When planning the Turkish leg of our three month trip we initially ruled out Car Rental because of Turkey’s astronomical fuel costs. After further research we realized that the small diesel rental vehicles on offer had excellent fuel economy. Pairing this with the fact there would be two of us sharing the cost, car rental suddenly became affordable over medium distances.
The area from Gallipoli (north of the Dardanelles that stretch of water that joins the Sea of Marmara and the Agean Sea) down to Foca near Izmir, a distance of some 300 km, was one area we really wanted to explore with our own wheels.
After much deliberation and while still in Australia, we rented a diesel Renault on-line through Essence Car Hire for a one week return journey from Izmir. The cost sky-rocketed for one-way trips, so we abandoned our original plans of making our way from Istanbul to Canakkale and then driving from Canakkale to Izmir.
I pick up our trip half-way through the week’s rental, with us driving 10 km south from Geyikli, one of two jumping off points to the delightful Turkish island of Bozcaada. Geyikli is situated on the Biga Peninsula, roughly half way between Canakkale and Babakale – the most western point on the Turkish mainland.
Have you heard of Dalyan, the popular holiday destination on the southern Mediterranean, an area known for it’s Lycian Tombs and Loggerhead Turtles, and a never-ending supply of British Holidaymakers?
Well, we were just pulling into Dalyan – Dalyan on the Agean Sea – a totally different kettle of fish.
Parking on the sand beside a Tea garden and between a couple of haphazardly parked scooters, we left the Renault and walked the few steps it took to reach the middle of the beach. The water of the boat harbour was eerily calm, or did I see the faintest of ripples? Motionless blocks of blue and white bordered by stark ribbons of red and black posed as fishing boats. It could have been an oil painting – surely I had seen one just like it someplace?
We pulled up a bench beneath an olive tree and waited. Maybe they did not wish to disturb our enjoyment of the view? After a while I went searching for tea and before long two mugs arrived – the only time in eight weeks in Turkey, that we were offered anything other than tulip glasses. I really loved those tulip glasses but could not resist the offered mugs. Glass mugs of course – about the size of an Aussie tea cup.
There were six men sprinkled throughout the garden – two playing drafts, a couple surveying the harbour in companionable silence, another indulging in a self manicure, while the final one sat engrossed in his paper. No-one seemed the least perturbed by our arrival. It was the kind of place where we could have stayed five minutes or a lifetime.
I imagined us finding a place to live nearby and propping ourselves under that olive tree indefinitely. We could have worked on our laptop (if we hadn’t inadvertently left it on a plane in Australia), or flipped open a sketch book (if we had any artistic talent), but instead we both sat happily mesmerized by the total inaction of the place, nibbling biscuits from our supplies and pondering the meaning of life in this lesser known Dalyan.
Not to be upstaged by it’s well known namesake, our Dalyan, boasted it’s very own set of ruins.
“the ruins of Alexandria Troas are scattered around the village of Dalyan. The site feels blessedly secret, with rarely another traveller among its great grass-strewn ruins.” Lonely Planet Turkey
This description sounded intriguing and we were planning our very own ruin hunt as soon as we returned to the car, but it seemed that our butts were glued to that bench.
We did eventually leave – just before Dalyan claimed us forever.
If you happen to be car poor, and time rich, it is possible to bus or dolmus hop between the towns on the peninsula, or you could try hitch hiking.
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So beautiful…
I couldn’t believe how beautiful and laid back Dalyan was Lily 🙂
This is such a different pace and crazy tourist blitz of Ephesus and Kusadasi, would have loved to spend some quiet time here!
We loved finding places like this on our road trips in Turkey. We loved the well-known places as well. Such a diverse country 🙂
Wow, Turkey looks stunning! I’m so sad you lost your lap top but glad that your camera stayed put with you, and that now we’re getting some much awaited blog posts! Awesome Jan 🙂
We are now reunited with our laptop. I am using it as we speak. Losing it led us to a different kind of holiday. I am looking forward to blogging about Turkey and Cambodia now. Better late than never, lol.
You really didn’t need that laptop — hope you’ve recovered it. This is slow travel at its best.
Ha ha – we really did need that laptop – we have since been reunited – I am using it right now, lol.
Looks like the sort of place where life moves very slowly, Love your photos on this post. Isn’t it a rip-off with some of the one way car charges? This summer I drove all the way back to Quebec City from New Brunswick to save a $2000 one way drop off charge.
Yes those one way charges are a killer. We were quite happy with the way we did that trip in the end. We had a boat trip Istanbul to Bandirma, then bus Bandirma to Izmir then car to Canakkale return. 🙂
photos of turkey are often not what i expect. seems like a fascinating country. i’d love to visit.
Turkey is definitely a surprising country Eileen. Give yourself plenty of time to see some different places in Turkey when you go 🙂
I’m getting relaxed just reading this post. I always like it when a place grabs you and makes you want to just sit and enjoy the peace. That first photo is beautiful You should make a huge print and hang it up somewhere.
Thanks Michele, I may put it up as my screen saver. At the moment I have one of a laneway in Morocco and I feel that I walk down that laneway every day. Maybe a change to sitting at a Turkish Teagarden is in order 🙂
I have never heard of Dalyan but this looks beautiful. I love all your scenic pictures and really captured the place.
Thanks Mary, I have only been to the one Dalyan, but the one on the Med is the one most people know. 🙂
The serenity of this town just seeps out of this post. I visited Turkey when I was a teenager. It was a school trip, so very brief. I have always wanted to go back, and your post makes me want to do so even sooner! I never realized that fuel was so expensive…good to know.
How lucky you were to go to Turkey on a school trip. I guess it will have changed some when you get there again. The country roads don’t have much traffic on them because of the cost of fuel.
Oh wow! That first shot DOES look like an oil painting. 🙂 Amazing. What a beautiful spot.
It really made an impression on me Krista 🙂