Burası Turkiye*

A tiring (not least because of the heat - around 34ºC) and potentially stressful but eventually successful afternoon in Didim. First at the council office where my mission was to question (and subsequently pay) a rather large council tax bill - which turned out to be correct (of course) because of some change in the law regarding registration of property with the council when moving to a new home which I didn't know about so of course didn't do last year - and which carries a fine for non payment. Hey ho. Still, it's sorted now.  My second mission was to the Tarim office (Government state vet and agricultural office), because the woofer's Rabies vaccination history has been removed from the official government data base - something I discovered yesterday thanks to Dilara, my helpful local vet, after she had tried to update his records having given him his annual jab (which he didn't like at all!!).  For both challenges I had the help of Burak who certainly made a difference especially at the Tarim office and to seal the deal I then called Dilara who the government vet knows and as soon as it was a four way conversation via speaker phone, the problem was solved  in just a few more minutes. Wow. By evening Dilara had been able to find and update the woofer's vaccination history on the official government database meaning of course, that he will be able to leave the country when we go to the UK. 

Phew. Burası Turkiye*

Anita and Dan had been kind enough to drop me off in Didim on the way to their own Turkish bureaucratic mission, but by 15.15 I was ready to go back to Akbuk before them, so after popping to the marvellous pet food shop for some woofer treats, I waited for the Dolmuş (mini bus) to take me home. While waiting and watching, I took several photos of some the many and varied 2, 3 and 4 wheel bikes that are so popular here for getting about in this mostly flat wide street town. Cheaper to run, insure, and buy - I get it, but I prefer my transport to be the traditional internal combustion engine housed in a stable metal box, thank you. I did ponder this choice on the way back however, as the dolmuş was both crowded and uncomfortable ın the heat for the full half hour + that it takes to get to Akbuk as the route embraces three different hamlets on the way. 

Finally back in Akbuk around 16,00, hot and horrid, I decided to call in the supermarket for thirst quenching items. I bought water melon, honey melon, fruit juice, cucumbers, 2 x 5 liters of spring water and a couple of beers and then wheeled them the short distance home in a supermarket trolley!  hahaha (I"ll return it tomorrow)

Finally home, hot, drenched, and very tired, I did what you have to do to get in the pool in record time and proceeded to float about until my core temperature reached a sensible number. 

One rejuvenating shower and bottle of beer later and I was ready for my 6pm video call with mbfiatw Jean, whose company and conversation rounded off the restoration of this tired body back to "normal" - whatever that is. What was left of the evening after our hour was spent staring at the TV and knitting.

.* This is Turkey