Thanks to Elizabeth for the additional research, we are not surprised by the $1m plus price per week for hire. We agree that we prefer being able to access small and out of the way places, much more fun. Although, sometimes it would be nice to have someone do the dishes and the cleaning - not that there is very much to clean on SCII.
Asin Limani 24 July
We decided to spend a night in the town harbour of Asin Limani, which is a small fishing village. We are the only foreign yacht tied up at the town key, most of the boats were fishing boats or day trip boats. We have recorded a short video of the harbour during the call to prayer - apologies for cutting off the Iman's prayer.
Adjacent the village are the remains of an ancient city of Iassus that dates from about 2000BC to around 1500AD. We spent a few hours walking around the area, there are still theatres, some marble columns and the remains of some of the paved main streets, as well as a few parts of buildings. There has been very little evidence of recent archaeology and some of the paths leading away from the ruins that are on a general map at the entrance get lost in the cow paddocks (and cow dung and thistles....) It's certainly different to exploring the ruins of somewhere like Ephesus which you would be sharing with hundreds of others.
Paradise cove 27 July
Today we are anchored in a beautiful bay appropriately called Paradise Cove. It has clear turquoise water and native pine trees coming down to the waters edge, very picturesque. Lots of small local boats coming and going, many trolling a lure in an attempt to catch a fish. The water is teaming with fish but all of them small.
The Turks love being out on the water, even if not fishing or swimming. A small boat dropped anchor near us with two Turkish men aboard. They sat in their boat for most of the afternoon, only once going for a swim. The afternoon was spent smoking and chatting, as well as playing CDs on a portable CD player which they sang along with loudly (not very well though).
Having almost completed the charter yacht catalogue over the last 25 years, we are fulfilling our long term dream of living the endless summer. In April 2017 we purchased our yacht and plan to spend several months every year in the Med.