Antalya/Alanya

I know I'm really behind in my posts (especially the ones re: Egypt) but I have an excuse. Some of our Dutch friends left for Holland, and we spent the week saying goodbye to them. So, I didn't get a chance to work on anything at home. This past weekend, I went to Antalya and Alanya (and some places in between). It was a stunning trip.

Antalya is the Turkey you dream about: sunshine, water, rugged landscape, welcoming atmosphere... it was hard to leave! There were palm trees and the great blue Mediterranean. I felt very much like I was on vacation! I just wanted to lounge around and soak up the sun; but there was much exploring to do in the surrounding environs! If I ever have unlimited money and time in Turkey, I am going to one of the 5-star hotels on the sandy stretches of shore and sea to relax and explore the mountains and ruins of old Roman ports. For now though, I'm content just backpacking around. There are so many hostels to stay at, and bus transportation is really cheap in between cities. If anyone is researching a summer vacation, I highly highly recommend Antalya or Alanya (I'll even tell you the correct prices to expect, since all the costs are trumped up beyond their inland equivalents).

Annie, Julia, Peter, and Wojtek, along with their Polish friend Paulina, hiked our stuff over to ASTI for an 11pm bus on Friday. We arrived in Antalya (after a glorious descent out of the mountains around dawn) at 7am. Our hostel is in Kaleici, a redone Ottoman neighborhood that is inaccesible by cars. It was a cute, sparse place that could've been any hostel anywhere. Breakfast consisted of handfuls of Cheerios swished around with milk from milk boxes (like juice boxes but with milk). We then explored the little downtown and the restored Roman marina. It was so nice and hot and sunny (20 C!). We were all stunned by the blue Mediterranean waters and the mountains surrounding Antalya in the background. It was indescribably pictaresque.

We then went to the Otogar in order to find a bus; we ended up with a taxi ("a special price just for you-- you can't find anything better on the buses," said the guy at the restaurant who set us up with his brother, our taxi driver). 40 clicks up into the mountains is the overgrown city of Termessos. It was stunningly beautiful- the best place I've been in Turkey, hands-down. Termessos is an ancient town that dates back to the Greek and Roman times (they fought off the Greeks, and the Romans didn't bother conquering them). Trekking up to the city, ruins peep out from the foliage everywhere. The city is a playground, a real playground of old stones and buildings! I actually became about 10 years old jumping around all the old sites. The highlight was the amphitheater. It is situated towards the top of the city and has a view down two valleys. It is in wonderful repair considering it's age, and the acoustics are amazing: Annie and I could easily hear each other's whispers (whispers) from across the amphitheater. I estimate the theater could hold about one thousand people (if not that then more, not less).
After exploring the amphitheater, Wojtek and I summited one of the peaks and had a great view of the surrounding valleys. There are several necropolises (cemeteries) and all the tombs within them are scattered about, opened and ravaged by looters from centuries past. The summit has a small hut that was probably designated for backpackers to stay in but has since been trashed. Nevertheless, it was a great climb.
After about 3 hours of exploring (though I could've stayed all day), we took the taxi to Perge, an old Roman port. It was cool to walk through the ancient main street, and just reflect on the life that had been there: the vibrant commercial life is evident in the remaining architecture and canal, so it is easy to picture all the human dramas that took place there every day. It is easy to assume that our modernity is the culmination of everything desirable from all previous civilizations and, thus, we are somehow superior to them, or at least our daily lives are infinitely better than theirs were. However, walking through this city and Termessos, it is easy to have an appreciation of our ancestors' constructions: other than the abolition of slavery, healthcare advances, and the flush toilet, I'm not sure we are too far advanced from them (especially if you consider they fed and watered their populations without electricity, relying on gravity alone). A canal that winds through the town is a highlight, and I followed it to a statue of the river god. It was wonderfully ornate.

Towards sunset, we returend to an Antalyan beach. After getting lost on an awesome off-season boardwalk, we grabbed some food and returned to the hostel. We made plans to go out and club by the seashore, but all of us were so sleepy we passed out by 11. Next day we got an early start and headed an hour down the coast to Side, another ancient Roman town. This one has been redeveloped, and inhabitants live in Side next to ancient amphitheaters and temples. After a couple hours in this tourist ville we headed to Alanya, another tourist town another hour down the coast. Alanya is like mini-Antalya. Situated at the base of some steep mist-crowned mountains, the sandy beaches extend infinitely to the west. To the east, there is a high cliff with a castle on its plateau. We rested on the sandy beach, flopping down into armchairs. Wojtek and I swam, though not too long because of the strong riptide. Then we went into a large cave with thousands of tiny stalactites and stalagmites. I had never been in such a cave before- it was so charming! Then we found dinner and headed home to Ankara. Our bus left Alanya at 7pm Sunday night- I got home at 7am Monday. I'm now at work. Though I am sleepy and starting to get sick, it was well-worth the snoring men, screaming babies, creepy bus attendants, and vertical sleeping!