Cappadocia Here We Come!

Today our solar panels were installed! We only wish that we had given the mounting a little more thought before having them travel all the way from Izmir. But it’s so hard to know what people are thinking when you don’t speak the same language. We found ourselves in the cabin cringing as they were drilling through our roll bar to bolt them down. Oh well, the important think is that they are up. Another thing crossed off the list! I spent the day trying to catch up on the blog while Mike prepped the topsides and got a second coat of paint in the cockpit so it could be safe from dirty feet and toes while we are gone. And this trip could not have been timed better. As I returned from the shower all I wanted to do was get off this boat. It almost felt like I was going to have a panic attack the feeling was so overwhelming! And thankfully get off the boat is what we did. We got our bags packed and the boat buttoned up as we headed into town to catch our overnight bus to Cappadocia!

So happy to be on the bus

Roller Coaster

This morning Mike was staying on track and continuing to get some putty on the topsides in preparation for paint. We also spent some time making plans on how to meet up with Adam and Zoe in Cappadocia! It looks like we are going to pull ourselves away from the boat for a few days and finally see another part of Turkey! After running them into town for their bus, we returned to see Foxy Lady moving out of the neighborhood. It kinda feels like we are the last tenants remaining in an abandoned building. This was also the start to our emotional roller coaster ride after getting an email from family which made us seriously debate about whether we need to be home or not. The going home part sounds easy, really easy. But what do we do with the boat? So much to think about and consider. Despite our physical and emotional fatigue we continued on with getting some needed projects done before we leave tomorrow for the next few days. It will be good to get away from this place and think about what we are going to do.

Squeezing by to get 'Foxy Lady'

When we arrived at the end of March...

...and today

A Day on the Water!

So this is what it’s like to be on a boat in the water! An amazing day of being taken from one small cove to another, swimming and snorkeling in crystal clear blue water, laying in the sun listening to good tunes, laughing with new friends. This was so needed.

Shut up! No you shut up!

The Ruhfs Have Arrived!

Little did we know that this was the start to an amazing week! Today Mike’s friend, Adam, and his sister, Zoe, came through Marmaris for a visit. They were both in Rome for the World Boomerang Championship and are spending the next couple of months making a loop around the Med and found out we were on their travel path. After picking them up from the otogar we cruised around town and started making plans for the next day. All of us were ready to spend a little time exploring the coastline and blue waters so arranged for a private boat tour tomorrow since Indy isn’t quite ready for that adventure yet. The evening was filled with sitting on the beach at ‘Orange’ with the legs of our table practically in the water. We chilled while sipping on drinks and watching the sun disappear behind the mountains. After watching yet another soccer match, Adam and Zoe were game to sleep on the boat so we all headed back to the boat yard. And some nudging towards us joining them in Cappadocia began….

Surprise Visit

We managed to have a pretty good Sunday. We slept in and then started to get a final coat on the outer decks. Since the job was going so smoothly we decided to put a third coat on the other grippy areas since the sand was a bit rough on the feet. All of that wet paint was a good excuse to get off the boat so we headed to the swim platform for an afternoon of swimming, reading and napping. And we had a really great surprise from Pat and Lani! They are a couple who Mike befriended a couple of years ago while here in the marina. They were back in town with a new boat they are crew on and came in search of Independence to see if we were still around. We enjoyed a quick beer with them and then they were able to escape their guests again that night to meet us in the bar. They were even bearing gifts of wine, homemade cookies, DVDs and books! So fantastic to meet up with them again and hope to catch them again sometime this season!

On the beach waiting for the full moon to rise

Trying Not to Eddy Out

There was a small feeling of ‘eddying out’ today and we tried to get ourselves back on track. Mike mounted the windlass and cleats where the bow plate was replaced. He was also able to finish the ‘turtle’ and mounted the rigging track. I continued with some varnishing and started prepping the topsides for paint which involves sanding, some puttying and taping off the rails. Engin delivered our bimini so now our canvas work is complete! We kind of think our spray hood is a bit high and large (lots of head room) but it was really the only option given a lot of other factors. But it should do the trick of keeping us dry and shaded! In the late afternoon we got a coat of paint and sand on the outer decks and once again found ourselves painting in the dark. It was then off to the shower and rushing to the bar for the 9:30pm start of yet another soccer game...

A Different Side of Marmaris

Today we installed the rest of our dodger windows. What a mess! We had black auto sealant everywhere. Despite wearing gloves it was all over our hands, even our arms, legs, hair, clothes. And then we started tracking it over our newly painted white decks. Why it was so messy we don’t know. But decided to get it done with quick so we could get all of that stuff off the boat as soon as possible! After de-stressing with a beer, we headed into town to deal with Vodaphone (frustrating…looking through security video tapes to prove we were in the store but issue resolved) and then watched a couple of soccer games. By then it was pretty late and decided to take a walk and check out the local nightlife. Town was jumping tonight! There was the Marmaris Motorcycle Festival going on and the entire quay was lined with bikes along with a stage and live band. We also ventured down ‘Bar Street’. Wow. A whole different Marmaris from the one we know. A bar/disco every few feet with music blaring into the street. A mix of scantily clad tourists along with local families pushing baby strollers. We decided to wander into ‘Club Areena’ which is the big club in town. After letting our eyes and ears adjust to the assault of strobe lights and bad music we ventured in even further. A waiter then came up and showed me a drink menu but all I could make out was 20 lira flashing with the strobe lights. And I was not going to pay 15 bucks for a cocktail that would only make me even more nauseas and dizzy. So we made our way back out and headed toward the silence of the boat yard. I will never complain about the sound of grinders again!