SETTING SAILS, LAST NIGHT, FETHIUE PORT CITY

2014-Turkey-4-27, Greek Ghost Twn,Soguk Su Cove

Last night, I saved our visit to the ghost town to an album, above, if you would like to see all of my pictures in a slide show.
It was my plan to take a Sunday off, but here I am, enjoying all over again, setting the sails, and moving on to our disembarkation city of Fethiyue, pronounced fet-hah-yay.

The weather has taken a turn, with clouds and wind building up a storm.

Our captain decides it is time to set the sail, which they do once on every tour. The sea is roiling which gives a bit of rock and roll, called Poseidon’s horses-ancient vernacular.

Mehnehten climbs the mast and must somehow make sense of the multiple ropes that govern the sails.

The foresail is first to flare.
Wait a minute. If all three men are tackling the sails, who is steering the boat?

OWEN?

Of course, his pal, Usla put him up to it. And, truth be told, the ship is anchored.

The mainsail fills. And we are officially a sailboat. It’s beautiful and complicated to watch the process.

Then its time to take the sails down and pack them away in those built-in green canvas sacks.

Mehnehten walks the boom, tucking every bit of canvas away. Mainsail first.

Foresail last. A fascinating show for we land lubbers.

We have American pizza before dinner as a treat. Usla warns us, “Please, don’t tell any other OAT traveler that you had pizza on the gulet or they will all expect pizza.  A tour leader from another company ordered the cheese and special ingredients and then his cruise was aborted and the ingredients left behind.”  I’m sure they won’t be reading my blog but Usla knew we had bumped into people from another OAT tour group and had visited and conferred with them.

The wind was really blowing hard as we sailed on to Fethiyue where the ship takes on provisions for the next cruise and we disembark.

Fethiyue is a big port town that is at the moment very political with problems between the Kurdish and the Turkish moslems, who have a small difference in religion and language. Kurds number 20 million and hold much of the oil in Turkey and unrest here is increasing as the problem goes unresolved. The Kurds want a country of their own. For that reason, OAT does not bring tourist to visit the city. We get to view it from afar.

Our last night on the gulet, through the porthole window, the lights of Fethiyue burn brightly farewell.

PROTEST, AND ART CONJOINED

A chance encounter with Tiffany at Hot Cuts in Angels Camp provided a glimpse into beautiful body art.
Tiffany told me her mom got a tattoo when she was in high school' and she was aghast, embarrassed and angry. "How could you do this to me? Embarrassing me in front of my friends?", Tiffany remembered admonishing her mother.
At age 23, older, wiser, she invited her mom to go to Santa Cruz to be with her while she got her first tattoo.
"I'm so glad tattoo's are mainstream and don't have "that" reputation," she declared.
Tiffany is shown with a beautiful angel on her arm. On her foot she had a pisces tattoo in honor of her first child, Sharlee. Second daughter, Bella, was honored with a beautiful signature on her wrist.
Tattoo's have been a respected part of human culture since prehistoric times. During the 1940's, the tattoo was the territory of sailors and soldiers. Prevalent in the biker and jail culture for years gave tattoos a bad boy rep in the 1950's and 60's. It became a form of protest in the 70's and 80's. Now, mainstream.
I chuckle at the ring finger tattoo of a friend. It is a personal, political statement against marriage. It states succinctly, never again.
Now, that is determination.