Taşucu – 14th to 15th October
Weather: Sunny. Temperature: High 37,37 degrees
Taşucu is a small coastal town with a population of around 10000 and like so many places in Turkey it has a long history. Originally named Holmi when in the occupation of the Greeks in the 7th century BC. In the 4th century BC it was captured by Seleukos I, who moved its population to Seleukeia (Silifke). In the 1st century BC it was in the hands of the Romans and then came the Byzantine Empire, Arab Muslims, Seljuks and the Ottoman Empire. Its economy depends on tourism, fishing and agriculture where orange, tangerine, lemon and strawberry are the most grown.
I had intended to stay for just a single night but the ferry to Cyprus was not available on Mondays so I had to stay another night. The hotel Iskele was very comfortable and the staff were an absolute delight and advised me where to book the ferry. The offices of the ferry company, Akgunler Denizcilik, were in the centre of the town and when booking I was told to report to these offices at 9.00 pm tomorrow.
Later on that first day in Taşucu I wandered into town from the hotel. The sun was just beginning to set as I passed a small fleet of sail ships, tourist boats, now anchored in the harbour at the end of the holiday season, with their masts silhouetted against the golden sky. It was a beautiful sunset as I continued to stroll into town in search of an evening meal. This was my last night in Turkey and this glorious sunset was a fitting farewell to what had been such an extraordinary and beautiful journey.
The following evening I made my way to the ferry boat offices. As I approached, I could see that it was already crowded. There were people everywhere, standing, sitting, and pacing. Some were families with small children, while others were groups of young men. But one person stood out from the crowd.She was a woman sitting on a bench. She was wearing blue denim jeans that were turned up to reveal her ankle-length brown Chukka boots. Over the jeans, she wore a dress in shades of white, green, and brown. The dress was full of colour and movement, and it seemed to dance around her as she sat.Over the dress, she wore a long, open shift dress in a single shade of pastel green. Her hair was short and brown, and her face was tanned and clear. She had sharp features and a bright smile.I couldn’t help but notice her. She was so different from everyone else. She seemed to be full of life and energy, and I wondered where she was going, and what her story was.
A few passengers including the woman on the bench had opted to take a taxi which departed just before the bus arrived. It was a short twenty minute drive to the terminal and after passing through minimal custom formalities we were directed to the quayside and waited for directions to board. Whilst waiting I met a young French walker and a young English woman who was travelling to Cyprus to take up a nannies job in Larnaca. We boarded at 10.30 pm but due to loading issues the ferry did not depart until 2.30 pm
It had been a long day and I was looking forward to finding a place to rest for the six hour journey ahead. It had been very windy during the day and I was expecting a rough crossing but thankfully the wind had dropped and the seas had calmed as the ferry left Taşucu for Kyrennia and for what was going to be, my very first visit to Cyprus.
