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06/28/2005: "Talkın Turkey"
The English summer seemed to be over already! After a blissful 10 days of sunshine and alcoholic madness with my friends in Ripley and more than a few hangovers (thanks Chris and Lisanne!) I decided that it was time to get back to the serious business of travelling.
Once again my favourite cheap airline, XL, delivered the bargain price of £46 to Kos in the Greek Islands. The downside, and there nearly always is one, was the scheduled departure at 11.20pm that actually turned out to be 01.20 am. But what the heck, I wasn't going anywhere, the plane was full of semi dressed females out for a couple of weeks of sun, sand and something else, so I just sat back and admired the view.
Now as a planning exercise this actually went pretty well.
The plane touched down around 6.15 am and the backage arrrived about an hour after that, it was 100m to the only plane arriving, but the bags DID get there so.......
A quick haggle outside the airport got me a flash mercedes ride to the marina in Kos town, the guy did look a bit taken aback when after just arriving I was trying to leave, still he got me there.
The Ferry to Bodrum was set to leave at 9.00am so I got my ticket and waited alone outside the Port Office. This was going to be a nice quiet boat ride.
Don't be silly! Within 15 minutes about 300 people arrived on coaches with one aim in mind, to be first through the doors and on to the boat. Led by a very strident German rep lady they were herded into groups and it started to look like a planned attack!
I thought of Dunkirk and led my retreat onto the boat cunningly tripping over the advancing octogenarian hun hordes. I seemed to be the only non package traveller and fought my way to the back of the boat to get away from the tide of advancing marauders.
The boat finally left 45 minutes late and after an uneventfull ride arrived in Bodrum, Turkey. We all charged off the boat in the direction off passport control, I was pretty keen to see my passport as It had been prised from my hands by an official whilst getting on the boat.
Eventually, after one door was smashed open (ok not too dramatic but an old lady did fall through the glass door, I was nowhere near her, honest) the crowds forced their way to the overwhelmed immigration staff. My passport was there, phew! I pointed it out and a cheerful official flipped though it, smiled and handed it back to me saying visa! and pointed to the back of the line and a small visa office. Bear in mind I was the only one with luggage, the others were day invaders or similar, and none of them seemed to need a visa. The office was closed but the duty free salesman doubled as the visa man so I was deprived of 15 Euros and a visa stamp duly placed in my passport.
The throng was in full force still so I used my charm and asked him to go and get his mate at the desk to stamp it, success! A minuite later I was out of there and fleeing down the dockside in seach of my hostel and a shower.
The Bodrum Backpackers is billed as the only true one in town so I headed there. Only a short stroll through the streets and it was there, a clean white building and a cute kiwi manager. She soon took care of me and I was able to dump my pack and take a shower.
The city on first glance seems very nice, not overwhelmingly touristy like Protaras in Cyprus and very Turkish! I took a little walk around the marina before succumbing to lack of sleep....siesta time.
It cost me a toatal of 60 Euros from leaving the airport to arrival in Turkey. That included the taxi, the boat ticket, all the port taxes and a three month visa. Not too bad and having arrived at 6.15 am I was in the hotel about 10.45am so a result if you ask me.
I am off to sleep and will attack the next happy hour I see with vengance.
See y'all later.