David's Diary: Sunday, August 10, 2003

Exploring Bodrum, Turkey

We are taking today off and spending the day exploring Bodrum. Even though we have spent a lot of time in Bodrum, we have not got around to seeing the local castle and other tourist sites. We start with breakfast outside the kid's room. It is similar to what we got in Istanbul for breakfast -- fresh cucumber and tomatoes, served with olives, two kinds of goat cheese, fried sausages, and toast with jam. It's a combination that we would never consider in Canada, but it makes a surprisingly good breakfast.

Bodrum Castle

We take our time over breakfast, then pack up and walk around the harbour to the castle. The walk takes a half-hour and when we arrive at the castle it is almost noon. This wouldn't matter, except that the castle closes for two hours at 1:00 PM. We go into the castle anyways and start looking around.

Bodrum Bay

The castle was another one of the fortifications for the Knights of St. John. The castles of Bodrum, Kos, and Rhodes were the core protection for the Knights. They lasted a long time until finally being overwhelmed by the Ottoman Turks. The castle has museums, displays, stalls with people selling trinkets, gardens, passages, and stairs. It is quite different from the castle in Kos which is stark by contrast. When we finally reach the top we get views of the entire Bodrum area.

Market

As the castle closes for lunch we leave by walking through the thick walls back to the quay that runs around the harbour. We enter the large market in the center of Bodrum. The market is a warren of narrow streets lined with shops. In some places, there are stalls placed outside under the awnings, where all sorts of goods are for sale.

Turkish Tea

We stop for lunch and sit outside as hundreds of tourists stream past us. After lunch I decide to have a Turkish tea. While many people think of "Turkish Coffee" as the national drink, the Turks actually prefer tea. The tea is brewed with sugar and is served in glass mugs. The Turks drink tea all day and claim that it helps cool your body in the heat.

Tattoos

We wander around some more after lunch. We pass a tattoo stand and the children beg to get a tattoo they can show off to their friends when we are back in Canada. The tattoos are made with a henna dye that lasts for about two weeks. Karalee and I take turns searching through hundreds of designs until Jocelyn, Kevin, and Allen have each found the tattoo they want. We sit around while each of the tattoos is put on, then the five of us walk back around the harbour to our hotel for a rest before a swim and dinner.