Lazy Days and Good Times in Kaş

October 2010
It was easy to feel at home in Kaş. We quickly settled into a routine that included almost daily trips to shop (the bakery for fresh bread, the green grocer for produce, and the supermarket for most everything else) and usually a couple of walks through town. There were so many little details that we enjoyed discovering, such as these two brightly decorated floors.

Porch steps decorated with tile bits

Tile floor in store on across from our apartment

or ancient windows into dusty yards.

Side street window in Kaş

and of course the street cats and dogs. We discovered that there are LOTS of street animals everywhere we went in Turkey. Most are well behaved, although when several dogs get together, it can be a bit dicey. The cats, in particular, seem to hang around outdoor cafes waiting for scraps. Of course, I found them hard to resist, and generally shared a bit of my meal with them. There seems to be quite a few places were people feed them as we would stumble upon little old ladies or little old men with bags of stale bread or, my favorite, this little feeding station in a stone wall right next to the King's Tomb at the top of our street.

Cat in a box - Kaş

This sweet little kitten was very hard to put down!

Can you tell that I love cats?

This one loved to sneak into our apartment through the open windows and doors.  It's a bit disconcerting though in the middle of the night to hear the thud when he jumps through the window into the living room.  It took us a while to get used to our new family member's nocturnal comings and goings. 

Cat on our apartment balcony

One of the things I like best about travel is discovering the differences, as well as the similarities, between cultures. One difference was the prevalence of motorcycles and motor scooters throughout Turkey. This guy is a great example as he appears to be heading off to work on his motorcycle. Someone told us that cars are VERY expensive in Turkey with substantial taxes levied. So much so that many people choose to go without a car and use alternate transportation including bikes and the fabulous bus system.

Heading to work

So of course, I began looking for the perfect scooter for me. I think this one will do just fine!

Is this one perfect for me?

Another difference seems to be the pace of life. Storekeepers have time during the day to enjoy life a bit, to relax and visit with each other.  We found store clerks and owners drinking tea, playing tavla and just generally visiting with each other on the stoops in front of the stores whenever they had a quiet moment in the store. 

Seline in white blouse and purple skirt

and yet another difference - small stores such as this one (Thane's favorite) are found every couple of blocks and each seems to stock an amazing array of items.  This one stayed open very late for any after hours urgent needs like almonds, chocolate or beer.

Every street in town offered a new vignette. This old boat is in front of a restaurant a block or two from our apartment.

This lady was carrying on an animated conversation with the older gentleman below.

We wondered what the chair was for. Is he going to climb up? is she going to climb down? I hope they are eloping!

I know- it's blurry, but I loved this scene

One of Thane's favorites was this hard worker who appears to be changing the curb color from white to yellow. Will he be ticketing the white van when he is finished?

Of course not everyday is perfect for strolling through town. We had some mighty storms roll through. Our little balcony proved to be the perfect vantage point to wait out some of the rain storms.


Our balcony also gave us a great view of the goings on in town such as this wedding which we witnessed from above.

When we decided to head downstairs to get a closer look we were promptly offered some of the delicious food being served. Just one more example of Turkish hospitality.

And best of all, our friendly landlord Coskun, his sweet wife Selin and lovely daughter Nadine.

Nadine and Coskun - Photo taken from Coskun's facebook pics

Selin - on her birthday

They were all so kind and made us feel welcome. We celebrated Selin's birthday at a local bar

with THREE delicious, home made desserts and

good new friends, Michael, ıtır, and Muge.

It would be so easy to slip into a life in this lovely town.  We plan to return when we can and we make good use of facebook in the meantime to keep in touch with our friends from Kaş.

Up next:  Our final days in Kaş including a massive celebration of Republic day and a end of season street party/BBQ/Potluck that Coskun organizes.