Entering Turkey at Marmaris....

I took the one-hour catamaran from Rhodes to Marmaris yesterday afternoon and paid the 15 Euro required by the Turkish government to get a Visa for a US citizen.   They make the Aussies pay 45 Euro for the very same Visa.  I'm staying at the Hotel Dost which is about  a 10 minute walk from the beachfront.   Today, I bought a bus ticket up to Selcuk and reserved a room in a hotel up that there had been recommended by a fellow traveler.   Marmaris is a very picturesque seaside town whose open bay is surrounded by tall mountains.  There's a very long quay wall which is used as a dock by dozens of huge private yachts as well as by over a hundred large boats offering fishing, diving and sight-seeing expeditions to the tourists.   Most of them offer pretty much the same stuff and they all have their best English-speaking employees out in front to encourage the visitors to sign up for a one day (or shorter) cruise to the nearby islands.    On the other side of the walkway by the boats is an equally long stretch of bars and restaurants....all with very comfortable open seating....offering traditional and not-so-traditional food and libation.  Behind them, of course, are the stores and shops on the many streets and alleyways of Marmaris that sell everything imaginable.  The entire area along the waterfront here is exciting, alive and full of energy.  Very clean, uncluttered and welcoming.   I signed up for a 3-hour cruise over to a few coves around one of the islands and hooked up with several groups of Americans who were off of  one of the visiting cruise ships.   Very cool and, when the boat anchored, most of us jumped in the cool waters of the sapphire-colored Aegean.   Several observations:   Along the waterfront, there are more than a few kiosks that sell waffles, ice cream and, surprisingly, baked potatoes!    Most dishes both here and in Greece are often served with French fried potatoes. An interesting grouping of food.   Like they do in Greece, all of the rooftops have lots of the familiar stainless-steel cylinders of water along with, of course, the requisite solar panels used to heat the water.   There are very few trash barrels available, and, unfortunately, they charge you $$ to use any public rest room.   The toilets are often equipped with a dual mechanism that controls the amount of water being flushed.  Obviously, #2 gets more water than #1.   Off to see Ephesus tomorrow morning....