Sunday is mouth-water management and watermelon cocktails.
Over the past 18 years of operating SwimVacation, there are some things that keep me coming back. Meeting new people is way up there, as is the travel itself. I like that it nudges me to stay in shape. One thing that has been the case all along has been the joy I get in helping guests who have little or no experience in open water swimming. Swimming in open water is different from swimming in a pool. A LOT different. There’s no black line on the bottom to follow, so you need to learn how to swim fairly straight. You need to be able to navigate. There are a lot of other things to consider, like wind, currents, water temperature, and wildlife. It’s really dynamic. So when we have guests with little or no experience in the open water, it gives all of the guides a chance to share all the things we’ve learned over the years about how to swim in a safe and enjoyable way in the ocean. This week we have Maria, who arrives as a strong swimmer but with little open water experience. We talk about things like “mouth-water management and sighting and navigation. Her first big swim with us was a mile in very choppy water and complicated navigation. She nailed it. It’s really rewarding for everyone.
We also get guests who are “non swimming” spouses of experienced swimmers. These folks tend to know how to swim, but they’re not, you know, swimmers. This week that guest is Monica’s husband Peter. He can swim, but has never swum competitively. He’s tall and strong and smart, though - good ingredients for a quick path to becoming an efficient swimmer. John and I started working with him right away, and the results have been striking. I’m excited to see the kind of swimmer he’ll be by the end of the week.
Our morning swim brought us along the eastern side of Kizil Ada (island). Google maps has a historic marker placed here, so I had everyone put flip flops and sandals in their swim buoys, which all have a drybag component. I was expecting a lot of stern lines to swim under, but all the gulets had left and we had a clear coastline. We hopped out to check out a small pine forest, and there was a partially exposed stone block foundation, which I imagine was a test pit dug during an archaeological survey done in 2022.
Heather and KeKau arrive! They’re travel weary but all smiles as they are greeted by crew and guests. Heather has been guiding swimmers in Greece for 2 weeks, and was joined by Kekau last week. It’s just great to have them here. They arrived just in time for a delicious lunch, and early afternoon swim followed by cakes & tea. Hoş gelden, you two, welcome to Turkiye.
Our afternoon swim was the bumpy one I mentioned above, around 2 islands. Kekau summoned a very large female green sea turtle, as only Hawaiians can do. This lady was covered in barnacles and was so big that she created her own ecosystem, with algae and barnacles clinging to her and a school of fish swimming just beneath her.
Cocktail of the night: Raki Watermelon coolers: 1 oz Raki (anise based) 1/2 oz lime juice, 4 oz watermelon juice. I’m not a huge fan of liquorice flavor but this really does the Raki justice.
Dinner was mixed grilled meats and all the typical sides. Dessert was a frozen cookie brownie type thing that filled us to the gills. Iyi geceler (Goodnight), Turkiye!
Hopper
