Guy Thinks He's Going on Relaxing Beach Vacation - What Happens Next Shocks Everyone!

So what have we learned in the past few days? Don't trust Cameron's promises about blog posts. But here's the last of the three I promised before Jess arrived in Ankara (I'm only 4 days late!)

The last real vacation I was able to have before school got too busy to pull myself away was a few days down to what is called the Turquoise Coast, namely the southern coast of Turkey that stretches along the Mediterranean.

My friend Theresa, who also joined me in Diyarbakır, joined me on an overnight bus to Antalya. We left just after midnight, and the bus ride was seven hours or so. So we got into Antalya at a nice morning hour, while it was pleasantly cool and sunny.

We took a tram from the bus station to downtown, and then walked along one of the main streets headed towards the west of the town. Our goal was to find the infamous Konyaaltı beach (and some breakfast). We walked past some cool places along the way. Antalya has an old city, surrounded by walls, and this area is generally referred to collectively as the Kaleiçi, meaning "within the castle". So we saw some of those walls, as well as the thick minaret, Yivli Minare, for which Antalya is known (at least among Turks).

Tower of the old castle walls.

The Yivli Minare

We stopped for breakfast a quiet restaurant with a truly stunning view. On one side, we could see the old city and the minaret, and in the other we could see snow-capped mountains. In between was bright, open Mediterranean Sea.

The restaurant was also full of cats (yay), many of whom begged for food or, as you can see, posed against the beautiful backdrop.

Looking back towards the Yivli Minare and the old city from our breakfast restaurant.

Our view for breakfast - the Roman Harbour, dating from the 2nd century.

No, you cannot have my cheese toast.

Hi, you.

Theresa and I continued on our walk along the coast, and it was (already) hot but otherwise nice. Atatürk Parkı was along our way, and had more stunning views and pretty little paths over rocks and through trees. Finally we emerged with a perfect view of Konyaaltı beach. The beach vacation had begun.

Headed to Konyaaltı 

Coastal views.

The Mediterranean.

Monument in Atatürk Parkı 

Heavenly: Konyaaltı beach.

On the beach, we paid 10 liras (about 5 dollars) to get two beach chairs and a sun umbrella for the entire day. Remember that it was still only around 10am, so while it was very much beach weather already, the entire day meant quite a while. And indeed it was a good deal.

We spent most of the rest of the day just lounging. And that was quite delightful. We swam a couple times (the water was refreshing) and otherwise napped, read, and chatted. It also didn’t take us long to realize that the men who had rented us the beach gear were also de facto waiters, and would bring us basically anything we wanted. We ordered a couple beers and a single cigarette for Theresa. A single cigarette! Such service!

There was a little threat of rain in the afternoon, and many people left the beach. But we persevered through, and ultimately just ended up having more beach to ourselves.

Looking along the beach. Not a bad way to spend a day.

We finally emerged from our sloth-like state as it got closer to evening. We took a bus back to the main downtown in order to meet up with Hüseyin, a very good friend of my flatmate Yasin. Hüseyin very graciously offered us his place to stay for the night so that we wouldn’t have to pay for a hotel. We met Hüseyin at a mall – we got rather lost for a bit getting there, but Theresa’s Turkish, better than mine, was enough to get us back on track – where he was waiting with his girlfriend and a few  other friends. Hüseyin teaches English at a university, and his friends were all American colleagues – KC (Hüseyin’s girlfriend), Whitney, and Trevor.

We dropped our stuff off at Hüseyin’s – a really nice bachelor apartment, very close to the downtown and with a lot space. Then the six of us headed into the old town to get beers and dinner. 

We went via the Hadriyanüs Kapısı, Hadrian's Gate, which was built by the Emperor in the year 130. We also walked past the Kesik Minare, or Truncated Minaret, on the site of a 2nd century Roman temple, which was then converted to a church, and then a mosque, and then a church again, all by the year 1361.

Hadriyanüs Kapısı

Theresa, me, Whitney and Trevor in front of Hadriyanüs Kapısı.

Trevor, me, and Hüseyin in front of Hadriyanüs Kapısı.

Hadriyanüs Kapısı.

