Welcome to my Blue Heaven.
Turkey is a land of contrasts. The latest technologies of WIFI and cell phones meet the traditions of the hamam and small plots of land cultivated by hand. It is the ancient
architecture of Ephesus viewed after seeing the modern buildings of Izmir and Istanbul.

It is a land of startling beauty, surrounded on three sides by the jewel tones of the sea.
One of the best things about Turkey is the Turkish people. Their friendliness and
caring attitude is simply without precedent.

On more than one occasion, upon asking directions (using hand signs and charades),
the person I was asking for help would simply turn around, motion for me to
follow…and take me to my destination. It is the people of Turkey that make it shine.

Turkey's history is long and varied, with wave after wave of invaders washing
over it from the East, then from the West, until the Ottoman conquest of 1453. Names
you vaguely remember from your early school days are woven into the historical
fabric of Turkey. The Trojan War and the Fall of Troy in 1180 BC, Cyrus, king of Persia (550-530 BC) conquering everybody and everything until Alexander the Great showed up in 334 BC and defeated the Persians, driving them out. Actually, Alexander had a profound effect on Anatolia and was the first of many rulers who tried to bring together the Western and Eastern cultures (the Byzantines and Ottomans later followed suit).

Throughout the world, countries are struggling to keep up with changing populations and cultures. Turkey is no different in that aspect. Increasingly, two completely different lifestyles coexist in Turkey. Along the western coast and in the cities of Istanbul, Izmir and Ankara, people live much like people of the West. Men and women go to their jobs in offices and shops, they socialize together, they sit down to their dinners at their tables. But move away from the cities (and particularly towards the east) and it is obvious more traditional lifestyles still exist. In these areas, men and women rarely sit, let alone socialize, together, women stay home to look after the children, everyone sits on the floor to eat.

Tourism is having a huge impact on life in Turkey, fostering rapid social change as taboos break down and young Turks behaving like young people everywhere. The proliferation of internet exposure has also promoted the changes. Turkey is actively seeking entrance into the EU, which will further enhance the Western influence.

The Turquoise Coast is the prettiest cruising area of Turkey, and is found in the southwest region, where the Aegean meets the Mediterranean. It features towns and villages with plenty of nightlife and shopping, ancient architecture abounds, pine forests cling to the sides of the hills that plunge into the sea, there are secret coves to nestle into and picturesque islands dot the waters of Fethiye Bay. It is here that I discovered my Blue Heaven. The adventure begins in Marmaris.

The second largest and most developed of the Aegean resort towns (the largest is Kusadsi), most travel guides warn you about the urban sprawl that extends out from the harbor, how development has dwarfed the old village core. Yes, it is true, but that is also true of virtuallyevery city…be it Nice, Genoa or Boston. In Marmaris, the most beautiful hotel, the Maris, is located about 20 minutes away from the Old City. It is lovely, with an oversized pool, the view of the ocean, the lightening-fast internet access. If luxury is what you crave, the Maris is where you want to stay. If you want to be close to the Old City, there are several smaller hotels that are not so luxurious, but err on the "quaint" and "friendly" side of the ledger. You are here for a Charter holiday, but since you have traveled so far to get to Turkey, it would be a shame not to spend a couple of days discovering the delights of the area.

One of the first things you will want to experience is the bazaar. There is plenty of glitzy kitschy stuff, but keep searching, as there are also some very nice treasures to be found. And make sure your bartering skills are honed, because you will want to barter on every item. There are beautiful rugs, cashmere pashminas, silver items and spices to tempt you. Make sure you arrive with plenty of room in your luggage, as you are sure to be buying presents to take home.

Cash is king, but not to worry, ATMs abound. Close to the bazaar is the PTT,
which is the post office. Not only can you buy stamps, but also phone cards if you
don't have a GMS phone. There is a large bank of phones next to the PTT. Don't
forget to phone home. The Marmaris Museum is located in the old castle, just up from the bazaar. In 1522, Suleyman assembled a force of 200,000 for the attack and siege ofRhodes, which was defended by the Knights of St. John. After this successful campaign Suleyman endowed the town with the tiny castle. Legend has it that Marmaris was actually named by Suleyman. Seems there was already a castle, but since it was not to his liking, he supposedly uttered "Mimari as" ("hang the architect"), later corrupted to Marmaris.

Where you believe the legend or not, it is only a 5 minute walk up to the castle and the views are magnificent. After a hard day of shopping at the bazaar, lunching at one of the many al fresco restaurants, and enjoying the exhibits at the museum, why not treat yourself to a Turkish bath, a hamam? You can have your charter agent arrange this ahead of time for you, or have your agent's factor in Marmaris set up an appointment for you. The best time is later on in the day, as the tour groups have already gone.

