There is a progression of morning light that hypnotizes and draws us out each day. Venus’ dusky rose belt sits on the horizon separating the distinctive shades of blue worn by sea and sky and encased in the island shadows. Are Apollo’s steeds prancing, ready to race across the sky, red flames sparked by their restless hooves? A crimson glow seems to indicate their entrance is nigh and once released their brightness illuminates our world. Mysterious shadows metamorphose to islands, olive green and brown.
Sailing upon the azure sea, sails billowing in the wind, is a dream come true. We are spoiled, we know. Each day the crew “hits the rigging” releasing our wings to fly through the waves. We rest. We watch. We photograph. We imagine. What is there beneath our feet, hidden from our view? Ancient sailors came this way, merchants and explorers too, riding the winds and the anticlockwise currents from here to there and home again. Tales tell the sagas of their adventuring. But for those who were unfortunate, whose vessels slipped beneath the waves to find a watery grave, a legacy remains. Each new discovery buried in the sediments below helps us understand a little more of the distant past. Bodrum’s castle stands as strong as when it was built by the Knights of St. John five hundred years ago. Its treasures now are archaeological in nature. Delicate, colorful glassware glows in light not seen for a thousand years or so. Copper ingots, amphoras and more rose with the excavations of an ancient ship known as Ulu Burun. Through these artifacts we build a picture of the former inhabitants of the region.
The day went out much the same as it came in, with a belt of dusky rose encircling our world and island lights twinkling like the stars above. Traditional Turkish foods satisfied our gastronomical needs and the crew revealed their hidden talents as sea shanties echoed across the waters.
