Back on the bus, we enjoyed a comfy ride thanks to Mr. Cadiz over the dramatic Taurus mountains to Antalya on the Mediterranean coast. Antalya is a wonderful city centered around the Roman ruins in the old city center. There's the usual Hadrian's Gate, complete with the original ruts worn from the chariots, a lovely harbor and miles of breathtaking shoreline.
This is a tourist city. Many Eastern Europeans vacation here. They love the warm days and warm waters of the Med. The locals capitalize on the vacationers' love of the dramatic and almost all the tourist boats in the harbor are extensively decorated with a pirate motif. Cruises on these boats even include a pirate boarding and other such adventures!
We enjoyed waterfront dining and delicious meals. We wandered through the old city and played the tourist part up right. Our group did take a boat ride in the bay, but we opted for a non-pirate version as I think that Taylan may think that the pirate boats are tacky. The boat ride was so much fun - we stopped at a waterfall and swam in the warm, blue Mediterranean. It was a delightful excursion. Rob and I had a Doner after the ride - a Doner is the Turkish version of a Gyro, even though the Turks will tell you that a Gyro is a Greek versions of the Doner. Who knows which came first, they're both very tasty!
While in Antalya, some folks in the group (myself included) partook in a Turkish Bath - what a blast!!! It would have been a very bad idea to take any kind of camera in there with all that steam. So I'll just tell you that it was worth well more the twenty dollars I spent for over four hours - a steam batch, several different types of massages and some dancing to Turkish music... I cannot reveal all the goings-on as I am under oath to keep it under wraps. The men and the women bathe in different facilities and I highly recommend it!
In the countryside we saw the harvest of something they were stacking in "shocks", something we never see at home! We also discovered the Turkish versions of Red Bull - "Istanbul" and "Burn". Much more creative names!!! Although the Greeks had a one called "Hell", so they're giving the Turks a run for their money.
Check out this link for more info: https://www.ricksteves.com/tours/greece-turkey/turkey