We arrived in Turkey earlier than expected, after leaving a not-so-great workaway in Albania. Though we had planned to come to Turkey later in April for a month-long workaway in Cappadocia, we ended up arriving to the city of Kaş at the end of March. It was a long and mostly sleepless journey that started at 7pm in Vlorë, Albania, and ended the next day at 5pm in Kaş. Two flights and three buses later, we had arrived at our new workaway. We weren’t sure what we’d be doing, as we had organized the workaway just 2 weeks prior, but we were excited to begin a new journey. The position ended up being a perfect fit. We spend 3-4 hours per day helping with renovations (painting pergolas, staining wood, etc.) in preparation for the hostel + bar + restaurant’s opening. Most of our coworkers are Turkish and don’t speak English, but we’re able to have some small conversations, and we’ve even learned a bit of Turkish!

We’re now almost 2 weeks into our 3 week stay and are loving it. The location is beautiful, and Liam and I share a cute blue bungalow looking out over the sea. It’s a huge place, with 35 campsites, 10 bungalows, 3 dorms, and 2 bars (once open). The wi-fi only works in common spaces and isn’t the best, so I’ve had to spend some money on a SIM card to keep up with my English teaching. It’s a little tricky setting up my “office” in the corner of our bungalow, but it’s well worth it, as I’m still able to generate some extra income. There are some nice perks as well – every day we get free lunch, where we get to enjoy different kinds of Turkish cuisine. And last night we had a Turkish barbecue with all the staff, chowing down on kofta, grilled veggies, and chicken wings.

One of the best parts about Kaş is all of the animals. We’ve become friends with many dogs and cats – there’s Sherlock – the owner’s big Irish Setter, but also MooMoo and Chacharone (which translates to “barks a lot”), two lovable street dogs who always seem to be hanging around. There’s also Jambon, Moonclaw, and Oreo – the local cats. There seems to be a war going on between the cats and dogs, but Jambon, the smallest of the bunch, always wins.

Aside from work, we’ve also had a few opportunities to explore the area. There are many beaches nearby that we’ve been able to visit and swim in. Last week we went on a hike organized by a local Facebook group that our workaway host told us about. We trekked an hour uphill to the meetup spot, where we found 3 middle aged Turkish men who didn’t speak any English. After establishing that this was in fact the group we were supposed to join, we set off. We had no idea what to expect, aside from knowing that the hike would be 12 km and take us to a beach. Along the way, a Turkish couple joined us, and luckily, they spoke English. We were also joined by a friendly dog who escorted us the entire way.

We wound our way through valleys and fields, following the famous Lycian Way. Sometimes we’d stop at a tree to enjoy its fruit or leaves. At one point, we were sure we’d gotten lost, as we scrambled through spiky bushes along a cliff side. However, we were assured we weren’t lost, just looking for a landmark that we never seemed to find. We finally arrived at Limanağzi Beach, which is only accessible by boat or hiking. We chatted for a while with the couple about travel and Turkish politics, learning a lot about the political climate and upcoming elections. After enjoying our packed lunches of sandwiches, burek, sarma, and coffee, Liam and I took a swim in the chilly water. Every time I swim here, I’m amazed by the clear, turquoise water, and this was no exception. After our swim, we continued the hike back to Kaş, passing by some ancient Lycian tombs on the way. We made it back to the hostel that evening very tired after clocking 15 miles of walking that day.

I’m excited to explore more on our days off and in the afternoons! It’s an incredible location with lots to see and do. Kaş town is filled with many great restaurants, coffee shops, and boutiques. There are even a few ancient ruins in the mix! I could spend the whole day wandering the streets, but it’s also nice to slowly explore each nook and cranny. I love that I’ve had the opportunity to spend some time in such a beautiful area and can’t imagine that I was supposed to still be in Albania at this time. It goes to show the importance of flexibility in travel – if something isn’t a good fit, then it’s time to move on.

There are much better places out there 🙂