When I open the first box on january 2, I find my beginners-course map of origami, couvered in mold. A huge disappointment. Very nice to find half packs of cookies between my stuff, knowing they were packed at the beginning of last year. On top of that, I find old clothes that belonged to Roel and the boys. I'm not waiting for this, what is this all about??? Pure nonsens to pack those things with my personal belongings. On january 7, my mother gets an epileptic attack, probably caused by stopping her medication, as she got a rash from them. The doctor assumes she has had another stroke as well, as she is in coma now. There is no contact anymore. I borrow my son Hendrik his car and visit her. My oldest brother is there with his wife and of course my father with the dog. In the next days it is decided, that my mother won't be fed with tubes, so we can only wait for the end. On january 10, I visit, together with my brother, Annie and my motorbike. Some of the forum-members have made the effort to come too and hear all about my Turkish adventure.

Visiting friends and enlessly drinking tea. I hear rumours that this year 30 million tourists will come to Turkey. That was last year just under 27 million. Half of them come to the Turkish Rivièra, so who knows this will be a better season then last year. We wait and see. But first on a bike adventure with my bikermate. Almost every day there is a kettenrad at the shop of the vice-president of the Turkish chapter of noracer down in the street. After receiving a mail from my bikermate that he has booked the flight, I go visit them. They sure know an adress of a trustable person where i can rent bikes. They give me an adress and a website. I tell them about the adventure that is waiting for me, touring through Turkey for a week.

The bike-rent guy also has tours, so we may even change plans. We'll talk about that, on the way from the airport. We'll decide then, what we will do. I will put pen and paper in the tankbag, for notes. Then I can make a nice story, of course with the necessary pictures thrown in. He will arrive on the 14th, but with another week to go, I can tell you that tonight at 6 pm it wad here 23,9 degrees, while the wind came from the sea. I was back in Alanya on a saturday and the next monday I go to the "Yeni Can" hospital to have my blood checked. The machine is broken so they need to send my blood all the way to Ankara.

This time I don't get the test-results within 2 hours, but it takes 2 days. Like expected, my values are not in the right order. I wonder if the 6 weeks in Holland or the 3 weeks on the greek island of Kos have any influence on my values. I am not going to change the amount of medication the next 2 months and then see if it has stabilised or not. On saturday March 14, my bikermate arrives at the airport. We take a taxi to the Alanyada, the road between Antalya and Alanya and buy a ticket for the Akdeniz bus, who will take us to the busterminal in Alanya. There we sit on a bench, enjoying th sunshine and a cigarette and then walk to the taxi's present, to have us taken to the city-centre, where my appartment is. We dump all the luggage and go explore the town. Of course the harbour is waiting and we have some lunch at the Balikçilar. That evwening we go to Martin to arrange a motorbike.

But... he won't rent us a bike if we intend to go that far on the bike. If something would happen, it would be far too expensive to get the motorbike back. Well, the other option is to rent a car. Now we are happy, that he would not rent us a bike, as there was still lots of snow and snow-showers in the mountains, we would ahve been so enormously cold. We rent a car for a week, that way I can also take Jan back to the airport as at that early hour there are no busses to Antalya. On sunday-afternoon we drive off into the direction of Anamur.

The first day we don't get any further then Ermanek. The second day we end up in Ürgüp and book for 2 nights there in a hotel. Then we go back to Alanya and make daytrips to Side, the Belkis-bridge and the tower of the aquaduct at Aspendos theatre. WE go explore another part of the Taurus mountains and eat trout at one of the teresses at the Dimçay. Then it is saturday and 3 mobile-phoes ring at 6 am. We drive to Antalya airport, where we say goodbye. The week had passed so fast, but we have sen so many nice things that it seemed so much longer.

