Turkey Trip Day 7 - Cruise Dalyan River, Kleopatra’s Bath

Thursday June 21

Sun-up. Aykut keeps telling us that this is the only ship he has been on with A/C and how lucky we are. In the evening the captain turns the generator on so that we can charge our 'gadgets' and then the A/C also runs. It takes the heat out of the cabins and then the open window in the night when the lights are off does the rest. James and I were never really uncomfortable.

We go a little bit with our ship which then anchors.

A boat came to pick us up because we want to go upriver on the Dalyan  River which is not deep enough for the ship.

Boarding the river boat.

While we are going along the coast line, Aykut explains everything.

There was a neat hole in the rock from one side to the other. We think of pirates, ha-ha.

The river snakes amid bamboo and cattails, glimmering like the nearby Mediterranean Sea. On the river other boats are around us. First we look at the Turtle Beach.

Large Loggerhead Sea Turtles come out of the water in the night to lay their eggs. You can see the trail they are making in the sand. The turtles are protected.

Somebody loses a hat, we make a circle and Aykut fishes it out.

This is why Ephesus was silted. Here too it is very shallow and reeds are growing.

We meet some crab fishermen and they have bait so we can see the turtles.

Why didn't I think of taking a video? The water was very clear and the turtles seem to have fun.

The crab fishermen also showed us how strong the crabs are. He attaches this one to Stephanie's backpack and lifts it.
Then he takes orders for cooked crab to pick up on our way back. James and I decline since they are so messy to eat.

It was a lovely morning and so peaceful.

We came to a point where the boat lets us off.

We are going for a hike to visit the ancient Lycian site of Caunus, where Aykut explains the temples, baths, nympheum, and an ancient theater.

Some rock tombs.

Foe or friend?

Not interested. Goings its way.

Somebody sees a little box turtle and Aykut has to put it on the right path. It does pee when he picks it up, ha-ha.

Lots of information about this here.

This is a Vomitorium (exit, well entrance too but it is easy to remember that the theater vomits the people out).

These are the VIP seats which have not yet been placed in their places in the theater. Aykut lined up all women in our group.

View towards the (ex) harbor.

James is just tall enough to hold up that stone.

The street used to be lower too.

From the other side.

Then a little more hike and we come to the river and the little boat again.

We want to see the Lycian temple tombs which are hugging the rock face.

Information about these on the same site as the above link. Unfortunately my camera was not good enough for this.

But it was lovely on the river.

We stop to look at the shops.

Well, not James and me. We had an Efes.

There is the statue of Ataturk where we are supposed to meet.

On the way back we go through a Dalyan, a fishing weir. These support the locals for centuries. Can you see it come up behind us to keep the fish trapped? The river is named after them.

This sandy beach is a favorite spot for Turkish tourists.

It's a peninsula, jotting out quite a bit.

There is our ship. It had tried to come closer but the water was a bit rough so it had to go back to where it had anchored before. So we had to go there. It was a bit quiet in the little boat.

In the cove it doesn't look so rough.

Lunch.

Then we are looking at the map to see what we have done and what we are doing next.

The captain repositions the ship to Cleopatra's Bath.

Mert, the ship mate, always has the duty to go with the dinghy on shore to find a rock to tie the rear of the ship to. The anchor went down in the front.

Swimming first and then dinner. I hope you believe this but I went into it too ... and enjoyed it so very much. Since everybody was in the water, I don't have a picture to prove it. We went to Cleopatra's ruins and explored a little. Fun, fun, fun. Just image, she might have really been there.

Bit of the inside of the ship.

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From Aykut's CD:

 

Day 7 Thursday 06.21.2012 (Gulet)

• Breakfast on Board

• Cruise to Ekincik Cove

• Blue Crab
• Watching Loggerhead Turtles

• River Cruise by Boat to Caunos Ancient City (1^st settlement on 9^th C BC)

• Short Hike
• Cruise along the Dalyan River
• Rock Cut Graves (5^th C BC)

• Walking through the town ‘’Dalyan’’
• Lunch on Board
• Cruise to Hamam Cove (Kleopatra’s Bath)
• Port Talk About Lydia Hike
• Dinner on Board

(2) Overnight at Gulet (Sadri Usta), Hamam Cove