It was stunning photos like this that brought us to Pamukkale, which literally means “cotton castle” in Turkish.

Terraces of Pamukkale

This giant white terraced hill has been built up bit by bit since early times made from a mineral deposit called travertine which is deposited from the ever-flowing hot spring. At the top lies the ancient ruins of Hierapolis, a city founded in the 2^nd century BC.

The closest city to the site is Denizli. From there, it is a 20 minute (free) shuttle ride to the tourist village of Pamukkale where the streets are packed full of hotels, restaurants, souvenir shops, tourist agents, and little else. We were there in the cool off-season. An important fact that I’ll refer to in just a minute. For now, just keep in mind that the ambient temperature was about 5°C during the hot part of the day, and a bit cooler at night.

From our hotel in Denizli, it was a quick walk to the entrance gate where we paid 30 Lira each, ($15 CAD). The entrance is more or less at the base of the terraces, and the only way up is to walk. It’s not really a steep walk, but is still difficult for one reason. You have to do it barefoot (to protect the UNESCO site).

Despite it’s fluffy snowy complexion, this deposited travertine is anything but soft. It’s hard and prickly. Not sharp enough to cut open our well-callused hiking feet, but sharp enough to cause some pain and discomfort. In truth though, the surface wasn’t really that bad to walk on. The cold was.

Not Exactly Smooth; Hard as Rock

Looks Cold Doesn’t It?

Remember how I said that the ambient temperature was just a handful of degrees above freezing? The water flowing around our feet was just a little bit colder than that by the time it reached the bottom. It was kind of a mixed blessing – on one hand, it served to numb the pain from the sharp textured surface.  On the other, it was cool enough that we had to do double time up the hill for fear of losing a toe or two to near-frostbite. Fortunately, once we hit about the halfway point, the true colours of the hot spring started to show through and the water began to warm.

Starting to Warm Up?

That was the terraces. After climbing them, there really wasn’t much to do but snap a few photos. We were not allowed to swim in any of the terraced pools, like the photos we’d seen in the travel agencies. I’m not sure if they are permanently closed, or if it’s just for off season restoration. Instead, there was an indoor pool filled with hot spring water. But it too was off-limits, unless you were willing to pay an additional 40 lira! ($20 CAD!) for the privilege of swimming, which incidentally nobody was. For once we didn’t feel like the only cheapskates around!

Hierapolis

That brings us to the ruins on the top. To say the least, they were impressive. It’s a large site, with a lot of buildings, roads, and a sewer system. There was also a large necropolis with the largest collection of Lycian sarcophagi that we saw in any one place. It’s probably best showcased with a few photos.

Disclaimer: This is a contributed post.

Eastern Turkey is less developed than the Western half of the country, but no less rich in culture or things to see. If you are thinking about going to Turkey in 2013, you should definitely investigate the lesser-known side of the country. Cheap holidays don’t have to mean being surrounded with lots of other tourists, or finding deals in the most popular resorts. Here are a few of the hidden wonders of Eastern Turkey that are worth venturing away from the crowds:

Gobëkli Tepe

It’s hard to believe that the oldest monument ever found was only discovered a decade ago. But this newly excavated temple in Eastern Turkey is 11,500 years old, which makes it older than any other known building in existence. If you’re visiting the area, you must take time to explore the ruins and see the ancient pillars. You don’t have to be a historian to appreciate that the structure’s construction in 9,600BC makes it mind-boggling old.

Lake Van

This highly alkaline inland sea is quite off-the-beaten-path, and wonderfully under-developed as a result. The stark scenery includes mountainous peaks and important historic buildings, like the recently restored Armenian cathedral on Akdamar Island. This church contains some lovely frescos and requires a fun boat ride to get there. The castle high on the hill opposite is also worth a visit for its great views. And don’t leave the area without stopping at one of the famous breakfast halls, for a traditional meal including local cheese and honey.

Lake Van

Mount Nemrud

This vast mountaintop is a bizarre sight, flanked by giant statues of ancient gods. Many of the statues are ruined in such a way that archeologists are sure it was the result of ancient vandalism, which makes for an interesting enough story on its own. But it is believed that the site was originally built as a tomb for a member of the royalty in 1^st Century BC. You would think that, as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the temple and the mountain would get more visitors, but it is not as well known as other Turkish archeological sights. Despite being lessor known, there are tour companies that run nighttime tours, making for a different way to see the ruins.

