Mersincik to Bodrum

July 31, 2010: Mersincik to Bodrum

Sun Rising Over Our Neighboring Gulet

At daybreak, David and Dick get up to see the sun rising over the horizon. We lift the anchor and head back to Bodrum. It's hard to believe that our time on Van Kedisi is almost over.

It starts out as flat calm. Once again the win gods smile on us and within twenty minutes the wind fills in and we start sailing. Allen and Sharra wake up from the noise and motion to join us in the cockpit. The wind clocks around in the right direction so that we can point right for Bodrum. It's hard for us to believe that this has happened almost every day for us.

We pull into Bodrum harbor under the imposing castle. The castle was the last strong hold in Turkey of the Knights of Saint John before they eventually fled to Malta. We anchor Van Kedisi and head into town. Dick had an appointment with a TV broadcast of the New Zealand All Black rugby team who wiped out Australia as Dick watched. But before he could watch rugby, we had to take three huge bags of laundry in to be washed. It will take 24 hours and we need our clean clothes before continuing on our journey.

We explore Bodrum, shopping and enjoying the sights and sounds of being back in this large tourist town. We stop at a bakery that David remembers from his last trip to Bodrum. We buy one of the fantastic desserts on display and enjoy the treat as we walk back to where we left the dinghy.

In the middle of the afternoon, Dick takes us to the industrial area where he gets a lot of parts for Van Kedisi. He introduces David to his Turkish barber. For 20 Turkish Lira (about $13 Canadian), David gets a 45 minute haircut and shave. No hair above the collar is safe, as the barber patiently cuts hair by hair, to create the perfect cut. The time and attention to detail are the complete opposite to what you experience when you get a haircut in Vancouver.

We motor back out to Van Kedisi and pull up the anchor. For one of the few times in the last week the wind doesn't cooperate and we motor the few short miles to "The Aquarium", a bay not far from Bodrum. It is Saturday night and all the locals are out. It takes us a while to find a spot to anchor, but Dick maneuvers us into a nice spot. We go for a swim, cook dinner, and sit in the cockpit until midnight as the moon once again rises over the hills around us.

Dick Raises the Anchor