The Mediterranian coast Turkie February 10th 1999
Merhaba
Since last I have spend my time at the mediterranian coast
starting with a week in Antalya, and finishing with a week
in Marmaris.
In Antalya I was waiting for new brake pads to be mailed
to me, it took 2 weeks for a thick letter to make it from
Denmark to here with the post, while it only took 3 days
for a much bigger package to make it here from the states
via Federal Express.
The package from the states was a new orginal BMW-toolset
who Gary Wasserman had offered me when I wrote about how
my toolset was stolen in Erzurum last year. I just had
to supply him with a an address to send it to. It is
very nice, not just the toolset, but that it is possible
to be treated that way.
In Antalya I was also going to obtain refunds for my stolen
traveller cheques. I had both Thomas Cook and American
Express checks and on their WEB-pages I found that both
of them could make refunds in Antalya which is the largest
tourist town in Turkie. The American Express office issued
the replacement checks while I was waiting. Thomas Cook
was a different matter, the office which I found via their
WEB-page knew nothing about refund of travellers cheques
and after having phoned and E-mailed Thomas Cook in England
I was directed to a Bank which should be able to make the
refund, but they were not helpfull at all, so I E-mailed
Thomas Cook again with my complain and a very simple question
"Where can I get my refund?". I still haven't got my refund,
I even haven't got a reply on my E-mail. So I am very
angry with myself that I followed my banks advice to use
Thomas Cook at all, but I feel a little lucky that I
insisted to have half of the money in American Express.
One day I met a nice young girl half my age who invited
me home to her house for diner. Before you begin to feel
happy on my part, I have to admit that she was wearing a
scharf, indicating that she was a conservativ muslim, and
her father turned out to be a school teacher in religon.
According to him Turkey violated the human rights gruesomely
since girls were not allowed to wear a scarf in the school
and he could not understand that the western world would
not help to put presure on Turkey to stop this horrendous
situation. Later I had to ask the girl if she liked
wearing a scarf, and she answered that she had to because
it was written. I have met this blind belief in the
written word before when I visited some very-very-very
islamic students in Erzurum, they tried their very best
to convince me, with small passages from the christian
bible, that their belief was the only true belief.
To be fair all of these people were very nice and
hospiteable and I don't want to give them away, and I
don't since none of you would take out these flaws
isolated, it is just a small piece in a big picture.
I followed the coastline from Antalya to Marmaris,
staying overnight in Olympos, Kas and Kalkan. Olympos
which is a deserted ruin close to the coast has no big
hotels. I stayed in a small hut between orange trees
paying 6 $ pr night including breakfast and dinner and
all the oranges I could eat, and that was quite a few.
It was just great to reach out of the door and pick an
orange sweet and juicy. In Kalkan which is a small
harbour I met a Dane on a bycycle, who was on his way
Australia. Nicolai is the second dane I have met on a
push bike going in this direction, Lars the other Dane
who I met both in Turkey, Iran and Pakistan is also
writing travelletters but in in Danish and I just got
one from India. E-mail seems to be the main form for
communication betwen travellers these days, everybody
has an E-mail account and when ever we settle in a town
we all rush to the computers to see if there is any mail,
and I feel very lucky since it is almost allways the
case for me.
Marmaris is the port to Rhodos/Greece where I will go
next I am just waiting for a ferry which is quite rare
now since it is out of season. Right know I sit in the
salon of 78 food schooner called
Old Glory.
Naylene and Phil who has had the boat for 19 years
are going to charter it to tourist this summer so
now they are warnishing the boat so it will be fit
for fight, while I am hiding here at the computer.
The boat which is actually designed by a Dane Slaaby
Larsen is 28 years old and beautyfull all made of
wood and they way it is treated I am sure it will
last a hundred years.
Should you be interested in spending some time on this
boat you should send an E-mail to oldglory90@hotmail.com
I am sure you would enjoy it, including the home-brewed
beer they make on the boat, I had a little too much of
it last night, but I think I will survive.
That was all from Turkey, my next travel letter
will probably be from Greece or whereever the wind
will take me.
I followed the coastline from Antalya to Marmaris,
staying overnight in Olympos, Kas and Kalkan. Olympos
which is a deserted ruin close to the coast has no big
hotels. I stayed in a small hut between orange trees
paying 6 $ pr night including breakfast and dinner and
all the oranges I could eat, and that was quite a few.
It was just great to reach out of the door and pick an
orange sweet and juicy. In Kalkan which is a small
harbour I met a Dane on a bycycle, who was on his way
Australia. Nicolai is the second dane I have met on a
push bike going in this direction, Lars the other Dane
who I met both in Turkey, Iran and Pakistan is also
writing travelletters but in in Danish and I just got
one from India. E-mail seems to be the main form for
communication betwen travellers these days, everybody
has an E-mail account and when ever we settle in a town
we all rush to the computers to see if there is any mail,
and I feel very lucky since it is almost allways the
case for me.
(+45) 98 16 76 97 
peter@lorenzen.us