Yesterday shortly after I arrived in Kusadasi I met up with Orhan bey (“Mr. Orhan”), a friend of a friend of a friend of mine. Orhan bey took me for a tour of Kusadasi (I was here briefly once 8 years ago), then we stopped at the grocery store to pick up a few things.
From the grocery store we went to his home, where his wife prepared a delicious lunch of kofte (meatballs), sigara boregi (cigarette-shaped pastries filled with cheese and deep-fried, gotta like that), a dish like cacik except made with squash, and coban salata (tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers). We sat on their balcony overlooking the sea, had lunch and then a dessert of cold watermelon, and enjoyed as much of a conversation as my rusty Turkish would allow.
When Orhan bey dropped me off at my place by the sea I went for a swim. After swimming and lounging around for a while I started setting up camp. While setting up camp I met a fellow camper, a student from Istanbul named Goksel. Goksel is hitch-hiking down the Aegean coast on his way to walk the Lycian Way before school starts again.
Yesterday evening after our camps were set up, Goksel and I walked into town and had a beer. Afterwards I headed back to camp while Goksel continued touring around the town.
By the way, last night I slept one of the most peaceful nights I’ve slept in years, with the palm trees above me blowing gently in the sea breeze, and the Aegean waves lapping at the shoreline.