Shouting from the Hop

At the end of July, my wife and I went on holiday to Turkey, and boy was it HOT!

We went with Exclusive Escapes, a tour company we had used two years previously, and they had looked after us quite well then.

This time, instead of returning to the Dalyan and Marmaris areas, we chose a hotel near Kas, and one near Fethiye at Ulu Deniz. We flew in to Dalaman, the same airport as two years ago, but now it had a brand new terminal building, and had been brought well and truly into the 21st century,

We were driven across to Kas through the night, which was shame, as we knew the countryside was spectacular.

Our hotel was built onto the side of a peninsula, just outside the town of Kas (pronounced Cash); steps led down to the rocks by the sea, and our room had a very good view across the sound to the mainland.

The weather at that time in Southern Europe was scorching, and had been up to 46 degrees Celsius the week before we arrived (about 115F). Luckily (!), our week in Kas saw temperatures drop to a mere 42 degrees on a average day!

Quite frankly, the first week we had in Turkey was very quiet; we did go into town a few times (mainly for evening drinks and dinner), but during the day it was way too hot to do anything much, other than sit and bask on the loungers by the sea.

We did have a day’s gullet cruise along with other guests, where we went along the coast and into quieter areas where the sea was crystal clear and very warm. Options for water-ski-ing and such were taken, and it was fun watching some guests trying their luck at this sport for the first (and maybe last) time.

On another day, we caught the ferry over to the Greek island of Castelerizo, which the Turks call Meis. There, we walked up the steep cliff face to a small semi-abandoned church, and back, in blistering heat. We did get a terrific view of the small harbour below (left), and the pretty houses surrounding it. It was strange being back in the land of the Euro, and we had to use a cash-point order to get some currency to pay for a lovely whole fish (Grouper) lunch we had.

The evenings in Kas we spent drinking in some nice bars, taking photo’s of sunsets and cats (every bar/restaurant seems to have a family…), before heading back to our hotel.

Sadly, some guests at a nearby villa, who were also with Exclusive Escapes, behaved quite badly and one (mother) had to be sent home for allegedly abusing her teenage son while drink. At least it gave us plenty to gossip about!

We then transferred to the hotel for our second week, at the end of the beach at Ulu Deniz. This small town has a lovely beach, and it is protected, so no new hotels can be built on it. The town is therefore served by smaller “tourist” towns up in the hills above the beach, and by the large town of Fethiye about ten miles away.

Our hotel was a converted restaurant, and the best in the area. It had its own steps down to the beach, and also a very attentive host in Mustafa, who looked after your every need. Mustafa made sure I got my full food intake (I’m a fussy eater) and was most aggrieved when we said we were to eat in town one night!

The weirdest thing about Ulu Deniz, which we didn’t realize until we arrived, was that it is one of the best places in the world to paraglide. From our hotel at the end of the beach (and from practically any other vantage pint you stopped at), you could watch literally hundreds of paragliders coming down over the ridge each day, coasting through the air until making their landing approach and coming to rest (mainly) on the paved promenade (see top picture).

We had to have a go, and chose to do this first thing Monday morning, before it got too hot or busy. It’s not cheap, but the company who took us were experienced and safe we were told. As you are bussed up the 6550 foot mountain, you can chat to fellow jumpers, and calm the nerves a little, while being videoed as you go!

Strapped in to a safety harness, helmet on, with your pilot behind you, you wait till the chute is filled, then run until the chute pulls you up into the air. Then it is just serene. I went first and must admit that I forgot mainly about the wife, who was following on behind. I did look for her a couple of times as we floated in this direction or that, but then got on with enjoying myself and taking in the magnificent views.

Amazingly, the pilot helped take off my crash helmet after a few minutes, and you then get the full rush of air on your face and head. You can see for miles and miles and it was truly a wonderful experience to be up there floating around on the wind, totally in control.

We flew out over the sea, along the beach, where I could take photos of our hotel (left) and the whole scene (above).

Our biggest worries all along was the landing, and sure enough, this was pretty scary. We floated down and down, getting closer to the buildings, then turned and approached the promenade landing area over the line of restaurants and bars. I was quite happy with all this, having watched many land safely themselves from such an approach, but then as we got lower, I sensed all was not right.

First, we seemed to be coming in to land right on a tree! I braced myself but the pilot turned us away and my doubts seemed unjustified. However, in these final seconds, it wasn't the tree or bush beyond that I should worry about, but a waste-paper bin (trash-can) that we turned and headed for. Too late to adjust (I'm not sure the pilot even saw it!), I raised my feet and tried to protect myself by placing my soles against the bin itself as we hit it. Crazily, and it all happeend in split seconds, my feet hit the bin, the bin turned upside down as my feet went through it (emptying its contents on me!), and the pilot landed on his feet and stopped our forward momentum. I ended up with my legs under the bin, with the pilot trying to lift me back and out while the parachute came down on our heads.

I thought it hilarious (possibly a self-preservation reaction as I was not hurt in any way) and it caused a commotion as staff came running over to help us out. My wife then wandered across; I had no idea if she had seen what happened or if she had landed before or after me.

The photos and video are quite funny, knowing that no damage was done. I even had my picture taken next to the broken bin which was dented and lifted from it's concrete base!

We had plenty to drink after that and spent the rest of the day relaxing - re-telling our various flying stories!

The next day, we travelled over the mountain to the strange ghost town of Kaya (left). This is an amazing site, as it has been uninhabited since 1923. That was when Greece and Turkey traded lands (and citizens) as they carved new boundaries after many years of warring. Sadly, many who lived on the Turkish mainland had to be shipped over to Rhodes or similar, while Macedonian Greeks were asked (forced) to move and live in Kaya. They didn't stay long, as the land wasn't as fertile as they were used to, and the town has been empty ever since. It was extremely strange to wander through these "new" ruins, with only a few goats for company.

The remainder of our holiday time was spent watching the paragliders, and soaking up the sun (it was a little cooler during our second week).

We had a really relaxing time in Turkey, and would recommend anyone who hasn't been who likes local custom to give the country a try.

Labels: Exclusive Escapes, Fethiye, paragliding, Turkey, Ulu Deniz