Far Myths and near misses

Kitty's driving has improved out of sight – once she gets into top gear. She still gets blasted by the car behind at traffic lights EVERY time they change to green because she is still in neutral and she cannot find the horn – mind you squirting the windscreen washers seems to work just as well. But once into top gear she is like an Istanbul cab driver at midnight ask Mark about this). Speed limit signs simply confuse her so she has found that she can avoid these by driving at the one top speed. I will show you the photos to prove this when the police send them through.

Navigating is more fun than a came of Dungeons and Dragons. Our road map is of the whole of Turkey – not much detail, no city detail at all. Local maps do not exist except for the Lonely Planet maps developed by the guy that never went to Turkey. I do not even bother looking for street name signs – they do not seem to exist. So navigating is rather like playing 3 games of simultaneous chess with ALL the pieces identical except for an Arabic word on the top – and if you lose you have to replay the lot. I assume that Ruth Lowen navigated her way through Turkey using the Star Wars method for apostles (- part of Star Wars was actually filmed in the Ihlara Valley in Cappadocia) - “Shut your eyes, Mark, and let the force guide you”.

But we have survived the 600 or so km. drive (so far) along the Mediterranean coast . It is full of history, phenomenal views, and seaside resorts. Many of the ancient ruins are exactly that “ancient ruins” overgrown by trees and shrubs. The castle walls and amphitheatres are the best preserved – the huge castle on the hill over Sifilke, Kizkilisi castle – 300 m out to sea and Mamure Castle at Anamur lapping the Med. Sea. The amount of stonework by the ancient Turks is mindblowing – as is the reason for it. Everyone must have lived in constant fear. History is everywhere – early Christianity started here. You can see the cave where St.Thecia lived out her life (she was Paul of Tarsus 's first convert). You can see the entrance leading to the River Styx, the eternal fires of the Chimaera (a beast killed by Bellerophon whilst riding Pegasus), or the cave where Zeus imprisoned the monster Typhon. The chasm of Heaven and Hell (symbolising the sanctity of marriage). Santa Claus lived and was buried nearby at Myra – until those thieving Italians nicked poor Nick's bones and took them to Bari. Choose your myth and you can see it all in Turkey.

But one can tire of the history and the ruins ( I am sure some readers have already tired from reading this blog). Chilling out on the Turkish Riviera is certainly worth doing. The seaside resorts are huge but many of the buildings are identical – designed for group tours from Europe. The beaches are not great but the Mediterranean, the mountains behind, and the rest of the scenery is great. We are currently chilling out in the Otel Odile resort in Olympus (not the Greek version) – ultra modern and in a secluded area near the sea. A gem of an oasis tucked between 7000 Ft (+) mountains and the Med. Lolling by a beautiful pool on a warm, clear day. Things could be worse.