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Simena and the Sunken Sea - May 11th

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Today we were dropped off at Simena Bay, which some view as a sunken treasure because parts of the ancient city of Kekova is now submerged in the sea, along with remains of the Titus thermal baths.  From here we climbed up into the village which is built on terraces. Each home offering up snacks and ice-cream to tourists who begin their hike up to Simena Castle. We stopped at a Pension where we gathered to add dried grains, lentils, dried mushrooms, or anything that we brought from our own home country to add to the cooking of an Ashura (ancient dessert) that would simmer on the fire while we hiked. With each ingredient added we would cast our wish or prayer into the pot to sweeten the Ashura that we would eat at the end of the day.  After this some of our friends went for a boat ride on the Mediterranean Sea while the busy walkers like myself climbed our way up towards Simena Castle. Although we did not climb the many stairs to the top of Simena Castle from the Byzantine ...
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May 14th Discovering Phaselis

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Our last hike along the Lycian Way with http://www.feast-story.org  led us to the ancient ruins of Phaselis and beaches in Kemer. We walked along trails that overlooked the Mediterranean Sea and the first of three harbours. As we walked through tall pine groves the landscape soon changed to include tall cedar trees.  Along the trail we began to walk through a Necropolis (cemetery) on the outside of the city walls. Large stone sarcophagi typically indicated that each sarcophagus was the resting place of someone important. Whereas, smaller more shallow imprints of a burial were detected by the rectangular imprint that is forever imprinted upon the land. Many of these graves have been unearthed and in some cases numbered in the past twenty years.  Ancient sarcophagus found three metres down in the sea Shells are visible on the side of the sarcophagus Imprint of a grave  Tombs  Framing the city walls are large portions of an ancient Aqueduct facing Military Harbour ...
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Mount Olympus & Mount Moses in Anatalya

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Such a surprise to learn that there is a Mount Moses and Mount Olympus along the Lycian Way.  The day began with a major hike towards Mount Olympus. We were challenged but the views were spectacular.  Have you ever crossed a babbling brook with a knapsack on your back and hiking boots on your feet and poles in hand? It was like walking across a balance beam. I started off gracefully, until the pack on my back shifted left. There it went downstream!!! Our fearless and quick thinking tour guide, Yunus Ozdenir whipped off his hiking boots and waded in the water to retrieve it downstream. It was a lucky save!!!   He said that because it was at the start of the hike my bottle was full of water which made it heavier to be carried away!!  We trekked down to see the  burning flames of Chimaera. These are the eternal natural fires of Lycia that dot the landscape.  The flames burn from crevices in the rocks of the Cirali  Mountains and ancient beliefs credit thi...
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Day one on the Lycian Way (May 9, 2022)

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This morning I had my hiking boots on my feet and poles in hand and I was off on my first trek along the Lycian Way.  The paths were narrow and rocky but with proper foot wear and walking sticks it was definitely doable. Along the path I saw poppies, sage, shells, acorns, pine cones and many new plants and flowers that I have not seen before.  The view of the mountains was breathtaking and in the valley below I could see many green houses and one mosque.  The path led up to a Roman Aqueduct that is in relatively good shape although they do not recommend walking on top of it.  After traversing the length of the aqueduct we stopped in a beautiful grassy area. Standing with our backs to the aqueduct we had a magnificent view of the Mediterranean Sea. There is also a small path that I took to see the ancient harbour. The view is spectacular and the coastal water along the shoreline is turquoise!!!  Our guide is a historian of Anatolia (ancient Turkey) and an archeol...
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Patara

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Today we flew from Istanbul to Dalaman. The flight was about 1 hour and then we took a bus ride to our hotel in Patara.  The best part of the flight was the view. I could see mountains with snow which made me think of skiing!!! Turns out there is skiing in Turkey about 2 1/2 hours from Istanbul. I had no idea!! I must admit I was a little sleepy on the ride as it was a couple of hours away from the airport. Every time I opened my eyes there was something new to see.  There were many hot houses where produce is grown, there were small mosques with two minorets along the roadside, and a mountainous landscape in the distance. At times I felt like I was in the Canadian Rockies peering at snow on the treeless paths coming off the mountain!!  I spent the remainder of the afternoon in the salt water pool instead of going into the sea. To be quite frank, the pool was pretty darn cold.  I hear that the sea might warmer in a month from now!! I may need to come back.  Once...
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MEETING FEAST FRIENDS

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After months of dreaming of joining this exciting FEAST Storytelling event I finally got to meet the storytellers that I have gotten to know on Zoom. It was like a gathering of old friends. I even got to meet the Turkish travel agent that I had been corresponding with over several months. Old friends happy to meet after all the back and forth emails.  Our tour began with a boat ride on the Bosphorus. A strait that flows between Istanbul on the European Continent and Istanbul on the Asian Continent. There are four bridges that connect each half of Istanbul. So technically I was in Asia and Europe all in one afternoon!!  There are many palaces, old castles, and expensive homes that line the Bosphorus. Some have even become hotels.  Fun fact, Agatha Christie wrote Murder on the Orient Express in room 411 at the famous Pera Palace hotel here in Istanbul.  Later in the day we met with Turkish storytellers and the camaraderie was exceptional. Not only did we receive a very...
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The flight to Turkey - May 2022

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When I arrived at the airport on May 4th I felt like I was already in Turkey. First of all there was a sea of travellers with loads of suitcases on carts and no one spoke English.  By accident I jumped the queue by about 15 people because I wasn’t sure which line I was supposed to be in given that I had checked in online. I quickly found out that everyone needed to line up.  After an hour I finally reached the ticket counter.  All I needed to present was my passport and proof of vaccination. No one wanted to see the e-visa I had purchased.  Before boarding the plane there was a cart with sealed hygiene kits for passengers to grab and go. On board I discovered an older gentleman sitting in my seat. I pointed out that he was in seat A when he ought to be in C. He didn’t really want to move to the window but I politely stood my ground and after a few minutes he muttered and moved.  I ran into a similar experience with the bathroom. Men of all ages would walk past m...
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