Mount Nemrut Dagi

The Kackar Mountains

The mountainous region is an outdoor lover’s paradise. With trails to hike, rocks to climb, rivers to raft, and even mountains to ski in the winter, there is far too much to do. Any of the lakes make great starting points for a wander, but if you’re up for a challenge, you should definitely try climbing one of the peaks. You need proper mountaineering equipment to climb Mount Kackar, but the views are unparalleled, as are the flora and fauna you’ll see on the way up.

Mount Kackar

Disclaimer: This is a contributed post.

Olympos was, in my opinion, the ultimate place-to-chillax-and-catch-up-on-the-blog that we’ve seen. There are two qualifications to be made here however.

1) It was low season. And low season in Turkey means low season. There’s next to no one there. To give you an idea, our hostel alone had somewhere over 300 beds, but the whole time we were there, less than a dozen of them were occupied on any one night. That’s even more impressive when you consider that our hostel was the only one of about 20 hostels that was still open. During the summer, this would not be a chillax place, it would be a wild crowded party town. I’m sure of it.

2) Even though it ranks supreme on our list of places to catch up on the blog, I actually did very little work on the blog. Instead I wasted away my time learning a new software program called blender that is used for 3D rendering. It was kind of fun, but a huge time sink. Now (a month and a half later) I’m still writing about Turkey, and kind of wish I hadn’t wasted all that time.

Feel free to make this your desktop background. The Earth made using blender.

Why It Was So Awesome

The Hostel

I don’t normally name drop, but the hostel we stayed at was a big part of what made Olympos what it was for us. So I’ll tell you. We stayed at Bayrams Tree Hostel. Now the treehouses were not what you are thinking. They are just simple buildings without foundations. Not really anything to do with trees at all. But they had perks!

• All you can eat oranges. They are just growing all around you. Pick what you can eat, and few more for the beach.
• Free Tea and Coffee. All day long.
• Comfortable tables with access to wi-fi and electricity.
• Wood space heater, to keep you cozy
• Buffet Style breakfast and supper. Both of which are delicious, and suitable for both vegetarians (like us) and meat eaters too.

It all adds up to a workstation that you never have to leave. You don’t have to shop for groceries, you don’t need to cook, you don’t need to do anything but drink your free coffee, eat two meals a day, and work in the cozy warm silence.

The Work Station

The Sights

Although we did spend our fair share of time just chilling and working playing on the computer, we didn’t spend all of our time inside. There are three main attractions within walking distance.

The Ruins:

Olympos was a prominent Lycian city. Around 100 BC it was invaded and occupied by Cilician Pirates until 78 AD where it was captured by Rome. Today it’s pretty much in ruins. Still remaining are several burial tombs, some stone sarcophagi, a theatre, and a lot of stone walls.

There is an entry fee to get into the ruins, but it’s fairly minimal. You can buy a 10 pack of entries for 7.50 Lira ($4 CAD).  The posted price is 5 lira for a single entry (which is also required to access the beach), so make sure you buy the unadvertised 10 pack.

On your first walk through the site can seem small. Especially if you are just following the path towards the beach. But, there is a lot more there. Walk a little ways into the wooded areas (along paths) on either side to get a feel for how big the site truly is. A lot of it has been cleared, and many buildings are undergoing active digging and preservation. When we were there, the biggest area of cleared and restored buildings was roped off to the public from the main path, but following a side path, we ended up walking through it anyways. None of the workers seemed to mind much.

Olympos Ruins

The river runs through the ruins to the beach

The Beach:

To get to the beach, you need to walk through the ruins and pay the minimal entry fee.

Clear waters, sandy beach, impressive towering cliffs crested with castle ruins, and a view of Mount Olympos (one of only 20 mountains to go by that name in Classic World). Do I need to say much more?

Mount Olympos Above the Clouds

Castle Crowned Cliff

The Eternal Flames (Chimaera):

The Chimaera Flames are the birthplace of the legends of the Chimaera. The flames are naturally occurring and have been burning for at least thousands of years. If the name is accurate, I suspect they will continue to burn for eternity.

You can get there by following the Lycian Way, or the road. Taking the road took us an hour and a half to get to the entrance. After paying the fee of 4 lira ($2 CAD) each we were free to walk up the hill following the not-so-groomed path to the ruins and lower flames.

Don’t expect huge, knock-your-socks-off flames, because you’ll be disappointed.  Do think about their history and how long they’ve been there and you’ll be impressed.  We thought they were pretty damn cool.  You can even roast marshmallows on them if you want (you’ll have to plan ahead and bring some, but they have some cheap German-style marshmallow-like things for sale in most of the convenience stores around the hostels).

The Chimaera Flames

This was our 10-years-together anniversary. The Eternal Flames seemed a fitting symbol of our love.

