I covered more than 1,700 km with pleasure and understanding: another dream of my life has come true, thank God. I passed my own driving test! Now I am a real driver :) My bonus cruise on the west coast of Turkey in honor of my birthday, which started on April 1st, successfully ended on May 5th, 2023! 34 days driving... I visited Demre, Kas, Bodrum, Kusadasi and many historical places around... And here I am again in Kemer, May is a beautiful month here. Time to rest and write about all these places that left unforgettable impressions in my soul!
I found some fascinating places in Turkey when I was driving back from Cesme to Kemer. As I wrote earlier, these two cities are located on the shores of different seas. Cesme is on the shore of the Aegean Sea and I don't know why, but there is almost always a cold wind and the water temperature in the sea is much colder. And even I, a person who likes to swim in cold water, did not feel inspired to swim in this windy climate. But after driving 500 km from Cesme, it was as if we had moved back in time from March to May! Suddenly, near the town of Gocek, we found a cozy bay İnlice Olta İle Balık Avcılığı Sahası, with a unique color of its sand. We drove along a narrow winding forest road and found ourselves on a wide seashore surrounded by mountains on both sides. There was a pine forest on the slopes of the mountains. The air was clean and filled with the smell of needles and flowers.
There were trees on the beach that provided shade. I was glad to finally rest after the cold wind of Aegean Sea and many hours of driving. We got up and went barefoot to the sea. The sand here was a unique black color. And suddenly I found that he was hot. It was impossible to set foot on this sand heated by the sun! We really suddenly seem to have moved in time from early spring to summer!
Around the bay were mountains that looked blue in the distance... This place really looked like a paradise hidden behind the mountains for the chosen ones to find it... There were very few people here. And I was able to enjoy solitude alone with the natural element, which always gives me harmony and energy. I was lying on the hot sand and pleasure replaced fatigue. I plunged into the water of this sea, unknown to me, which was also dark in color, like the sand on its bottom... After a few meters from the shore, there was immediately depth! My favorite depth! The water was a comfortable temperature and I enjoyed swimming! I thought: it must be the warm Mediterranean sea, although the shore and the color of the water were different from the sea I was used to seeing in Kemer. But the warm water and depth were similar to the Mediterranean.
Rocks covered with pine trees could be seen on the left side. We decided to go to the other side of the bay. To get there, we had to get into a car and drive several kilometers through the forest, on the other side, along a steep mountain road. 
A small river divided this bay in the middle. Unlike the opposite part of the beach where I was, there were pebbles here. You can see beautiful pictures of the seabed and turquoise water that shimmers with bright flashes.
These photos our 
We saw a exotic pink flower that stood out like a bright star among the stones... Later we carefully descended and I swam again and lay on the hot stones. Staying in this paradise bay was one of the most beautiful experiences of my cruise. Rested and satisfied, we set off on our way.
By the way, when we drove through the town of Gocek, which is surrounded by beautiful high rocky mountains, I thought: this town is very similar to my beloved Kemer. And you know what: later I googled and read the description of this city: it really looks like Kemer! And the sea here is also Mediterranean. I think I found another city that I would like to live in for a month :)
The town Gocek was previously known as Callimache in ancient times, and is located between Fethiye (referred to as Telmessos in ancient times) and Dalyan (referred to as Caunos in ancient times). According to local legend, it is in the Göcek area that Icarus landed in the sea after his famous flight trying to escape from the tower where he was imprisoned. Göcek was used as a harbour for ships loading chrome ore collected from the mines under nearby mountains during the Ottoman period.
We stopped by the road at a classic Turkish restaurant, where we sat barefoot on cushions. I am happy that I have the fortune to travel in real Turkey and get to know its people, customs and culture!
My #TheLongestTrip continues. One year and two months have passed since we left our native Ukraine, fleeing from the war... Thank you to everyone who is watching our journey and supporting us!