Be Kas

On a perfect sunny day in an isolated cove, the blue green seawater tempted us to leave our comfortable lounge chairs in which we'd become ensconced.

It was exactly what we had anticipated: the antidote for civilization, as Club Med jingles used to sing.

Not that we had suffered during our journeys while learning about the progression of mankind.  

No, this was not a respite from some unpleasant events, like a vacation in Germany for Syrian refugees.

Just sun, pebble beach, lounge chairs and books, with an occasional Diet Coke or snack.



As the temperature crept higher, the Siren's song of the Mediterranean Sea proved irresistible.  

Wading in without water shoes proved to be a bit more difficult than anticipated due to small rocks among the gravel poking my feet, so at the first place it seemed deep enough to float, I put on my trusty mask and snorkel and swam.

When my mask hit the water, I could see fish wiggling past, and some areas by the craggy rocks to the right were teeming with sea life, including a few of the colorful old favorites like parrotfish and tangs.

The water seemed to be churning with warm and cold currents, so while the average water temperature was probably in the low seventies, it never had that ideal feel of an overly heated swimming pool as it usually does in the Caribbean and Hawaii.

After snorkeling the length and breadth of the cove, plus a little beyond, I came back to let Julie take her turn while I reclined in the sun and read Jerry West's autobiography, which I'd found in the Azamara Journey library.

Earlier, Julie and I had reached this little piece of paradise by walking through the inviting port town of Kas and up a winding road along the Turquoise Coast.

Every now and then, we asked someone we encountered if we were heading toward Little Pebble Beach (yes, the name of the beach should have been a hint to bring water shoes), and we eventually came to a clearing from which we could see the beautiful cove below.

As we walked toward the water, a tall young Turk approached, introducing himself as Ben Affleck.

He said that if we would order lunch, we could use his waterfront lounge chairs and umbrellas free, adding, "Mama is very good cook."

I can't say that our lunch was as good as my mom's cooking, and in fact based on the age of the cook, she was more likely Ben Affleck's wife (though she bore no resemblance to his ex-wife Jennifer Garner) than mother, but the meal was very reasonably priced and filling.

Before lunch, Ben Affleck demonstrated the proper method for entering the water, taking off his shirt and doing a racer's dive past the shoreline shallows.

Apparently, he just needed to cool off, a Mediterranean version of walking to the water cooler at the office, because he soon resurfaced and headed back to shore.

Wes At the Port of Kaz, Where Charter Trips Abound

While we enjoyed a wonderful day, we couldn't help feeling a tinge of regret about not visiting the sunken city ruins of Simena, a snorkel site for which excursions were available both on board and once on shore.

The prices hawked by yacht captains filling six to eight slots proved to be lower than the official Azamara excursions, but there's always the possibility of a mechanical problem or some other issue delaying return to the ship before she sails, which felt too risky.

We would be in port until 10 PM, so we could have found a table at one of the lovely restaurants or, better yet, taken advantage of Azamara's Cruise Global, Eat Local program, in which they recommend locally beloved restaurants like those you might choose for friends visiting your home town.

Julie and I, however, take advantage of the gourmet meals on our cruise ship whenever possible.

After dinner, Azamara's White Night gala kicked off by the swimming pool, with what looked like an outstanding Mediterranean buffet (we were already sated from our fantastic dining room experience) and live entertainment.

With the beautiful lights of Kas as a backdrop and the ship decorated with white ornaments, it felt like some idealized party on a Greek tycoon's yacht, though of course we were off the Turquoise Coast of Turkey rather than a Greek Isle.

For White Night, everyone was encouraged to wear white, but as odd as it seems on a cruise in the Med, I had failed to bring a white shirt, much less white pants.

Waiting for Lunch at Ben Aflfeck's  Modeslty-Priced Bistro

Feeling out of place in my black Hawaiian shirt, I slipped down to the room and donned my off-white jacket, which I zipped to the collar.  It looked odd, but the night proved cool enough for it to work.  (Sorry, no photos.)

Julie and I danced in a corner of the sports deck above the main festivities, and then we finally went down to party central.

On our way, we saw our friends Joanne and Stan, who joined us on the dance floor.

French Fries Taste Like Home in an Exotic Port

On this night, Julie was ready to turn in early, so we bid our farewells, saying we'd see them in Rhodes the next day, while the party continued deeper into the night.

If you're someone who lives to dance, perhaps you would be willing to sleep all day to make it possible to dance all night, and that is why each cruise experience should be unique to the individual taking it.


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