Heading for the Peninsula
We will be staying at the home of a friend of Steve's, who although not there now, so very graciously offered to host us. We are looking forward to a week of swim and sun, beaches and good fish by the sea to end our extraordinary adventure. However, what we may not have is any Internet, so maybe no regular posts until we return to Izmir on the 27th. But we will keep writing and catch up with you when we are back on the grid.
Waking up early in Pamukkale and a fast breakfast and exit as we cannot wait to leave this hotel. Although Steve will say I am exaggerating, it was SKEEVY, so bad that I skipped a shower hoping our next stop would be better. And this was one of the best hotels in town....
Our drive down through the mountains and farms was beautiful as we passed fields of unusual 'flowers' being harvested which we were sure was maybe poppy or something similar. A gas station attendant said it was something like tobacco....so what do you think?
There are fields of pomegranate and cotton and olive trees and sunflowers post harvest.
In small rural villages there are ancient houses and ancient women, in their babushka type headscarves, sitting on benches in threes or fours all day long, looking more like Russian peasants.
There are herds of sheep with their sheperds and then modern cities of 500,000 with nothing but new apartment buildings. It is dusty everywhere, so much so that on the big roads, the restaurants have hoses attached high up on street poles with running water so you can drive your car under for a minute to dust off.
Three hours later, we arrive in Akyaka, not far from the much more well known Marmaris, a too-big-for-us but very international beach resort town. I picked this based on reading two sentences on the web. One - the Brits have not discovered Akyaka yet. Two- wealthy Turks come here to vacation. Sounded perfect to me and the location, three hours from Pamukkale and only two hours from our next destination fit right in. It promised a small beach with sunbeds and 'brollys' (palapas), not too many tourists and a clear beautiful river meeting the sea.
The Kerme Ottoman Konak, our hotel, did not disappoint. It was like entering the home of a wealthy Ottoman with carved wood ceilings, ornate chairs, a center courtyard, a small lovely pool and much more. 
A drink while we waited for our room to be ready, a quick change into suits and a ten minute walk to the beach where the breeze was cooling and the water, though not the Turkey Turquoise, was calm and shallow for at least 500 meters. You could walk out five blocks and still be up to your knees! On the way to the beach, walking along the river, into the harbor, there was our lunch stop - another fish boat restaurant, though this time we sat on the boat and there was no line! 
Beach time, then pool time, then drink time, shower time and dinner time - my idea of a good afternoon. Our hotel was such a lovely oasis (especially after the Melrose House in Pamukkale, which got some of the highest ratings on both tripadvisor and booking.com, I guess from crazy people), we stayed for a lovely poolside dinner with an actual decent bottle of Turkish red. 
But then next morning, it was breakfast that was the feast - a huge buffet of every wonderful Turkish cheese, spread, jam, bread, and egg you could imagine, all in luscious Turkish olive oil and spices. For sure the next brunch we do will be Turkish, or perhaps, a Turkish 'break fast' next year!
We'll spend a few last hours this A.M. relaxing by the pool, checking out the town and then heading to our last destination, a very small village near Selimye on the Bozburun peninsula, probably which you never heard of, and I am sure, a magnificent place to put on your bucket list.
>>>> Find the Gulf of Gokova, look south for Bozburun...
........right below that is Selimye.
And check anyway - Steve will find us a hot-spot!
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