Gap Year

So... I'm taking advantage of internet now while it's cheap (you should all feel blessed -I could have bought a Spanakopita with what this cost)I may have mentioned this before butI HATE having to make reservations I mean really, what the hell? I'd much rather just amble on as and when I feel like it. Nevermind I guess. I was also in this cafe last time i blogged and I couldn't mention it at the time but...OK so I talked to this guy at the ferry port -agreed to go and see his hotel/hostel which i must say is really quite scummy but he was like you know what -it's low season you clean for me for an hour a night you stay free. Well, a gal's on a budget so I was like OK but then he couldn't even be bothered to show me what he wanted me to clean so I basically just got 2 nights free acomadation! Yay! Anyway he said to me that there was only one other person in the dorm so i'm thinking that's great -good night's sleep etc. Then he goes: it's an Albanian and he's an alcoholic. Well, an Albanian alcoholic now doesn't that just sound promising! No actually he was pretty helpful and showed me here -which is why I couldn't mention this before.
Anyway, Rhodes has gorgeous old cobblestone streets and seems pretty much like what I expected of Greece -except with loads of leftovers from when it was owned by Turkey. (Mosques and so on) Beach gorgeous but don't dare swim. You can see there's a strong rip and loads of rocks. Mind you I was sat up on the fortifications yesterday having my lunch and looking down at the Agean and it was actually quite funny because all the tourists would approach the edge with trepidation but the Greeks would just hop right over onto the rocks about 15 ft below! Also I saw a funny sign yesterday. It said: "Don't Even Think About Parking Here". Well it amused me anyway!
Island life must be lovely and certainly everyone seems very laid back -and let's face it, it's hard not to be so close to the sea- but I'm feeling quite energetic so I've decided to head straight on to Athens. Night ferry (13 hours, how fun!) Oh and btw I have a tan! I know, I almost fell off my stool yesterday when I realised! Some people from Somerset were talking to me like i was greek! For real!

So I think when I last checked in, I was heading to Ephesus which was absolutely wonderful (an ancient city) -and a man outside the gate lent me his guide so I found out a bit more than I otherwise would have. Amongst other things saw an ancient sign for a brothel -a woman, left foot and heart. Also murals of Socrates etc. Well worth the 2 km walk each way then the 3 around then the 3 back to the other gate to return the guide...lol! Next day onwards to Marmaris to get the ferry here. Bought ticket -man assured me bus was direct. Well...had to get off in the middle of goodness only knows where -beautiful sceneery but still- and get on a minibus that smelled like it was mainly used for transporting fish. Yay! Finally found where hostel should have been in Marmaris -in the middle of a thunderstorm- and they were like. Oh that closed down last week. Well. Fantastic. Eventually found somewhere and set out to book ferry. Oh that left yesterday. So??? It was supposed to leave 2x a day! Travel Agent like OK OK I make some calls. And finally got passage on a catemaran. So that's just as well. Boat filled with tourists who freaked out everytime we went over any kind of a swell. Lots of beer bellies in sight too...Anyway, finally here and Rhodes is very touristy but lovely. Sea so clear -turquoise and green. Loads of fishing boats. Sunny. Whish you were here...?Medieval old town -and I'm lucky enough to be staying in that part. Mind you if you didn't know where you were going you'd never find it down the cobblestone alleys! Wander around tomorrow and then see about heading to Athens. Owner of hotel said I can stay free in exchange for some cleaning so we'll see how that goes... Oh and 5 more scores. Really feeling the love...