I write a report of this fantastic vacation and put it online with lots of pictures under this LINK or under vacations: 2009: With JanBMW to Kapadocia. After taking Jan to the airport I drive to Sspendos theatre to have a good look around. I have been in the theatre once,but with tourists and I did make lots of pictures, but had no chance to climb the stairs to have a good look around. Now I am on my own and want to see with my own eyes what I tell my tourists during the trips. After that I go uphill to have a look in the old city of Aspendos and that was quite a big city. All week it rains and every night we have a thunderstorm. Between the showers I do some shopping or grab a bite in town. Then finally on saturday the sun starts shining. I have had the plan for a long time already to have a look at the "Tersane", the shipyard. But near the read towr I take the wrong road and end up halfway the rock. Here are still ruins of traditional houses and between the battlements I have the lovelyest view on Alanya itself. Nobody seems to have the guts to rebuild those traditional houses, whcih is a shame really. Over small cobble paved roads U climb further up and by klinker paved roads I decend again.

Then I go down the boulevard, on my way to the Balikçilar. I am invited for a boattrip on the "Black Pearl". There is quite some movement due to the steady wind, I really enjoy it. When I come back I go straight away for the Balikçilar, I'm really getting hungry. I need to say HI to the captain of the boat with the glassbottom. He sits on board of a fisherboat a few boats down. Together with the captain he is disentangling nets. There are quite a few twigs in the nets. Because of the rain, all the twigs have washed down the Dimçay into the sea. Larger branches are laying on board. Some of the nets are torn and the captain will need to repair them. Those are caused by sharks and dolphins the captain tells me.

The captain of the boat with the glassbottom (Said) tells me to stay and sit down. He shows me 3 lobsters and a handful of large shrimps (scampi's). We will eat them later on he tells me. We go to his boat. From the forecastle he gets a gas burner and a fryingpan. Het puts some water from a bottle in the pan and lights the gas. From a waterbottle he gets some salt and then it is time to eat. More people come on board and all have a taste. What a hospitality. Jan should have seen this.

On April 2nd I start working at our branche-office in order to sell tours. When I walk back in the evening the air is filled with the scent of orange-blossom. On April 15 the police starts checking every motorbike r scooter, with or without a helmet. When no drivers' license, the bike gets confiscated. Suddenly it is very quiet in the streets.

Finally on April 19 I have my first tour. Only 4 Dutch ladies, pushing 70. I have to drive myself the borrowed car. When you have seen the crazy Turkish traffic, you know that you need your utmost concentation here. At the end of the day I am knackered. But it was a succesful tour and that's what counts.Second tour I have 2 Belgian couples and may again drive myself. Just outside Alanya I am overtaken left and right.It is still tolerated here, untill something goes wrong of course. But finally tourist season is waking up. On Motherday (Dutch) May 10 we go with 2 busses. The Polish and Russian go with the boss and a collegue in one bus and I have with my Czech female collegue in training all the English speaking guests. We are nicely on scedule and I calculate that just after 6 we can be back in Alanya. NOT!

On the way to Manavgat/Side we end up by the side of the road, without fuel. The driver stops a car and gets a lift to the next petrolstation to come back with a can with gasoline.With the help of an empty waterbottle with the bottom ripped off, it is poured in the fueltank. But the bus stillwon't start. Everybody gets out of the bus and the men make an attempt to make it start this way. Of course I had to make a picture, who would believe me? Eventually I finish my tour with another bus and am home an hour and a half later then first expected.

Around Whitsun weekend footballclub Besiktas becomes champion. The week following there is a festival in town. Opening of the touruist season. Almost every night there is firework with the necessary bangs. The whole city trembles. The people who choose to come with us on tour varies enormously. Then we have 42 people, the next tour 22 nd then 10 people again. You siply can't tell if we have a next tour, but we still have. On June 16 we only ahve 3 English speaking people in the bus, for the rest its all Polish and Russian. My Poish collegue also speaks english, so no need for me to come too. I will do the Manavgat boattour with a collegue. He will come to help me pick up the people from the hotels, because some hotels I don't know where to find. I'm just there to do the bla-bla in the bus.

After we've had a boattrip of just over an hour, we reach the beach near Side, where we go ashore. On the other side of the beach we can swim in the Mediterrannian, which I enjoy. After then some sunbathing. But my stomach tells me it is near lunchtime, so I go on the beach to get me a Gözleme, a thin pancake filled with krum-cheese and parsley. Then I go rinse myself in the mineral water of the Manavgat river. I now know how cold that is. I know that the Dumanli source produces water of only 14 degrees, but it's 120 metres deep in the Oymapinar damreservoir and with the sun shining on it every day, I thought it might be more pleasant then the 18 or 19 degrees.

