Cruising the Turquoise Coast

Chapter 4…A Day on The Hazal

On our “must do” list while in Kalkan was to spend a day cruising the Turquoise Coast. Kalkan is a hub for cruising.  When we arrived at the Villa Mahal, we asked the staff to arrange for a private boat. “Not a problem, be at the dock tomorrow between 10-10:15AM”.

We didn’t know quite what to expect in the way of a boat.  Kalkan’s a busy little harbor and we saw boats of every size and type coming and going.  So there we were waiting at the dock and out of the distance came the Hazal.  It pulled up and we boarded for a day that would be one of the best experiences of our trip and by the end of the day Captain Mehmet and his first mate would be like family.

A day on the water consists of cruising the coastline, dropping anchor in picture perfect coves, jumping off the boat into crystal clear water or just taking in the sun and scenery. There’s a route that all the boats follow.  We were the first ones out in the morning and our first stop was a cove which didn’t disappoint but it was only a tease.  As a procession of boats started to arrive we pulled up anchor and motored on.

After motoring for a while, we dropped anchor near a beach famous for the medicinal mud. Mehmet waded ashore, picked up a bucket and loaded it with mud.  He added some sea water, mixed it and proceeded to slather us.  “Leave it on for 15 minutes or until it dries”.  We now look 10 years younger!

Our next stop would be for swimming, hanging out and lunch.  We had no idea what a feast would be awaiting us when we climbed back into the boat after swimming.  The table was set with china, silver and glassware.  And then the food started coming out: zucchini fritters like I’ve never tasted, a type of rolled pirogi with a meat filling, Turkish salad with sliced tomatoes and cucumbers, mushrooms stuffed with Haloumi cheese, prawns with garlic, a whole sea bream for me and a steak for Roy.  It was some of the best food we had on our trip.  But that wasn’t all, after some more swimming we climbed on board and the table was set with fruit of every type, some I’ve never seen.  It would be an insult if we didn’t try every fruit on the table: fresh figs, watermelon, bananas, a fruit that tasted something between a plum and an apricot and grapes.  What a feast!

After lunch there was a backgammon (Tavla in Turkish) match between Roy and Mehmet with a little Raki consumed on both sides.  The loser had to buy a bottle of Raki for the winner.  While they were playing backgammon I was on the deck getting some sun and listening to a selection of Turkish pop music and Paolo Nutini. How good is that?  Pretty, pretty good!!

Guess who won the Backgammon match?  Not Roy!  That night we went into Kalkan and Roy bought a big bottle of Raki for Mehmet.  We met at his brother’s restaurant where we presented him with his prize.

We chatted and had a few laughs and told Mehmet and his first mate that it was one of the best days we’d had.  They want us to come back next year for a week of cruising.  Sounds tempting!

P.S. If you want a spectacular day cruising the Turquoise Coast and you’re in Kalkan, contact Captain Mehmet of the Hazal.  Everyone knows who he is and be sure to tell him Roy and Gilah from Boston sent you.

Stay tuned for the next chapter….