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Welcome to Get Sleepy, where we listen, we relax, and we get sleepy.
My name's Thomas, and it is my honor to be your host.
Our story tonight is the first episode in a three-part series that takes place on a sailboat cruise in Turkey, the country formerly known as Turkey until a recent alteration of its name.
I invite you to join me in following a character named Mattie as she cruises around the famed Aegean Sea.
We'll be releasing parts 2 and 3 over the next couple of weeks, but you can listen to the episodes in any order you like.
We won't leave you with any cliffhangers, and all the stories can stand alone.
They were all written by Leila, and I'll be reading them for you.
Before we set off to the shores of the Aegean, let's wind down from the day and welcome in the peace and comfort of our nightly rest.
Make yourself nice and comfortable, lying on your back if it suits you right now.
Take a deep breath in, filling up your lungs and just hold at the top.
Then exhale gently and feel the way your body sinks into the bed.
For the next few moments.
As you lie comfortably in bed, Try placing one hand flat on your stomach and the other on your chest.
Feel the rise and fall of the breath as it moves in And out of your lungs.
And invite a sense of calm to enter your body with each breath.
It may help to visualize this calming essence as a warming glow, a peaceful energy that surrounds your body.
With each deep breath in, you absorb more of that calming energy.
And as you breathe back out, you release tension and unease. whether it's physical or mental.
This essence of warmth and peace fills you more and more as you continue to breathing calm.
And exhale, tension.
Sense it permeating every cell of your body.
And feel that warmth in your chest and stomach. where your hands are comfortably resting.
In this restful haven that is your own, you are safe, comfortable and calm.
Now, as you continue to allow yourself to unwind and rest, let's join Mattie in a beachside town.
This is where our story begins.
Mati was hot and tired.
Her rucksack felt heavy against her back.
She was in a waterfront town in southern Turkey, having just arrived on the overnight bus from Istanbul.
This was a classic kind of beach town from what she could see, although there didn't actually appear to be a beach here along the main drag.
Instead, the waterfront was devoted to a port which was lined with boats.
People strolled leisurely along the water's edge and through the quiet streets, gazing into the windows of trendy boutiques.
Others sat, relaxed, and sipped tempting-looking drinks at charming seaside cafes.
Their apparent tranquility was at odds with the way Mattie felt.
She was exhausted from the long trip, and the hot air around her felt more stifling than summery.
Nevertheless, she appreciated the beauty of the scene as she navigated a wide path that curved along next to the water.
She admired the boats of various shapes and sizes that were tucked up neatly against the shore.
Many of them were unique wooden sailing vessels that resembled traditional fishing boats.
Their tall masts soared high against a cloudless blue sky.
Between and around the boats, the water of the bay sparkled.
The sea was a bright turquoise that danced with reflected sunlight.
The exquisite colors touched her heart, charming her despite her fatigue.
Suddenly, a breath of air wafted across the water, reaching Mattie as she trundled her suitcase along the path, looking for a particular boat.
The sight breeze lifted her hair from her tired forehead and cooled her neck.
She breathed out softly in relief.
And then, she spotted what she was looking for.
It was one of the wooden sailboats, albeit conveniently equipped with a good motor as well as sails.
A neatly painted sign hung from its stern, displaying the name of the company she'd booked with.
She had reserved a spot on a cruise that would take a dozen passengers to explore the coastline for the next three and a half days.
They were in a large bay at the southern edge of the Aegean Sea, the stretch of water located between Greece and Turkey famed as the setting of ancient Greek myths and legends, from the Odyssey to the Trojan.
Mattie pulled herself and her suitcase over to the gangway that led onto the boat.
There, a tall, barefooted man introduced himself as the captain and greeted her warmly.
He asked her to remove her shoes and stow them in a box, appropriately marked shoes.
When she stepped out of them, her feet felt freed.
The wood of the deck welcomed them, warm and solid beneath her.
At the feeling of the solid wood.
She could sense herself unwinding, becoming more grounded, more at peace.