Kesik Minare

Walking the streets of the old city area, admiring the Ottoman houses.

We had a beer on a rooftop terrace, overlooking the bay, the mountains in the distance, and a view of a lovely sunset. Then the Americans introduced us to tantuni, a food that no one could believe we hadn't tried yet. I quickly understood, because tantuni is delicious and has become one of my favourite Turkish foods. It's just a simple chicken wrap with parsley and onions and tomatoes, but the sauce inside is just sooo delicious. As you get to the end of the wrap, the sauce has accumulated, so your last bite is truly delicious. We had another beer at another local haunt, and then we were off to bed - we had an early morning the next day, heading to Fethiye. But while it was a short trip, spending time with Hüseyin and the Americans was a lot of fun, and we really appreciated what they showed us of Antalya, and the stories they shared about being English teachers in a Turkish university.

Sunset beers.

The next morning, Theresa and I got up early and caught a bus headed for Fethiye. It took a few hours, and when we arrived, I saw from my window, waiting at a little bus station restaurant, my dear friend Jonathan.

Jonathan and I last traveled together 4 years ago, when I met him in New Delhi and traveled with him to Varanasi, my favourite place in India. I'd seen him briefly since, but it was so nice to finally be traveling with Jon again - we seem to be on the same "travel wavelength", want to see much of the same things, and always have great conversations on every topic imaginable. He's a great travel buddy. Jon was in Turkey for a few weeks on vacation (a needed respite of warmth, I think, from his life up in Iqaluit, Nunavut), and he's the one who convinced me to come down to the Turquoise Coast for a few days.

The three of us had lunch in Fethiye, but didn't really stay to see anything. We instead got a dolmuş and headed to the little town of Ölüdeniz.

Ölüdeniz, as a town, was less-than-impressive. It exists purely to cater for tourists - there are no real Ölüdeniz "locals", and the restaurants are all cheesy and overpriced. There are a lot of people constantly trying to convince us to buy tours.

All of that is worth it, however, because Ölüdeniz is also beautiful. The beach is stunning, framed by high, green mountains. There is a national park with more beautiful beach and a cool lagoon famous for its turtles. And we found quite a deal on a hotel, to make up for the overpriced food.

And so we spent the rest of the day as you should spend a beach vacation - on the beach. It was incredible.

Ölüdeniz beach, with mountains behind.

Mountains just behind the beach.

Beautiful beach, and behind it, Baba Dağ, the same mountain James Bond (Daniel Craig) jumps off of in Skyfall.

Beach life.

The lagoon.

Lagoon and mountains.

A kite flies high above Theresa and Jonathan, relaxing on the beach.

Can't get over the colour of the water.

We lost much of the next day to rain, but spent a few hours of sun on the beach again, of course, and at a hamam. It was great to finally get to a real hamam and have a great experience. It was so relaxing and so nice - a classic Turkish experience.

More beach, more mountains. I'm not complaining.

The next day, I surprised even myself. Since we got to Ölüdeniz, Jon had been talking about paragliding. At first I thought I would never do it myself, and told him I'd "support him in his decision". But he's a persuasive guy and talked both me and Theresa into buying flights. We were actually supposed to go the day before, but the rainy weather had forced us to delay. So on the next day, we got up early for the first flight of the day, and off we went.
It was a nauseating 40 minute dolmuş ride up to the top of Baba Dağ, with the driver driving very... quickly around sharp turns.

At the top of the mountain, there was barely time to think. I snapped a quick picture off the edge of the cliff, then before I knew it, my pilot harnessed me up, and told me "run". So I did, and, like an airplane, before we reached the end of the runway, we had lifted off. Then the ground fell away beneath me and I was paragliding. I was the first one in our group to go, and I didn't have time to be scared.

Looking over the edge of the 1960m cliffs of Baba Dağ, which I would jump off of a mere 120 seconds later. Stunning views.

I couldn't take pictures up in the sky, so I can't really show you what I saw. But take my word for it - the views were incredible. I could see for miles, and the mountains and bright blue water were just stunning. It was a little terrifying at first, and my hands remained tightly clenched for most of the ride. But the longer we were in the air, the more I relaxed, and I even consented to the pilot doing some spinning tricks - kind of nauseating (didn't help that I had linger nausea from the ride up the mountain) but very cool and lots of fun.

