Ölüdeniz - Faralya - Fethiye

Days 172 - 174

With bright skies in the morning it is time for me to go. I head towards Kaya Koy - a village sort of on the way to Ölüdeniz that has a ghost town. Unfortunately I am not feeling so well in the morning - light headed and nauseous. I am not too sure what the problem is. I try and fix it by drinking heaps of water and stopping to eat frequently. The steep hills don't help. 

I pass through Kaya Koy without really stopping and roll into Ölüdeniz in the afternoon, feeling better. Before I can jump off the bike in the Main Street I have been convinced to go on a sunset paraglide trip today. It wasn't too hard to convince me.  Ölüdeniz is supposedly a famous place for this - a scene from the last James Bond movie was filmed here. 

By the time we are at the launch pad the sun is sitting low over the water and unfortunately the wind has changed direction. I admire the sunset and get driven back down the hill with my flight being rescheduled for tomorrow morning. 

I sleep in an undercover area right by the beach. This tourist town is very quiet this time of year and apart from a street dog trying to steal my shoe and a pesky mosquito I am undisturbed. 

In the morning I once again head up a very steep hill to an elevation of 1200m above sea level (so glad not to be on my bike). I am strapped into a harness, attached to my pilot and a parachute and off we go, running down a very steep slope. Before I know it my legs are spinning circles in thin air, kind of like a cartoon character running off a cliff, and we are airborn. 

I have a view across the ocean, towards Islands, peninsulas and the lagoon that Ölüdeniz is named after. Paragliding is great. 

We gain a little elevation from the thermals and then I am allowed to steer. I spin around in circles and then the pilot takes over again, guiding us towards the beach. Before we land he does a few tricks and spins us around and around. I love it. This was well worth it, a great little Christmas present to myself. 

I grab some food at the shop and head over to the lagoon to find somewhere to camp. There are a few proper campgrounds over there and the weather is perfect for lazing about on the beach relaxing. 

I try the first campground - they are doing construction and tell me it won't be pleasant. Fair enough. Next campsite - closed for winter. Next campsite - closed for winter. I try two more and I can't find anyone at any of these campsites. 

I hoist my bike over a small chain link fence in front of one of the deserted campgrounds and wheel it to the beach. I figure I can hang out on the beach for the day and set up my tent when it gets dark. 

The rest of the day is spent eating food, drinking copious amounts of tea and coffee, reading my book and updating my blog. The weather is perfect. 

In the afternoon the owner of the guesthouse type place (it only has bungalows - no camping) spots me. I am invited to his place for barbeque and he says I can set up my tent at his place. Great. I continue to faff around and have a little go on his pedal boat in the afternoon. 

That evening I am treated to a wonderful dinner - chicken wings and fresh fish cooked on the barbie with an array of delicious Turkish salads. My host insists I take a bungalow because I will be too cold (!) in my tent. It's easier to agree than to convince him I will be fine with the five Turkish words I know and his non existent English. 

In the morning the hospitality continues with a full Turkish breakfast. I cycle off mid morning under grey skies toward Faralya. I am hoping to find a nice, cheap guesthouse and potentially spend Christmas there. 

Faralya is perched about 300m above sea level. Underneath the village is a large gorge called butterfly valley. It is only accessible by boat or by a very steep pathway from Faralya. I wouldn't mind spending a day there as well. 

I swing my leg over the bike, start pedalling and hear a pop. That would be the top button on my shorts popping open. Yep, even though my cycling has slowed down a bit the last few weeks my cycling appetite hasn't. Who knew it was possible to gain weight cycle touring. 

The road to Faralya switchbacks it's way along the steep coastline. Spectacular cycling but once again, very steep. 

I arrive in the village and it is very quiet. The guesthouse that had been recommended to me was shut for winter. After yesterday I shouldn't be surprised, but I am. 

I find another guesthouse just as it starts pissing down rain. Unfortunately it is about twice as much as I can afford. The owner insists the rooms are very nice. I am sure they are but it still doesn't change my budget. 

As I drink a coffee that the owner has kindly given me I send a quick message to Kathy, my warm showers host in Fethiye, letting her know I am returning today. There is nothing happening in Faralya and certainly no one to spend Christmas with. I also don't want to camp in the rain. Yep, soft. 

As I attempt to summon my willpower to cycle a hilly 30 odd kilometres in the pouring rain a dolmus (mini bus) appears.  Perfect. Seven lira and about 45 minutes later I am dropped off right near Kathy's apartment. Unfortunately Kathy didn't get my message but she kindly let this bedraggled cycle tourist back into her house. What a heart of gold. 

