The Echo of Hippies around Oludinez

It is interesting to think of what would remain of our dreams when we are long gone. Something we normally don’t think about. Will our dreams simply be a few stones stacked up that some archaeologist will think was some outhouse but it was your sanctuary.

We came here to meet up with some New Zealanders and Americans that we had met before somewhere on the other side of the world.

We stayed at “Sugar Beach Club”. The Colourful paint, mosaics, cushions and free-range chickens tell us that hippies were once here. The full-grown Eucalyptus trees tell us that these hippies may have been Australian Hippies but they are long gone. The place is now run with little joy. Simple luxuries measured out in turkish lira or euros. It looks the part but, well, just doesn’t feel true to its laid-back appearance.

We heard about “Butterfly Valley”. We took the “Butterfly Valley Service” to the place “Those Dirty Hippies” bought, as we heard in the Lonely Planet Guide. Great! We thought. Finally some real people.

We got there and saw all the creatively constructed shacks, the colourful signs with thoughtful messages of spirituality, saving the planet and not wasting food. Echos of a hippie culture long gone. We looked for the community we heard was there but there was none. I talked to a man working there and he said there never was a community.

I dissagree.

I think they were here but they have left. A handful of turkish men come in for the day to serve the tourists during the season.  The tourists come in to see the butterflies, the waterfall and see a hippie community that isn’t there. The men sell them beer, a night in a “hippie hut” and permission to walk to the falls.

Our kids immediately saw the inconsistencies, being well versed in hippie community.

Abigail came running back to me. “Mom!” she yelled “They sell coca-cola here. This is not a hippie community! No hippie community would stoop to such a level!”

Hannah followed up with, “And there is white sugar on the table! Something is very wrong here”.

True enough. The community is gone. The shell remains.