She left her luggage where the captain indicated, then moved forward to explore the boat, still relishing the feeling of the wood against her soles.
It was a medium-sized vessel, a sailboat, but much wider than the sailing yachts she was used to seeing.
Mast stood overhead, although she knew that they'd be making most of their voyage by motor.
In the back or stern of the boat where she'd boarded, there was a long wooden table surrounded by benches and chairs.
It was just the right size to seat about a dozen people, she judged.
Overhead, a wide canopy shaded the table from the sun.
Just beyond the table, a large low cabin occupied the middle of the boat.
To each side of the cabin.
There was a narrow walkway that led towards the front of the boat or the bow.
She moved along one of those slender walkways, her hand skimming the railing that surrounded the deck.
She felt the boat rocking ever so slightly.
Here, where the sun shone full, on the wooden deck, the boards felt almost hot beneath her feet, but not too hot for comfort.
A pleasant smell of sunbaked wood reached her nostrils.
At the front of the boat, the deck was wide and open.
A low stretch of cabin covered part of the front deck and that was filled with long sun cushions like those found on lounges beside swimming pools.
Gazing over the side at the turquoise water of the bay, Mattie caught a glimpse of movement.
She turned her head in the direction of the motion and felt her eyes widen.
Two huge sea turtles were swimming together, dipping and surfacing in a kind of frolicking dance.
The water flowed over their beautiful wide backs as they dove and turned.
They swam gracefully, much more gracefully than she would have expected, given their size and ungainly appearance.
And then they were gone, diving and swimming away in tandem.
But Mattie was left speechless to see these incredible creatures the very moment she arrived on the boat to catch sight of them, just before they swam away.
It seemed like it was a good omen for her voyage.
In fact, she felt certain that it was.
She stretched, feeling some of her tiredness slip away and some of the tightness in her muscles begin to dissipate.
Mattie settled herself on one of the sun cushions on the wide deck.
She looked out across the water of the port.
There were hilly shores to either side.
In front of her, the port widened out into the open water of a large bay.
After a few moments, the captain told her she could move her luggage down to her room.
So she lifted her rucksack onto her back and then rolled her little suitcase towards a few stairs that led into the cabin.
Lifting her suitcase, she carefully stepped down three steps into the main cabin in the hold of the vessel.
Mattie looked around.
There was a low living area with small windows high on the walls.
These hooked out across the deck.
A counter separated the living area from a narrow kitchen, called a galley on a boat, she supposed.
A few more stairs, went deeper down into the boat, where a little corridor led to the passengers' rooms.
Matty's room was at the very back of the boat.
It was a neat little cabin, dominated by a wide and comfortable looking bed, or bath, she thought.
There were tidy cabinets beside it where she could unpack her things.
A door inside her cabin opened into a private bathroom.
In looking it over she was mystified at first to see an attachment on the wall for a shower head, but no actual shower head.
She quickly realized, though, that the answer was simple and ingenious.
She could pull out the faucet of the sink next to the shower, which proved to be attached to a long hose.
It could hook into the bracket on the wall, turning it into a shower head.
It was an elegant solution for the need to maximize space on board.
Returning to the bedroom, Mattie pulled open a small porthole beside the bed.
The view instantly charmed her.
She could see the water directly outside the window, just slightly below the level of the window itself.
She watched the shadows from the boat play over the gently moving water, transfixed by the peaceful movement of the smooth swells and the varying shades of the water.
At once aqua, then turquoise, now cobalt.
At that moment though, she heard the engine start with a sputter, and she realized they were about to leave the port.
The water outside her window was startled to life.
It began to churn and bubble from the motion of the propeller beneath the surface.
Leaving the porthole open, Mattie left the room.
She closed her door carefully to keep it from swinging as the boat began to move.
Then she made her way back up on deck.
She was eager to watch the scenery as the boat motored away from shore.
She climbed the stairs, emerging again onto the back deck.
The captain stood behind a large, old-fashioned wooden steering wheel which was affixed to a podium at the stand of the boat.
She saw several other passengers sitting at the long table.
