From our hosting place on the east coast of Chios Island, you can see Turkey perfectly fine everyday, as there is only a distance of about 20 kilometers. The two countries are connected by ferries from Chios City to the Turkish coastal town Çeşme. It has been our dream for a long time to explore this town, which is so close, for a long time. On Monday, the 17th of June, the day has finally come and we decided to use this public holiday for a day trip to Turkey.
We started in the morning from Chios by taking the ferry to Çeşme. Even though it only takes around 30 minutes to cross the sea, it feels like a real adventure as you need a Visa to enter Turkey. Also the different currency adds to the feeling of being somewhere completely else. It took us some time to withdraw cash, as all the ATMs were only in Turkish. But once we figured out how to change the language (just try all the buttons in different combinations!), our day could start!
We decided to get typical Turkish breakfast right next to the Marina, which was a great experience and not even as expensive as you might think as four of us shared a breakfast for two, which we still couldn’t finish. Afterwards we explored the town center and did some souvenir shopping. Many people from Chios travel to Turkey to do some shopping, as it is so close and way cheaper there.
And what would be a summer day without swimming? After seeing the marina, castle, main shopping street and port, we took a taxi to a nearby beach, which we had all for ourselves. Our day in Turkey ended with us having dinner (or late lunch) and taking the ferry back home to Chios. It was great to do this trip, as most of us reach the end of our projects and through this trip together we share even more experiences and good memories.
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