girlfriend and I, and several other tourists were dropped off near the hotel) There was a young guy at the reception, who, after filling out the questionnaire, gave us the keys to the room on the third floor. Having risen to the room, we basically liked everything, BUT, the windows overlooked the neighboring hotel (which was 10 meters away) and the rooms in it were visible like through binoculars (I guess that our room was also visible from there too)) Returning to the reception and inadvertently showing the administrator 10 bucks we got a room on the second floor, with a sea view! ! (by the way, very beautiful) The atmosphere in the room was modest, but nice and clean, with two paintings, two beds, a TV set, a mini-fridge and an armchair, in general, in our Dnieper, this three-star hotel would probably be quoted as five stars))
Leaving our things in the room, we went to explore, and here, on the Marmaris embankment, I felt for the first time that I was abroad, as we plunged into a discordant crowd chatting in English, Turkish, German and other languages \u200b\u200b(of course, I occasionally came across Russian, where without him))) Let's just say that I didn’t experience much shock from abroad, but I liked the atmosphere of carelessness and fun reigning on the streets)) On the way, Sveta (my beloved girl) spoke to a local resident (as I understood the owner of a boat moored nearby ) who introduced himself as “Captain Nemo (or Memo) )”, because it was difficult to make out his English, due to the fact that he was, to put it mildly, slightly drunk, and this captain was very surprised that we are from Ukraine and speak English so well)) As a keepsake, he gave us a couple of stones supposedly from his cave)) In general, after walking until almost 3 am, we returned to the hotel where we fell asleep safely)
September 02.2008 In the morning the sun shone brightly over the bay of Marmaris and we admired the beautiful view that opened from the roof of the hotel on which the restaurant was located Breakfast was modest, but it was difficult to die of hunger It consisted of olives, a couple of types of simple sausage, two types of cheese, cucumbers and tomatoes, butter, jam-honey-jam, two types of muesli with milk, buns, coffee-tea to taste, and a drink, such as yuppies, orange and green. In general, it’s not chic, but quite decent.
But the most important thing is that we had breakfast in a restaurant, which was located on the roof of the hotel and from which an amazing view of the city, mountains and the bay of Marmaris opened)) Under the blue cloudless sky of Turkey, it was just excellent) After breakfast, we decided to replenish water supplies, for then we went to the Migros supermarket (by the way, a couple of days later we found an arc supermarket, Point Center, which was closer, and the prices were a little lower), and along the way I decided to decide on an excursion program. What can I say, going out to the main street (it runs parallel to the embankment), I once again felt that I was abroad. A flat, tiled street, very clean (although there are no trash cans there), on which there are many cafes / restaurants, all sun-drenched and planted with palm trees)) it was so unlike my native landscapes that I even froze for a moment)).
Having skimped in the supermarket, we moved through the tour desks, of which there were many, and whose owners or employees vied with each other to invite us to their place. In the end, we settled on "April" (which we did not regret) and booked such trips for ourselves, Wednesday-Cleopatra Island (70 dollars), Thursday-Friday - Ephesus-Pamukale (240 dollars), Saturday - Diving (50 dollars) for my girlfriend, I was just there), Sunday - Aegean Islands ($ 45), Monday - Dalyan ($ 45) (prices for two) (we also wanted to visit the island of Rhodes, it is no more than an hour away, oh, alas, without a Schengen visa they wouldn't let us in there ( ) An employee of this office (Mustafa) turned out to be a very nice and talkative young man, outwardly not much like a Turk (more bright and Europeanized), unfortunately he does not speak Russian, but he speaks excellent English.
Fortunately, Sveta is fluent in English, so they talked for a long time and animatedly about our upcoming excursions, and in general, about living / being in sunny Turkey) In general, the entire package of excursions cost us $ 450, and as a result of bargaining (which in Turkey is always and everywhere appropriate!!! (except for supermarkets) the price has decreased only to 440 USD, however, a ticket for two for an evening walk, with dinner, on board the White Whale yacht was presented. So, having finished the excursion program, we we moved to the so-called "old city", away from the hotels, where we visited the fortress of Marmaris (small but very pretty, built by Suleiman the first, in the 16th century), which also housed a museum of antiquity and the Middle Ages. The entrance cost 3 lira each a person, though without a guide, which, however, did not particularly bother us, since there were many plates on which this or that exhibit was described in Turkish and English.
