Sally and Henry's sailing adventures

Apologies to Jeremy Seal for stealing his title.......

Nearly 3 weeks into our 2015 sailing, we have been accosted by the Turkish navy and sent back to port because of target practice (after setting sail in the early hours on a long passage with our VHF radio not working), survived a gale gusting at 60 knots (120km an hour) in a crowded harbour, been followed by 2 dolphins swimming in perfect unison and watched loggerhead turtles swim in crystal clear water…….

Gearing up to go sailing this year was even more challenging than usual. The building of House Botha and our new house on the cliffs at Ballots had been badly delayed and Henry was frantically drawing for both.

We eventually left in a mad dash and arrived a few days later in Finike on the Turkish turquoise coast. A small, typically Turkish town with no tourism except for the few stray sailors from the small marina (this year with a travel lift, not an old fashioned sledge), we set to work cleaning and commissioning the boat for the summer.

Going about our business in the town was fun and satisfying. The food was cheap, the people were friendly and we watched intrigued as minibus after minibus, some much more luxurious than others, drove around the town blaring out what sounded to us like nursery rhyme jingles, followed by loud hailer exhortations enticing people to vote for them in the upcoming elections.

The political situation is Turkey is, as most know, very precarious at the moment. With Syria collapsing to Isis, everyone we have spoken to is anxious, some very frightened. In a part of the country where every shop, restaurant, home, square, public or private building, has a picture or statue of Kemal Attaturk, the people hang on jealously to the religious and cultural freedom Attaturk brought to Turkey in the 1930’s. Revered as Mandela is in South Africa, Attaturk is remembered for his banning of the burka and the fez, his recognition of women’s rights, his love of science and education and his ambition to make Turkey a secular country.

“I will lead my people by the hand along the road until their feet are sure and they know the way. Then they may choose for themselves and rule themselves. Then my work will be done.” Kemal Attaturk

“Freedom and Independence are my character” Kemal Attaturk

“My people are going to learn the principles of democracy the dictates of truth and the teachings of science. Superstition must go. Let them worship as they will, every man can follow his own conscience provided it does not interfere with sane reason or bid him act against the liberty of his fellow men.” Kemal Attaturk

“Teachers are the one and only people who save nations.” Kemal Attaturk

“Humankind is made up of two sexes, women and men. Is it possible for humankind to grow by the improvement of only one part while the other part is ignored? Is it possible that if half of a mass is tied to earth with chains that the other half can soar into skies?” Kemal Attaturk

“Those who use religion for their own benefit are detestable. We are against such a situation and will not allow it. Those who use religion in such a manner have fooled our people; it is against just such people that we have fought and will continue to fight.” Kemal Attaturk

Of course there are always stories within stories, and as we learn more, we realize that Attaturk was a ruthless harbinger of change, and in his bid to stop the fez from being worn, he authorized the killing of hundreds of people. But this has not stopped most of the general population from loving him unconditionally, (except for our new friend Chalor, a young Turk who went to university abroad – “They are worshipping a fascist – but I can’t say that too loudly here or else people will lynch me…….”).

We don’t know what will happen in the election on June the 7^th, but we do know that Turkey has been a surprise and a revelation for Henry and I. The scenery along the glorious coast is wild and spectacular – dramatic, rugged mountains encircling clear sparkling blue bays. The ruins of castles, ancient archaeological sites and old abandoned Greek villages lie scattered amongst the pine forests and thyme covered headlands.

But, as our highlight in Greece over the years has been our love of the people, so too here, the friendly, kind and welcoming Turks have seduced us.

A few days ago we hired a scooter in the charming but touristy town of Kalkan and rode over the rugged Tauras mountains to visit a village seldom visited by tourists we had read about, where the people of Kalkan live and work the land in the summer and then go back to the coastal town in the winter when it gets too cold.

Using the mosque minaret to guide us to the centre of the village, we arrived outside a tiny shop and café – no village, a hamlet, a scattering of farmhouses. In what looked like an aggressive way, an old man gestured us to come and sit on a bench next to him outside the shop. Not a word of English, but when we said we wanted coffee, he hauled us with him a little way up the road to the café, followed by an entourage of old men, and bought us all coffee or chai.

