Surprise!

Today I went into one of the music stores in town to do some research on how much a clarinet would cost. While waiting to see the instrument a Asian looking guy who was paying for something at the counter next to me and we started talking. We were joking about needing to live on noodles after purchasing expensive instruments and I told him that this clarinet was not even coming close to my shamisen.
He stared at me for a second and then startled me with saying "you play the shamisen? So do I." It turned out he's Japanese and has some kind of shamisen, but the skin has been peeling of and he hasn't played it for the last year.
By then I got the clarinet and needed to focus on the purchase. I walked out as a proud owner of a new Yamaha clarinet and with a new friend.
We went over to the park by our church and sat down on a bench and continued talking. He told me he moved over to Sweden from Japan with his parents a couple of years ago, when his father was offered work. When his parents moved back he decided to stay, because he had all his friends in Sweden and wanted to continue living here.

I showed him some photos and videos from this years trip to Japan and the bachido gathering. It was funny to realize I knew more about shamisen and the culture around it than he did. We talked for almost an hour and I got his business card. I invited him to Bachido, so I hope he'll find his way there!
Yet another shamisen player, in the town that I live in. What a total surprise! Life sure goes in mysterious ways!
A little chat in a music store with a stranger. I'm happy I'm not of the shy type. :P 

Hiking adventures

Because of cloudy weather our planned cable car trip was cancelled. We quickly decided to use this to our advantage and started out on an adventure into the woods around Kemer. With the help of a lousy map and our excellent orientation skills we found our way to the starting point for our excursion.
It was a perilous hike, with mountains to climb, trees to force our way over, slippery gravel and small stones on our path! We had to use all our survival skills to keep pushing through the forest and up the hill!
We found a little cliff to climb, and a path taking us out to one of the most beautiful views I've had so far on this trip!
Sofia went courageous at one point and started out a new path through the bushes instead of cheating like me an walk on the already cleared way. After a small somersault into one of the bushes she decided to join me again.
The forests were showing their lush and green face, with many flowers budding and spreading their delicious smells keeping the spirits high on our way.
The food, sneakily stolen from the hotel restaurant, made a good snack when we sat down on the top and enjoyed the views.
When we finally made it back, after almost 6 hours of walking, the pool, the sauna and a couple of beers was the perfect end on a good day.
Here's some pics to enjoy:

Orange flowers.

At the forest entrance.

The difficult and perilous path.

Completely smooth and red coat on the tree.

Dead tree, full of life

More life

A cliff to climb!

Challenging climb

Made it!

Climbing trees, like a monkey

Just hangin'

They smell wonderful!

Beautiful views!

At the top!

Ferdinand?

Tiny, tiny, very blue flowers.

A prehistorical animal, frozen in time?

Is it a dino-rabbit?

We were up there!

Well deserved beer!

In the sun

Today is the official food market day in Kemer. Just outside our hotel. The space I thought was a parking lot with roofs of corrugated steel turned into a simmering market place with everything you could ask for! Fresh vegetables, cheese, sausages, spices, nuts, fish, dried fruit and also cooking utilities and other things you might need for taking care of your home. Got to see the locals, wander around and enjoy the different smells and sounds and quickly learning that you wont be walking around undisturbed for long. 

I'm definitely used to or comfortable with being approached by people all the time, constantly trying to sell things to you. I really wanted to look at some of their foods and spices, but being pushed into looking at stuff all the time just brings me out of mood. So we ended up buying nuts and fruits from one of the few females on the market, the only one who didn't try to force them upon us. 

We also got our hands on some good spices, which I look forward to taste when Sofia cooks for me next time, and I found some awesome hibiscus tea! 

I practiced my haggling skills and was probably duped, as should be. 

After 30 min we hastily made it out of the market place, happy with our findings, desperately in need for some privacy and ready for some more calming activities. 

 

Backpack packed with water and the newly achieved nuts and berries, we went on our way to explore the rest of the beach, that we didn't visit yesterday. 

Since I haven't fully recovered from my chest infection we figured it was better to take it easy another day to let the antibiotics have their full effect. 

Venturing down one of the more boring streets of town we recognized the pleasure of visiting this town in low season. Many of the hotels are still not opened so the place isn't to crowded. We ended up quite far down the beach and enjoyed the sun, the smells and sounds of the sea and the sights. 

After starting the walk back along the beach we concluded that a beach filled with rounded stones of various sizes really gives you a good work out. 

 

The turkish coffee at one of the restaurants by the see felt like a well deserved treat, and hadn't it been for the slightly piercing wind I would've been happy staying there for the rest of the day. 

 

Market day!

Spice up your life!

The nutty girl.

Low season

Not to cold

Apparently Amsterdam is a part of Turkey.

Turkish coffee in the sun.

Figs

Turkish delight = viagra? I did not know that!