Hi from Tapestry,

We are sailing from Gocek to Kekova Roads where we will have our first anchorage tonight. We will go ashore in our dinghys for this evening's celebration. We left this morning at about 4:50 in spitting rain.

We have had a change in the weather. Today is cloudy and winds are expected to reach force 5 to 7 this afternoon. Five is fine, seven is a bit much, but winds should be behind us.

Yesterday we took a bus tour up the Dalyan River to the site of some Lycian grave sites and the ancient city of Caunos, active around the fourth century, B.C. There was a full busload of us on the tour which filled two boats for the river portion.

The river is fascinating itself. It is filled with reeds and so, unless you know the way, it is very difficult to navigate. There are hundreds of tour boats there. Chances are you are familiar with this river.

The African Queen was filmed there. After motoring up the river a short distance, our guide pointed our the necropolis. High on the cliff sides were huge temple-like structures carved into the rock. Some were rectangular holes, but others had the appearance of a Greek Temple, complete with Ionic columns. Each had a marble door on the front. The people believed that in order to succeed in the afterlife, one must be placed in such a tomb. Once he passed through the door, he entered the afterlife.

The rich had large and elaborate tombs, poorer people had simple slabs, but everyone was buried in the cliff face. The term "rich" has special significance as well. It is believed that these people were the first to

make and use currency. It is impressive how well the tombs have

withstood the ages. At about the time of the invasion of Alexander the Great, all work stopped on the tombs. No one is sure why, but it is widely held that either the invasion itself, earthquakes, always prevalent in the area, or disease, in this case Malaria, brought about the change. A short distance from the necropolis is the ancient city of Canuos. There are the rock remains of a church, a Roman bath, several other buildings and a magnificent amphitheater. The city itself is built upon a hillside facing a murky bay. The Bay had once been a prosperous harbor, but filled with silt and so the reason for the city ceased to exist and it was abandoned. It reminded me of the Italian ruins at Ostia Antiqua outside Fumincino in Italy. At one time that port was crucial for the City of Rome, but when the Tiber changed its course, the city was abandoned.

We were back in town by 4:30, hardly time for us to catch our breath before the skipper's meeting at 6 and another cocktail party at 7. Triumph and Sugilite, boats we have been sailing with for much of our curise in the Med, joined us in Gocek. It is fun to be with them again.

The weather has not improved much since this morning. It has rained on and off, the sky is cloudy and the wind has, so far come at us from three different directions. Right now it is about sixteen knots, right on the nose. Al the best, Hank and Julie

Sunday, May 13, 2007

Hi from Tapestry,

Our sail to Kekova Roads was uneventful. It continued to rain off and on, the wind did not increase as threatened, and we arrived late in the afternoon as planned. We anchored in a large bay and took the dinghy ashore where 10 to 12 year old girls entertained us with traditional dances. We walked through the old streets and enjoyed a traditional old town. The next morning we took a tour boat and then hiked up the a steep rocky hill to a Lycian castle perched at the top. We were accompanied by a number of ladies who walked along with us offering information on the area and carrying plastic dishpans full of hand decorated scarves which they wished to sell us. Julie bought a head scarf from a high school aged girl. Her English, which she learned from tourists, was excellent, a charming young lady. Later we motored along an ancient sunken city where we could see foundations of buildings and stairways descending into the water.

Earthquakes had lowered the land, dropping much of the city below sea level.

Later in the afternoon we again boarded Tapestry, hoisted dinghy and anchor and set off for Fineke. As the rally has now grown to the neighborhood of fifty boats, we had to wait outside the harbor nearly an hour before they called us in to the dock.

The first order of business on Friday evening was a Turkish bath, called a hamam in Turkish.. Julie and I found the building by walking several blocks through the city. It looks very much like a mosque with a domed roof and white sides. Inside we paid and were given a room key. We changed into bathing suits, which are optional, and descended to a hot room, much like a Finish sauna. In the center was a platform about 20 feet across. There are basins in marble stalls around the room and brass hot and cold taps. First you rinse yourself and then you spread out a towel and lie down on the raised marble platform in the center of the room. The platform is about 20 feet across and has room for about ten adults. The platform is heated and soon perspiration flows freely. As you lie on your back you notice 14 ventilation holes in the domed ceiling. Two men, wrapped in towels work on someone in one of the cubicles. When they call the next person he or she moves to the cubicle, in full view of everyone else in the room and sits down.. Walking is done in rubber sandals supplied by the hamam. Originally they used shoes with maple wood soles, which do not slip on wet marble. The men greet you by pouring warm water all over you and then you lie down and they go to work. First they rub you with a wool glove, which removes dead skin and perhaps a little suntan. Next comes more water. Then the soap. He fills a bag with soap suds and dumps it over you. He washes one side and tells you to roll over. Rolling over on a wet, soapy marble slab requires concentration. He washes between your toes, crunches your shoulders, pulls your fingers and then splashes gallons more water on you and points to a bench. where you sit while he washes your hair. They use soap that smells much like Ivory and creates a great deal of suds. At the end you return to your room where you dress and go on your way. We were surprised that it was co-ed. While we were there everyone was wearing a bathing suit or draped in a towel. We are told that is not always the case.

Everyone with us was a sailor on the rally. Most Turkish towns have a bath and they are not really much different from the Roman baths we have seen so often in ruins.

Next day we had signed up for another tour and, surprise, the guide spoke only German. Our first stop was the City of Myra, another cliff face with more Lycian tombs from the fourth century B.C. There was a splendid amphitheater right next to it, dated in the second century A.D. It was used mostly for gladiator contests.

From there we went to another city and, surprise, there was Santa Clause in the middle of the town square. Many of the German and English people laughed and said "Coke" obviously referring to the famous picture of Santa used world wide in Coke ads Sure enough this was the home of St. Nicholas, better known to many of us as Santa Clause. The Cathedral built to his memory is now a mosque and his statue has been moved to the entry, along with a bible. Nicholas was the patron saint of sailors and was kind to the poor. One time he was said to have dropped four baby goats down the chimney of a poor family. The town has profited greatly from Santa and there are souvenir stores all over town.

The cathedral is undergoing restoration and several frescoes are still in good condition as are mosaic patterns on the floor.

We drove far into the mountains for lunch. Snow capped peaks were visible in the distance but our restaurant was simply tables set with red and white checkered cloths beside a roaring stream. It was a trout farm and we had salad, loads of freshly baked bread and a fresh, perfectly cooked trout, right from the water. It was delicious. I have almost grown accustomed to looking at a whole fish on my plate and taking it apart with knife and fork.

Our final meaningful stop was the city of Arkanda, discovered in fine condition in 1971. It had six baths, a winery and a large field of tombs. It was built on a hillside and several canals supplied water for cooking and sanitary purposes to the city. It overlooks a fertile valley and must have been spectacular in its day, several hundred years before Christ. Huge cedar trees surround the town and conceal much of it from

view. According to the literature of the time, the people of Arkanda

were considered hedonistic and lazy. We had to walk about a mile uphill to reach this special city. It was most worthwhile.

Back at the bus there was a small roadside market. Spring water roared down the mountain and we could drink it cold and sparkling fresh from a fountain. Men were selling honey and one man had a campfire with several tubs of water boiling and cooking fresh sweet corn. There were tables of jewelery and other food for sale as well. There are many beekeepers in Turkey and honey is eaten regularly.

By the time we got back to the marina it was time for the skippers'

meeting and then dinner and dancing sponsored by the marina. Good fun.

Six o'clock came early this morning, but after buying fuel at nearly two dollars per liter we are motoring along the coast on our way to Kemer in