I will note one feature, there are a lot of cats in Turkey, and relatively few dogs, so you can contemplate some kind of Murzik napping peacefully under a palm tree on almost every corner. And yet, purely practical advice, learn a few words in Turkish, and periodically use them, believe me, in return you will get a lot of smiles and compliments and everyone will have more fun ))
After visiting the fortress and walking around the city center, we decided to have lunch at Alabi, a kind of symbiosis of a cafe and a restaurant, and having chosen a salad for me, something like a sandwich, tea began to wait for our order ...Imagine our surprise when the sandwich turned out to be somewhat different than we we were expecting (look at the picture), and the 1st portion of the salad was enough to eat to satiety for two (plus fresh bread, sauces, etc. ) ....In general, we left this Turkish catering establishment very well-fed and satisfied. All this pleasure cost us 18 lira.
After wandering around the city center a little more, we slowly returned to the hotel, and spent the rest of the day on the beach and in the sea. By the way, the sea near the hotel is clean, the beach is coarsely sandy, with small pebbles that periodically came across to us. There are a lot of fish swimming around, BUT one of them has never bitten any of us))
In the evening, we took a walk along the embankment, on which there were disagreements in musical tastes (although at exactly 01-30 everyone turns off loud music) and directions, and we tired believed in the hotel, because in the morning the first excursion was waiting for us.
September 03.2008 Turks are never distinguished by punctuality, and when we arrived at our meeting place at 9:30 a. m. , we began to get a little nervous and suspect that we had been deceived, but, thank God, our bus arrived at 10:05 a. m. and we got into a spacious lounge, with air conditioning, which was very handy, because it was +38 degrees outside.
At about 13 o'clock we were fed lunch (very good, spaghetti, a couple of chicken chops, salad) and at 14 o'clock we sailed to Cleopatra Island. I will not retell the legends that guides treat tourists to (by the way, our guide spoke first in Russian, then in English, and to be honest, he somehow sluggishly entertained tourists, but by and large there was no special need for him). Once on the island of Cleopatra, we first visited the remains of the Byzantine basilica, the amphitheater and the agora (more precisely, what was left of them). I was surprised by the land of the island, it was reddish, rocky and dry. How anything could grow there remains a mystery to me, although, as Sveta told me, in Cyprus, the picture is about the same. Having taken plenty of pictures, having satisfied our archaeological hunger, we moved to Cleopatra Beach.
The beach itself is fenced, and the entrance to it is closed, but there are many sun loungers around where you can stay, and the entrance to the sea from two sides is equipped with wooden platforms and stairs. There are souls standing there, so that you can wash off the salt water, and God forbid you do not pull off the precious sand. By the way, the sand is really unusual, somewhat similar to semolina. After spending about two and a half hours on the island, we safely returned to our yacht, and on the way we went to another bay for a half-hour swim at 6 pm returned to Marmaris. We decided to skip dinner, as we had a night walk (given by Mustafa) on the White Whale with the same dinner. Previously, we merged all the photos from the camera onto a USB flash drive, because tomorrow a 2-day excursion was waiting for us, at the local owner of a small shop. To be honest, he is still the “specialist”, and groaning for a long time and probably cursing in Turkish for 5 lira, he leaked our photos.
Further, at the pace of a waltz, we rushed off for a night walk, and rushed almost before everyone else)) Having risen to the upper deck, we sat down on a deck chair and waited for the start of the walk, looking at the audience around us)) Of the Russian speakers, we were the only ones, of the rest it was select a group of 5-6 tall girls under 1.8 meters tall, with a strong physique who, as it turned out, were from Iceland. The rest of the audience was represented by England, Germany, Poland, etc. To be honest, the walk turned out to be very long (almost until one in the morning) and boring (although maybe it's because I don't drink alcohol, otherwise you never know)))....
