Monday, 1 June 2015

Day 25 - Ucagiz to Kapakli

Having found a really nice pension in Ucagiz, we decide to break all of the rules today.  We catch a dolmus to Kapakli, then walk for three hours back to our accommodation.  This means that we only need to carry day packs.  Oh, it feels like cheating, but it also feels so good.

On the way back we stop in at a Genoese castle overlooking the bay.  Genoa, tucked away on the north western coast of Italy, was a significant maritime power 800 years ago.  They built a network of castles around the Mediterranean to protect their trading interests.  Always on the look out for a good investment, this spot must have really stood out.  "It may not be a great place for a castle now, but with views like this think of what the land will be worth in 800 years time."  Unfortunately for the Genoese, it is now the property of the Turkish government.

An example of the Genoese taste in castle real estate. Location, location, location.

The castle panorama just makes me want to fire a cannon at something.  Now why isn't some enterprising local offering this option as part of the Ucagiz experience?  Bungy Jumping be damned; come to Ucagiz and fire an X hundred year old cannon at some ugly-as-**** tourist boat. 

The Turkish government giving tourists a timely reminder of what damage a carelessly discarded cigarette could do to this delicate stone castle. 

As unbelievable as it seems, some internet commentators have criticised this blog for being too tortoise focused.  Just to prove that they are nothing more than common-or-garden cyber trolls, today we spent an hour watching Loggerhead TURTLES swimming in the bay beneath the castle.  It is difficult to judge their size from the shore, but according to Wikipedia the average adult Loggerhead weighs in at 135kg!   So, unquestionably balanced coverage of the Testudines.  I hope that we don't hear anymore of that "your blog is tortoise obsessed" nonsense again; and fingers crossed that no one reading this remembers terrapins. 

Today's TORTOISE count : 4 



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