On the way back I see the boat, belonging to friends of mine, that is on the shore for repair. This is the same boat that Roel and I made that boattrip on in december 2007. Nowadays I see that old captain working on another boat though. Then season seems to really start. On June 21 we have 64 people. Still very little Europeans, but still, the amount is growing. On monday the 22nd I have a private tour with 11 members of the same family. Tuesdays we have 68 people in 2 busses. During the day the temperature is pushing 40 degrees. At night it goes down to just below 30 degrees. On June 29 I go for the first time on tour to Hirapolis and the phenomena Pamukkale.

I go together with a Polish and Russian guide/go-card. In the afternoon the tourists have 2 hours free time to spend, either go back to the antic city of Hierapolis and the necropolis, or take a bath in the shallow travertines. Guess what I chose? I've been laying in the thermal water for almost an hour. On tuesday my friends' boat is back in Alanya harbour. On wednesday I help them with sanding, so they can go on painting. On thursday they have their first boattour, but during the tour they have a broken oil-hose. But that is easily fixed. That evening we visit them and everybody is in a happy mood.

But on friday, during the tour, in front of the exit of the lovers' cave, he blows up the engine, beyond repair. Another disaster. That evening they come to my room as they are close to a breakdown. On my days off, you can still find me in the harbour on a regular basis, just to drop by to see how my friends are doing. It will take about 2 weeks before the new engine will be ready for test. Then the level of the engine might have to be adjusted, as it must be level with the propellor shaft. Things are even getting busier. Now and then we go with 2 touringcars on tour. Everybody in town is complaining, as there are lots of tourists, but only few buy something.

It seems that the season has finally begun. Now and then we have 2 touringcars on tour. Everybody is still complaining. The tourists are very careful spending their money. They only look and seldom buy. Still there are few European tourists, but still. On monday the 22nd of June I have a private tour with 11 people of one family. The tuesday following we already ahve 68 people in 2 busses. During the day the temperature rises over 40 degrees, in the night still just below 30 degrees. Time flies. On monday August 3 I go to Pamukkale again.But this time I have unsatisfied customers, who were not informed right. They try to blame it on me.

They bought the tickets cheap, but that means that the entrance to the travertines is not included. So they ahve to pay an additional 20 Lira o 10 Euro. At the end of the day I get a fist on my chin of the man of the family. What a hero that he has the guts to hit a woman!

Then on August 16 I get the chance of a lifetime. I ahve a bus with Dutch speaking people all for myself. When I leave in the morning at 07.30 with only the driver, I only know I have 26 people who speak Dutch including 2 children. I only have 4 adresses to pick up. At the second adress a group of 14 people will enter the bus. 12 of them are young adults with a mental limitation and 2 young woman to accompany them. Are they happy that they finally have a Dutch speaking guide. At the end of the day everybody has a smile from ear to ear. What a great tour. At the end of season, when the schools have started already in Europe, we get the tour with the most tourists.

We have 100 tourists in 3 busses. One touringcar (46 seats) and 2 midi-busses with each 27 seats. The amount of Russians and Polish guests is reducing and the amount of Europeans is growing. On September 10 I have a touringcar with 42 people all for myself. The midi-bus with Polish an Russians is for my collegues. We sure don't ahve to complain. The other agencies are coming on tour with schoolbusses. These busses are still available, because the children have an additional 10 days of vacation, because of Ramazan. That way the agencies can use them. On my days off I am often to be found on the Carpe Diem.

I always bring my swimming gear. During the tours my friend and I swim around the boat. First near the Red Tower (Kizilkule) and later in open sea. After we have visited the Phosfor cave and fed the fishes. Whole schools of fish come to the surface then. You can see them swim in the clear waters. In the night of September 11 to 12 we get storm and thunder. The first real rain after a few short showers we had during the past week. That is 2 weeks earlier then the previous years and everybody is worrying. But that is not necessary. The beautiful weather stays, it's just that the nights begin to become colder. The amount of visitors is still going up and down. On tuesdays we have the biggest tours, as then peope leave or have just arrived.