No matter how the captain, the bartender, and the Turkish dancer tried to stir us up, it turned out to be rather weak)) Although, in some places it was funny, such as the “musical chair” contest, with SMALL Icelandic girls running and jumping, against which my Sveta looked like a first-grader among tenth-graders )), or the attempts of a Turkish dancer to teach men (including me ) ) the art of Turkish dance )) satisfied))
September 04.2008 Thursday, like all other days, began sunny and warm)) At 6-30 we were picked up from the hotel and put on the bus and taken to Ephesus. After 15 minutes we were transferred to another, no less comfortable bus (of course with air conditioning), where half of the audience was Russian-speaking, and the second half was English-speaking, respectively, and there were two guides.
We were more fortunate, as Alena (our guide) turned out to be a very smart and erudite woman who clearly loved her job. Almost all the way she did not stop and almost 4-hour drive to Ephesus with (40-minute stop for breakfast) was very interesting and informative))) muttering a few phrases in English, with a terrible Turkish accent)))
Ephesus - to say that it's just beautiful, again, it means to say nothing!! ! You just feel the atmosphere of antiquity in this city (more precisely, in what was unearthed), but I will start in order. Before entering, we were given tickets (entrance costs 20 lire, but this was included in the price of the tour), and through the turnstile we got into the excavation area.
There are a lot of people, discordant and multilingual calls of guides to their groups are constantly heard, a bunch of local entrepreneurs immediately hang out selling books (including in Russian) about Ephesus, and all sorts of different souvenirs. For more than two hours we wandered around the ancient city, which was GREATLY restored, admired the local "Verkhovna Rada", the library of Paracelsus, the baths, the clinic, antique statues and bas-reliefs ...If you liked Chersonesus in Crimea, then this will simply delight you! Impressions inexpressible!!! ! Feelings and emotions too, when for example you see a bas-relief of Hercules or Medusa Gorgon, or for example you can sit like an ancient resident in the Ephesian toilet)) (my advice, take water with you, it’s hot there and there’s nowhere to buy it). And of course, an amphitheater with 25.000 seats, the acoustics of which allow you to hear everything that happens on the stage even in the last rows!!!
Having admired this heritage of the past, we arrived by bus to a roadside restaurant with the proud name "Sultan", where we had a decent lunch)) Then our path ran to the house of the Virgin Mary, where she most likely spent the last years of her life. Despite the fact that Turkey is a Muslim country, they treat this place very reverently and respectfully. The house itself is small, but neat, it is forbidden to take pictures and talk inside, there are icons and a nun, as I understand it, is a Catholic. You can calmly pray, or just stand and think....In the courtyard you can draw some water from the holy spring, and leave a note with your desires...The place is really very unusual, it is located on a mountainside, like a terrace, there is a lot of shade, it is absolutely not hot, and somehow calm and peaceful atmosphere surrounds you ....Wonderful place!
After staying there for a total of more than an hour, we split up with the British and, forming a purely Russian-speaking group, went towards Pam Kale, where we were going to stay overnight at a hotel near this place. Arriving there at 8 o'clock in the evening, we were accommodated at the Traverten Hotel. The hotel is modest, but again clean, which is nice. After having dinner there, our group and I were able to watch the so-called “Turkish night”, in a camping version, so to speak) In general, as expected, an oriental girl paraded in front of us, relatively well performing all sorts of different body movements)) As usual, at the end of this action, she performed bypassing the audience, and shaking her forms collected money)) Eh, I had to donate 10 dollars, although she still danced better than the last one ...
Of course, we, as typical representatives of Russo-Turisto, decided to go to Pamukala at night, which is generally forbidden, but we wanted to look at Pamukkale at night, and for good reason, the sight is impressive)) Of course, the local security guard did not let us in (BUT, and a bewitching spectacle opened up from the foot. Having returned after a night extreme walk (having fallen under a fresh shower from watering grass on the way))) ) we safely fell asleep) Attempts to watch the telly were unsuccessful, because it turned off 10 minutes after turning it on
September 05.2008 In the morning, after having breakfast, our group went to Pamu-Kale, hoping that we would be the first! )) Figli, we were overtaken by the Japanese! ! )) They probably wake up by Tokyo time )) If we were not the first, then not the last, that's a fact! )) Passing by the ruins of Hierapolis (also an ancient city, smaller than Ephesus, much smaller, but still!