We came to a nice soft landing just above the beach. I then got to watch both Jon and Theresa land.

Jon flying over the beach. Not long earlier, that was me(!!).

Jon, just before landing.

Paragliding was a highlight of the vacation, partly, I think, because I didn't expect it to when I left Ankara. Sometimes the shock is what makes it so fun.

It was supposed to rain that afternoon, so Jon and I decided we'd move on Pamukkale, inland from the coast, to see some sights there. Theresa had to get back to Ankara anyway, so it was a good time for us to leave her anyway.

Jon and I took a bus to Denizli, and then transferred by dolmuş to Pamukkale. It took us much longer than we had expected to get to Pamukkale, so when we finally arrived we were exhausted and starving. We found the pension hotel where we had booked a room, and ate dinner there. We were very pleasantly surprised, especially after the uninteresting food of Ölüdeniz. The couple who owns and runs the place cooked us the dinner, and it was delicious - simple, homemade food but so tasty. Chicken and an eggplant dish with rice. Yum.

The next morning we tried to get up in good time to see the sights of Pamukkale right away. Pamukkale translates to "Cotton Castle" because of the surreal white calcite travertines filled with warm water. The travertines and the ruins of the ancient city of Hierapolis are together a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

A man leading his goats through town in the early Pamukkale morning.

That's not snow - the white of the calcite hills.

Heading up to the travertines.

Calcite!

Water flowing over the textured calcite.

Doesn't it look like snow?

High cliffs of calcite.

Here it looks more like white sand.

Soft blue of the travertines.

Travertines. We walked over them barefoot to help preserve them. The water was delightfully warm.

The main travertine.

Travertine.

Hierapolis ruins atop the calcite cliffs.

It looks carved or something to be so precise, but it's all natural.

Jon snaps a pic in the shadow of the travertine cliffs.

Looking off the travertines to the village of Pamukkale below.

At the top of the travertines, we stopped for refreshments, and then explored Hierapolis. The city was founded by the Romans in 190 BCE, and then became Byzantine, and wasn't abandoned until 1334.
It was a really beautiful site to walk around, and the weather was perfect. 

Hierapolis ruins.

Remains of an old church.

Church ruins.

We could wander right through the ruins - very cool.

Heading up towards the Roman Theatre.

The outside of the Roman theatre.

The stunning and well-preserved Roman theatre, which could seat 12 000 people.

The theatre. We were lucky how few people were here, so we could get great pictures with minimal human interference.

The stage of the theatre.

Old ruins amid poppies.

Beautiful old column, ruins behind, and pretty poppies.

At the end of the day, Jon took a bus to the airport (he was returning to Istanbul, then home), and I caught a bus back to Ankara, where countless papers and exams were waiting for me. A real reality shock, but the relaxing nature of this vacation made me ready to tackle it all.

Now, I'm finished my undergraduate degree. I wrote my last exam and submitted my last paper, and the feeling is so strange. I don't think it has properly hit me, and I'm not sure it ever will. But it's a nice feeling to be liberated of the responsibility of my degree for good.

The past couple weeks, I have been saying a lot of goodbyes. I have made some really close friends in Ankara, but now our time together is over and it is time for us to go our own ways. I'm optimistic that many of us will meet again in the years to come, but for now it's just sad. 

On the other hand, I've now welcomed my dear friend Jess to Turkey. She's doing a good job distracting me from the sadness of leaving Ankara and my friends by keeping me busy, and traveling with her again (we last traveled in 2011, after our previous graduation - high school). In the next blog post, I'll update you on what we've been up to so far, but for now I'm just going to leave you with a couple of pictures of my good friend Lukas' cat Simit that he had in Ankara. It's sad that I only got to meet Simit so close to the end of my time in Ankara, but appreciate what you've got, right? If you remember from an earlier blog post, a simit is a sesame seed-covered, bagel like food which I eat regularly for breakfast. It's the cutest Turkish cat name, in my opinion, for a truly cute cat.

Simit

Simit! Adorable!