A break away does you good sometimes, even if it is a working holiday.
I’ve just returned from the picturesque resort of Alanya in Turkey, which we visited to get some good locational shots and unwind. This was my 6th visit to Turkey having before visted Marmaris, Bodrum, Dalyan Valley and Istanbul, and Alanya certainly has the most to offer. It also has the added bonus of lacking in boozy brits abroad and is frequented more by Europeans, making for a more relaxing hassle free break.
As we don’t tend to drink alcohol and regard cheesy music with somewhat contempt, we were not particularly interested in tourist bars offering free toxic shots and instead turned our attention towards exploring the resort and finding out what activities were on offer. An extensive menu of high adrenaline sporting activities were available right down to the more sedentary excursions.
Our first trip on the boat was a disaster. Not only did the tout tell us of many wonders (that were to be totally non existent) but upon boarding the boat the crew confiscated everyone’s water so they would sell more drinks! This instantly created a bad vibe and then to top things off the weather took a turn for the worse and everyone was shivering. When the crew brought a dancer out everyone was downright peed off so this was met with little success!
Luckily we had an amazing experience on the white water rafting trip. There were 8 of us rowing in each boat and everyone was quite hyper and excited which made for a good atmosphere, not to mention the stunning landscapes and scenery we passed; rolling hills and peaks, little grazing goats and beautifully scenic waterfalls. All this combined with the buzz of battling the rapids and spinning round in white water made this a memorable trip for all the right reasons.
We also went diving…or at least JJ did. I wasn’t so keen on diving last time as the sheer weight of all the equipment made me gasp for breathe, so then having to do this underwater just made me hyperventilate! So I went on the boat as a “spectator” and took my snorkelling gear into the ocean! The water was crystal clear and I could see dozens of shoals of fish flitting in and out of the coral! Thankfully the weather was also spectacular so plenty of (safe) sun worshipping was enjoyed by all.
JJ went diving minus a wetsuit (nutter!) to stay cool and came back with tales of underwater bottle spinning games and rock throwing competitions (apparently it doesn’t hurt underwater but I am in no rush to put this to the test! He claims the instructor initiated it but I don’t believe that for a minute!
On the last day we took a pedalo out on the sea so we could enjoy the coastline and soak up some rays. I’ll hope you enjoy the pics below. I also have a load on my I-phone was I will download and add to this thread.
So what now…?I have some tough things to deal with next week which have been hanging over my head for well over a year now, so at least it will be able to reach some kind of conclusion. Finally I should be able to get my life back on track and fully immerse myself in career, family and friends.
I am also working on an idea for a book so I hope to have some time to dedicate to that this year as well as taking on more acting roles.
Whatever you have planned for the summer make sure you enjoy it, and treat people as you expect to be treated. Life is to short to let the world pass you by.
Ta ta for now
Kaz X
