Steph and I left the flat at 3:10am to take the Thameslink train, but it was canceled. We tried to call a Lyft, but the driver didn’t want to go to Gatwick. We ended up in a cab that had an aggressive driver and I almost got sick in the backseat from the driving and the windows being fogged so I couldn’t look out. 

We made it to the airport on time and got through security. We went to the lounge and had a decent breakfast. We met the others at the gate; Gokhan, Jose, Diana, and Costa. The plane delayed a bit, then sat on the runway for an hour. They eventually took the plane back to the gate and we had a second breakfast in the terminal while they swapped out crew. After another mild delay we were on the way to Turkey.  We got near the airport and we’re circling for a while, and the captain got on the speaker to say they had closed the runway, luckily it was just another 20 minute delay and not a diversion. The bus was ready for us and we had the 2 hour drive to Kaş. 

We met Pavel at the dive mannequin  we called Jonny Depth and Keaunu Reefs. Everyone was really tired but we still made it out for a very late dinner at a nice restaurant. We loved the cats that were everywhere and many were friendly. 

The next morning we made it to the boat with no issues and started our diving.  I was having ear issues and wasn’t able to go deeper than 23m. Luckily the water was clear enough that I could see everyone down at 30m perfectly well and I could see the wreck too. After the dive the guide said he liked my style, just sitting still in the water column with perfect trim. 

The second dive was at an underwater museum where they had replicas of famous Turkish statues. The real ones can be seen at the British Museum, so we plan to stop by and see thos next week. Despite everything being a replica, I really enjoyed the dive and seeing the statues and amphora underwater. 

After diving we went to another boat for an amazing dinner cruise. This had to be the best food of the trip, and we were able to see sunken ruins from the boat, and then swin in a cove with some ruins. I did some free diving and made it down about 10 meters with no fins or line. We then went to a castle on a hill with a small town that was like a maze. Steph spotted a decently large octopus just chilling in the water next to one of the docks. 

We saw a gorgeous sunset and made it back to Kaş for a dinner at a local place Gokhan knew. 

The next day we did a dive over ancient anchors and amphora. There were also a ton of nudibranchs and lionfish. I had ear issues again, this time at 10m, and I went with Costa and Gokhan on a slightly shallower dive. 

I stayed with the same group on the second dive where we went inside a sunken plane. It was purposefully sunk, and set up for divers to easily access. On the way back to the dock we saw some flying fish and at the dock a sea turtle came by the boat. 

After the dives we had a great lunch of Turkish dumplings and a Turkish coffee. We gathered our stuff from the boat and took a short breather before heading to the Roman amphitheater for sunset. The sunset was gorgeous, then we had the fancy dinner to close out the major part of the trip in Kaş. Gokhan got a anise seed flavored Turkish drink that was very similar to absinthe, even turning cloudy when adding water. We watered it down and finished the bottle between the 7 of us. The view from the restaurant was also great as it was partway up the hill, and was effectively a massive balcony. 

The next morning we got a bus to a nice beach where turtles come up to lay their eggs, and we relaxed for a few hours, then finished the drive back with another stop for what became lunch.  

Thankfully there weren’t the same kind of issues on the flight back as there were on the way out. 

I enjoyed talking to all the people on the trip. Pavel and his wife are really into visiting castles in the UK so we will have to set up a trip together. Then Costa wors at the same company as me and has been getting into sailing. Jose is really into anime, especially One Piece. Diana is getting back into writing, and doing more of her writing in English instead of Spanish. Gokhan wants to retire to the Kaş area, but needs to find a wife and fortune first. 

(Link to the full google album so I can find it later)