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Wonderful Experience "Blue Journey"
 Many are skeptical about this kind of holiday if they haven't done it before. "I will surely get seasick!" or "What should I do for one week on a boat?" are the most common worries. But they do not know what they miss out on! You can book it without any complications at a travel agency. The most ideal combination is one week at a hotel and one week on the boat. You should take this order because you normally cannot put your clothes out of your suitcase (there's not enough space on the boat) and so they might not look well enough for a stay at a hotel. But if you want to have special dresses you have the possibility to let it deposit meanwhile.
  You can choose between different tour operators and various travel routes and according to different prices have different equipment (pump closet or normal one, size of the boat, etc.). The boats are the so called "Gulets" (made of wood) and are driven with motor power. After you decided to go on this special kind of holiday alone, as a couple, together with your family or friends it's up to the travel operator to add other persons. So you never know before who are the persons with who you will spend this week. That's why you should take it in your stride, be tolerant and also think about that you will have to live together in a very small space. It might sound bad now but it isn't. If you decide to have a holiday like this you will have something in common with the other travellers.
 FaBut if you are a group of 10 persons you can book your "own" ship and maybe change the travel route a bit together with the "kaptan" (captain). The advantage of such a change is that you will not have to do the same route as many other boats during high season. Of course it also can be a wonderful feeling of togetherness if you go together with the other boats but it might as well destroy the idyll of a lonely bay. And you should always remember that the captain is in charge of everything and that's why he decides in the end. Normally included in the price are flight, transfer to the boat/hotel, if you booked one insurances, all harbour fees, belonging to the travel operator full board (you have to pay extra for drinks) or "all inclusive". But they do not like offering "all inclusive" on board because many people drink too much if it's free and this is even worse on a boat where you do not have enough space.
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Kaleköy
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Kas
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Olympos
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Finike
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Finike
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If you choose your special route, have enough persons to participate and enough money there is also the possibility to charter a boat directly at the owner. You can also choose the boat and your crew then! But you have to book everything on your own (flight, transfer, insurance, harbour fees, etc.) and according to this a lot of extra money to spend. Be careful! If one of the travellers wants to cancel his/her holiday you will have to pay the full price anyway. The owner of the boat just cares about his money and not who is giving it. That's why you need a good insurance in any case.
What you should take with you
You should ask for information what you should take with you and what is already on board. You need mainly bath suits, something warmer if there are cooler evenings and clothes for your shore leaves. You should only take necessary things with you and some things you personally need (medicine, walkman, books, etc.). Do not forget sun lotion because you might not even recognize the hot sun as long as there is the cool breeze. It might have bad consequences.
Distraction
You can find Turkish games, a CD-player and sometimes even a surfboard. There are also often local providers for entertainments like water-ski.
 Food
For breakfast there is usually coffee, tea, orange juice, bread, olives, feta, cheese, different variations with eggs, tomatoes, cucumbers, sometimes sausages, jam and honey. During daytime the cook makes delicious original Turkish dishes. If you are lucky he lets his fantasy create Turkish snacks in between. Moreover they go fishing every day and if they catch enough they prepare fresh fish. Hmmmm.... Afiyet olsun!!
 Progress
 After the arrival of all travellers on board the "Kaptan" who can at least speak English welcomes them. Thereafter you get a welcome drink and are informed about the routine of the day. Most of the crew is just able to speak Turkish (except for some "important" phrases). The "Kaptan" looks after the security of his guests and cook and boys look after their welfare. In the evening you can enjoy the delicious food at last. You stay in the harbour for the first day and night so you should use it for shore leaves. When the muezzin begins to pray in the morning you are ready for the big adventure. Your journey starts on the next morning after breakfast on board and the information about the day's route. So let's start into an extraordinary holiday! You see the impressing landscape passing by while you are bobbed up and down in the water. The sea sprays a bit and cools you together with the soft breeze. You feel free, you glance at the horizon...
  Sometimes you are accompanied by dolphins which make your heart light. You've got the feeling of recognizing a smile and you feel a great intimacy. Another time you are astonished of a swarm of flying fish which moves over the water very fast and is very nice to look at with its glittering. You enjoy culinary delectabilities for breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner. There are often pauses in nice bays with crystal, turquoise water. Jumping into the cool water is very delightful... you can swim, snorkel, dive, you discover hidden grottos and are accompanied by colourful fish. Some other time you play a game or chat. If you like you can also dance to Turkish music or music you brought with you and if you are lucky you can even listen to the crew's singing. And even if you do not understand the meaning of these songs you can feel it and are moved by it. So you recognize day after day that the easy way of life takes possession of yourself and that you do not need and not even miss luxuries. You go to bed late at night, you sleep open-air looking into a great heaven full of stars which nearly takes your breath, you listen to the soft sound of the waves. And when you wake up with the first sunbeam you can enjoy the sunrise and take wonderful pictures.
  There is also often the possibility of shore leaves where you can visit archeological areas and other sights (Lykian rock tombs, etc.) - but you have to pay for them extra. You can also walk up to a special view accompanied with laughing children in whose eyes you can see the joy of life. There are women sitting at the roadside trying to sell their needlework and it is very difficult to decide what you should take. And there is also the old man sitting under the hot sun that wants to give you branches of oregano and marjoram. If you anchor in harbours visiting a "hamam" or a "berber" is a nice alteration and should be a must in every journey to Turkey. You wander blooming alleys, enjoy the colourful fruit and vegetables, the scent of the spices infatuate your senses and you can taste various sorts of nuts everywhere. But you have to say goodbye again to the helpful and kind inhabitants of this country which is rich of beautiful nature. But you will surely make the decision to come here again because of the beautiful country and the nice inhabitants.... and, you never know... maybe we will meet on a "Blue Journey" into the endless wide of the sea.
2007 © Copyright :: Tuerkei-Home.de - Many thanks to Prenses and Terazi for text and pictures!
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