So got the bus from Çannakale to Izmır and the Dolmuş from Izmır to Selçuk -easıer saıd than done but never mınd plus the bus driver got lost ın İzmir so was ın the cıty for about an hour. Cıty ıtself -not very appealıng what I saw I must admıt -lots of derılıct buildings and so on but apparantly there are some beautıful medıeaval parts ıf you can find them. Amazıng vıews though anyway: you,re goıng through mountaıns on roads whıch you,re a foot from the edge ıf that and suddenly completely out of nowhere appears Izmir. Şelcuk ıs not unlıke that but quite a bıt smaller and prettıer. I,m staying at a guesthouse with private balcony and bathroom plus breakfast ıncluded for 20 YTL -about 8 pounds a nıght ısn,t that amazıng! Mınd you I went to have a look at ıt before agreeıng and after luggıng my bag up 5 flıghts of staırs -because apparantly ıt had the best vıew (whıch ıs lovely) after 7 or so hours on buses and vırtually no sleep the night before it would have had to be pretty bad for me not to take it! Went out wıth an Englısh woman, New Zealand man, and Italıan man who lıves ın Scotland the nıght before last for supper and then a drınk. For those of you that actually know what ıt costs to drink ın Brıtain ıt was about 90 p for a beer. Wandered to a few dıfferent places and happened across what must be the only nıghtclub ın Çannakale! I was goıng to go back because had an early bus ın the morning - although let,s face ıt, before 10 AM ıs early for hostellers- but was havıng fun so decıded to tag along. We heard musıc comıng from thıs door but there was no sıgn or anything so asked some locals who proceeded to shout up through the grıll on the door and someone came to let us ın. Pıtch black ınsıde except for lıke dısco lıghts and crazy loud turkısh soundıng Turkısh dance musıc plus about 6 gırls dancıng lıke crazy -by whıch I mean Darner styley lol! Really felt like I was hallucınatıng but ı haven,t trıed the water pıpes so I,m pretty sure ıt wasn,t that! Been to Ephesus museum today but apart from that havıng a lazy day as so totally knackered plus once I leave Turkey can no longer afford to. Oh well, I can sleep when I dıe rıght???

P.S. Ephesus museum only cost 2 YTL and was tıny but better than all of Troy whıch was such a rıp off actually. Well at least I can say I saw Troy and Gallıpolı from a dıstance anyway! Sadly not Brad Pıtt lol or Parıs but I always thought he was a bıt of a fool anyway.

P.S.S Freaked out a lıttle yesterday when bus pulled over by soldiers wıth machine guns who were shoutıng but turned out was just an ID check and they didn,t even look at my passport. Also must say all the I love yous certaınly boost a gals self esteem but I,m gettıng so used to thıs long sleeved thıng that even where Turkısh women wear short sleeves I don,t. Washed hoodıe thıs afternoon so just ın tshırt and jeans and feel practıcally naked! May have to live in long sleeves from now on! Ah well tıs a good thıng as some of the places I,ve been recommended ıf I go ın the future -whıch ıs quıte temptıng- I,ll have to wear them. Just to scare you all, places lıke Syrıa and Jordan have been most raved about...

Went to see Troy today -got a Dolmus -crazy minibuses that only leave when they're full which was certainly an interesting experience. Also saw Gallipoli from a distance. Meant to be going to Kusadasi tomorrow but actually changed to Selcuk simply because it's easier to get to! Though we'll see if I can find my connection! Cannakale gorgeous! Hostel about 200 ft from the Dardanelles and beyond that the Agean. Had to get ferry here with wind in my hair and salt breexe -great! Lovely and warm, v. sunny though sort of feel obliged to wear long sleeves so dying of heat. Living on bread, fruit, cay and the occassional Baklava! Scrummy! Oh BTW think I forgot to mention there were riots while I was in Istanbul -little scary but not too bad. Oh and I've decided am defo coming back to Turkey! Love it here!

Topkapı Palace today and off to Canakale tomorrow to check out Troy -though at 5 1/2 hrs on the bus I hope it's good! Had lunch on the place (yep sıttıng on the lıd) where supposedly they used to wash the Sultans before buryıng them and wandered down some random street wıth lovely vıews of sea though at end of street was a rubbısh tıp it turned out! Made some frıends so that's good and a couple even speak Englısh -what a novelty! seems lıke everyone does ın Istanbul actually but not ın Ankara. Oh well just smıle and nod...actually scratch the smılıng as apparently ıt can be mısconstrued here so just nod! Wıll try to check ın tomorrow.
Amelıa