Bodrum - the white city on the hills
Bodrum is a white city on the hills.
From Marmaris our road lay to Bodrum. Taxi from the hotel -15 lira ($ 9), by taxi to Bus station - bus station. Taxis were called through the receptionist, so the economy did not work. Buses to Bodrum run every 30 minutes, but there are no medium-sized ones, such as the one that traveled from Antalya to Marmaris. The price is somewhere around 20 lire ($12) per person. Smaller chairs, no TVs. But the bus is air-conditioned, the windows are tinted, there are two drivers in corporate ties. The road is three hours with three stops of 15 minutes each. The road along the serpentines in the mountains, but the sensations (heaviness in the legs, motion sickness, etc. ) are much easier than the trip from Antalya to Marmaris.
On the way, locals sell figurines of donkeys, sheep, cows made of wool, but the bus does not stop there and we drive on.
At the entrance to Bodrum, the road goes along the seashore - the views are wonderful, we barely have time to shoot.
Bodrum - all houses are two-story cottages, all white. Unlike Antalya and Marmaris, where the roofs are pitched and covered with red tiles, here the roofs are flat and covered with soft roofs and therefore the overall impression is that the city is absolutely white and stands on the hills, facing the bay. I immediately remember Princess Budur and Baghdad. The barrels installed on the roofs for heating water by the sun are not visible, unlike houses in Antalya and Marmaris, which makes the city more beautiful.
In Bodrum, we had to spend the night only 2 nights before the flight, and therefore I booked a small hotel Kavala Studio Hotel via the Internet - $ 55 for a double room with breakfast. The requirements for the hotel were as follows - a pool, breakfast, no further than 300m. from the beach, Wi-Fi, air conditioning, tolerable interior. True, I booked 2 days before entry, so there was not much choice either for $ 55 or other hotels from $ 90 at once. In general, at that moment I got the impression that in the zone from $ 50 to $ 100, Bodrum is more expensive than Antalya or Marmaris.
At the bus station where our bus arrived, he showed the driver a form with the name of the hotel, he was not too lazy, went, called the hotel, found out the location and indicated the dolmush (minibus) we needed. But then another 50 meters rolled the suitcase down the side street. Heat 35 degrees, light humidity.
While rolling the suitcase , scolded his choice . There are no roads that lead to the hotel on the Internet. After 4 stars in Marmaris, where all the roads are paved,
both in the hotel and throughout the city, the sight of the patched and spat asphalt on the way to the hotel greatly spoiled the mood. We decided to rest for a couple of hours at the hotel and change it to another one, but when we entered the hotel courtyard, we realized that, in general, everything was not so bad. Pool 10 by 4, depth 2.2 - you can dive. Around the beds and pillows for lying. The hotel is homely with an eye on romance. The interior is appropriate. True, there was no TV in the room, but we did not notice this. Wooden frames! But it looked like a tribute to antiquity. There are about 20 hotels and 10 cafes along this street, as well as a Hamam with massage. The beach and promenade street are 200 meters away. The general conclusion is that the hotel is only for those who need to spend 1-2 nights. Suitable for students for a long stay. Breakfast - 1 egg, butter, cheese, tomatoes, cucumbers, tea, coffee, juice, jam. The olives seemed fermented - maybe this is the variety, but we did not eat. God forbid you get sick on the trip. The doors are cracked, you can hear the noise from the hallway. In the evening, in a nearby hotel, under our window, the Dutch were shouting songs for two hours. My netbook refused to connect to the hotel network and the receptionist at home gave me his and I sat on the Internet - it's all free.
There are restaurants all over the beach and in front of each strip of beach, sun loungers and umbrellas. You don’t have to pay, but you need to take something from them, at least a bottle of water 200 gr. For 1.5 lira ($ 0.90), which we did, and swim, relax on sunbeds, drink water.
The cultural program -
A visit to the castle with an archaeological museum is a ticket for 20 lira ($ 12) for two, but it's worth it. The castle was built by the Spaniards, the Turks conquered. The best castle on the coast of Turkey. All 5 towers and their interiors are decorated in the style of different countries - German, English, Spanish, etc. Knightly armor, ship skeletons, amphoras, weapons. A sea of pleasure.
Further - the mosque of the 18th century - the mosque in Turkish will be Mosku. Causes associations with Moscow.
The promenade along the beach street is very beautiful and unusual. Some restaurants with one veranda are open to the promenade, and the other to the sea, and as you pass you see the sea through the restaurant. Much more beautiful than the same streets of Antalya and Marma.
Evenings - restaurants on the beach - you sit, and the surf runs on your feet. Move your foot and the surf is not enough. In the dark, the walls and towers of the castle glow yellow above the lagoon, the masts of yachts sway on the water, the candles on the tables flicker, beer in ice glasses is romance. At 20.00 and at 23.30 from the walls of the castle there are muffled peals of gun salvos - the fortress marks the time and salutes us.
Have a bite.
The most inexpensive meal is a chicken kebab wrapped in pita bread, with salad and cheese, plus a plastic jar with ayran, in a cafe - 6-7 lira ($ 4)
Do not eat a cheap hamburger, sold on the promenade street at a remote counter - it costs only 2.5 lira, it seemed that the dough was underbaked and was not accepted by my stomach.
On the morning of departure, the bartender tried to woo a taxi for 80 lira ($48) to Milas airport, convincing that the Havas buses serving airports throughout Turkey only run once a day at an inconvenient time for us. But with the help of the Internet and the receptionist, we got through to Havas and found out that the Bartender is lying and Havasi go to Milas Airport every 30 minutes from the bus station, the ticket price is 20 lira ($ 12), the journey time is 40 minutes. The bus is double-decker, luxury, but there are no TVs. A taxi was called through the bartender and drove for 10 lira ($ 6) to the bus station.
The prices at Milas airport are shameless. Higher than in the city by 5-6 times. Bottle of water -200gr. 3-4$. Both the British and the Dutch were pressed. When passing through passport control, bottles of water bought in the city are taken away. Therefore, we advise you to buy food for the trip and have lunch at the airport without rushing through passport control. And then make do with nuts, biscuits and fruit taken from the city. After all, you arrive at the airport 2-3 hours before departure, and you can go through control 30 minutes before departure. In a freeshop, prices are in euros, and they sell for dollars - there is no change and they can easily not give a dollar.