The previous evening I had made arrangements to join a group coming from Kas to kayak out to and over the ruins on the island of Kekova. It took a fair while to get the boats and people organised and I was glad to have a single seater for the day once we got going. The paddling was great out to the island with very pleasant and still conditions.
The Americans I had met the night before headed off for 3-4 days to paddle to Kas.
Arriving at the island we were given the chance to wander some of the ruins on land and swim over some over the ruins in the small bay. It was a great reward after the paddle over.
Some of the ruins on the island of Kekova.
Some ruins beneath the water surrounding Kekova.
The Olympus Tough seemed to stop working as an underwater camera
after this and needed to dry out.
After the quick break walking and swimming over ruins we headed back out in the boats to paddle over the protected ruins further along the island. As you paddle you see many remaining structures situated on the hillsides and stretching down into the water. There are dwellings, churches, roman baths and port areas. The inhabitants clearly valued whatever rainfall they could harvest with gutters and storage areas carved from the rock walls in some areas and several channels through the hillside.
We stopped to look at the ruins long the way.
It is a protected area and you are not permitted to SCUBA dive, swim or stop for long even in kayaks. We paddled on and back across the bay to Kalekoy (Simena) which is a small village located around the Byzantine castle ruins and Lycian necropolis. This was our lunch stop and another opportunity to explore the ruins, swim or relax.
Sarcophagus in the shallows of Kalekoy (Simena)
After my recent visits to ruins along the way over the previous days I decided I was 'ruined' and I would take up the option to relax. During lunch I had met a few Australians in the group and we talked about our travels. The couple had been going for 6 or 7 months already and were planning for around another 6months of travel. It seemed almost as though they had random flights from place to place although they assured me that they were cheaper flights the way they were going. It sounded like they were seeing so much.
Another Australian (actually a Kiwi) sounded like she was in a similar position to me being of no fixed abode, without employment and not 100% certain of where she was going, when she was getting there or when she might be finishing.
Since I had come from the east and was heading west where they had been we were able to share a few recommendations for what lay ahead.
After lunch we headed back through the shallow islands to Ucagiz.
And past the sarcophagi at the village of Ucagiz.
The day spent paddling was a great way to see some of the sunken ruins on Kekova and experience the wonderful waters around Ucagiz and Kalekoy. It was a very enjoyable day.
I decided not to spoil the day by going to another town to get cash and decided instead to relax by the docks, work on this website and enjoy the afternoon and fading sun.