Tag Archives: earthquake

Day 310 – I sink your … city?!

Looking back towards the harbour

Looking back towards the harbour

All chores were done, the application sent – it was time to get back to that old travelling business. Nina was still supremely keen on visiting the sunken city of Simena. We could book a tour from here, but the guide book said that it is easier and cheaper to negotiate directly with the boat captains at the pier in Üçağız. We packed our stuff right after breakfast and were there before 10 am.

Negotiations went smooth and we quickly found a boat at a price that we were happy with. This year, due to lack of tourists, the locals had only licenced the larger boats, ignoring all the little ones. That meant the smallest boat we could hire was still huge, good for 8-10 people, but we had it all to ourselves. We did not bring swimming gear, and we did not really want to do much but see the ruins anyway, so we booked the “classic” tour: Sunken City, Kaleköy and back before lunch.

The first foundations visible under water

The first foundations visible under water

Now what’s the deal with the sunken city? Well, this was the site of the Lycian city of Simena, which got destroyed and submerged in the 2nd century AD. The ground sank about 6m, so a lot of the coastal buildings are now just below the surface along the new shoreline. Add to that the brilliantly clear water in the area and it makes for a pretty cool experience.

The other stop was in the hamlet of Kaleköy, where we had an hour to explore. The modern name is a remark on the Crusader fortress crowning the little island. Adding to the charm is the fact that it was build in the middle of the ancient Lycian necropolis of Simena, which was also partly submerged. Thus, we got a beautifully illuminated coastal village, with ancient sites and a fortress all in once. To celebrate, we went to one of the restaurants lining the shore and got ourselves a nice home-made ice cream.

Mediterranean-style lunch in our tent

Mediterranean-style lunch in our tent

I enjoyed the ride back along quiet country lanes. We picked up supplies for a beautiful little lunch and spread out in front of our tent to enjoy. With our to-dos sorted, the rest of the day was pleasantly filled with a mix of swimming, blogging and just generally enjoying life. To top it of, we went out that night to have another round of excellent pide in another Lonely Planet recommended restaurant.

 

 

 

 

Earthquakes

Hey guys,

just a short update for everyone who is not on facebook. Wellington has been struck by a couple of earthquakes but so far has gotten through it ‘very well’.

The biggest and scariest one occurred on Sunday evening at 5.09 and it had a magnitude of 6.8.

Flo and I are fine, we both were home when it struck. I had quite a panic attack with everything around me shaking but to be honest, nothing even fell down. So we’re fine. My nerves are not the best at the moment as the earth keeps shaking. It shook throughout the whole of Sunday, most of the night to Monday and it still continues.

To check on updates: www.geonet.co.nz.

The earthquakes are all centered in the Cook Strait, not far of Wellington. Basically everything that says ‘around Seddon’ will be felt here.

Today, the Central Business District is closed as the highrises and the office buildings will be checked for damage by engineers. Flo has been told to work from home as the Fujitsu tower has not completed all checks yet. I also got a txt with the info to stay home today and not risk it.

The earthquakes did not follow the usual pattern of big earthquake and lesser aftershocks so there is a chance of another big one hitting the city in the next time.