Five Feet, Nine Inches Above Ground

Friday January 30, 2026

Yes, I’m a few days behind in journaling my journey. I’m currently perched on a mountainside outside the town of Kalkan about a half hour from Kas (Kawsh). The winds haven’t let up and the rain has been intense for the past twenty four hours and our internet connection disappeared. Happily, the electricity stayed on! On the afternoon of Friday January 30, we had some lunch after our Ephesus adventure and decided to explore more Kuşadası. It’s the off-season for a seaside resort town. I thought it wouldn’t be busy! I couldn’t have been more wrong. We parked about a kilometre from the city centre and set off on foot. I hadn’t realized the next day, Saturday, is the Muslim Holy Day and most places would be closed.

The chicken wrap was for me and the pasta for Mahmood. We shared the fries. It was all delicious and definitely hit the spot!

The sun was moving in its usually westerly trajectory and my body was making “it’s time to go home” noises. So we headed in that direction.

The secret about Bird of Paradise flowers taught to me by my late friend Gilles (may he rest in peace) is that when one bloom fades there is another one hidden in the bud casing that needs to be encouraged to come out. Double the flowers for your money! On that note, i will end this post. Until next time, dear reader.