Never been to a hamam? Well, neither had we, and we ended up having such a good time, laughing so hard and feeling so good when we were done that we wanted to go back the next day. But of course, we couldn't, as our time in Turkey was limited. I went with a bunch of my girlfriends, who will remain nameless, for the protection of the innocent. The following is a slightly censored version of our time at the Hamam! The five of us were picked up by the van provided by the Armutalan Hamam. Once at the hamam, we sat in an "orientation" area and instructed on what we were to be doing, and why.

Unfortunately, we were all a little nervous about the upcoming experience and giggling like mad, so none of us quite got the whole story. We decided they should have given us a set of waterproof flash cards so we could refer back to them. We were taken to a locker room and given a pair of white (very ugly) plastic clogs to wear, and what appeared to be an oversized tea towel. My grandmother would have loved that towel. We wrapped the tea towels around us, stuck our feet into the clogs, and followed our guide to our first stop…the sauna. Well, this was great. We knew what to do. Just sit and giggle with our friends. Pretty soon we were dripping with sweat and the kinks in our muscles were soothing away. About this time the guide pops in, and motions us to follow her…back up the stairs, through the lobby and into a room with a huge marble slab in the middle, numerous stations around the room with water faucets emptying into beautiful urns. Above each station was a small brass dish. The ceiling was high and curved. We all just looked at each other. Now what were we supposed to be doing? We finally got into the spirit of things, laying on the stone, then splashing water over ourselves.

Whatever knots we had left in our backs and shoulders soon disappeared as we barbequed ourselves on the slab. Just about the time we were cooked through, the door opens up and 4 guys appear. It took us a few moments to realize these were not tourists, but "scrubbie" guys and "sudsie" guys. Scrubbie guy does just that…scrubs you with a kese (coarse mitten). It felt wonderful. After a quick run through the shower in the corner, you get turned over to sudsie guy. The mountain of suds that is spread over you is the result of a special bag being put into a pan of soapy water, then it being squished back and forth until tons of suds appear. Afterwards, we don fresh tea towels, and go sit in the "relaxing" area. Drinks are delivered to us, and we sit and laugh at what has just happened and comment on how rosy each other is. Very quickly, the guide appears again and we follow her upstairs to a Jacuzzi.

Ahhhhh. After the Jacuzzi, we are herded across the mezzanine to the row of massage tables for our massage and facial. All too soon it is time to get up and go back to the locker room to dress back in our street clothes. We are still giggling, and now exclaiming how soft our skin feels, and wasn't this great, and why don't they have these back home. Do yourself a favor. Go experience it for yourself. Only do it with a bunch of your friends. You won't stop laughing.

Now that you have spent you’re a day in Marmaris shopping at the bazaar, poking around the museum and relaxing at the hamam, why not plan a day to visit Ephesus? The best way to do this is to have your charter agent arrange for a driver and guide ahead of time. Ephesus, established in about 1000B.C. is the largest and best preserved city around th e Mediterranean, with the exception of Pompeii. Built on the north slope of Mount Pion, the original location was next to a fine harbor, with many overland trade routes using it as a base. Ancient Ephesus was a center for the cult of Cybele, the Anatolian fertility goddess. Under the influence of the Ionians, Cybele became Artemis, the virgin goddess of the hunt and the moon. Eventually the Romans took over and Artemis became Diana and Ephesus was designated the capital of Asia. As a center of commerce, the Ephesians became very wealthy, but displayed very little common sense…like building a wall around their city. When King Croesus attacked in the sixth century, the locals stretched a rope from the Temple of Artemis to the town hoping to win the goddess' protection. Perhaps amused by this, Croesus completed their temple, but then destroyed Ephesus and moved the citizens inland to the southern side of the temple.

Neglecting again (or perhaps forbidden) to build walls, Ephesus was passed back and forth between the Persians and the Athenians. The Temple of Artemis was destroyed by fire in 356 BC. Ephesus without a shrine to Artemis was unthinkable, so the Ephesians started to build a new one. They were still building it when Alexander the
Great arrived in 334 BC. He offered to finish for them if they would dedicate it
to him, an offer they declined. Finished, it became one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Yes, Ephesus is beautiful. Particularly because we visited on a clear, cool day in May; I'm not so sure I would have been so enraptured on a blazing hot July day surrounded by hundreds of tourists. There is something mystical about sitting in the Great Theater, which was re-constructed by the Romans between AD 41 and AD 117, knowing that you have shared the seat with hundreds of other individuals throughout the centuries. Capable of holding 25,000 spectators, it has beenhost to gladiators and rock stars. The Library of Celsus (built in AD 135) held 12,000 scrolls in niches around its walls. A 1 meter gap between the inner and outer walls protected the writings from the extremes of temperature and humidity. By all means, sit where the nobles used to gather to talk – the public toilets! Ephesus was once inhabited by 250,000 people. You can still see the sights they saw, walk their marble road. What happened? Why did the city cease to exist? The answer is in the water. In early days, the Cayster River came inland much more and the harbor was one of great importance. Unfortunately, the river changed course, the harbor silted up, and today it is only with the greatest of imagination that you can sit in the great stadium and imagine seeing ships in a nearby port.

