We've asked if it will be possible to have breakfast at seven, since Mustafah will be back to get us at 7:30. Our charming host and hostess seem willing to accommodate our every wish and the entire buffet is awaiting us as we go upstairs to eat. Mustafah is early, as always, and sadly we are on our way to the airport. We hate to say good bye (isn't that a song?) but more adventures await us in Antalya, The Riviera of Turkey.
The trip is in two parts, since there isn't a direct flight from Kapocodia to Antalya. We arrive at our airport and our plane is one of two next to the terminal! We check our bags through to Antalya and they put red tags on our carry-ons as well, since we have an extremely short layover. They are supposed to help speed us along. The flight is so short that we don't even expect a beverage; but we have been trained by American airlines. In Turkey, if you are a guest you must be fed! We get a cheese sandwich, yoghurt with apple something, spring water and another beverage. No one could eat all that after he breakfast we've already eaten! I have the yoghurt and stash the sandwich against an emergency!
Our second flight is scheduled to leave from gate 106 and should begin boarding at 10:45. Our first plane doesn't disembark its passengers until 10:50. We still have to ride the people-mover bus before we can even get to the terminal and there is an element of panic now. Istanbul airport is quite sizable.
We've asked several people and perhaps we made a wrong turn because we wind up having to go through security again, in spite of our spiffy red tags! Luckily the lines are short and security if nothing like ours at home. They don't care about your shoes or your liquids. I'm not even sure if they care about computers, but I take mine out anyway, figuring that is faster than arguing later!
To make matters even more fun they decide to wand me and then they would like to check my bag! "Do you have a camera?" (Heck yes! Didn't you see it in the x-ray!?) I have to excavate for it and once the man agrees that it is indeed a camera, I'm cleared. Of course now the computer won't fit back in my backpack and Ben is kind enough to have waited for me and snatches it up so I can close the bag and run to the gate!
Don't know why we worried! The plane doesn't even begin boarding until 11:15! And from a different gate! This time we don't have to ride the people mover. We get to walk down a real walkway to the plane and it is very nice because the walls are glass!
Would you believe there is food on this flight, too! This time I eat the turkey sandwich and the "salad" which includes marinated eggplant, tomatoes, olives and green beans in a yoghurt sauce. Good thing I love all that stuff! I drink the water and a Coke but save the chocolate cake for some other time. No one should eat three meals in six hours!! The attendants are taking up the trays before I can finish eating so it's a good thing I had the salad first! Sandwiches are much easier to handle!
We collect all six bags and head outside to look for our driver. No one seems to have a sign that says "White"! Eventually a man comes up with a sign that says, "Waite" and when quizzed he says he is going to the right hotel, so we climb aboard his magic carpet. (Did I tell you that the carpet seller's son showed us a real flying carpet? He twirled it over his head and it flew in a circle and come down in a perfect landing!) Too bad our new driver didn't know that trick! He had to ask for directions to our hotel half a dozen different times! He also offered us water, much as other drivers had all done, but when we got to the hotel (finally) he was incensed that we hadn't paid for it! Foxed him! Only one of the bottles had been opened and he got the other three back! We sure are hoping we don't see him again!
The hotel, The Mediterra Art Hotel is charming with lots of open-air passage ways and nooks and crannies. There is a pool and every three or four rooms is arranged around a kind of private terrace area. Our room is quite spacious and we love it!
No one wants to think about food, so after getting settled in our rooms we regroup for a brief exploration of the old part of the city, where our hotel is located. We pass a mosque that was built on the foundation of a second-century temple, an antique shop with the owner sitting outside on the sidewalk using his laptop, beautiful houses and flowers, and wind up at the harbor.
There are many, many colorful boats and yachts in the harbor and Turkish families are out enjoying the view.
There is a young man sitting on the rocks playing guitar and singing in a beautiful voice.
It is threatening to rain so we seek shelter under a large umbrella that belongs to an outdoor cafe. We have ice cream and people watch until the weather clears. It isn't as much fun as the last ice cream vendor, but the ice cream is yummy! Ben and I split a chocolate/pistachio serving, since the vendor can't seem to figure out what we really want. We didn't really need two separate servings anyway!
We take a slightly different route back to our hotel since sightseeing is the name of the game! The hotel's restaurant has gotten pretty good reviews and with the weather being tricky we decide to stay home for dinner. Our waiter is very helpful and when Andy asks which fish is best, he goes to the kitchen and asks the chef! He comes back with an answer and when dinner arrives Andy agrees that he was right! Ginger asks him about her choice and he agrees that it is a good one and when I ask him to choose between chicken shish and the "meaatball" plate, he says to get the chicken because you get more food!
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| Andy makes a new friend! |
Across the street from the ATMs is a patisserie and we have a terrible time trying to make our selections. Turns out a serving is actually four pieces! We have four pistachio bakklavas, four nut bakklavas and four double pistachio rolls. Everyone agrees that the nut ones are the best! Ben is happy with just a cup of coffee which he said is spectacular! And it's not even Turkish!
We wander the street for a bit, noticing that once you get outside of the old part of town, Antalya looks like any other large, cosmopolitan city!
It is a beautiful night now that the rain has quit!
Then it's home and to bed. Tomorrow is a hiking day to see the Hellenic and Roman ruins at Thermosses. Our guide is scheduled to arrive at 8:30, so we plan to meet for breakfast at 8:00 when the buffet will first open.
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