I was hungry so I had a late afternoon lunch at some random place that looked like it had a good deal. The picture on the outside said the combo included french fries and a drink with a doner. When the guy refused to give me the fries, I told him it came with the deal. In broken Turkish, I explained to him that the sign outside said it. He looked and was visibly upset but gave me what I was entitled to. Some guy who spoke English asked me where I was from and told me he was surprised that I was able to explain to the man in Turkish what was going on. I was proud of myself for getting my point across. The guy next to me had apparently been living there for some time and had learned the language. He told me that afterwards the owner yelled at one of his workers who had apparently put up the wrong sign.
After lunch, I walked around town but there wasn't that much to see. There was an old ruined fortress way up on the hill, but I couldn't access it. I also got to see the famous pink Pelicans. Apparently, Fethiye is known for them. After a walk along the harbor, I returned back to the hostel for the evening. Every night, the hostel serves dinner and I found out that if I eat three meals there, I will earn a free boat cruise (and will only have to pay 10TL for lunch as opposed to the 30 TL a boat tour normally costs). I decided that I definitely wanted to take advantage of that option.
I returned to my room to find my new roommate, Arda. Arda was one of the most awesome people I met in Turkey (I say that a lot...but it's because I met so many awesome people there). Arda was traveling alone after recently having finished his required military tour. He and I had a lot in common. We both majored in Political Science in college and were both interested in Turkish politics and international politics. We had a lot to talk about, obviously. We bonded and he ended up deciding to come with me on the boat tour the next day.
We woke up and had breakfast (one of the required meals). The tour operator would pick us up in a van and take us to the launching site of the boat in Oludeniz. The people were late and I was afraid we would miss the boat. We boarded the van (there were a few others from the hostel taking advantage of this deal) and drove over the mountain 15km to the south. On the way over, we passed by an abandoned village (Karmylassos). This town was once inhabited by Greeks until the Turkish War of Independence. During the population exchange, these people were uprooted from their homes and told they had to go live in Greece. Muslims in Greece returned to Turkey. Can you imagine being told you have to leave your home and live in a new place? It must have been a horrifying and scary experience for these people!
We crossed over the hill and arrived at the beautiful seaside resort of Ölüdeniz. This site was actually one of the places I really wanted to see, so I was glad the boat tour was leaving from there. I would have the opportunity at the end of the day to check the place out. We boarded the boat and embarked upon our tour. Honestly, this boat tour was awesome and I would totally do it again! It was immensely superior to the boat tour in Bodrum.
Words can't really do justice the places we stopped (there were like 6 or 7 overall) throughout the day. The first place we stopped was a place, like that in Çeşme where there was a place with warm water coming out of the rocks. Truthfully, the water here was quite chilly and the "warmer" area was not that big of a difference. Still, it was a nice place to swim. I liked these places because a lot of them were deep water, where you could jump right into the water.
The second place we went to was called "Camel Rock." Luckily the tour was in English, so I could retain a bit more information about where we were stopping. The reason it was named as such was because the rock looked like a camel lying down in the water in front of the beach.
The third place went to was called Gemiler Island. This island's claim to fame was that it supposedly contained the former house of St. Nicholas. Yes, you heard me right, Santa actually chills out on a tropical island in the Mediterranean. I think I would prefer this lifestyle to the north pole as well! Supposedly, there were ruins that could be checked out on shore. We were technically allowed to go see them, but no one else went because it cost money (it would not have cost me anything because I had a Muze kart). I was afraid of taking too long up there and then being left behind. So instead, I went swimming and enjoyed the view. I also took a picture of the water here to show just how crystal clear it is!
We also had lunch here, enjoying a delicious dish of fish with a side of salad and something else (I don't remember).
We then left and went to Butterfly Valley. I had heard from some of my other colleagues who studied abroad that Butterfly Valley was amazing, so I really wanted to see it. The pictures I had seen of it, since I had started traveling, confirmed its amazingness. The valley itself is basically an access to the Mediterranean bordered by two large cliffs on either side. Apparently, it is also home to the unique Jersey Tiger butterfly, but I didn't see it. I didn't really go swimming here. I just wanted to take in the sites. Unfortunately, they charged money to hike up and see the waterfall at the back of the valley. There is also a dangerous path to hike to the valley from land. I would really love to try it when I return to Turkey one day. I briefly spoke to a girl who had come here the previous year and had decided she wanted to live there. She was selling drinks just off the beach for campers (you can camp here too) and for people who arrived on the boat tour. She just picked up and moved to Butterfly valley. I wish I had the guts to do something like that. It would be amazing. Here are some pictures of the place:(they really don't do the place justice).
Our final stop was the Mavi Mağarası (Blue Cave). Here was a place in the Mediterranean where the water had carved out a cave and you could swim inside it. I had always wanted to go swim in a cave so i was really excited about this trip. I was, unsurprisingly, one of the last people to leave the water. Did I mention that the water was absolutely frigid? It had been cold throughout all of the places on this trip! Here are some pictures of the cave:
From the Blue Cave, the boat returned back to Ölüdeniz. Instead of returning to the hostel, I preferred to take time to walk along the beach and swim there. I entered the park on foot and walked to the main area. It was basically a big beach which kind of jetted out into the Mediterranean. The cool part was that there were natural rock formations on the far side of the little out cropping which created a natural jetty, making the water extremely calm. This is what it looks like from an aerial view (obviously in the best condition):
Just for kicks, I swam from the beach to the island in this picture.
As you all can see, it was a very pretty place (you can see more on the link to my pictures on the left) and I guess it was kind of a bonus that I got to swim there in addition to all of the other neat places I saw on the boat tour.
I returned to the hostel around 6 and ate an early dinner (done by 7ish) because I wanted to go see the Lycian tombs. I knew that Fethiye had them and wasn't sure exactly where they were but wanted to give myself the opportunity to see them (I actually wanted to go the previous night but due to a combination of fatigue and not being able to find them, I didn't go).
The tombs were located on the hill on the other side of the city, about a 10-15 minute walk away. Because the city of Telmessos was an important city in ancient Lycia, they had the burial tombs that were reserved for important members of society. The hike to the top was a bit of a hike, but full of cool images. Here are a couple of my favorites.
I was lucky enough to arrive to the highest point just in time to see the sun set over the mountain and bay in Fethiye. I also met a nice couple who were there taking pictures. After the sun finished setting, I continued to enjoy the scenery. I imagined what it would be like to be here during ancient Lycia, when the tombs were being built and furnished. I am constantly amazed at how ancient people, without any of the modern construction technology that we have, were able to build these kinds of things. I walked back to my room and talked with Arda. We decided to take a trip to the Saklkent (Secret city) Gorge tomorrow before I left for Olympos.
Fethiye good place. i love fethiye and oludeniz.
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