Back on the water
Trip Start
Jan 06, 2006
1
9
120
Trip End
Sep 02, 2008
Marmaris,
Turkey
Saturday, January 28, 2006
... and I wasn't alone in my disappointment [about the ferry not sailing], and at least the time I spent waiting for the ferry would be wasted with company. During my conversation with the travel agent, an Irish voice queried about whether the ferry to Rhodes would sail on Friday.
Bill was the owner of the voice and he liked wine, so our first stop was to the supermarket where some of that godly liquid could be found. I had not had any wine on this trip, but Bill reminded me that it was the Lord's drink, so I found myself a lowly bottle of Rhodian red and together with his 1.5L of white (in a plastic bottle) we found a park in the old town and shot the breeze while the locals gave we wandering whinos a wide berth.
Sometimes one reaches a mental point where stimulation is at a low and a quietuide descends upon one's thoughts. It is not that it is bad; it simply isn't developmental. After my day-trip to Lindos I had reached that point. Let me re-iterate that it is not bad. One's mind reaches a sort of state of calm, and this can be a good thing. But in my opinion it should not last a long time; lest I turn into a cave dwelling hermit or such a thing. Bill is the sort of person who forces one such as myself out of this mental state (yes say it to yourself with gleeful condescention if you must - he's admitted to something like being mental. And now I'm moving on).
Thought-provoking Bill travels more economically than anyone else I have ever met. Leaving Ireland three weeks ago, he jumped trains all across France and Italy. I did not think that anyone jumped trains anymore! Otherwise he walks, up to 50 km a day (now some may say this is bs, but I know I can easily do 12 km in 2 hours so I believe it). He never finds any paid accomodation. He camps but without a tent. He has the least gear of anyone I have met - one shoulder bag at about 10 kg. His travel book? A pocket atlas. Certainly he has the most guts of anyone I have ever met on the road either. His destination? Jerusalem. A pilgrimage to the Holy city. With this interesting chap I bided my time until a boat would take us to Turkey.
Most of that time we waited around Rhodes town. I checked back into my pension and then we tried to find a music store to play instruments in. Alas, the only one in the city was closed for the winter. We had some gyros and then wandered. Around 9 pm we happened upon a street buffet. A certain ritzy pillow store was holding its Grand Opening and Rhodes' best dressed were lined up to see the new cushions that will be decorating homes on the island for years to come. I am never adverse to free gourmet food, and there was a lot of it available. Bill and I, dressed not to the nines like everyone else (but perhaps to the twos) were offered plates by the lady attending the buffet table and we chowed down. No one really took notice of us, save one nice woman from Thessaloniki named Elsa who wanted to know where we were from.
Perhaps, my dear reader, you observed that I have located this entry in Turkey. At 10.30 am on Saturday I recieved the spendid news that the ferry left Turkey in the morning to come to Rhodes, and it would be leaving Rhodes harbour at 2.00 pm for the land of the Bird Flu (that's what every single Greek I met in my time there told me). Yet better late than next week!
Bill and I made it to the harbour with ease and soon were on the second smallest ferry I have ever sailed upon (the smaller one could not accomodate cars. This one could fit two and one overloaded motorbike). The voyage was altogether 2 hours; almost entirely sailed within a few hundred meters of the Turkish mainland. We got into Marmaris without a hitch and were among the first through customs (finally once in my life) and I did not need a new visa (mine is multiple entry: excellent because they cost a lot for this country). Bill accompanied me on foot the mile or so toward the Otogar (bus station) where I caught a bus toward my next city within a few minutes. We parted ways with the best of wishes and I rode East toward Dalyan, while he will be traveling to Mersin, Cyprus, and finally Israel.
Best of luck Bill.
