Alacati, Turkey

I love my travel mates but after 10 months together, every day and every night we all decided I should go somewhere without them. I planned to turn the day trip to Turkey into a three day coastal exploration. That all changed when I learned that Alacati, Turkey specialized in learning to windsurf and kiteboard. Plus it was on a beautiful peninsula and near a cute town.

I knew I was in for fun the first morning while waiting for breakfast in the outdoor bar/restaurant. I was lounging on stacks of oversized bean bags, listening to sheep bells, overlooking a pretty bay and an outdoor dance floor with a disco ball.

The Alacati beach is dominated by beginner and intermediate windsurfers. It’s flat water conditions with hip high water out almost a kilometer from the beach. There were Turks, Europeans and Australians. All either babbling from a great session high or sitting around surly waiting for wind.

The kiting beach was across the bay, keeping us dangerous traitors away from the pure people learning to windsurf. It was a bit of a scene with beginners knocking kites and macho locals showing off. This provided motivation to learn how to get and stay upwind.

Eight days later, I learned all of the skills needed to kite in most places. This has been an elusive goal of mine for two years. I had five windy days to have fun on the board and a few low wind days to sight see.

Back with my travelmates, we are ready to power on. Heading west to Greece.