BODRUM, TURKEY
Another day, another port… yet such a totally different experience to yesterday.
It was windy when we arrived in Bodrum. So much so that, once tied up at the quayside, the Spirit of Adventure had to keep running its engines in order to maintain its position alongside, and – thinking on how large and heavy the ship is – presumeably also to prevent it from ripping the quayside to bits.
Having checked out the lie of the land, we quickly managed to formulate a rough plan – walk to the castle, then on to the amphitheatre and possibly to the ruins we could see just beyond (as observed from our balcony) – then back to ship.
The castle was on the opposite side of the bay, and to get there required walking through the town. After yesterday’s palaver, we were dreading this a little, but as it turns out, we needn’t have done; we were pleased to discover it had a much friendlier vibe, and the shopkeepers weren’t nearly quite so pushy – in fact, barely pushy at all.
Because of this friendlier, more low-key atmosphere about the place, we even began to formulate the idea that a little bit of shopping might be in order after all, since browsing would seem to be allowed without being pounced upon and harrangued every five minutes.
Once through the market, we arrived at the marina, where many traditional Turkish gulets were lined up alongside the quay, and looked rather magnificent. Adjacent to this, the castle, also known as Bodrum Underwater Archaeology Museum, beckoned. The entrance fee was 120 Turkish Lira each, which comes to roughly £6 each… nothing really, particularly when one considers what you get for your money…
The castle was masssive – much bigger than it looked from the outside – and satisfyingly complex in its construction. There were lots of towers, ramps and walkways. Some of the walkways were quite uneven underfoot, and I managed to twist my ankle rather badly at one point.
We enjoyed it so much, and ended up being in there for far longer than we’d expected to be, that we decided the mile’s walk to the amphitheatre (part of our original plan) might be pushing it in terms of time, and considering my aching ankle. Instead, we chose to take a leisurely walk back through the town and browse the shops.
We were almost back at the ship and had some time on our hands, so – because neither of us felt ready to go back to the ship just yet – we sat for a while, and I did a couple of quick line and wash sketches. The wind had dropped and it was just pleasant to sit and watch the boats in the harbour. We even made one final, last-minute dash back into town to buy some Turkish Delight as gifts.
It had been a good day. After dinner, at which we and our dinner companions indulged in a very heated, but good-natured, discussion, we went for a ‘promenade around the promenade’ and finished the evening off by listened to our favourite accoustic duo in The Supper Club.
We’re at sea tomorrow, which means work for me….
