Adventurous Canadian couple docks in resort town after 100 days in isolation

ALANYA

A Canadian couple, who has lived on a sailing boat for 11 years, has anchored their boat in a marina in the Mediterranean province of Antalya’s Alanya district.

Setting sail from Canada with their boat in 2009, Diane and Wade Alarie visited 77 countries during their adventurous journey.

The Alaries said what motivated them to sail the world was their reluctance to stay in their country and “live a boring life,” where their daily activities would have become repetitive and monotonous.

So, they decided to travel around the world and wanted to get to know new cultures after retiring.

Eventually, the couple turned their course to the shores of Turkey after more than a decade of travelling.

Noting that they enjoyed living their stress-free lives at sea, the duo will stay in Alanya for about a year.

“Turkey is one of the rare countries that allows us to stay for a long time. We made our one-year contract. We will then proceed to the west [shores] of the country,” said Wade Alarie, adding that a Black Sea trip is also within their plans.

Stressing that they came across the pandemic when they were in Egypt, the couple said they could not get off the boat for 100 days after borders were closed.

Stating that they were looking for a new destination after the outbreak measures were relaxed, the duo said they came back to Alanya because the country was a better option.

“We are very happy to be here. People are very friendly. They respond to our every need,” said Wade Alarie.

“Especially if we talk about Alanya, the sea, everywhere is very clean. The country is very good at this, so we are very happy to be here,” he added.

The couple, who stated that they have come to the country before and have visited Istanbul, Ankara and İzmir, is now enjoying the Mediterranean coasts.