▲Bodrum’s reputation as one of the most important hubs of nautical activities in Turkey is getting a boost. Dr. J. Ballard, who located the wreck of the Titanic arrived here with his ship E/V Nautilus, shown in the inset, reportedly to establish a base of operations in Port Bodrum Yalikavak. Equipped with two Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) named Argus and Hercules that can locate and investigate underwater objects such as shipwrecks, Nautilus is an invaluable platform for nautical archaeology since the underwater research capabilities of this integrated system far exceed human limitations of dive depth and endurance, not to mention the ever-present danger of decompression ‘bends’. The team has already mapped a Byzantine-era wreck at the entrance to Yalikavak bay resting at a depth of 82 meters. The grapevine also has it that there is a project in the works (that includes Nautilus) where Port Yalikavak is slated to become the home of a nautical museum aimed at attracting youngsters to maritime professions.
▼To what lengths can bureaucrats go to spoil a party, and make Bodrum the laughingstock of the world? Responding to a complaint from the Turkish Dance Federation the local authorities sent a Gendarmerie team to prevent a Latin Dance party/contest from taking place in a local hotel because the organizers did not get permission for the event from the Federation making the complaint!! Can you believe it? A permit to dance?! Well, bureaucrats responsible for this fiasco must be searching for a place to hide since the reaction in the Turkish press has been scathing, especially the roaring satire of Mr. Selahattin Duman in the daily Vatan who suggests that, based on this example, schoolchildren wanting to play football ought to get playing permission from the Turkish Football Federation! “Nuff said…
☻At the end of the season some local hotels honored the loyalty of those of their customers who have continued to come every year for 10 to 15 years! One such hotel was Miray in Yalikavak where four British couples were presented awards of recognition by Yalikavak’s mayor. Another example of loyalty was given by the last local governor (kaymakam) Mr. Abdullah Kalkan. Before his departure Mr. Kalkan fiercely criticized the greed-driven overbuilding of the peninsula that is turning the area into a “cemetery of dwellings” violating building codes, showing his deep care for the place. Furthermore, even while leaving he obtained sponsorship for the publication of a high quality book depicting Bodrum, a book intended for those who can bring more and finer visitors.