Patara.......just being (by Josh)

Patara has proven to be just what our minds and bodies needed right now. The last 6 days has been filled with so much awe and amazement that this sleepy little beach town let our minds shut down and our bodies recharge the batteries.
The town is absolutely charming and not yet gentrified so you feel an authenticity unmatched by anywhere else in Turkey. There are turkish women beating dough in shop fronts and men sweeping their shops an playing chess in the midday heat.
But what really has made Patara so incredible is Kazeem and Aysha.
They run our pension ( its called the Akay Pension) and have made us feel so at home. Every morning we have a fabulous Turkish breakfast made by Aysha and afterwords either Aysha or Kazeem( one is always tending to the hotel) will sit with us and visit.
We feel like we are visiting family!
And Aysha's cooking is the best I have ever had( sorry to both mom's i still love yours!)
Our first night Kazeem ran down to the port and bought fresh fish from the fisherman and yelled to us " you come for fish, you not forget it"
I never will! Aysha served the fish whole ( I was a little concerned Niki would get squeamish as she is only
partial to seafood but she loved it!)
It was some form of a Garlic/ olive oil neither Niki or I are totally sure but it was amazing!
And every night it something difference and amazing. Aysha has a fixed menu (one meal every night) and the
restaurant (and pension)is so fantastic people come from other towns
to eat here!
The atmosphere as a whole is so warm that you can see it in all the guests faces. Everyone feels so comfortable we ( the guests) often just sit around the living room area visiting
and drinking tea with Kazeem and Aysha in the evening.
I particularly like Kazeem's dad, I don't think he understands a thing I
say but he loves to sit with us and
nods his head with a big smile and says thank you in Turkish to pretty much everything I say:)
It's been one month on the road now
and it's amazing but home really is about the people not the place. I love turkey, it is special and everyday it captivates and warms me more.
Being in Patara has made us both just cool the engines and "just be"
And I think part of the essence we set off to find on this trip is found in taking the time do just that, be.
Over and out:)