We set off to explore the old houses, built of stone and held together with a mud and straw mortar and roofed with soil. After a while, a women called us in to her house and offered us chai. Again, no English but incredible friendliness and hospitality. After drawing pictures of Pegasus and the map of Africa, her husband arrived home from the fields. Next thing she presented us with freshly made salad, gosleme (Turkish pancakes), olives, cheese and an omelet. When we got up to go, I gave her the beaded map of Africa brooch that I was wearing to say thank you, wishing we had more to give. Next thing she hurried off and came back with a scarf for me. Amazing warmth and generosity from people who are extremely
poor.

But the kindness has not stopped there - yesterday we caught a dolmus (local mini bus) and went to Kayakoy, the Greek ghost town which inspired Louis de Bernier's "Birds without wings". In 1923, Greek families from the 3000 houses in the village were moved to Greece and Turkish families from Mesopotamia were moved to the village - they chose not to stay in the houses and the crumbling ruins are very moving and have an eerie energy. The chimneys particularly moved Henry and I - we think because they helped us imagine day to day family life.

While wondering around we got chatting to Ozman who was working on his newly purchased property that will soon be a beautiful pension. The surroundings were magical and captivated us - and next thing he had invited us to join him and his team to share in their very simple but delicious lunch.

We have many more stories to tell, but for now, a few photos.........

When we first arrived in Turkey at the end of last year, we sailed into a secluded bay close to the Greek island of Symi. Within minutes, small wooden boats were puttering up to us – to help with our lines, sell us ice cream, almonds, honey or an array of beach towels and tablecloths. An enterprising young man, when we did not buy the offered goods, suggested instead a haircut for Henry in his barber shop. We looked around the bay - wild craggy hills sloping down to the sea, a couple of tumbling ruins and one rustic restaurant, not a barber shop in sight. “I will fetch you later and take you to my barber shop – under that tree there……..” And so we found ourselves in the late afternoon sitting under a tree, with Mehmet cutting Henry’s hair and telling us in his faltering English about his village – the unique sight of animals that come at sundown to drink sea water, local fresh figs and almonds, delicious fish, village bread, clear torquoise water.

Back on the boat that evening, enjoying a sundowner and gazing at that torquoise water, we suddenly saw Mehmet racing frantically towards us on his boat, engine at full throttle. “The Cokes are coming, the Cokes are coming!!” he shouted, waving frantically at the rocks. We were terrified – who are the Cokes and what do they want? We jumped up and looked towards where he was pointing. Scrambling down over the rocks was a herd of goats, falling over each other to drink sea water from the rock pools around the shore. We were witnessing the unique sight he had so proudly told us about…. “The goats are coming!!

We had no right to laugh, but we did a little. Our grasp of Greek and Turkish is pitiful but we do try. One of the first words we make a point of learning is “delicious” – “Poli Nostimo” in Greek, “Haarika” in Turkish. And we use both all the time. Haarika also means “good” or “beautiful” which is very useful when we sail into an exquisite cove fringed by olive, pine or tamarisk trees, tie up to a wooden jetty and get welcomed by the owner of the rustic oasis-like restaurant behind. “Poli oreo” is “very beautiful” in Greek and when we were deciding this morning which place wins the most “Haarika” or “Poli oreo” prize so far this year, we both agree that it is the Greek island of Nisyros.

Nisyros is a volcano, an almost perfectly round island that appeared out of the sea in a massive eruption only 150 000 years ago. We moored in pretty fishing village, Pali, with it’s backdrop of lava folds covered in lush green vegetation. Although there is hardly any water on the island, it is very fertile and is covered with oak and almond trees and beautiful wild flowers. We set off early the next morning and had the active but not currently erupting (just bubbling and gurgling) volcano to ourselves. Nothing prepared us for the majesty of it – the huge caldera with red and ochre cliffs encircling it, a crust of sulpher yellow earth glinting with crystals and pitted with steaming, boiling holes or fumaroles. We read somewhere that we should wear closed shoes and beware of the crust cracking and falling into the boiling lava. We were amazed that we were allowed to wander around alone without being cordoned off and looking at it from afar. “Poli orea” did not do this justice, we needed to find something that encompassed this majestic place and felt that “Tromero” meaning “Awesome” or “Awe-inspiring” was much better.