Lycian Way:Kabak Beach to Sdyma Day 3

I left Faralya on the 8am Dolmus to Kabak. The guys at the cafe were still asleep on the terrace, then gave me the wrong directions down the road. First injury, fell over and grazed my knee, and on the wrong road. An old guy sitting on some rocks pointed me in the right direction up the hill in Turkish, then a German guy came out onto his terrace and told me how to get to the path in English. Back to Mama's Pension, then right less than 50m up a steep dirt path.

Someone has built a house and fenced off the path, leaving a narrow eroded path to scale. But after this the track becomes really interesting, a narrow path around the valley, slowly climbing through patches of shady forest. The head of the valley is beautiful with constant views back to Kabak Beach.

The end of the valley has a scree slope that is a tricky climb, especially when carrying a full pack. I think I need new shoes.
I came across four Americans with a Turkish guide, who gave me some nuts, figs and advice to go head for Gey.
After a very long climb at the top of the path there an open area. I lost the markers for a while, but when all else failed I read the guide book and went left. I found the trail again, but went right down to a farmhouse and got waylaid by a family to have tea.

The 14 year old boy spoke some English, and is a Galatasaray fan but didn't know Harry Kewell. All was going well until he asked me for 10 Lira for the tea, I gave him 5 and he threatened to call the police. I walked away and then turned around to see them wave me goodbye with a smile. I was very close to the village of Alinca and turned on to the road. I stopped for another drink at a cafe with a really nice man and his 9 year old daughter, we talked via a battered English/Turkish phrase book. I could see the road for miles in the distance, and walked for about an hour. I was heading for Gey on the advice of the guide I met earlier in the morning. Was sick of the road, so flagged down the next car that came along. 4 men, one spoke English, and helped me put my backpack in the boot. There was another backpack in there as well. We drove along for a while, stopped at Bogazici, 2 of the men got out and did something. I spoke to the man who spoke English, turns out he is walking the Lycian Way as well. Another guy gets in the car, we all squeeze up and drive a few more kilometres. We stop at a turn off to Sydma, and me and the English speaker get out. We introduce ourselves, he is Murat, and we try and work out where we are. We seem to be nowhere near the walking path to Sydma, let alone Gey. Looks like we have to take the long way on the road. He laments the stupid Turkish people he has come across, but I am thinking the same thing would happen anywhere in the world, including Spain, Australia or New Zealand. Our car culture means few people know about walking trails, only roads by car. We set off towards another big hill. Cars go past, don't stop, a motorbike with a man and woman in a cloud of smoke. After a long trek uphill we reach the village of Dodurga. We keep going, more uphill towards Sydma. Just as we reach a really steep hill a car stops, an old battered Renault. The young driver moves the pane of glass in the back seat to the back window, and I am grateful we are going uphill. Very nervous on the last downhill into Sydma. We have information that the village imam can arrange accomodation, we are directed to the village muhtar (head man), he is not there, but his wife says we can stay. We go for a wander around the ruins, in middle of paddocks, used by farmers to graze their goats and grow crops.
Murat consulting google about the ruins of Sydma






We have another lovely vegetarian meal, then about 9 men, 2 with shotguns, turn up to sit around and chat. They are going out hunting for a wild pig. Won't eat it though.

Lycian Way: Faralya to Kabak Beach Day 2

I am sore and have a slight headache (no coffee yesterday). I decide to stay another night at George House in Faralya and do a day walk with Jay from Faralya to Kabak beach. Jay and Lyn are Americans who have lived in New Zealand for the last 18 years. We decide to walk the coastal route, following the red and blue markers as opposed to the red and white markers. We walk across the rim of the valley, bit of minor rock climbing, glad I haven't got my heavy pack. We stop at the end of headland and look down on Butterfly Valley. The walk goes through forest on a narrow path for about 3km. We reach a road, lose the markers and turn back into a yoga retreat and get directions back to the trail lower down. We find a beautiful beach on rocks and continue on through forest. Long uphill to a plateau. After 4 hours we find some houses on the outskirts of Kabak and ask for directions down to the beach.

Lycian Way: Ovacik to Faralya Day 1

The View
Looking down over Olu Deniz. An incredible amount of noise comes up from Olu Deniz, it is full of tourists. The hang gliders land here.






The Signs
I got the dolmus from Fethiye at 10am. The dolmus goes through Ovacik, a place I have heard described as Essex Vegas. We pick up a few locals and more tourists commenting on the prices and trying to find a pub to watch England play Romania in the rugby while their wives in pink trackies go shopping. I get off at the stop about 50m up the hill from the road to the Montana Holiday Resort.







The Trail

The Lycian Way - Day 0 Fethiye

After my reccy in May I am back in Fethiye to walk part of the Lycian Way. I have a few maps and info from the internet, but have done nowhere near as much research as for my caminos in Spain. But I am getting experienced at this, and if it will work anywhere, it is in Turkey - if I get lost, I will just ask someone.

I arrived in Fethiye shattered after more than 30 hours of travelling. I had no phone connection, so I was grateful my flight connections all worked out, the nice young man at customs let me into the country and I rushed to the domestic terminal with one minute to spare. The guy at Pension Cetin waited up for me, and I was grateful for a bed. It is warm, and there was a huge thunder and rain storm over night. It is lovely to walk along the sea front in Fethiye in the morning, it is a beautiful town. I walk up to the tombs, I take the long way through people’s front yards, and up narrow streets full of cats and old ladies. I found one of the starting points of the Lycian Way, via Karakoy.

The tombs are right above the town, being encroached by houses now. I heard an Australian accent complaining about the lack of signage, but you really just have to follow your nose.

I walk back into town, really happy to be here. It is lunch time and the streets now have tourists, although it does seem a bit quiet.

I chat with Michael using WhatsApp, works really well and I send him a google map of where I am. Takes a while to find the link -typical, he's android, I'm apple. Never forgave me for being a Rangers supporter.

I catch up with Mustafa for a cup of tea. I met Mustafa in May. He lived in New Zealand for a few years so we talk about the rugby, as you do. He says business is the slowest it has been in 15 years (he sells real estate) but is hoping a deal with some Russians will come through and pay his costs for the year. Apparently more British are trying to sell than buy.

I check out the museum, better learn a bit about some of the ruins I will see over the next few days. The trilingual stele from Letoon is like the Rosetta Stone of Lycia - written in Lykian, Greek and Aramaic.