Additional Turkey Gravy

Here's more information that you don't wanna know:

Another feature about Patara - GIANT BUGS. Bumble bees as big around as your thumb, prehistoric-sized dragonflies, very large green flies, economy-sized crickets (6 inches long, people) and swarms of misquitoes. But really, it's such a nice place even with all those critters. Remember, there are quite a few turtles here.

No Americans! The last two I met were in Olimpos many, many days ago. One was from Maine, the other from Oregon. They were quite young and not very entertaining. In Patara, the foreigner breakdown is about 60% British, 30% German, 10% others - like me, the Dutch and the French. I hate to say it, but I believe that Americans are still afraid of traveling to Muslim countries - and this has nothing to do with Midnight Express. Of course, back in the eighties, that movie alone reduced Turkey's tourism revenue by 30%. Or so I was told.

Gas is horrendously expensıve here - 8 bucks a gallon, I kid you not. I'm glad I'm not driving! As a result, everybody has scooters, motorcycles or mopeds. They all tear around without helmets. Women ride sideways. Sometimes whole families ride together, lıke four-decker sandwiches. Although they ride crazy, I have yet to see an accident.