) we stopped near the Cleopatra pool, which is an irregularly shaped reservoir carved into the rock, at the bottom of which lie the marble columns of the ancient city, approximately 150x200 meters and a depth of about one and a half meters, with warm (40 degrees) mineral water, in one section of which gas comes out in small bubbles, and it seems that you are immersed in champagne. Having paid 20 lire for the pleasure of swimming in this miracle of nature, we immediately got down to business)) Awesome pleasure, you should feel it, especially when your beloved is nearby .....Enjoying it to your heart's content and having dried a little, we moved to the travertines. A very, very unusual and beautiful sight opened up to us. Imagine a dark blue sky and snow-white slopes and a mountain top! It felt like you were in the Alps on a snowy peak.
Underfoot, warm mineral water flowed and spread, and on the edge of the slope there was a small groove, 40x40 centimeters, along which the same mineral water flowed down to a small lake located below, it was very pleasant to splash in the groove, which we did. Plus, small ponds (maximum knee-deep) descended in ledges, in which lakes were formed from the same mineral water. “Lepota”, as the hero of the old Soviet comedy said For an hour and a half, we walked along this “warm snow”, and then, walking through the ruins of Hiierapolis, and photographing antique statues in the local museum (the entrance cost 3 lira, and, as luck would have it, we didn’t have money ( ) we returned to the bus.
After lunch we were taken to shopping (where would we be without it!!!
), first to a textile company (where, by the way, they were treated to tea and coffee for free), then to a clay workshop, then to a tasting and purchase of wine (which I don’t drink, so my Sveta tasted for the two of us))) and then to an enterprise for onyx processing (where I was almost tempted to buy 3 onyx grapes, for $10, as they promised me, but at the checkout they said that it was 15 bucks from me, which discouraged me a little, and naturally discouraged any desire to buy anything from them).
Quite interesting and informative, and surprisingly short )) We bought only wine, 4 bottles for 65 dollars (with payment at the hotel, since we didn’t have cash with us), but our colleagues who wanted what )) On the bus, on the way to Marmaris, a small lottery was played, in which I won a microscopic turtle, it is not clear from what material, it seems plastic, although it may be clay)) Also, thanks to our guide Alena, we were able to admire the cotton and tobacco plant, funny, even very much))
In total, by 8 pm we were tired but satisfied and overwhelmed with impressions and returned to Marmaris to the hotel))
After dinner, by the way, they were about the same, except for the main meat dish, which was different each time, and looked something like this, about 10-15 types of salads, from fresh and baked vegetables, with or without meat, several types of sauces, puree soup (mushroom, chicken), garnish (fries, rice, pasta), meat (chicken, or chops, fried fish, stuffed peppers), desserts (mousses, cakes) of 10-15 types, and watermelon, melon . Drinks for a fee
After the meal, we walked a little, lay on the sun loungers on the seashore, and returned to the hotel fell asleep ....
September 06.2008 In the morning diving was waiting for us!! ! In general, the idea of diving into the depths of the sea was not mine, but my Sveta, and I was there so, for the company) As usual, they took us from the hotel and took us to the yacht in a Mercedes, where the divers wrote down our names, age and asked to sign in magazine.
According to the plan, there was 1 training dive and a 2nd longer one. After the first dive (which lasted about 15 minutes), Sveta shared her impressions with Alice with her eyes wide open from fear and new sensations! )) In general, no one remained indifferent)) The second dive was after lunch (very modest), and longer (about 30 minutes). As I understand it, it was much more interesting and exciting than the first one)) Some fish sailed to the sound of a stone, they looked at sea urchins up close, in general, Jacques-Yves-Cousteau in real life. One thing is bad, from a quick change in depth, Sveta's ear still ached all day BUT, a lot of new impressions and emotions blocked all these minor troubles)) (I hope that the next time the dive will be in the Red Sea) Returning to Marmaris, we still walked around the city and to Dinner returned to the hotel. In the evening, having made another promenade and replenishing our water supplies.