Smiling, Mattie introduced herself.
They would be spending the next several days together, so they might as well get acquainted.
There was another woman about her own age who was from South Africa, a young couple from England and a pair of siblings from Turkey who said they took this trip every year.
They were all in for a treat, the pair assured them.
After chatting for a moment, Mattie headed again towards the front deck.
The craft was moving, slowly motoring out into the bay.
Its movement created a soft breeze which blew away the last of the heat that had weighed on her in the port.
Relishing the feel of the breeze through her hair, Mattie settled herself on a cushion.
The other passengers were also seated here, and Mattie smiled a greeting to each of them.
Two were buried in books, though.
They looked up to say hello, while two others were watching the water, as Matty intended to do.
None of them spoke for the time being.
A comfortable quiet had settled over the boat as soon as it left the shore, and there seemed to be an unspoken agreement not to break it just yet.
It was the quiet of the open water which was accentuated, rather than disturbed by the motor's soft drone.
The boat vibrated pleasantly underneath her, in time with the working of the motor.
As the craft traveled farther away from shore, gentle waves rocked it lightly from side to side.
They would spend the next few days traveling around a part of the bay that was a nature reserve, so they would see little to no construction along the shores.
To begin, they motored out into the wide waters of the bay.
They would cross to another shoreline where they'd seek out harbor in one or another of the many hidden coves along that shoreline.
The bright sun beat down on the deck, but the canvas awning overhead shaded Mattie, and a soft wind cooled her.
She felt comfortable and at ease now.
Somehow, the simple cushion below her felt more snug than any luxurious bed, and the rippling water surrounding her felt more engrossing than any high-tech entertainment.
She stared across the waves, enjoying the motion of the boat and the air, listening to the soft lapping sounds of the water and the gentle flapping of the rolled up sail in the breeze.
And she realized that she felt utterly satisfied and fulfilled.
She felt no need to do anything, to seek anything.
No desire for anything other than to savour this moment.
It vaguely occurred to her to watch for more sea turtles or for fish jumping, or to try to notice or identify the occasional birds that swooped through her peripheral vision.
But truth be told, even active wildlife watching felt quite unnecessary to her in her present state.
It was so delightful to simply be here, comfortable and at peace, with nothing at all to do, as the beauty of the world flowed by.
A subtle sense of surprise washed over her as she realized just how quickly she had shed the stress and nervous energy of daily life and moved into the lazy tranquility of shipboard living.
This was a kind of relaxation that was quite impossible to achieve elsewhere, unless perhaps during a deep meditation.
Doing nothing on shore could never be quite as utterly delightful, she thought, because there was often a slight restlessness accompanying it.
On the other hand, here on this deck, she could simultaneously do nothing and yet be going places, watching changing scenery, moving placidly across the sea.
And, at the same time, although the scenery was stunning, there was no urgency even about appreciating it.
No sense of needing to marvel at it every moment, for she knew she would be on this boat long enough to admire it at her leisure, with nothing to do the whole time except enjoy the voyage.
And so, as drowsiness crept over her tired body, Mattie allowed her eyes to drift luxuriously closed.
She felt the soft cushion below her and the warm air blowing across her skin.
She felt the boat's movements and listened to the quiet sounds of the sea.
Savouring all these sensations, Mattie thought languidly ahead to the days to come.
She knew that they would offer travel from cove to cove, spending parts of their days voyaging and other parts anchored in sheltered spots where they could swim and snorkel.
She knew that at least once, there would be an opportunity to take a guided hike and visit some of the ancient ruins that dotted these quiet shores.
After all, this land had been inhabited by many generations of people since ancient times.
Modern Takia is the gateway between Europe and Asia, and it straddles both continents.
Its Asian region has been variously called Asia Minor, the Levant or Anatolia at different times in history.
That last name comes from the Greek for the land of the rising sun.
And indeed it is to the east of Greece, across the water, where the sun would rise if you were watching from Greek shores.
Thousands of years ago, in the times of ancient Egypt, mysterious civilizations built settlements among its hills and coasts.
