It's a bit cloudier to start with today, but don't be fooled - the weather is as hot as ever. I wouldn't exactly say that we're acclimatised by now, but we have coped remarkably well in this heat, and the hotel air-conditioning has literally been a life-saver.
I wanted to mention one particular thing about Icmeler - everywhere is so clean and there is no rubbish lying around the street yet you very rarely see public litter bins!
Today it was time to get out and about again, but in another direction. Whilst Marmaris lies to the left of Icmeler, there is a smaller, prettier resort to the right hand side, it's called Turunc, and that was where we were heading today. The best way to get to Turunc is by taxi boat rather than taking a hair-raising journey by road. It’s probably the most hilarious boat trip we’ve ever been on (I won't go into detail, but it was great fun!) and we arrive in Turunc 25 minutes after leaving Icmeler. It’s also a very scenic trip past all the stunning rocks and mountains, and the sea is beautiful.
Turunc is lovely and small and is a bit like Icmeler-in-miniature, it even has its own little canal - just like Icmeler!
Turunc is more laid-back and there is less of the hard sell going on. We actually passed a couple of shops and didn’t get dragged in to buy something. Needless to say there was a morning tea stop and a fascinating chat with a very articulate and intelligent young waiter.
Afterwards, well what else but a bit of shopping! In one shop we receive the usual polite service and the owner tells us that today is the end of Ramadan which means that there are lots of treats and goodies around so he offers us some sweets too.
Lunch at the Sahin Restaurant, which is a real Turkish place so let's have something distinctly Turkish - pide, which is the Turkish version of pizza.
After lunch we go for a walk up the street and then down to the seafront where there is a nice little walkway, smaller but similar to the one in Icmeler. There are more Turkish holidaymakers here than in Icmeler.
Faithful travelling companion finally gets his elusive Galatasaray home top at a "good price". The seafront here is very nice and has a few bars and restaurants - very handy for another stop off in the afternoon for the usual apple tea (can you guess that I'm addicted to it by now?) By this time the weather is now very very very hot.
Later in the afternoon we take the taxi boat back to Icmeler and we take in more of the stunning scenery on the way.
We grab some more purchases including an expertly-haggled deal on boxes of Turkish Delight (I don't like the stuff myself but I know a lot of people who do!!) I have my own little haggling triumph as I buy a T-shirt with the Turkish flag on it and get a very good deal.
Unfortunately the gloom is starting to gather with the realisation that we're approaching the end of our holiday. Back to the hotel to start packing and get ready for our last night out. Tonight I want to go to Dream Boys again for one last time to see the gang (specially the legendary Yahya and his balancing fish bowl cocktails) for one last time. Get the hankies out - it's going to get emotional....
But before that it's time for dinner, which is usually determined by a meet-and-greet waiter catching your eye and by that time there is no escape! Tonight it was another set-menu deal with mezes, nan bread, chicken, chips and veg. Dinner is accompanied as ever by a very nice Turkish wine (served as ever by a very nice Turkish waiter!) Needless to say we also have the legendary Turkish coffee to finish. I liked that big nan bread....
It’s "Kalinka" time in some of the bars on the main street. We pass one bar and one guy asks us "You like that music? Are you Russian?"
So for the final time we head to Dream Boys which is very very busy tonight. Anyone for Turkish folk dance/Grease/Dirty Dancing/Michael Jackson/Stavros Flatley? Yes it is groundhog day once again, but when it's this much fun then we don't care. For our last night in Turkey we tried a Turkish spirit called Raki, which tasted of aniseed and was ok.
As usual the party ends at midnight and we finally leave at 12.15. Hugs, kisses, tearful farewells.... In the immortal words of the MC, "Dream Boys we love yoooooooooooo!!" We don’t go anywhere else but go straight back to our hotel. On the way I breathe in that last late-night Turkish air, as this time tomorrow we will be in the airport for our night flight home. Maybe feeling a little sad tonight at leaving Icmeler behind, but I just want to say that this holiday has been great fun, full of new experiences and different situations. The smiles never left our faces tonight, nor for that matter on this holiday.
Only one more day to go: I'll put the final part of the Turkey Diaries on the blog before the end of the week.
