First on the agenda this morning was to organise the washing. We found our way to the place we had checked out last night and as soon as we arrived, the lady phoned the man we had spoken to so I could give any last minute instructions! We then took a taxi to Ladies Beach. We had misread the sign advertising the cost - is was 6 euro ($9) rather than 6 turkish lira ($2.50). Fortunately we made the mistake with a small fare!
Billed as a more picturesque swimming spot than the main Kusadasi Beach, we had to agree. It was sandy, enclosed, with very clear water and there were a few places where you could hire sunbeds and 'parasols' - beach umbrellas! - for about $5 each. The Europeans flock to the area in summer and spend most of the day on the beach. One of the chaps in our hotel is sporting some serious sunburn and blisters.
The esplanade was lined with souvenir shops and restaurants so we headed up a couple of blocks to the residential area - certainly more up-market than the residential area we had walked through the previous evening in Kusadasi.
As we were discussing returning to town by the local Dolmus - the minibus - one rounded the corner and beeped to gain our attention. We indicate that we wanted to take a ride and he stopped in he middle of the street for us to get on. A little further along, he let us off and indicated another Dolmus to catch. It is a flat fare - 2 Turkish Lira ($1) - to any stop between Ladies Beach and Kusadasi. We were intrigued with our first experience - you just hail the bus from anywhere and the driver stops. As well as this the driver touts for business by beeping at any likely looking customers just to let them know he is there!
On arrival back in town we headed to the cruise ship terminal in the hope of having a look at the ship. This was not possible - there is very strict security around the terminal and only cruise passengers are allowed. We wandered through the bazaar area and it was clear that the traders are doing it tough with tourism down by about 80%. Even those of us wandering through were not buying.
Our need for something other than a strong turkish coffee led to our stopping at Starbucks! I find the turkish coffee and tea to be very strong - and don't seem to be able to water it down enough! The flat white hit the spot.
A quiet afternoon followed and then we headed out to the marina and a side of town that we had not yet seen before trying to find our way back to the laundry. Winding our way through a range of back alleys - that miraculously seemed to be able to fit vehicular traffic - we eventually found ourselves in familiar territory. Many of the buildings are concrete and in various states of repair, with some having been renovated and others just surviving with different types of maintenance and 'fix-up' of repairs. However the people are always very friendly and the language barrier is able to be transcended.
We collected our washing - all lined dried and Michael's shirts ironed and headed back to the hotel to drop them off before a meal at one of the seaside restaurants. We try to steer clear of the seafood and usually manage to find something that suits. Most things are served with rice and chips and there are few vegetables - however the salad greens are plentiful with the tomatoes full of flavour.
Billed as a more picturesque swimming spot than the main Kusadasi Beach, we had to agree. It was sandy, enclosed, with very clear water and there were a few places where you could hire sunbeds and 'parasols' - beach umbrellas! - for about $5 each. The Europeans flock to the area in summer and spend most of the day on the beach. One of the chaps in our hotel is sporting some serious sunburn and blisters.
The esplanade was lined with souvenir shops and restaurants so we headed up a couple of blocks to the residential area - certainly more up-market than the residential area we had walked through the previous evening in Kusadasi.
As we were discussing returning to town by the local Dolmus - the minibus - one rounded the corner and beeped to gain our attention. We indicate that we wanted to take a ride and he stopped in he middle of the street for us to get on. A little further along, he let us off and indicated another Dolmus to catch. It is a flat fare - 2 Turkish Lira ($1) - to any stop between Ladies Beach and Kusadasi. We were intrigued with our first experience - you just hail the bus from anywhere and the driver stops. As well as this the driver touts for business by beeping at any likely looking customers just to let them know he is there!
On arrival back in town we headed to the cruise ship terminal in the hope of having a look at the ship. This was not possible - there is very strict security around the terminal and only cruise passengers are allowed. We wandered through the bazaar area and it was clear that the traders are doing it tough with tourism down by about 80%. Even those of us wandering through were not buying.
Our need for something other than a strong turkish coffee led to our stopping at Starbucks! I find the turkish coffee and tea to be very strong - and don't seem to be able to water it down enough! The flat white hit the spot.
A quiet afternoon followed and then we headed out to the marina and a side of town that we had not yet seen before trying to find our way back to the laundry. Winding our way through a range of back alleys - that miraculously seemed to be able to fit vehicular traffic - we eventually found ourselves in familiar territory. Many of the buildings are concrete and in various states of repair, with some having been renovated and others just surviving with different types of maintenance and 'fix-up' of repairs. However the people are always very friendly and the language barrier is able to be transcended.
We collected our washing - all lined dried and Michael's shirts ironed and headed back to the hotel to drop them off before a meal at one of the seaside restaurants. We try to steer clear of the seafood and usually manage to find something that suits. Most things are served with rice and chips and there are few vegetables - however the salad greens are plentiful with the tomatoes full of flavour.
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