Boat tour from Kas

The day for the first boat trip of the year turned out to be a gorgeous sunny day. A group of about 20 of us got on a van for a half hour drive out of town. At the dock in Ucagiz we boarded a double decker boat and set off to see the tiny tourist town of Simena.

Simena is a few shacks built around ancient ruins, including a castle at the top of a hill.

The Lycians

We sailed over the ancient sunken city of Kekova that was destroyed by earthquakes. The water was so clear, but either there wasn’t a lot to really see under the water or I missed it…. The rocky remains of other parts of the town can be seen on the slopes of the nearby island.

The Lycians were an ancient civilization in this area who were constantly challenged for their land. Apparently when they were about to be defeated, the men set fire to the women and children, then went out to be massacred, rather than become slaves.

They built several kinds of tombs for their dead, and with the body included offerings to take with them to the afterlife. One type of tomb was built into rock faces. The most elaborate and largest, up to three stories high, were for the wealthier and more important citizens.

Russians escaping the war

Along with me on the boat trip were a Turkish guide, two families with kids, an Italian couple, a Polish couple, and a group of around ten people who were staying in a hostel. They were from India, Mexico, Belgium, Germany, UK, Australia, and had just met at the hostel.

And a Russian girl! At this point in time the Russian invasion of Ukraine had been going on for over a month. So the discovery of Russians on board seemed to cause a stir of curiousity with the other passengers. I asked Nadya her story. She escaped Russia when she found out that visa and mastercard were cancelling all Russian cards, to sanction Russia for its aggression. She took money from her bank accounts and left the next day, choosing Turkey as her destination.

With her Russian documents she can’t enter the European Union by air, or many other countries. But she can still enter Turkey and other countries to the east of here, such as Georgia.

She fears that any money left in bank accounts could be seized by the government, to help fund the war. But she is not allowed to call it a war under threat of imprisonment. The war is officially known as a liberation in Russia.

She hates the war since she feels the Ukrainians and Russians are the same people. Her grandmother is Ukrainian, and she knows many couples of mixed nationality.

It turned out the two families on board were also Russian, so it seems like a lot of them have had the same idea, to get out of Russia while they can.

Heading out to sea from Kas

We stopped for a swim in a cove surrounded by ruins. Our guide refused to even stick a toe in the water, since the water temperature is only about 18 degrees. I got in right away, figuring I have been in colder water than that. It was definitely refreshing! The water was so clear and … turquoise.

After lunch, we docked on another island and started a long walk to see more Lycian ruins – homes, tombs, a church.

We stopped for another swim but I was now wearing a down-filled jacket so I didn’t go in again. The winds and currents had picked up and those who went in were pretty quick to get out.

Back in Kas

After that, back to Ucagiz where we docked, and back to Kas by van.

I went to my room to change then came back down to the main square and the marina, where I found the hostel group from the boat tour celebrating the day.