9/22/07
Olu Deniz, Turkey
We are now in the tourist town of Olu Deniz at a hotel. We arrive here yesterday afternoon after much deliberation about where to go. Unfortunately, Olu Deniz is just like I imagine Cancun to be like—incredibly touristy. The scenery around the town is magnificent, but it’s hard to enjoy it fully because of all the people. This town caters mostly to British people, so there are advertisements for English breakfast everywhere and other foreign food such as mashed potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, Thai food and pizza.

9/25/07
Izmir, Turkey 10pm
I am in an airplane on my way to Istanbul after our 12 day trip to the Mediterranean Sea. Overall, I guess the trip turned into a mostly sight-seeing trip instead of a hiking trip, but that was okay. Last I wrote, we were in Olu Deniz. We were there the 21st, 22nd and left the 23rd for Candarli, the seaside town where Sinan’s parents spend their summers.

Olu Deniz was pretty fun, but the town was so touristy, it was wearing on all of us. The day we arrived (the 21st) was pretty fun, except that I got motion sick on the 2 hour bus ride there from Kas. Before we left Kas, we went to this amazing market/ bazaar with tons of fresh food, and handmade crafts. It was pretty much, the best flea market I’ve ever been to. Once in Olu Deniz, we splashed out and got a fancy hotel room with a separate bedroom (apartment style) and kitchen, and drank beer with our lunch and watched music videos. We swam at the beach in very turquoise water and we laughed as we lay and let the waves crash over us. We made our own dinner (!) of lentils and rice and enjoyed each others company.

Next morning, we awoke early to attend a 12 island boat tour; was quite an experience. It was for sure, the closest I’ve ever come to being on a cruise… 50 or so people sunning themselves on the deck of a boat- tanning lotion and bikinis everywhere.