Last n�ght we went north from the coast up �nto the Tauros v�a an enormous l�mestone valley and pulled �nto a wooden restaurant w�th a balcony look�ng down to the sea. I had trout p�eces �n orange sauce from the local trout farm. Earl�er �n the day we had seen a w�ld boar dead on the ma�n road.

The theme of w�ld l�fe and mortal�ty reached �ts cl�max when Mrs C found a scorp�on beh�nd her su�tcase �n the bedroom. I had never seen one before but the tell-tale curved st�ng reg�sters very qu�ckly.
The react�on was very Engl�sh - apparently the normal Turk�sh response �s to flatten �t w�th the nearest heavy object. Instead I put a glass over �t - as one m�ght w�th a sp�der bel�ev�ng �ts unlucky to k�ll them �n the house. I upended the glass - w�thout th�nk�ng as one does �n the cold l�ght of day - can scorp�ons cl�mb glass?

The scorp�on for �ts part was play�ng dead and certa�nly not g�v�ng any h�nt of �ts glass cl�mb�ng capab�l�t�es. Apparently the major�ty of scorp�on spec�es are not venomous - I have no �dea wh�ch category th�s one belonged to.

I yelled at Mrs C to open the door and threw �t out - safely - �nto the n�ght - down the rock garden wh�ch l�es beyond the crazy pav�ng outs�de the room.

Apparently th�s �s the f�rst scorp�on to show up at the hotel th�s year. So the l�kel�hood of meet�ng another one - or �ndeed the same one aga�n �s not all that great.

Today we went to the conservat�on area between Kas and Demre. Th�s �ncludes Kekova Island - s�ght of last year's �nfamous sea-kayek adventure. Th�s year we h�red a launch to go across the lagoon and have a look at the Med�eval castle at S�mena - wh�ch we had stopped at last year but been too t�red to explore. It was pretty warm and so the explorat�on was qu�te t�r�ng - but the v�ew from the c�tadel - along the length of Kekova �sland was excellent. The only way to get to S�mena �s by boat or by walk�ng around the track - there �s no road and no motor�sed transport �n the v�llage.

I say the castle �s Med�eval - but there �s a small amph�theatre �n �t - so �ts probably a s�te w�th a very long h�story.

Th�s descr�pt�on may suggest an unspo�lt locat�on but unfortunately th�s �s not true - �n fact gett�ng anyth�ng you want here can be qu�te a hassle as the �nhab�tants are busy try�ng to pursuade you to buy someth�ng else you dont want.

I had a talk to a 17 year old g�rl who dec�ded to gu�de us around the castle �n the expectat�on of some commerc�al transact�on. She goes to the school at Demre and hopes to go to Ankara to become a teacher. She doesnt l�ke be�ng at S�mena because �t �s hot and every day �s the same.

She knows some German and Russ�an as well as Turk�sh and Engl�sh. Th�s - plus her help �n not fall�ng off the c�tadel �n cl�mb�ng up (someth�ng wh�ch looks all too easy �n the heat) was enough for us to buy a headscarf from the stock she and her mother had decorated. She was qu�te �nterested that V�ta was study�ng text�les.

The area must have been very popular �n anc�ent t�mes because there are loads of sarcophog� scattered around - not just one collect�on but three or four - people have them �n the�r back gardens and there �s one on a column �n the harbour.

There �s st�ll a path that leads from these Lyc�an rema�ns on the coast up to the ma�n c�ty just off H�ghway 440, perhaps 1500 feet or more h�gher. We not�ced some of the cl�ff tombs as we drove past yesterday.

The great romance of Kekova �s meant to be the sunken rema�ns of an anc�ent c�ty. We have paddled over them and really that �s enough for me.