On October 13 the Polsih guides fly back to Poland. On October 14 I wake up early in the morning due to thunder. We have a real downpour and the front balcony can't handle so much water. The other bedroom gets flooded. On November 12 I still hear an august insect in the middle of the night. It has been raining the previous day. On November 8 we still had 8 guests and then suddenly it is finished with the tours. Silence, peace. There are still people buying the tours but not enough to be profitable for the agency, so we send them to another agency. On a regular basis I walk to the harbour, where a dozen sculpturers make statues, which will be placed all over town. And then I have to make decisions.

I decide to move all my stuff from Kos to Alanya. I talk to my boss and we decide to put all of my stuff in one if the bedrooms in the agency and in my room upstairs. In spring lots of apartments are available and then they are cheaper then before the winterseason. Then I will rent an apartment of my own and finally build my new life here. On december 4 I go on my way to Kos, to pack all my stuff. At every Otogar there is partytime. The boys have to go in the military army, which happens 4 times a year. On the way to Bodrum we have check ups, to see that no young man has taken the wrong bus. Without any dalay we arrive in Bodrum. When you see all the boats in Bodrum-harbour you would not believe there is any crisis in Europe.

During the day I keep myself busy with packing and in the evening I sit down to sew my beige patchwork project. Just to relax. A glass of Retsina at hand. I do need to find someone to help me out with transport me to the harbour and the mayor problem is, I don't speak any Greek. When I walk into town on December 8, I look to my right and not to the left at the excavations. I discover an antique theatre. I need to make some pictures there.

At the excavations I see that some part is uncovered now, that was covered in plastic last time I was here. I find nice murals in what seems to have been some sort of bath-house. I also find a piece of marble with the famous egg-motif, that I find everywhere in the antique city of Side in Turkey. Typical Roman. That week I also make some pictures at te old platana tree, under which Socrates must have given the lessons. I buy a small souvenir at a local souvenirshop near the antique agora. On the way back I pass a bikeshop where I see a very attractive 1-cylinder in the window. After 2 weeks I end up at the travelagency of Fanos and they can help me out with the removal.

On December 21 I move with all of my stuff from Kos-city to Bodrum. The boat leaves with 3-quarters-of-an-hour delay. 3 bikers have to come on board and there is not a lot of space. Imagine a bike would fall against one of the cars, among which is a BMW Z4. During he one hour trip the bikers have to stay with their bikes and protect the cars with their body. We have a great sunset on the way to Bodrum.

Customs gives us a hard time. My boss is awaiting me with one of our regular drivers. He took all the chairs out of his schoolbus for the occasion. We book a small hotel for the night. The next morning we go back to the harbour. We are sent to the chief-of-customs at the airport 35 km away from Bodrum. They want to send my stuff to Antalya and they will tell me to collect them, when they are there. We do not agree with that. We drive back to the harbour.

There they open the law-books and they sent us once again to the airport. This time to pay the tax. Then I can get my stuff from the ferryboat. So, on December 22 we can finally leave the harbour with all of my stuff loaded on board of the schoolbus. It is late in the afternoon already, when we leave. We are treated with a lovely sunset again.

At night at 2 am we are back in Alanya. But the bus has to be unloaded as our driver needs the bus again the next day for transfer and he has to put in all the chairs again. At 5 am we are all finally in bed. The stuf is on the first floor and halfway up. When my boss comes back from his accountant the next morning, he tells me he met the landlord and there is a flat available nearby. Want to have a look? He has the keys. Together we have a look. It looks neat, but how much is the rent? He tells me to wait and will come back after talking to the landlord. I agree with the rent and so I have my own apartment now. First thing I do is put up the X-mas tree. Over X-mas I am cleaning the apartment. After X-mas I take the X-mas tree down, as it is in my way, when I want to build-up the bookshelves. Slowly everything comes together. Every time I visit the office I take a box to my apartment, unpack it and put everything in the right place straight away. On the last day of the year I get my own internet, but nobody is online. I spend the evening alone with a glass of red wine.

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