Patara beach (by Niki)

After eight long hours of being in transit, we made our way to Patara beach. There are a lot of spectacular places to see along the Mediterranean coast, also known as the Turquoise coast (as if that name is not inviting enough!), and we chose Patara beach for its low key atmosphere with less tourists. It has not disappointed! There is a little village (called Gelemis technically) to stay in with two main streets of shopping and restaurants with a beautiful beach that is about 20 km. long. It's claim to fame is being the longest beach in Turkey and it has such a long expanse of beautiful white sand that it is easy to find a piece of solitude.

Last night we discovered the beach for the first time. It was quite a walk to get there taking over a half hour on foot although people will tell you it's less. They are not able to move the village closer because the walk to the beach contains ruins that are protected in a national park. The ruins are very nicely preserved and there are fairly intact gates and theaters although we haven't taken the time to explore them fully yet. This was the first beach either of us had seen in the Mediterranean and with the sun setting and the feel of the salty ocean breeze, we both loved it.

Patara beach has been great for meeting people and hearing their thoughts on Turkey and tips on what to see or do. It might be the lovely B&B we are staying in with its welcoming atmosphere that makes you want to hang out outside of your room, or the type of people that come here as travelers, but it has been great to meet like minded people. Our itinerary has actually been revised as a result!

The food at the Akay pension is absolutely incredible. Home cooked Turkish meals are like no other. Yesterday they served a whole fish on a plate and I was very nervous to try it because I am very finicky about what kind of fish I like and how it is cooked (although I am trying to be more adventurous!). This fish was out of this world delicious: it had obviously been marinated in olive oil and garlic for hours and it was served with amazingly crispy skin with the fish flaking off the bones perfectly. I only wish I could learn to cook like that!

Turkish breakfasts are interesting too because it is a standard breakfast everywhere you go. I don't think I have ever been to a country where you are served the exact same breakfast every day. In general you are served a hard boiled egg, cucumber slices, tomato slices, olives, a piece of goat cheese, and white fluffy bread served with various spreads. A very healthy breakfast every day to fuel us for our next endeavor.

Another interesting thing about Turkey in general is the dichotomy of their famous hospitality and also their antics at making the next dollar. I have found myself frustrated on a few occasions where someone has given me improper change back or has tried to up charge the price of lunch. It is difficult to know when to engage someone in a power struggle over an issue or just to let it go, sometimes being to tired to argue over "just" a dollar. However I find that it is more the principle of the issue than the money itself and no one wants to feel taken advantage of, even for a dollar. There are times too that you can be mislead about buses or boats leaving at certain times for example. A man at the bus station kept insisting that his bus was the next one leaving and when I wanted to innocently look around to make sure, he started going off about me calling him a liar. As I have said before and will reiterate again, Turkish people are by far the friendliest people I have ever met but it's always good to be aware that there are a few bad apples everywhere in the world and the best defense is always knowledge. If you know how much you are supposed to pay, how much you should get back in change, transportation directions and departure times then these antics will never work and you can enjoy the famous hospitality untainted!

Today was an amazing day because of all the things we didn't do, rather than the things we did do. We didn't have to set an alarm to wake up, catch a bus anywhere, navigate a new place, see a huge attraction, or find a hotel. We simply had the best beach day, arriving to the beach in the morning and not leaving until early evening. It felt incredible to lay in the sun and relax and no where has better people watching than the beach. It is an interesting mix in Turkey between tourists, non Muslim Turkish people and people of the Muslim faith since one second you see women in bikinis and in the next, a group of women fully clothed in trousers, closed jackets, and head scarves. It is a very positive experience to see the two different cultures coexist with no issue.

We read all afternoon, laid in the sun until we were so hot we had to cool off in the ocean, and enjoyed chicken doners and beers for lunch. Josh and I have has our fair share of beach days, but this one will stand out in our minds for a long time. We had such a nice day that we are extending our stay for another night although we haven't exactly figured out what we are up to tomorrow...maybe another shameless beach day!