Friday--January 28--Kusadasi to Bodrum

Friday--January 28--Kusadai to Bodrum

Wow what a day.  Again, I had to put my faith in human kind.  I don’t know why I was relying upon this travel agent but at this point I had paid her 300 Euro and was a bit nervous about it.

When I gave her the money it was for the bus ride from Kusadasi to Bodrum, one night in Bodrum, the ferry ticket to Kos, one night in Kos, the ferry ticket to Rhodes and 3 nights in Rhodes.  Why did I do this?  Most importantly because I found I could not accomplish most of this by myself.  It has been very difficult to figure out the bus schedule in Turkey.  There is no website and when I go to anything on the web what I get is summer information.  Getting winter Ferry information is also difficult.  I was able to find something from Marmaris but Marmaris is very far from Kusadasi.  Anyway, I decided to use her and I was a bit nervous.  

At 9:45 a.m. I called Ayca to see where the driver was.  I also asked her what time the bus is leaving.  She left those details out.  She said the bus was leaving at 11:00.

I was picked up by the same driver who picked me up yesterday.  I thought he was taking me to the bus station here in Kusadasi.  When we passed the bus station I asked where we were going.  He told me we were going to Soke, a town about 15-20 minutes down the road.  Oh another thing Ayca forgot to tell me.  I’m not sure if she does this on purpose, doesn’t really understand me or wants me to understand.  But something is up with her.

He takes me to Soke, buy this time it’s raining.  He tells me to wait in the car and goes to buy my ticket.  He says he will wait until the bus arrives.  I have found the Turks to be very caring people.  I don’t know if it is because I have paid the agency that he waits or not but I get the feeling that he would wait with me either way.

me on the bus

The bus ride to Bodrum was very comfortable.  It was a luxury liner with TV’s and headsets at each seat.  I’m sitting next to a woman wearing a head scarf and she is watching some show or movie, I don’t know, and is laughing her head off. 

TV in front of my seat

After about an hour the bus stops and the driver says something in Turkish.  I can tell this isn’t Bodrum.  I get off the bus to use the toilet and point to my watch asking how much time.  He says 5 minutes.  

Back on the bus the ride was only another 45 minutes or so, much shorter than I was told.

I’m finally listening to myself.  When I arrive in Bodrum it was raining and I found a taxi to take me to the hotel.  My inner voice was telling me that this wasn’t going to be very good and sure enough, the taxi driver didn’t know where the hotel was.  He had to look at the map I gave him and finally found it.  It’s pouring down rain and I’ve got to lug my stuff up three flights of stairs.  If that wasn’t bad enough I get inside this very depressing dark old place.  They take me to a room that is horrible.  The best part is when I ask for heat (air conditioning) I’m told that is 4 TL extra.  O.k. this is bad.  I cannot stay here.

The rain has slowed a bit and I ask them to get me a taxi so I can go to the Castle.  I know the castle is at the harbor and think I can check on the ferry while I’m there.  

When I get to the Castle the sky has opened up and there is so much rain it is amazing.  I’m thinking this is an inside museum but I am wrong.  Some of it is inside but most of it is outside. I start to walk around but the rain is coming through my jacket and my pants are wet up to my knees.  

drying my pants on the heater in my hotel room

This just isn’t going to work.  I find the cafe and sit and have a tea hoping the rain will subside soon.  About a half hour later it did seem to slow down so I venture out to find the ferry office.  The one I find is closed.

I walk around trying to find the “other” museum, which I’m thinking is inside.   I’m looking to do anything to get out of this rain. No one really knows what I’m talking about when I ask about a museum.  I don’t know what the word in Turkish is for museum.  For such a “tourist” town I’m surprised.  

I walked around the harbor and find a tourist office where they hardly speak English but someone calls the ferry office and tells me it is open.  I walk back over to where I was and ask someone where the office is.  I didn’t walk far enough and finally find it.  There are several people in this office and many of them speak English. I explain that I am trying to find out if there is a ferry going to Kos tomorrow.  Then I see a paper on a woman’s desk that has my name on it.  So they ask me to pay for the ferry that, yes, is going tomorrow.  

There is much confusion because I say that I already paid the travel agent.  This woman calls Ayca to discuss the matter then hands me the phone.  Ayca asks what I’m doing in this office and I explain that I wanted to confirm where the ferry was going from.  She says this isn’t the company I am traveling with.  I tell her the hotel is terrible and can she changed it but she says she can’t do anything in Bodrum.  

The man in this ferry office explains to me that their boat company only goes to Kos on Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays and the travel agency sent the paper work trying to get me a ticket but they weren’t going on Saturday.  Because of the bad weather they cancelled their boat for today and rescheduled for tomorrow.  Also there are two ports in Bodrum, the one where I am, which I think they call the marina (there are fabulous yachts here) and then the “cruise” harbor which is where the ferry I’ve paid for is leaving from.  He also tells me that my hotel is closer to where I need to leave from. 

I thank them profusely and ask if they can call a taxi for me so I can go back to the hotel.

The taxi ride back to my hotel cost twice what it did to get here.  The driver said there was much traffic due to the rain. I don’t really care I’m actually a little relieved to be inside somewhere and I don’t have anything to do anyway.

I asked the taxi driver where the “cruise” harbor was.  He tried to explain and I decide to walk over there to find the “other” ferry company.  It’s stopped pummeling rain so I risk it.  I also see a few other hotels and decide to check them out.  The first one I go in and ask if I can see a room, it isn’t so good so I continue to another one.  I find the Hotel Istankoy.

The people at this Hotel Istankoy are so much friendlier and nicer.  I ask the boy I see if he speaks English and he says no, but the woman behind the counter (Arzu) does but she is on the phone.  I wait and ask if there is a room and how much it is for one person one night.  She says 50TL and I ask if I can see a room.  This boy walks me over to a room and it is so much better.  I can breathe in it.  I don’t care that I already paid for the Eden Hotel, I’ve decided  to stay here.  When we get back to the office the boy points to another man and says he speaks English.  

I explain to this man that my suitcase is at the Hotel Eden and I am not happy over there and want to spend the night here.  

“No problem”,  he says, “I can take you over there to get your things.  Do you want to go now?” he asks me.

He goes to get his truck and takes me over to the Hotel Eden.  There are now 6 men in the lobby.  I collect my faxes (I don’t know if I mentioned that I left Kusadasi without any ferry vouchers.  Ayca said she would fax them to me when she got the confirmation.  When I had left the hotel earlier she still hadn’t faxed them.) and Fathie explains to these men that I am not happy and moving hotels.  I don’t think they are pleased, but too bad.

We drive back over to Hotel Istankoy, which is only a few blocks away from  Hotel Eden. 

my safe haven from the storm

I have a window I can look out at the storm and feel much better.  

what I see outside my window

On my walk earlier I found a bakery and bought a bureka with spinach and cheese so I ate that.  I was sorry I hadn’t bought the good looking cookies though because this turns out to be my dinner as well because I don’t want to go out in the rain to get anything to eat.  I won’t fade away.

I end up having a citrus drink that is in the mini bar with one of my airplane vodkas some walnuts and chocolate.  Not bad for camping.  Oh I’m in a hotel.

I spend some time writing and listening to an incredible storm outside.  Having the internet is a savior.  But with the storm the electricity flashes many times and the internet comes and goes.  I am fine and feel secure.

Listening to my instincts has paid off.  I have checked out the other hotels Ayca has booked me and according to Trip Advisor seem to be o.k.  I hope so because I paid much more money than here in Bodrum.

Hoping for the best and going to sleep.

Tomorrow is another day but this one turned out o.k.