Towards the Aegean Sea

Moving west from the Mediterranean towards the Aegean Sea, I have spent the last few days based out of Fetiye - a nice town, despite its fairly large size.  Dinner is an experience at the local fish market where you can pick out whatever fresh seafood you want and take it to any restaurant where they will cook it up for you and serve it to you with garlic bread and salad for about 5 bucks.

 

Withın an hour or two by bus I have thus far done a 2 day hike on a (better marked) section of the Lycian Way and hiked up the Saklikent Gorge - a stunning narrow gorge that you can walk / climb / scramble up for a couple of hours.  Some sections are quite tough as you fınd yourself typically chest deep ın cold water at the base of a short but awkward waterfall trough of a metre or two.  Climbing involves doing whatever you can to make your way up.  The rock itself is limestone, but it is polished smooth by the water, making headway more difficult than it sounds.  The polishing action also turns the water into a grey mud from the particulate matter that is continuously being washed downstream.

 

The Lycian way hike was a gorgeous hike along the coast and down to a couple of magnifıcent beaches including the inspiringly named 'Butterfly Valley' - hundreds of metres below the ridge where the hike continues.  At the end of the hike you look down upon paragliders who soar in circles down to the world-class beach area of Oludeniz which stretches out along the Mediterranean far below.

My last stop is in Marmaris, a slightly touristy, but not unpleasant town halfway towards Bodrum, which is the launching point to the Greek Islands. 

Unfortunately, it looks like I arrive in Kalymnos very late at night with no leads on the accomodation front - the first night or two should prove to be interesting.  I am hoping to either meet up with someone on the ferry or, as a last resort, wander into a pub, hoping to find some climbers willing to have me couch surf for the first night.  It appears that the accomodation there is mostly rented apartments - well suited to groups, but not so great for individuals.  Hopefully, I will be meeting up shortly afterwards with Micah, a Californian climber I met in Geyikbayiri, who arrives a day or two later.

Cheers,

- Ran