Marmaris Castle…

The 28th of October is Republic Day in Turkey… Although it is only a half-day holiday…!! Can you imagine trying that back in South Africa…!!

Sipho: “Eh… So, if I work in the morning, do I get the double pay, and then in the afternoon only the normal pay, Sah…?”

Manager: “No… You get normal pay in the morning, and then go home at lunch time and get paid for the afternoon….!!”

Sipho: “Mmmm… Den I tink I will take the morning off and get the money for the afternoon only…!!”

It would do my nut in having to deal with that kind of logic again…!!

In Marmaris, there was no such confusion, as hardly a soul seemed to be interested in taking any holidays, and were far too busy fleecing the tourists that came ashore from the cruise liners that had docked during the night…

Flags flew from many of the buildings in celebration of Republic Day...

Giant Turkish flags had been attached to all the official building in town, and most of them displayed the face of  the founder of modern day Turkey, Kemal Ataturk, a man much revered by the nation…

Debbie and I decided to visit the Marmaris Castle, whose battlements we had often looked up to as we strolled along the shoreline, trying to find a decent place to have either lunch or dinner…

Just a short walk from the bustling waterfront, lies the Castle of Marmaris...

The inner courtyard was once a neat garden...

Alexander the Great had once laid siege to the original castle, and over the years fell into disrepair… It was rebuilt in 1522 by the Ottoman Sultan, Suleyman, who used Marmaris as a base for his campaign to conquer the Island of Rhodes…

Out in the bay, a Turkish warship lay anchored, silliouetted against the rising sun...

Up on the battlements...

View from between the buttresses of the castle walls...

A submarine had been sent to see where the Gypsy Biker was hiding...

We spent a hour or two in the castle, mostly enjoying the views from up on the walls and parapets… The bay and the town that lines the shore, stretched out below us, people strolled along the main pedestrian walkway, or sat on the many benches that line the jetties, enjoying the sunshine…

Crewman from the warship ferried officers to and from the shore...

The biggest cruise liner we had seen since our arrival, was anchored offshore...

We had a clear view of the submarine from up on the castle walls...

These amphoras were found on vessels that had sunk in the bay...

Wandering back through the old town of Marmaris...

It is surprising how much there is to see and do in Marmaris… Having the Big Fella to ride around on, certainly saved us a lot of walking, and allowed us to spend more time relaxing at beachfront restaurants, while we watched the daily parade of sun-burnt English tourists, and the Turkish touts doing their best to entice people into their establishments…

Apparently, up until a few years ago, the Turks were as persistent with the tourists as the Egyptians are, but tough new laws were enacted to prevent tourists being hassled, and CCTV cameras are scattered along the beachfront to ensure that touts do not get out of hand…

Did I mention how nice it was to have someone to share in all these experiences with...??

Another lazy day out in the sun, culminated with a great meal at the Portofino Restaurant… We rode the bike right up into the entrance and sat on the terrace, watching the blinking lights on the ships that lay at anchor in the bay…

Jay-jay, Debbie and I, outside the popular Portofino Restaurant... Thanks for the great service, guys...!!

©GBWT 2010