Holiday in Antalya and Two Long Bus Rides

Strangely enough, one of the best night's sleep I've ever had came not in a quiet room in a comfy bed, but in a crowded, thirteen hour public bus ride along twisting unpaved roads along the coast of the Mediterranean. Obviously not a typically relaxing experience. Yet immediately upon boarding the bus from Adana to Antalya at 9:00 pm, my head drooped onto the window, and I fell asleep to the sounds of babies crying and people whispering and to the not-so-gentle rocking of bumpy, unpaved roads and sharp turns.

Most likely the reason it was such a pleasant night's sleep was the way I woke up: to a sunrise opening over a gigantic expanse of pristine Mediterranean shore and sea, dawn's light lifting itself up slowly, revealing more and more land and water as our bus kept rambling along the tiny roads.

And the trip only got better from there. At 10:00 in the morning we promptly arrived at the Antalya otogar (bus stop) where I did a double-take as I looked out at the window to see my host grandfather's brother waiting for us. Though I had never met him before, I immediately recognized him, for he looked exactly like my grandfather. Irem and I stayed at the home of him and his wife for the next four days, for the national holiday Gençlik Bayramı, Youth Holiday. They were the epitome of gracious and hospitable Turkish hosts, awaiting us with a huge Turkish breakfast and lots of plans for our holiday. After our welcome breakfast, we spent most of our day around their house, meeting relatives (there were lots), resting, and (of course) eating tons. In the evening we crowded I believe eight people into a five-person car and drove to a nearby beach, where I couldn't resist swimming in the immaculately blue and clear sea before sitting down on the beach with the family and drinking tea out of a Thermos while watching the sunset - almost as beautiful as the sunrise that morning. Antalya is, though, a huge tourist city, especially for Germans and Russians. A cousin drove us around that night to see the deluxe hotels around the city, including hotels modeled after the Titanic, the Kremlin, and Istanbul's Topkapi Palace, among others. I've never seen so many deluxe hotels in one city before.

The next day we toured the Kaleiçi (literally "inside the castle") - the old city center filled with Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk, and Ottoman ruins. Antalya has a long history. The winding cobblestone streets slope gradually downwards to end up at the sea, and along the way little cafes, hotels, tiny shops, and street peddlers abound. We walked around in there in the late morning and early afternoon and enjoyed the large, seaside park right beside it. We also went to the Archaeology Museum, which had a superb collection of Greek and Roman statues.

The next day we woke up early to board a tekne (a boat like a yacht) tour along the coast. We spent an unforgettable day of crazy weather ("I think we've passed through all four seasons today!" my aunt exclaimed after we were done) and beautiful sights and swimming. Irem and I enjoyed the water slide that opened on the top deck, went through the inside of the ship, and emptied out into the sea. At our anchor spots, we slid down or simply dove off the side of the boat and into the water. My favorite spot at which we stopped was this deserted beach on a tiny island. We swam to the shore from the boat, walked onto the shore covered in tiny, black pebbles, and explored the large caves that loomed directly behind the shore. While on board we had a delicious meal of fresh fish, pasta, and salad.

The next day was our last day in Antalya. We had our return bus leaving at 10:00 that night, but during the day we seized the opportunity to go back to the old part of town and walk around some more, for there was so much to see, and it was such a beautiful and historic area. I bought some beautiful, handcrafted, leather sandals from a small stand in the road. We headed back to my aunt and uncle's house in the afternoon and visited with more relatives and ate more food and drank lots of tea before our bus ride back.

And the bus ride back was just as wonderful as the one coming over. Again I slept and awoke to the sun rising over the Mediterranean. No better way to wake up - and this time I was coming back home. "Evim, evim, güzel evim," I sighed as Irem and I walked through the door of our apartment. "Home sweet home."