Our next port of call was in the Kekova region. This area consists of 3 centres – the villages of Ucagiz and Kale and the fortress of Simena. We decided to anchor in the bay for 2 nights as there was very little wind. There was much excitement with the crew over the opportunity to use the electric windlass (anchor chain winder thing) which is a relatively recent boat upgrade. After launching the dinghy we headed off to Ucagiz for a quick exploration of the local sites. There were 3 restaurants all anxiously waving us over to tie up in front of their establishment. We chose to dock at Hassan’s place as he was wearing the best hat.

We had seen some sarcophagi from the boat so we headed off to check them out. To get to the ruins you follow the goat path and turn left at the satellite dish. There were no markings on any of the sites other than a crooked hand painted sign pointing to “Tombs and Temple”. Climbing on top of the walls provides the usual spectacular views out to sea. There are no safety ropes or “Don’t Touch” signs here.

Hassan’s restaurant was our next stop after we finished our explorations. With a bottle of red vino and a wifi password we were set for the evening. His daughter graciously provided us with a bag of vegetables to take back to the boat to go with our dinner.

The next day was a touring day starting with Kekova Island. All along the shore are ruins carved out of the stone both in and under the water. The land is receding so that the floors of the first row of stone houses are all about 1 foot under water. This area is known only as “Sunken City” as it has not yet been identified. We drifted along the shore in the dinghy while being totally impressed by the things that people will do for a waterfront property.

Drifting in a dinghy is hard work so we motored across the channel to a sheltered bay for a little snorkeling. The water is extremely clear so we could see lots of little fish swimming around a steep drop off. We also saw some mottled green needlefish that the first rush of adrenalin thought were sea snakes. No coins or amphorae though.

Next stop was Kale were again we were guided to a mooring place at a restaurant. This time we chose Hasan’s with 1 “s”. As it was that time of day I had to follow the blue arrows to the bathroom. I really wish I had watched the training video first.
http://www.howcast.com/videos/22139-How-To-Use-a-Squat-Toilet

We hiked up through the village to the top of the hill and the fort. The fort was built by the Knights of St. John over top of an ancient site with an amphitheatre carved directly into the rock. The panoramic view from here is spectacular. After a few photo ops we left the castle and followed a trail along the spine of the hill with numerous Lycian tombs surrounded by ancient olive trees. It turns out that the tomb lids turned upside down also make an effective goat watering trough.

Back at Hasan’s we had 3 of the best pints of Efes beer ever. Chilled glasses never looked so good. Eggplant, calamari, and zucchini omelettes finished off the feast before we fired up the dinghy and headed back to the boat. Just another day on the coast of Turkey.