Turkey 2010

Sept 15, Antalya, Turkey

Another lazy day.  Nice breakfast chatting with the only other guest at hotel.  A German lady that has done an amazing amount of travel. She has given be hints on places is Jordan and Vietnam, but also has increased my interest in India!  She is here on her own as she wanted a beach holiday and her husband wanted climbing!

I went to Duden falls today.  This strange waterfall in the middle of nowhere.  Great as this is spring fed and is under and over ground a few times.  A great picnic spot.  They have also carved out a tunnel behind the falls.  Water dripping everywhere.  

Wandered around city after dinner.  Went and watched the ice cream guy again.  He always has an audience.  Bought an ice cream and actually got to eat it after he stuck it in my pocket and then onto my nose.  Hilarious.  Great traditional Turkish ice cream.

Sept 14, Antalya, Turkey

Lazy day, slow breakfast but nice as very good service, as there are so few people here.  Talked to the German woman a bit and she gave me some hints on what to see.

Spend the afternoon just wandering around the city and the various shops and bazaars.  It is so quiet the shopkeepers seem to have gotten lazy and they do not even hassle you that much!  Nice!

Fish for dinner.  Head and all!  Was very good.  The waiter actually remembered me as last night I said I would be back for dinner but had too big of a lunch.  He laughed and said that he waited for me!  Too funny, but amazing that he remembered!

Went for a walk caught some more of light/fountain show and then spent about 15 minutes just watching an ice cream vendor.  He was hilarious as he would tease each customer as he delivered the ice creams.  He actually had a good sized audience!  I think you would have to see it to understand.

Sept 13, Antalya, Turkey

After about a 5 hour bus ride made it to Antalya.  Found a pension in the old part of the city.  The pension has seen better days but still good.  Turns out there is only 1 other person here, a German lady!  Amazing how quiet this place is, but school and university is back so not that many tourists around. 

Spent the evening just wandering around the old city.  They have a music and water fountain show which was well attended and very good to watch.  I missed over half of it so will try again to see the rest of it.

Many of the houses and pensions are in the Ottoman style.  They have enclosed balconies the hang over the street.  This is a 600 year period starting about 1300.  The buildlings are very interesting with the different shapes and sizes, especially the garden areas.  But there are some that have seen better days and are in various states of disrepair.  Even a few 'For sale' signs.

Sept 12, Kas, Turkey

Up early in morning and up to terrace for breakfast.  Turkish breakfast includes lots of bread, black and green olives, cheddar and feta cheese, tomatoes, cucumber, honey (the best), and many different and very good jams.

The French Canadian woman joined me for breakfast.  Great to talk to her.  Her pension roommate from Germany joined us and we had a great talk about traveling experiences.

During many of the trips for breakfast I kept running into a woman.  Turns out she is from West Bank and they visit Turkey several times.

Spent the day walking along the coast and snorkeling when there seemed to be a nice place.  Tough as the wind was howling today and the waves huge.  And I was not game enough to be climbing into water from the rocks!  Remembering that last time!  And there are plenty of sea urchins here!

Got back to pension and was sitting in the lounge area.  Very Turkish with pillows around a large table.  The German woman came in and invited for dinner with a group she met on her boat trip!  Then talked to another couple staying a pension and they joined us.  A Dutch woman and Turkish man.  The group at dinner ended up being about 15 people!  Was great, lots of talking and laughing.  Countries represented - Turkey, Germany, Netherlands, Australia, and Canada!  Great fun.  Dinner lasted about 3 hours and the food was super!

Sept 11, Kas, Turkey

Up early this morning and off to travel agent.  Took a sea kayak trip to the sunken city.  First was a 40 minutes drive over a couple of mountains.  Amazing country side.  Each valley was full of greenhouses built on very red dirt.  It looks like they dig up the dirt and put in greenhouses, and then use the holes for water storage!  The mountains and the rest of the land is very rocky, volcanic.

The kayaking was great.  After about 2 minutes of instruction we headed out the Kekova Island, where one of the sunken cities are.  Here you can swim around the walls that are under the water.  Very nice.  We then headed off to the national park over more of the sunken city.  Found out later that my camera did not work.  I bought a water proof bag to keep the camera dry, but  all of the pictures I took of the sunken city did not turn out.  

Next across the bay to the main land to a small village (Kalnekoy or Simena) that is only accessible by water or walking.  Lunch and then a walk up to the top of the hill to a castle that dates back about 3000 years.  A swim around the most famous tomb that is standing in the water.  So neat to be able to do that!

A short paddle back to the start off point and back to Kas.  Great way to spend the day.

Went for a beer on the terrace of pension as it has a great view of the bay of Kas and the Greek island of Meis.  Met a woman from Laval, PQ.  One of the few Canadians I have met.

Sept 10, Kas, Turkey

Slow morning. Then visited the theatre which half a block down the road.  Turkey is in the process of restoring.  

Then to a tomb which was just up the hill a bit.  Spent the rest of the day wandering around some more.  Bought a snorkel set and went off to swim.  The spot has some very very cold water.  I think that there must be some fresh water running in as so cold but also they is little distortions to the water that I think is the mixing of fresh and salt water.

Was a nice way to spend the afternoon.

Sept 9, Kas, Turkey

Caught the dolmus right at the pension door to Kas.  This is amazing.  7.50 lire ($5) for  the one hour ride to Kas.  The drive was along a fairly new highway that follows along the coast.  Beautiful sights.  The colour of the water is such a nice colour.

Arrived and found the pension easily.  Easy when you call and they come and pick up up.  

Had a coffee and ended up talking to a couple for Cape Town, South Africa.  They were staying in the hotel next door and were planning on moving to this pension as it seemed to have more atmosphere.

Spent the rest of the day wandering around the city.