The Other Side of Turkey

01.06.2013
So here we are near Manavgat on the Mediterranean.
The camp is basic but on the beach.....and next to a brand new monolithic hotel of chrome  and glass that only opened 4 days ago. It is stunning and we are separated by an impassable ditch. They gaze down on us ,enviously , from their penthouse balconies. Anyone lying on the beach massage tables looks directly into our chemical waste facility which is more basic than most......I never had any illusions regarding the sanitary facilities at Turkish campsites and have not been unduly surprised . We can be self contained if necessary and last night showered chez nous again.We can always rely on Malc to find water and hosepipies to replenish supplies and have plenty of purification tabs. The worst problem is electricity ....hook up points are scarce and we always need splitters and whilst amperage seems OK , voltage invariably drops which means fridges either hardly work or switch to gas. Having refillable LPG tanks is a godsend as every fuel station sells LPG and some ONLY sell LPG so I don't have a problem but those with fixed systems get twitchy about how much more gas they are using than they had anticipated.....and in this heat, large absorption fridges use a lot of gas.
Group dynamics are changing.........ONBF are not any longer. We still travel together but only because Their New Best Friends, Richard & Monica leave very early to beat the worst heat of the day as they don't have an  aircon  cab. Monica is nice but Richard maybe the most boring man alive with a wealth of farming statistics to hand which he shares liberally. Anyway, they have all become very pally and sit together whilst we always seek out Ken/Jackie/Malc/Christine... or kjmc who are much more fun and don't have 3 dry days a week.. so a group of 8, us kjmc and pat & Alan (our leaders) appear to be the noisy drinking group who are now congregating regularly....
Today was a free day and we are close to Side, which is big in the Roman ruins department and all 20 wanted to go visit. There are 2 caravans so the 2 cars would take 4 people - Bryan & Gill only talk to Bob & Maggie so thats one car, and Sue & Geoff avoided our gaze and Richard muttered that they had a lift.....point taken. So the remaining 12 hired a minibus at 180 lira to take us in at 09.00. There was then a heated debate about a return time and in the end it was agreed that we would get taxis ourselves in groups of 4 at estimated 80-100 lira a car. However, this morning when the minibus dropped us at the town centre he offered to take us all back at 14.00 for 120 lira.... As this was 20 lira a couple rather than 40-50 lira , group pressure was brought to bear to take the offer.
Side is two places. Fantastically preserved amphitheatre and ruins surrounded by All Day English Breakfasts , Champions League Sky Football
and wall to wall tourist crap and hustlers. Great beaches with obligatory 10,000 sun loungers and monster hotels. So different from the Turkey we have seen. Hope this  is not a foretaste of the second half.