Turkish Delights …

Before my recent holiday to Turkey I had always found Turkish Delight to be rather revolting. However, I discovered that real Turkish, Turkish Delight is actually very tasty. At least in my opinion! A case of the authentic Turkish variety being vastly superior to our English adaptation.

Aside from the official Turkish Delight, I also got to sample many of the other delights that Turkey has to offer.

Having arrived around 3.30am, we decided to treat our tired selves to the Turkish Bath experience on that first night.

Wow!

It was wonderfully delicious.

First off we spent five minutes in the sauna to open our pores before being taken in to a Hammam – a public bathing space, hence unfortunately I could not take any photo’s. But it was a large room with a huge marble, circular, tiled ‘bath’ area where we each laid around the outskirts with our own pillows. From here we could look up to the impressively decorated ceiling.

On here, our own designated ‘bather’ came and poured wonderfully warm water all over us, before coating us in a salt based product which with the aid of an exfoliating cloth, was used to remove our dead skin. This was the only part that was a little uncomfortable. But it was quickly followed by a soothing foam bath where these large contraptions were waved over us covering us in the foam. Lastly we were rinsed off with more water before having our hair washed. It was not unlike being a giant baby being bathed on a huge marble slab!

Very nice!

As we got up, we were towelled down before being taken to a massage room where we were treated to a Balinese massage with oils. To end the experience we were given a gold face mask to remove our dead facial skin.

The whole experience started and ended with Turkish Apple tea and Turkish Delight.

It was utter indulgence throughout, the likes of which I could totally get used to! A huge thumbs up! I would totally recommend it for anyone who enjoys being pampered!

A great way to relax in to the holiday.

We stayed in a Hotel within the resort village of Oludeniz in the Mugla Province on the South West coast. The resort was nestled within a bay overlooked by the Babadag Mountain. It was beautiful, with a five minute walk down through the shops, to the Belcekiz beach. There was enough on hand to be interesting without being a huge, overcrowded affair.

Perfect!

I took great pleasure in starting each morning with a forty five minute swim in the Hotel’s fabulous pool which I mostly had entirely to myself, with the exception of a local meower that took to sitting on the side watching me. I was also able to take in the view of the surrounding mountains accompanied by a colourful assortment of paragliders. A truly great way to wake up and start any day for someone like me who loves the water and the mountains.

Breakfast was a colourful, fresh fruit filled affair enjoyed overlooking the pool and being overlooked by the mountains. Top notch.

In fact, all of the meals were good. I always experience it to be such a treat to have an array of fresh foods all prepared and displayed for my sampling. As much as I love experimenting with new recipes, I equally love to be spared the shopping, preparing, cooking and cleaning up process! And as I eat as much with my eyes as my belly, I appreciated the colours of the food and the backdrop of mountains.

One of the first things I noticed was the mass of paragliders adorning the skies. This is something I had wanted to experience ever since I read about it last year within a Paulo Coelho fiction book. It was on offer in Slovenia where I went last year but I wasn’t in the space to do it. Yet here in Oludeniz, it was so accessible it would have been rude not to take advantage of the opportunity so I immediately bit the bullet and booked up.

When the day arrived for my scheduled flight, the wind was up too much to allow it to go ahead (and I don’t mean mine).

So I had to wait another day and try again. I went off feeling excited and apprehensive. It took around forty five minutes in a bus to get to the top of the mountains. This was super hairy. The roads had sheer drops down the mountains which did absolutely nothing to help my nerves. I took to uttering repeat panic prayers. As if God is deaf and didn’t hear my first cry for protection!

Anyway, we finally reached the top which was a building site with some portaloo’s positioned right on the edge. Most portaloo’s don’t offer a relaxing experience but these took unpleasant to a new ‘high’. Visions of them falling backwards down the cliffs didn’t help me to use them! At times like these, my vivid imagination doesn’t feel to be quite the gift it usually is!

