Quite a lot of you over the years have asked me about Vipassana and my daily meditation practice. I’ve never been good at explaining meditation in general, as for me it is an experience that transcends words, and Vipassana in particular is a tricky nut to crack. But most of the questions come not from people who are trying to understand Vipassana, but rather those who just want to begin a daily practice of some sort and are looking for a place to begin.

The Chopra Centre are currently offering a 21-day online meditation challenge, free of charge. It’s a series of downloadable audio files, all quite short, that lead you through the basics of different types of meditation, focusing on one aspect per day. I’ve listened to a couple of the audio files out of curiosity, and they’re certainly suitable for any beginner, even if you’ve never meditated before, and Davidji (the man who guides the meditations) has a pleasant voice and is even humourous at times.

I’ll admit I don’t know a lot about Deepak Chopra, though I’ve heard plenty of reports both positive and negative, so I can’t really vouch for the overall quality of the material his organisation puts out. I certainly don’t think you should go into this 21-day challenge expecting to come out enlightened, or even an expert meditator, but that’s hardly the point. The point is to create the habit of daily meditation while exposing yourself to the different techniques that are available to you. I suppose the hope is that after you’re finished with the course, you’ll want to pursue meditation further, either on your own, or by seeking more formal instruction. So if you’ve always wanted to meditate but never managed to get the momentum up, now’s your chance. Link

One of the best parts about travel is all the interesting people you meet along the way. I spoke with Mónica for more than an hour before she mentioned that she’s a television reporter in Spain. So if you ever watch Comando Actualidad on TV1, she’s already a familiar face to you. We had a great conversation, and I owe her a big thank-you for noticing when I’d dropped my phone on the ground!

I just love these old, decaying balconies on Meis. Gentle reminders that everything passes.

Downstairs: drinks store. Hell yeah.

Morning at the Kaş marina.

Not a bad place to hang your laundry.

I was lucky enough to see this sea turtle last week in the water between Kaş and Meis. It’s a bit of an abstract shot, but you get the idea.

There was also this guy, which has now been identified as a shamefaced crab. He’s about 15cm-20cm in diameter. I’d never seen anything like it before.

If you haven’t seen Sita Sings the Blues, it’s the perfect thing to watch if you think Creative Commons is for people who can’t get a contract with a “real” production house, or that crowdfunding is for artists who aren’t good enough to get “real” sponsors. This is one of the best features I’ve seen all year. Of course it’s free, so you’re not risking any money, and I personally guarantee it’s worth your time. Do yourself a favour and download the best quality version your bandwidth can handle (i.e. not YouTube). Watch it when you’re in the mood for an intelligent, light comedy.

My favourite part is that Nina Haley is a self-taught animator, and she made the entire film at home on her Mac, using Flash and After Effects, and scanning in some hand-painted watercolours.

I was not all that familiar with the Ramayana before this, nor the music of Annette Hanshaw, but now I want to know everything about both.

We’re finally starting to get some great Istanbul chain restaurants down here. I never thought I’d be so happy to see a chain, but SushiCo is certainly a welcome sight.

Fresh sushi hand-rolled by real Japanese sushi chefs.

They serve all kinds of Japanese, Thai, and Chinese food, and so far everything I’ve tried is amazing. SushiCo is a bit pricey, but if you want decent Asian cuisine in Turkey, you pay what you have to.

This may seem like a crazy thing to say in the middle of August, but I’m feeling autumn pushing its way in… slowly but surely. I couldn’t be more happy about it.

At the risk of becoming a walking advertisement for my favourite places in Kaş, I thought I’d mention the Hideaway, as for my money it’s the nicest boutique hotel in all of Kaş, and I wouldn’t stay anywhere else. They haven’t paid me to say that; I recommend it only because they provide clean, beautiful rooms in a gorgeous setting, and Ahmet and Marie are the best proprietors a guest could ask for.

Balcony view.

The pool, always clean and rarely crowded. Also, lots of shady trees, so you can stay down there all day without getting fed up.

The rooms have a wonderful vintage Turkish feel about them.

The roof terrace bar, with a spectacular view of the Mediterranean:

If you ever get a chance to go, tell Ahmet and Marie that Melissa sent you.

If you’ve not heard of Cittaslow, it’s a spin-off of the Slow Food movement. Certified Slow Cities are those who can show evidence that they are committed to the values of slow living, both in both in theory and practical application.

When I first heard that Kaş was applying to be Turkey’s second Cittaslow, I didn’t really think they would do what it took to make it happen. Cittaslow has a very strict set of conditions that towns have to meet before they can be certified. One of the conditions is that there cannot be any motor vehicle traffic in the town centre. Well, I went to Kaş last weekend, and lo and behold, they’ve already blocked off traffic on the marina road, and several other streets have become completely pedestrianised. So it looks like they’re serious about doing this. I can’t wait to see what these changes will bring, because one of the things I’ve always loved about Kaş is its quaint and tranquil atmosphere, and I think the Cittaslow movement is exactly what the doctor ordered for the Gem of the Riviera.