From Turkey To Quarantine
And so we start our 14 day quarantine which will most likely run straight into a period of further regional lockdown given the high current COVID rates in our corner of England.
We’re a little sad that the Turkey adventure ended the way it did, with our time in Antalya cancelled and an abrupt end to our newly found social life in Side. In the final three days after making our decision to return home, we did manage one last trip to our favourite riverside eatery in Manavgat before it all shut down, and even managed a quick dip in the Med on each of the last two days.
So our last travel beer of 2020 was a couple of pints of draught Efes at Istanbul Airport and our much changed travel year is over.
Of course, it’s always nice to get home, but our wanderlust is burgeoning, rather than waning, with each adventure. So far there is absolutely nothing we dislike about long term travel; the long held dream is proving to be even more wonderful than we imagined and we look forward now to whatever our next adventures will be.
Longer term travel may not be for everyone, particularly in retirement, but for us, every element is a joy. The obvious pluses of good weather, exotic locations, wonderful sights, breathtaking scenery, new experiences, are the elements which we would all expect to enjoy, but for us, we also enjoy the more mundane challenges such as controlling the budget, travel logistics, laundry and clothing issues, learning to shop like a local.
And then, of course, there’s the food. Trying new foods and exploring different cuisines is one of our major motivations for travel; it really is that much of a pleasure. Turkey has entered our top three food destinations so far, alongside Thailand and Mexico.
In the end we managed a total of 148 days out of the country this year, and slept in 30 different beds in 27 different locations, not counting overnight flights. We sampled 23 different beers and climbed 9 mountains, and over our three trips we walked 1,054 miles at an average of 7.12 miles per day. We used 22 different types of transport and watched 10 cracking thunder storms. Among our “firsts” were kayaking, spelunking and hot air ballooning.
We all know that this year has been unique in every way, not just for globetrotters, but we now know for certain that our decision to retire and commit to extended travel was absolutely the right move for us. We are, by site name, hungry travellers. 2020, in spite of all of its horrors, has left us hungry for more. Much more.
12 Comments
normareadtalktalknet
This was quite emotional to read actually .. rest for a while (have you a choice)😆 And I’m sure you’ll be back travelling in the New Year .. with vaccinations on the horizon 2021 looks promising 🤞🏼
Phil & Michaela
Aaaahhhh😊 yes, lets hope the new year brings new opportunities and a better year for everyone 😘
Andrew Petcher
Great stuff. I would longer term travel but I would miss the grandchildren and who would look after my garden for me?
Phil & Michaela
Ah yes, house and garden is a worry, not just wanting to keep things neat but also because you don’t want the fact that the house is empty to become obvious. It’s one of the hidden costs of travelling as it’s best to pay someone you trust to keep on top of things. We did a series of posts (A-Z of travel prep) covering all of these type of things which you have to think of before you go. My grandchildren don’t live close to me unfortunately, so we actually ended up seeing them as often as we do in a normal year.
Annie and Steven Berger
What wonderful adventures you had this year. Thanks for all the posts.
Be safe.
Steve
Phil & Michaela
Thank you. We hope for plenty more next year🤞
Terrie Chrines
We know you hated to leave which shows how much you love Turkey, a favorite country of mine as well. You have seen more than anyone! I’m sure you did more than ‘sample’ beers!! A little treat coming your way. When you escape quarantine ‘our’ Turkish market in Canterbury will keep you stocked. And the take out baklava next door….hugs from Oregon.
Phil & Michaela
Well, ok, yes we had rather a lot of the beer 😁, plenty of the good wine too! Looking forward to coming out of quarantine, however, it was announced today that after this latest English lockdown Kent will be in tier 3 so there will be no pubs or restaurants to go to! Hugs to Oregon 🤗
Sue v B
So glad you are home safe. Such a great trip for you to take in this crazy year.
Hopefully 2021 will bring on more travel.
Phil & Michaela
Thanks Sue, it was an unexpected but fantastic trip. Eager to get going again as soon as we can. Stay safe.
Gilda Baxter
Welcome back to Blighty and I hope quarantine has not been too hard. We finished ours two weeks ago, it was not easy. Like yourselves we retired in order to travel long term, but 2020 has not turned out the way we had planned. But one can only hope that with a vaccine on the way things can only get better. I will be looking forward to new adventures in 2021 as I am sure you are also. Keep well.
Phil & Michaela
Thanks Gilda, day 7 of quarantine today and we have just about had enough. After so many weeks of the outdoor life it is tough being locked away in the house. We love our home but really need to get out now and stretch our legs. Anyway, one week to go 😁. Fingers crossed we can all start planning trips and travelling in 2021, stay safe.