We drove from İzmir to Bodrum and left the car at Gerenkuyu Beach in Yalıçiftlik. At 30 lira a day, it was the cheapest parking we could find. We could only hope the car would still be in one piece when we returned. (It was.)
There was no jetty for carrying our luggage to the tender, but the concrete slipway at the back of the bay was suitable. The bay lies between Club Med and Kempinski.
Berfin and Günsu had arrived the day before and were there to meet us. After the heat of the road, diving into the sea felt wonderful. The current was stronger than I had expected.
We set off at once. Pabuç Burnu looked crowded, so we continued to Orak Island. It was a magnificent place, with a sandy seabed, cold currents rising from below and fish that refused to be caught. A shallow rocky patch lay in the middle.
We all swam with our masks for an hour. The water was crystal-clear, and this was where we saw the greatest variety of fish.
Once the day boats had gone, the bay was ours. We moored stern-to beside the other boats. At first I was annoyed by a dive boat that settled very close to us, but they were quiet afterwards.
Thanks to Berfin, dinner was a feast. The evening was beautiful, with only a gentle breeze.
During our nighttime game of Americano, Gökhan beat every one of us. I became a rather bad loser and brought the game to an end.