Jane and Connie’s Marmaris Tour

B Dock

Netsel Marina

Marmaris, Turkey

Günaydın,

   I was about to complain about yet another day of rain, but compared what the folks back home up north have to deal with, no comparison.  And I did even manage to get in a 40 minute walk between showers this morning.  One stop along my way was the woman at the boat paint shop who feeds lots of the stray dogs and cats.  I periodically stop by and chip in some TL for her to buy more food or take an animal to the vet.  Then I walked up the hill to the road out of town just to use some of my “uphill’ muscles which I noticed were very rusty on our hike last Friday.  Actually it was my lungs rather than my legs that need the work so maybe this hill thing should become a daily occurrence, at least when the rain’s not raining. 

   Yesterday Jane, Connie, Jill and I did the ‘shoppers tour of Marmaris.”   Jill is newish to Marmaris.  Jane and Connie have been here for “donkey’s ears/years*,”  so they offered to show her their favorite shops.  I went along for the company and to document the day.   (We have enough stuff to lug home to Roanoke as it is and that’s with leaving most of the furnishing on the boat for the new owners, whomever they may be.)  It was all great fun and good exercise too.

Ru

DoraMac

1st  stop  :  Le Shop  Turkish Arts and Crafts

Ali Atabey owner  (Ata means father and Bey means man making for an interesting last name. Like Ataturk, is Father of Turkey.)

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Jane, Connie and Jill

Hard to see them, but the puppet looking things in the window are made from camel leather.  I might have to have one before we leave.  

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They are a bit translucent so we were surprised that they were made from camel leather.

At Sunday night’s potluck Jane brought some hors-d’oeuvres made from camel sausage which was quite good actually.  If I could eat yak in Tibet, no reason not to eat camel in Turkey.

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Camel bone boxes which are decorated inside as well.  In New England whale bone was used once upon a time.

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Ali wasn’t there; his father happily let us browse and me take photos.

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Like being in Aladdin’s cave.

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The hand-embroidered pillow covers are very tempting too.

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Less fun, but necessary; kitchen wares.  Neither Jane nor Jill found what they needed so we went off to another shop further down Ataturk Boulevard.

We’d met up at 11 am, visited Ali’s and the 2  household supply shops.   I was getting hungry so we stopped off for a snack.  Unfortunately they weren’t making the gὂzleme (stuffed pancakes) so we had slices of pizza instead with our Turkish tea and Nescafe.

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Yakal Pet Shop came next. 

Connie has a cat and Jane has Buttons the dog.  This is their pet shop of choice in Marmaris.

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Connie wanted a picture of the birds.  There was definitely some strange chirping after the flash went off.  (Probably bird for ‘What the hell was that?’

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Neither rain, nor rain, nor more rain…..

But there was no wind so we stayed mostly dry even with the on and off rain showers.  I think Jane might have the best legs in Marmaris!

Next was the Import Shop.  Randal and I came here our first days in Marmaris while waiting for DoraMac to be delivered back in April 2011.  We stayed at the Dost Otel across the street.  The owners of the hotel and the shop are brothers.  Both very kind and helpful men.  What’s imported here is just about the opposite of what’s imported at home.  Funny how that happens.  He also sells pork products which aren’t available at many grocery shops though the Migros near the marina now sells bacon. 

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Randal and I come here for Cheddar cheese and Randal’s bran flakes cereal.

Marmaris’ version of Hallmark with cards in English.  This shop was new to me as I’d passed by but never gone in.

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The front window is home to this cat with its own cat door to get in and out!

The House of Art and Culture came next where we stopped to look at the exhibit.  Some we liked and some, not so much

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Like, Le Shop, this ceramics shop is where everyone goes. Elhamra Çini ceramic shop. Like being in a museum.

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We were offered tea, so typical of Turkish hospitality.   Near the tea is a bowl with small plastic chips in it.  When the tea is delivered, chips are placed in the bowl.  5 glasses of tea  = 5 circular chips.  After a while the shop owner takes the chips to the tea shop and settles up.  Isn’t that cool!

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Jane,  Ibrahim, Jill and Connie

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Just for us!

*http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/donkeys-years.html