September 07.2008
Having ordered Turkish coffee (4 lira) (which by the way is not possible in all catering places), we spent a wonderful evening with live music!! ! )) The guys sang the repertoire of the Beatles and Tina Turner, and quite well ))
September 08.2008 So the day of our last excursion has come BUT, let's not be sad, but rather, having boarded a very solid three-deck ship “ORCA”, we will go to Dalyan! )) The rumpled saying "who got up first and slippers" we arrived on time and took chic seats on the pillows on the third deck (the topmost one). The transition to Dalyan took about 2.5-3 hours, with one half-hour stop for swimming)) Having sailed to Dalyan (the place where the Dalyan River flows into the Mediterranean Sea), we were transferred to small motor boats (rather even boats), forming 1 Russian-speaking group and 5 English-speaking.
As always, the boat came last for us, but oh well, we are no strangers)) First we were taken to the crab catcher, which those who wished could immediately taste it, boiled of course, for 10 lira, or they could order a fish (delicious by the way) for 15 lire, with delivery already on board the ORCA. Then we were given one crab as an exhibit, and everyone could take a picture with it, and the most exciting thing was, of course, when we caught the Caretta-Caretta turtle in the scopes of cameras, which had very strong dimensions (about a meter in diameter), and which I already I nicknamed Tortilla in advance)) Then we were given a little more than an hour of free time, which we spent on the turtle beach and swimming in the Mediterranean Sea)) Finally, I was able to feel the sea waves!! ! Urya!!!!
An idiot's dream came true)) An hour passed quickly, we boarded these boats again and moved up the Dalyan River (although we never waited for two guys who then caught up with us on another boat). A river is a river, it’s not a sea, but nevertheless, it’s still beautiful))) High reeds (2-2.5 meters), many islands, greenish muddy water and a lot of boats scurrying in all directions)) 30-40 minutes later we reached our destination - mud and hydrogen sulfide springs) It was great!!!
)) In turn, with Sveta, we plunged into a mud bath (a kind of trough measuring 10x15 meters and a depth of 30-40 centimeters), after 15 minutes we dried and then washed in the shower, which was nearby. And finally, we plunged into a hydrogen sulfide bath (a marble container measuring 10 by 15 meters and a meter and a half deep, filled with hot (45-50 degrees) hydrogen sulfide water)) The smells are of course specific, but in general nothing, “invigorates your mother”))) After, again diving into our watercraft, we swam back to the “ORCA” that was waiting for us in the Mediterranean. On the way, we stopped near the tombs of the Lycian kings (impressive, the burial places of this nobility were carved into the rock), about which the guide gave a brief info) Returning on board our liner (at 17 o'clock) we set off on the way back, which was somewhat less pleasant than in the morning, because we got into pitching and the sensations were still the same ((Brrr, I will never forget this trip, but oh well, the elements, however !!!
))) But it looked very impressive when the splashes from the crashing waves reached the third deck!! ! Hurray, after 3 hours we got to our hotel where we collapsed to rest from the pitching.
September 09.2008 Waking up in the morning we even felt some relief, because today we didn’t have to go on any excursion ...Today we had the last full day of vacation. After having breakfast and lounging on the beach until lunch, we moved into the city to buy souvenirs, Turkish delight, and, in general, take a walk)) Having bought almost everything that we planned (we bought the rest in the evening) and had lunch in the same cafe / restaurant "Alabi" we returned to the hotel in the evening, where we spent the rest of the evening on the beach and in the sea)) In the evening we went to a farewell dinner in a restaurant, which was located in the apartment area, and where there was no Russian-speaking public. The kebab we ordered, with a bunch of vegetables and other seasonings, was cooked almost right in front of us, on an open fire!!!
But this is purely my observation, it may not be true at all))
The Turks try to save expensive fuel as much as possible, each house has solar panels and water tanks, which are heated by the bright sun.
They respect the disabled and try to make it easier for them to move around the city, in the hotel, etc. Each toilet has a separate cubicle for the disabled.
Their average income level, like ours, is 200-500 dollars a month, but they do not lose heart, they are developing! We would like their optimism
Smile at people and they will smile at you )) Even if you don't buy anything from them, everyone will be at least a little pleased ))
P. P. S. I don’t know if I will get to Turkey again, or abroad in general, I will definitely not forget about this trip!
Translated automatically from Russian. View original
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