They cut tombs into rocky cliff sides overlooking the water.
Impressive rooms hollowed out into sheer rock, with columns soaring in their entrances.
These people were part of a group referred to as the Sea Peoples in Egyptian writing and other ancient texts.
Later, Greek writers spoke of Lycia and Caria, independent regions that eventually came under the control of various empires.
First Greek, then Persian and Roman.
Little is known of these ancient peoples, apart from tantalizing hints.
More than one ancient observer wrote that among the Sea Peoples, family names and heritage were passed on from mother to child, not from father to child as in so many familiar traditions.
Scraps of inscriptions at their ancient sites give a window into their language, but few written records survive to reveal their lifestyle or history.
Gazing across the water and reflecting on the fascinating past of this place, Matty vaguely noticed a stirring of activity around her.
She turned to see the boat's apprentice, helping another member of the crew prepare the anchor.
They had crossed the bay and reached a small cove next to an undeveloped shore.
The two crew members released the thick anchor rope which was coiled neatly at the front of the vessel.
They swung the anchor into the water, where it landed with a splash.
Rope heavily slithered down, followed by a thick chain that steadily rattled out until the anchor struck the bottom.
The engine then ceased.
And in the absence of its quiet drone, Mattie noticed sounds she hadn't been aware of before.
The tapping of a rope against the mast.
The gentle splash of water on the hull. the whooshing sound of a seagull flying nearby.
With the anchor secured, the crew set to work attaching a line to a tree on shore in order to steady the boat.
They also lowered a little movable staircase that was attached to the side of the vessel, fixing it so that its bottom step rested just below the surface of the water.
Matty rose slowly from the comfortable cushion and looked out at the crystal clear water off the cove.
It was of an almost unreal shade of turquoise blue that faded to a translucent aquamarine in the shallows.
It was so beautiful that Mattie's breath caught in her throat.
Then she breathed in deeply and gave thanks for this incredible moment.
After admiring the scene for a few minutes, she pulled off the sundress, she wore over her swimsuit and made her way to the staircase that descended into the water.
Clasping the smooth metal railing, she carefully stepped down one stair, then the second and the third and fourth.
At the bottom, her feet encountered the water.
It was cool and comforting.
Matty leaned over and dived smoothly and fluidly, just cracking the surface before gliding away from the boat.
She ducked under the water and surfaced, the liquid streaming away from her face.
She lifted her head and shook off the droplets.
And then she just floated, gazing around her, bobbing easily in the gentle waves.
She felt light and buoyant, only barely needing to move her arms and legs to remain on the surface of the water.
She tasted salt in her mouth and remembered that the Mediterranean and its connected seas, like the Aegean, were unusually salty.
And that meant that things and people floated more easily here than elsewhere.
In fact, it was so salty in this area that when she tried to dive down under the water and examine the sea floor, she couldn't do it.
She kicked down a couple of feet, and then bobbed right back up to the surface in spite of herself.
Laughing, she decided to give up on diving and just enjoy the fact that she could relax here without much effort to stay afloat.
It was tremendously pleasant to feel the water holding her up so dependably.
She tilted her body and floated on her back. staring up at the pale blue sky.
She floated so incredibly easily that resting on her back felt nearly as comfortable as lying on a bed.
She could have almost napped right here, she realized. lying on this heavenly soft bed of seawater.
But instead she just lay there, entering a state of deep relaxation that almost felt even better than sleep.
A state of relaxation in which thoughts of the day to come or of the past were sub-matched, giving way to an all-encompassing tranquility.
In this serene state of peace and acceptance, she knew deep truths that eluded her in times of full wakefulness.
She knew that she belonged, fully and unquestionably.
That her place in the universe and the harmony of all things was absolute.
And she knew that this knowing was the fountain of all happiness, all joy in the world, all love, kindness and connection.
And so she just watched, felt and breathed slowly placidly, letting the peacefulness of the moment wash over her along with the salt-soaked waters of the Aegean Sea.
Thank you.
