Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Turkey Trip Day 9 - Kayakoy (Ghost Town), hike back to Gulet

Saturday June 23

The dinghy brought us to shore again. We were waiting for the second lot of our people and entertained ourselves by skipping stones on the water's edge.
We are loaded into a mini bus and driven for a while. We stop for a photo opportunity.
We stop in Kayakoy because we want to see the Greek 'ghost town'. But of course first we have to see a few vendors. Look at this lace!




I buy a small crochet doily. These women work so hard. I think it is nice to support them.
Now we go uphill through the streets of Kayakoy which are all empty. Anatolian Greeks once inhabited this city of about 600 houses. During the 1920s, the entire population was relocated to Greece in the aftermath of the Turkish War of Independence. It is an eerie and moving place, a tragic reminder of how politics can affect human lives.

For more information click here.



The church.





Another little chapel.
Jesus' feet is the only thing left inside the chapel.
The little chapel from the outside.
One of the houses was open to view inside.
Nice woodwork.
Just image that this was somebody's home at one point and the people were forced out. Greeks were sent back to Greece and Turks were brought back here from Greece. The people in this town were craftsmen, mostly shoemakers. The arriving Turks were farmers and didn't want these houses.



She doesn't care!




There was a vendor in front of the house selling his homemade olive pit jewellery.
Probably should have posted this outside photo before the others. Oh well.



On the left one of the very few houses occupied by somebody.
This house used sometime by an artist.



At the bottom of the village another church.


















After some refreshment, some went back by bus and some by hiking.










Aykut had warned us that long pants might be advised. He said he only told us that some previous clients had said he should have warned them. James decided he was fine ... and of course he was. But by now we all knew each other 'like family' and we teased Aykut that he should have warned us.



Yup, drink plenty of water ... because it was HOT.
In the middle of nowhere a grafted tree.

Coming down into a different cove. Our ship had 'sailed' around to it.




Aykut with Greg, Lyn and Ros.


A donkey (or burro) who made a lot of noise at one point.
Waiting for the dinghy to come back.

Almost forgot to take a picture of the bar / livingroom curtains.

Late afternoon it started raining. And then lightning.
But it didn't last too long.



















* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
From Aykut's CD:

Day 9 Saturday 06.23.2012 (Gulet)
  • Breakfast on Board
  • Lunch on board
  • Shuttle Transport to Kayakoy (Ghost Town) (1st Settlement on 7th C BC)
  • 17th Century Church Visit
  • Hike in Ghost Town
  • Optional Hike from the Ghost Town to Soğuksu Bay
  • Lunch on Board
  • Port talk of Disembarkation from Gulet
  • Farewell Dinner on Gulet

(4) Overnight at Gulet (Sadri Usta), Fethiye














1 comment:

Kim S. said...

I saw the ghost village of Kayakoy on some travel show. Very beautiful and moving and sad. Hard to believe that there are no people in Turkey that could make that a living village again.