Puffers and Pictures Sunday, 14th September 2014

In Kekova Roads, Richard caught a fish. It puffed up like a frog. Oh Oh. It was put back in the water before you could say "gloves out". Next catch - similar fish - this time not puffed out. R took a quick picture or two (see photo album) and we then looked it up. As R suspected, it was a Puffer Fish (known here as Rabbit Head). It is highly poisonous, allegedly the 2nd most poisonous vertebrate in the world (although highly trained Japanese chefs have learned to detox it and prepare it as a delicacy - not sure I would trust it!). They are well known here, increasing in numbers from the Red Sea. A Dive Boat owner we chatted to in Kaş was very envious - he had never actually seen one with its throat all puffed up.

Our basic route is being re-traced but we are trying to stop off in places not previously visited. We sneaked back into Greece for a night, to the island of Kastellorizon, anchoring in the next bay to the main port to avoid the complexities of port authorities. We walked up and over to the port. Although only 3 miles from Kaş in Turkey, it was instantly recognizable as Greece. Colourful little fishing boats, scrounging cats everywhere, Orthodox churches on every corner and general Greek dilapidation. We bought real ham, baklava and pâté. Heaven. A beautiful full harvest moon rose over both Greece and Turkey, photographed by Richard.

Next day we slipped back into Turkey without incident. Two stops of note. First, the island of Gemiler Adasi; we parked ourselves on its north coast with a line ashore between a couple of other yachts and a whole row of gulets. Where we were was a narrow passage between the island and the mainland, and looked more like a boat parking lot - a very attractive one, mind, with such clear water that just asked for the underwater camera to be tested. An example in the album of the clarity and colours of the sea urchins, fish and rocks. The island has the remains of a large Byzantine city (ranging from 4th C to 14th C), that started being excavated in the 1990's. The houses have mostly crumbled - time, vegetation and earthquakes taking their toll. But there are the remains of at least 5 churches, some graveyards and a quite remarkable tunnel linking Church 3 (high up) with Church 4 (lower down and further along the island). We explored anti-clockwise (and seemingly the wrong way) and scrambled down most of the tunnel only to find a sign 2/3rds of the way down saying the tunnel was closed, stick to the paths signposted (they weren't up high). Never mind, we saw bits others didn't and nothing came crashing down on our heads.

Friday, we went all of a couple of miles round the corner to Beştaş Limani. There was a cordoned-off bit of the bay that we were encouraged to anchor in by a Swiss boat. Khalid, middle-aged cousin of a restaurant owner up the hill, came out in his dory to move the cordon, see us in and replace the string of floats in front of us. We were now "locked in". Just as well. The claim to fame of this bay is a freshwater spring that bubbles up in the head of the bay. We went swimming to find it - and find it we did - the water was freezing cold in its vicinity, compared with the bathwater near the boat. Clear and refreshing.

All afternoon, though, the excursion boats came and went, squeezing in, disgorging the punters for their allotted quarter hour of swimming and a bit to eat, and then off again. The larger gulets put on a show. One or two lads aboard would climb the rocks high (seriously high) above the bay, perform a sweeping routine to the music from Titanic and then the Chicken song and then, to rhythmic clapping of the guests, perform swan dives from high up the cliffs into the clear cold water below.

By 6pm all was quiet again and 4 yachts had the bay all to ourselves. Khalid came and collected us in his dory and we climbed the lit path up to the restaurant with fabulous views out over the bay and mountains. A Turkish owner with a Thai wife, the food was good - 6 mixed mezes, followed by a curry for R and wild boar casserole for W. Pork is a no-no, but for some reason wild boar is acceptable? Khalid then returned us to our boat and released us from our cordon in the morning. He seemed to have taken a shine to W - calling me "my darling", blowing kisses and little waves when coming or going, and squeezing and holding my hand a little longer than necessary when being helped in and out of the dory. A bit taken aback - decades since one has been flirted with? Maybe he should have gone to Specsavers. Sweet.

Back up into Fethiye and Goçek Bays. Strange cloud formations prompting more pics. Allons…