Mediterranean Coast, Turkey

Among our wish list of things we were hoping to do while in Turkey was a cruise along the Mediterranean. Upon arrival though, we realized how much more expensive traveling here would be than we'd anticipated. We quickly had to readjust our budget, nearly doubling it from what we had been spending in Asia. Any hope of doing any boating, scuba diving, or other such activities was quickly forsaken in favor of day to day expenses such as food, lodging, and entry fees to sites.

We found ourselves pleasantly surprised however, when we investigated the costs involved in one these, Blue Cruises, as they call them. Without much trouble we were able to find a three night, four day boat trip from Fethiye to Olimpos that, at just over US$200 per person, didn't completely bust our budget.

The boat itself was a beautiful yacht made of honey colored wood with eight small cabins, a loud, powerful motor, and sadly neglected sailing masts. The Captain, Osman, was a bit of a pirate. A madcap figure who started cracking beers before the boat even left the harbor and spent most of our four days on board drunkenly muttering to himself or singing along to the radio while he steered the ship. Thankfully the waters that line the coast are far more forgiving than the steep and winding roads that edge along them, and our Captain's enthusiasm for alcohol did not seem to heavily effect his ability to navigate.

Day after day we woke late, eating a light breakfast and marveling at our new surroundings. The coastline was a series of tiny ports, pebble beaches, and rocky cliffs, many of which were adorned with castles, or ancient ruins. The waters were an incredible turquoise blue, and in mid-June, comfortably warm to swim in. The high salt content of the water makes for exceptional buoyancy, and though I'm not the strongest of swimmers, I was still able to cover some exceptional distances without the aid of swimming fins.

I could describe our long conversations with other travelers, the infinite rounds of backgammon, or the hours spent reading in the hot mid-day sun, but I won't. To do so would be a betrayal of the spirit of laziness we partook in for those four days. Instead I will let the pictures that accompany this post augment the brevity of text, and instead will simply say that anyone who travels to this part of the world should do themselves a favor and book themselves a similar cruise. At just over US$50 a day, you really can't afford not to.