Ephesus is also important from a Christian perspective. St. Paul spent the years of AD 51-53 in the city, eventually provoking the silversmith's riot, which is described in Act 19:23-20:1. Legend has it that the Virgin Mary came to Ephesus with St. John. The House of Virgin Mary at Ephesus, the Church of St. Mary in Ephesus and the Church of St. John are all close by to the ancient city. If you have time and energy after poking around Ephesus, a visit to any one of them would be worth the pilgrimage. Aegean Schatz and Blue Capricorn both featured five large staterooms, so we merry makers were all able to enjoy our own stateroom with our own bathrooms.

Aegean Schatz was brand new, barely three weeks out of the yard, and we were her first charter. Blue Capricorn as only a couple years older, in impeccable condition and shining with fresh varnish. The cost of chartering gulets is so reasonable in contrast to chartering a yacht of the same size in the Western Med, we decided to get two, and double the fun! Our trip was from Marmaris to Gocek, a quick jaunt, to be sure, as our time was limited, and we wanted to experience as much of the area as possible. We left Marmaris behind, motoring through the bay, where in 1798 Nelson's entire fleet sheltered before setting out to defeat Napoleon's armada at the Battle of Aboukir Bay in Egypt.

The water is azure, the pine- covered hills are steep and forbidding. Remember: hills don't stop at the waterline, but continue their sharp descent on into the sea. Which was illustrated to us quickly as the crew anchored the boats when we stopped for lunch. By the time we were anchored, our bows were riding over water that was more than 100 feet deep, with our sterns tied to large boulders on the shore. Safely anchored, people started diving themselves over the side of Blue Capricorn and Aegean Schatz into the beautiful water. Okay, those were the hardy souls that were traveling with us. Mind you, it was May, and to a Floridian like me, that water was freezing! Summers are extremely hot here, and I am sure that by July, the water would feel wonderful. Pervin, our hostess, informed me that in September, the water feels different, like silk as it moves over your skin. I think I need to return in September to experience the silky waters.

We had decided to explore nearby Dalyan Cayi, a river that flows from the sea to Koycegiz Lake, and our agent had booked a guide to pick us up in a "kayik". The kayik reminded us of the African Queen, with seating along each side and a sunshade covering the whole boat. We entered the river by Iztuzu beach, a lovely wide white sand beach dotted with tourists. The beach is the egg laying location of the Caretta Caretta; large sea turtles that nest during July and August. The journey up the river was enjoyable, as it winds around through large stands of rushes and past open fields. Fishermen could be seen pulling crab traps filled with the leggy delicacy. The cliffs above the village of Dalyan are one of the main attractions of the area. There are a series of 4th century rock tombs carved during the Lycian era, many of them temple style with Ionic columns.

Ancient Kaunos, dating from around 900 BC, is an easy walk from Dalyan. We return to our respective yachts to clean up and get ready for dinner. Since we are doing a tandem charter, we have cocktails on one vessel, dinner on the other. After dinner, we eventually head back to our staterooms, with most of us lingering on the front deck, star-gazing for a time before heading below. The black velvet sky is studded with stars; maybe it just seems like there are more because the air is so clear in Turkey.

The following morning, we head over to Fethiye Bay. Fethiye Bay is liberally sprinkled with islands: 17 of them to be exact. The entire coastline of the bay is pocketed with beautiful coves, waiting to be discovered. You could easily spend your entire charter within the confines of the bay, moving to a new location every day and still not scratch the surface of the opportunity to discover yet another "perfect harbor". Many of the inlets feature small restaurants, a chance to sample the local cuisine. Gocek is located in the northern section of the bay, the village of Fethiye in the southeast corner. Gocek was originally just a small fishing village.

That changed with the construction of the airport at Dalaman, which is 20 minutes away from town. There are now four yacht harbors, with berths for up to 500 vessels. We were more interested in spending time anchored in beautiful bays than being tied up to a wharf, so when we visited Gocek, we did so by jumping in the tenders, leaving Aegean Schatz and Blue Capricorn waiting for us in a secluded cove. In the heart of the summer, during the busy months of July and August, our cove would not have been so private. It was obvious from the sheer number of vessels at the docks at Marmaris and Gocek that we had chosen the perfect time to visit. Perhaps the only better time might be September or October: the sea would be warm, the crowds dissipated, the air would be cool in the evening, warm in the daytime. If the only time you can take your charter is during the height of the season, come anyway…it still won't be as crowded as the Cote d'Azur! But if you can hold off, wait until September.

Too soon, it was time for our merry band to be on our way home. As we left Aegean Schatz and Blue Capricorn, the sun was just beginning to rise over the mountains, bathing them in golden light. That's the feeling of Turkey…a golden glow on my Blue Heaven.

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