FINAL THOUGHTS

MELISSA:

In half an hour I will be heading to the bus station, the official end of my cruise. It’s been a wonderful journey! I am so lucky to have had this opportunity. The Mediterranean was gorgeous but at times very, very hot. I saw so many amazing places. I loved getting to swim in the water and kayak around the harbors. I was lucky to have two great fellas on board who made me laugh. It was a great two months. Big thanks to Greg for documenting our trip on his website. And of course endless thank you’s to John for giving me a place on his journey. John was an ideal captain and I will probably never get so lucky again. Once in a lifetime trip.


GREG:

All I can say is "WOW". What a journey! Like Melissa, I feel it was a once in a lifetime trip. A "thanks" to John seems almost sacrilegious. It just doesn't convey the gratitude I feel for the opportunity to share this adventure with him. The only thing that could have possibly made the trip better would be to have skipped the blown engine segment. That was a real bummer, especially for John. The cost was astronomical and the accompanying hassles with cretin officials were endless. The rest of the trip was an adventure of epic proportions. Having Melissa come aboard was a godsend. She could cook up a storm and John and I were delighted that the starvation would finally end. She is a world adventurer and held us captive often with the stories of her travels to places where, in my estimation, people only happened to live there by accident. Thanks for everythiing Mel and I hope we keep in touch. Thanks to you John for putting up with my weird idiosyncracies and I "still" do not know how to tie a bowline (Melissa learned to tie one in just a few minutes.) :-)



Friday, August 29, 2008 - End Of The Journey

Marmaris, Turkey - Marmaris is an important port city and a tourist destination on the Mediterranean coast, located in southwestern Turkey, in the Mugla Province. Tourism is the main source of income for Marmaris and is one of Turkey's most sophisticated and multi-faceted resorts. Located where the Aegean Sea meets the Mediterranean the beautiful bay is famous for its yachting and cosmopolitan atmosphere. It is also a major center for sailing, possessing two major and several smaller marinas. It is a popular wintering location for hundreds of cruising boaters. In short, Marmaris is truly the jewel of the Turkish Riviera.

Marmaris has a typical Mediterranean climate with hot and dry summers and mild, rainy winters. In February, mean air temperature is 10.8 ºC and mean sea temperature is 15.2 ºC.

The area has typical characteristics of Mediterranean ecosystem and biodiversity. A conservation area, Marmaris National Park is located around Marmaris city center, covering with Pinus brutia (Turkish Red Pine) forests. Endangered Liquidambar orientalis (Oriental Sweetgum) trees are also present at some locations around Marmaris. A fire-created vegetation mosaic can easily seen around Marmaris due to regenerating Pine forests at different stages of post-fire succession. Common Mediterranean species such as wild olive, arbutus, common myrtle, rockroses can be seen throughout the area. Wildlife in Marmaris is also rich, and there are many wild goats, caracals, foxes, and squirrels in the area.

Although it is not certain when Marmaris was founded, in the 6th century BC the city was known as Physkos, and considered part of Caria. According to the historian Herodotus, there was a castle in Marmaris since 3000 BC. During the Hellenistic Age, Caria was invaded by Alexander the Great and the castle was besieged. The next important event during the history of Marmaris was almost two thousand years later, in the mid-fifteenth century, when the Ottoman Empire began to rise after the efforts of Sultan Mehmet II, who succeeded in conquering and uniting under one banner the various tribes and kingdoms of Anatolia. Some of his greatest difficulties came from the Knights of St. John, who occupied the Dodecanese Islands. Based in Rhodes, the Knights had fought for many years; they were able to withstand the onslaughts of Mehmet II until a succeeding and more powerful Sultan came on the scene. The 17th century writer Evliya Çelebi mentions the castle, which was rebuilt by Süleyman the Magnificent in 1522 when he set out for his campaign on Rhodes. It was under Süleyman the Magnificent that Marmaris came under Ottoman control. In 1522 Süleyman assembled a fleet of over 300 ships and a force of 200,000 in the bay of Marmaris to challenge the Knights' headquarters on Rhodes. After many battles, the Knights had to give up and the Turks overtook the Island. After this period, Marmaris remained a little town until the 1980s when the investments of tourism began. These investments converted the little fishery town to a tourism capital in a short time. Nowadays, in summer, hundred of thousands of people come to visit Marmaris.

Click here for the pictures.


Thursday, August 28, 2008

Bozuk Buku, Turkey - This isolated bay is overlooked by the extensive ruins of the Hellenistic citadel of Ancient Loryma from where, in 1552, Suleiman the Magnificent launched his successful campaign to defeat the Knights of Rhodes. Above the bay of Loryma (modern Bozuk Buku) lies the ruins of the curtain wall surrounding the top of the hill. Constructed from large blocks of stone shaped in-situ, the remaining walls (mostly a metre high on the outside) retain very precise corners and sheer faces. The bay was primarily used as a harbour of refuge for trade ships heading north and south along the coast.

At the back of the bay somewhere behind the mountain there is apparently a settlement that has yet to be excavated. The lady from Belgium that owns the taverna where we ate came to the island years ago with an archeology group, loved the area so much she came back to stay.

Click here for the pictures.


Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Datca, Turkey (we check in to Turkey) - The Datca (pronounced Datcha) Peninsula provides a natural boundary between the Aegean Sea,the Gulf of Gokova to the north, and the Mediterranean Sea, the Gulf of Hisarnonu to the south. Along all the 75 km from Marmaris to Datca,the road winds among trees and hills, permitting lovely views over the expanse of blue. Campers have many perfect settings to choose from; the less adventurous can stay in one of the many comfortable holiday villages. 25 km to Datca is the beautiful Aktur beach. In Datca white-washed buldings hung with bougainvillaea decorate the town. Datca A thriving, traditional harbour which despite its remoteness, was once the capital of the Dorian principality. Today, Datca is known for its attractive bazaar with carpet and pottery shops, restaurants and quayside cafes.

The marina is on the southern bay; while swimmers prefer the northern bay. Around the marina bars,cafes and a wide selection of shops keep the tourist interested. Some shops remain open well into the evening. Relaxing over a pre-dinner drink and then a delicious meal in a welcoming restaurant is a popular way to spend the evening hours. Of course, the local eateries offer both fresh fish and classical Turkish cuisine.

Click here for the pictures.