Dragonfly, our reliable Yacht, picking us up in Cyprus
It is amazing how quickly three weeks pass by on sea. We just said hello to the Dragonfly on 29 July in Cyprus, climbed the following day Softa Castle and discovered the giant plastic banana green houses in the flat lands. Today, three week later, we bid farewell to the crew below the walls of Saint Peter's Castle which the Maltese Knights built with stones from the Mausoleum. The first leg of the voyage following Saint Paul's footsteps is over.
Parallel Parking in Bodrum Harbor with 50 cm Space on each Side
Despite having sailed this route already in 2018, albeit in the opposite direction, we made many new discoveries. The more leisurely pace paid off. What we did in two weeks on our first trip, we now did in three. We had time for breaks and more flexibility. The one thing we failed to do was sailing. After a stormy first day, there was no wind. Eventually we got lucky in the third week - we hoisted our sails near Loryma.
Sails are up - finally - we waited for 2 weeks!
There are many impressions which we take home from this trip:
The importance of the sea lanes between Cyprus and Anatolia. During Roman times they were of high strategic value. Every year at least 2’000 ships passed by - hauling grain from Egypt and bringing Asian luxury goods to Rome. Every day, the sea was filled with sails. Probably 25% of Rome’s GDP travelled through these straights. The trade generated half of the empire’s tax revenues. Rome’s Legions depended on it. No wonder many emperors invested in the route’s infrastructure. Light houses, moles, granaries and agoras (market places) were built by successive rulers. The coast was dotted with harbors to provide shelter.
These Marshes were once Andriake's Port which had a capacity of 200 large ships
The wind conditions are tricky even today. We were far less aware of the challenge in 2018 when we had the wind in our back. Sailing east to west as Roman ships did 2’000 years ago was eye opening. Sea and land breezes are often subject to local conditions, coastal mountains and islands distort the flow and the direction of air - northerly winds from the Aegean often break through and mix everything up. Add to this the hours of lull and you can see the challenge. The captains in ancient times must have been very skilled navigators.
Dragonfly in choppy Waters on her way to
Girne in Northern Cyprus
The terrible interruption of these 1’000-year-old trade patterns by the Byzantine – Arab wars (630 – 950). It must have come as a tremendous shock to the people. Not only did they lose their income and livelihood, their towns became a front line. We climbed many hastily erected fortresses this summer. Softa Castle, Selinus Castle & the Kaunas Acropolis are good examples. They were built with whatever stones were available – always in inaccessible places. What a change to the open and welcoming town plans we saw in Phaselis, Patara and Kaunos!
Softa Castle Near Anemurium was a quickly built Byzantine, 7th Century Castle
Turkish people suffer from their country’s hyperinflation. Many told us not to believe the official numbers (80%) since true inflation was at 150%. The people adopted a dual currencies regime and prefer to get paid in EUR and USD. Even the ticket offices quote prices in foreign currency. The result of ever climbing prices is visible. Hotels are not full, there are plenty of empty deck chairs on the beaches, it is easy to get a booking in a restaurant. The Turkish president and his party are not popular in this part of the country. Everybody holds him accountable for the economic disaster.
Anatolia's South Coast is firmly in the Hands of the Turkish Opposition
Türkiye’s tourist boom may not last. In my view, the hospitality industry reached a ceiling. The Turkish Riviera we see in marketing photos is not what it once was. You may overnight in a beautiful bay with a few other Goulets. By 11 am the next day however, there will be fifty. Many of them blaring pop music - day time party boats. The noise ruins the serenity. Their waste the once beautiful waters. For the first time we had to watch where we were swimming. Why spending considerable sums of money on a boat when the exceptional beauty of the Turkish Riviera is gone?
There are no empty Spaces in Bodrum's Yacht Harbor - it is packed full
We learned during our trip also how much of Saint Paul’s voyage is actually a Roman story. He travelled on a Roman ship from Caesarea to Myra, both important Roman ports. His vessel was on the way to the Aegean and stopped frequently for trading - it was part of the large Roman trading network that supported the empire's division of labour..
Paul travelled in custody of a Centurion called Julius. But he was trusted and could go on shore to visit friends and followers. He benefitted from Rome's legal system. I doubt that any Roman believed that Paul was guilty. The Roman officials wanted him simply out of Palestine. In 60 AD, Roman – Jewish relations were already very strained – a powder keg which would blow up six years later. Without Roman Law, Saint Paul could never have insisted on being tried in the imperial capital.
Anchoring the Dragonfly on the Rocks near Knidos for Lunch Break
In Myra, Paul embarked on an Alexandrian grain ship together with 246 fellow travellers - also on their way to Rome. He was not the only person who had business in Rome. I guess many went to Rome in official mission. Others for commercial reasons. 246 passengers is quite a crowd on a 30 meters long, 300 ton sail ship. It is 20 times more people than we were on Dragonfly. Everybody travelled on deck. There were no cabins or AC below!
Our journey will continue next year from Rhodes to Crete and then to the Peloponnese. Saint Paul did not visit the Peloponnese - his Egyptian grain ship got blown off course south of Crete. 2 weeks later it shipwrecked in Malta. We will replace this rather "stormy" leg with the north coast of Crete and then west coast of the Peloponnese.
Once you are here you know the trip is over - but the end of something beautiful is always the beginning of a new adventure - the story continues in 2025
For the next 3 1/2 months, the blog will now go into hibernation. I will resume writing in December 2024 under the letter I. Thank you for following my blog and see you soon again.
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