Kathy seems to open her door to many strays, not just me. She is currently fostering six kittens that have taken over her lounge room. She is also hosting another cycle tourist, Ishbel, who has adopted a street dog named Lucy. Needless to say it is a full house and I am very grateful that there is a spare bed for me and wonderful company, not to mention the endless cups of tea. 

19/12 Fethiye - Ölüdeniz: rode 18km ODO 5410km

21/12 Ölüdeniz - Faralya (bus to Fethiye): rode 15km, ODO 5425km

I want to be beside the seaside

Day 163 - 165

During the night I am woken up by a very strong thunderstorm. I am so happy to be inside and with a solid roof over my head. It is still raining when I wake in the morning. By the time I get out of bed and go to breakfast it has almost stopped. A quick discussion and the four of us decide that it's definitely time to leave. 

By the time we pack our bags and bikes the sun is trying its best to peek out from behind the clouds. A few photos and hugs goodbye to other guests and saff and we cycle down the street, only to stop after 10 minutes to remove our jackets. The sun has fully emerged from it's hiding place. 

A morning of riding up and down hills takes us through villages, past olive and citrus orchards and finally delivers us to the ocean just in time for lunch at the beach. This would be a perfect campsite but alas, time constraints mean we need to be in Kas in three days time so the rest of the crew can bus it to Istanbul. The Belguims have a boat to catch to France and Neil needs to sort out his life maintenance before his wife arrives. 

We push on and travel along a very scenic road, right next to the ocean. The sun is out, perfect temperature, no wind, easy cycling and I have wonderful company. 

When I was planning this trip back home this is just what I imagined cycle touring would be all about. It's easy to forget the struggle of Eastern and Central Turkey, long freezing nights, constant harrasment from men and loneliness. Or maybe it's the previous challenges that make the highs all the more special. I can't wipe the smile off my face. 

Our progress is slow due to constantly stopping to admire the view and take photos. A quick stop in town for dinner supplies and wine and we continue on, hoping to find the perfect beach campsite. It doesn't appear. A carob orchard up the hill a little provides enough flat spots for our tents and just enough dry wood for a small fire. A restaurant by the highway happily let us use their sink and water. 

Hadeil and I head down there to do the dishes and are invited to share some kebab. The boys wander down to see what is happening and none of us can refuse a second dinner. The Turkish hospitality continues to deliver. 

In the morning the five of us cycle along some more scenic ocean side road. Eventually the road turns inland and we head up some very steep hills. We make a last minute decision to turn off and make our way to Uçagiz and try and get a boat to Kas. 

In Uçagiz we manage a drive a hard bargain and stay in a fancy pension for a pretty good price ($15 each including breakfast - there is even hot water!) and arrange a boat tour for the afternoon. Unfortunately there isn't a boat that goes to Kas in the winter. The owner of the pension kindly arranges for the bread truck to take us to Kas the following morning. 

The five of us jump onto a small fishing boat and are taken out over a sunken city. Apparently it sank in 200AD due to a large earthquake. From the boat we can see flights of stairs leading straight into the ocean, walls and archways. In the water there are outlines of rooms and buildings. 

We hop off the boat at another village, very quiet in the non touristy season, wander past an old castle and back to Uçagiz. 

We cook dinner together and indulge in beer and wine. Although Neil and I only met Haldiel, Joachim and Lhasa less than a week ago I feel like we really got to know each other. I wish we could spend more time cycling together. This is also the last time Neil and I will hang out, after Istanbul he heads to Egypt to start the Africa leg of his trip. 

My head is a little sore in the morning and I am sure that the others must feel the same way. By 9.30am all our bikes and gear are loaded in the bread truck, boys in the back and girls up the front. The weather is not as bad as predicted but it is nice not to be struggling up the hills. I think the ride back to Kas would have taken all day. 

We are dropped off a couple of kilometres from town and roll down the hill. 500 vertical metres for free. 

Kas is a touristy town, very close to a Greek Island - Kastelorizo - my first view of Europe. After arranging a bus for the other guys we cycle around the peninsular - more speccy riding. 

Whilst at a cafe having lunch a Aussie notices my fully loaded bicycle and comes over for a chat. It turns out he is also a cycle tourist, house sitting in Turkey for the winter with his wife. He offers me a couch for the night. I can not refuse. 

After a wander around town (very quiet and lots of shops shut for winter) it's time to say goodbye to the crew. I always find this hard. I had a wonderful week with this group of people and I wonder when I will find someone else to cycle with. I sometimes enjoy being by myself but definitely like to meet up with people and share the journey now and again.

10/12 Olympos - Fineke: rode 41km, ODO 5165km

 11/12 Fineke - Uçagiz: rode 46km, ODO 5213km

12/12 Uçagiz - Kas: rode 28km, ODO 5239km