Anyway, finally, I was ready. Sort of. In a quivering knee’s kind of a way. There was a white concrete area sloping down in to absolutely nothing with the tree clad mountains underneath. Once harnessed to my pilot and paraglider I was asked to walk down this slope. Gulp. Was I mad? My legs didn’t particularly want to comply with this request. It’s not exactly natural is it? But with the help of two guys either side of me I was able to slowly make my way on to and down the slope. I’d like to say I was super courageous and excited but I would be blatantly lying! I was totally terrified! The fact that taking the paraglider down felt a decidedly safer option than the bus, spurred me on. That and more repeat, panic prayers that went something like this, ‘HELP ME, HELP ME, HELP ME GOD!!! Repeated multiple times as if God suffers from amnesia.

Somehow, within an instant we were in the air soaring high above the mountains. My mind was caught between sheer terror at the unnaturalness of the situation and the desire to relax in to the experience. My pilot said to me, ‘we are flying Jo, up within the geothermals (what?) where the eagles soar.’ ‘Relax Jo’, he encouraged me. ‘I’m trying’, I replied in a shaky voice. I mean, it was spectacular but it took some time to relax past the terror in to the joy of it.

But eventually once I realised there was no longer any need to be afraid of falling because we were actually flying, I could relax and enjoy the stunning scenery below.

WOW, WOW, WOW.

It was magical!

Not unlike the skydive I did in NZ over a decade ago. Although the ascent up was definitely more terrifying for this. Although this was from 6500 ft where the sky dive was from 15000ft! A tad higher! But this was one of the highest places in the world from which to do paragliding.

It was quite something. And I’m glad I did it. And even gladder I survived it!

Later that day, we took a sunset jeep safari. This involved a trip to a local village called Kaya where we learned about the history of the Greek and Turkish people having their happy cohabiting arrangement broken by the Government. Yet all these hundred of years later their houses still remain, derelict but partially intact. The Greeks were apparently excellent stone makers, to which these sturdy houses make testament.

Next up we were tearing around the mountain roads with no apparent concern for the sheer drops surrounding us. My imagination worked against me once more and I had to enjoy the views with my eyes closed! My friend enquired, ‘are you going to be sick Jo?’. No, I replied I just need to keep my head down, my eyes closed and make intermittent whimpering sounds!! But seriously, I felt safer paragliding than I did in that jeep!! God must have thought my prayer record from earlier in the day had got stuck on repeat.

Eventually we arrived at the end of the road as high as it was possible to go. I relished the view whilst trying to forget we still had to survive the journey back down!

After some more hairy driving, we arrived at our dinner destination with our table just a few feet from the sea. To accompany our traditional Turkish feast of bread, chicken, meat and salad, was a Turkish hen party complete with Turkish dancing.

During the stunning sunset, the guy opposite us on the table took off to propose to his lady, to which she agreed! A beautiful moment to share with them! So romantic!

The next day we took off for our sailing trip on a beautiful, rather posh boat. We were taken to four different bays where we could enjoy the stunning turquoise if rather chilly sea waters.

More traditional Turkish food followed by a very non Turkish Magnum ice cream! Yum. Just as I was beginning to need a break from the hot sun beating down upon the top deck, the guys came and put the sails up which rather conveniently covered me with their welcome shade. From here I could simply sit back and enjoy the view and the breeze.

Fantabulous!

This was the last of our trips so we spent the rest of our time in Turkey relaxing and enjoying the pool, food and Hotel entertainment including a night of traditional Turkish dancing. Which obviously we joined in and had a go at. No idea what I was doing but I enjoyed it regardless!

Got talking to a Turkish man also on his holidays. A guy who took two years out to train as a Radiographer’s technician. I respect anyone who is willing to invest in doing the work of making changes in their life. We enjoyed some interesting if language limited conversations via his translation app!

Two of his sayings which I particularly liked were:

You can make friends wherever you go, so long as you are sincere.

Everything is beautiful in God’s great timing.

Anyway, the holiday drew to a close all too quickly as all good things do.

But it was fun packed and I loved it.

Fun, rest and play are SO rejuvenating.

And Turkey was indeed full of delights!