We carried on the path up a little higher and found the upper flames. We didn’t finish there though, we carried on climbing until we had  summitted a couple of nearby peaks to check out the views.

The Climbers

The View

The View

Myra was an ancient town in Lycia. Today what remains is the impressive rock-cut-tomb necropolis and the equally impressive Roman theatre. The site is compact, but has some of the most impressive rock carvings we’ve seen in Turkey. Very detailed and clear. Entrance is 15 Lira ($7.50 CAD) per person.

Myra was also the home of Saint Nicholas, who was the bishop of Myra in the 4th century AD, and later went on to become known as the jolly fat fellow, who lives in the North Pole and delivers presents to all the good boys and girls once a year. If you believe that sort of thing.

Despite being in a predominantly Muslim country, the town of Demre (the modern name of the modern city surrounding the ruins of Myra) knows a tourist attraction when it sees one. For 15 Lira ($7.50 CAD) you can visit the church of Saint Nicholas. Something we didn’t do. I know it’s old and religiously significant and all, but we’re just churched out. As in we’ve seen a lot of churches since we left home, and we really don’t care if we see another one. The church is just the start of it. The town has erected several statues, restaurants, and shopping centers in his honor. If you have time, I found this writeup on the four different Santa Clauses of Demre interesting. You may too.

Anyways, Christmas has come and gone and so has Santa’s time in this post. Without further adieu I give you photos from our walk through the Myra ruin site.

The Famous Necropolis

The Necropolis

The Necropolis

Roman Theatre

Roman Theatre

Rock Carvings

Rock Carvings

Rock Carvings

Rock Carvings

After reading through our 4 part journal of the Lycian Way and some of the comments we received (thank you by the way, we love comments), it became apparent that our description of the long distance trail may have sounded… well… um… rather unpleasant. And that worried us, because that’s entirely the wrong impression. To clarify, here’s the message we wanted you to take home.

All together, we loved our time on the Lycian Way. The scenery was stunning, the people were amazing and we had a huge sense of accomplishment each and every day. We took home a tonne of stories as evidenced by our 4 part journal, enjoyed beautiful campsites, shared bread and cheese with the friendliest of people despite lacking a common language, became attached to our canine companion Mayhem, saw impressive ruins of ancient cities, and so much more.

Had the nights not become too cold for us, we would have completed the trek. They did though, and we chose to stop early. Now we really do want to go back and finish it, and maybe even attempt some of the other long distance trails that Turkey has to offer.

Our private clifftop sunset

So why did it sound so bad in our journal? Well, I guess the stories of wild pigs in the night, getting lost multiple times, and the added pains of the flu and headaches are the ones we thought were the most entertaining. They are the stories we tend to tell when were swapping stories with newly met friends.

I suppose we could have taken the time to write a paragraph on every amazing vista, the refreshing taste of fresh spring water sampled from the stream on its way down the mountain, the peaceful breaks we took under olive trees and ancient fruit orchards hidden in majestic hills, and all of the not-so difficult parts of the trail we walked while completely healthy and in good spirits. Had we done that our journal could easily have tripled or quadrupled in size. But that wouldn’t be good storytelling.

If you were thinking about doing the Lycian Way yourself I really hope that we’ve inspired you to do it. It’s an amazing experience, just don’t go into it thinking it’ll be a walk in the park. It’s not, but the challenge is half of the fun.

P.S.  There are oodles of options to walk the Lycian Way.  If schlepping about with heavy backpacks like we did isn’t your cup of tea, you can walk many parts of it as a series of daytrips carrying only water and some snacks.  Another option would be to bring your clothes but leave the tent at home and plan your route to stay in pansions(guest houses) every night.

Hiking on the edge of the world

Disclaimer: This is a contributed post.

For many millennia, Turkey has captivated the five senses. With its diverse topography and deep historical roots, you will find it difficult to visit this region and feel like a mere sightseer. Instead, you will embark on a much richer experience that exposes 13 civilizations layered and woven together like textile fabric. Following the thread from ancient history to modern times can prove dizzying in magnitude, but if you stick close to the heart of Turkish culture you will surely feel the strong beating pulse of this remarkable country. Travellers on a small budget are, in a sense, perfectly primed to get to know the real Turkey and truly savour all it has to offer.

Get in touch with unspoilt nature

The shoreline along the southwest coast of Turkey has been compared to the French Riviera, but its allure runs much deeper than glamorous beachwear. Story has it that, Roman hero, Mark Antony, chose this sandy expanse as a wedding gift for his beloved Cleopatra.

At first glance, the Turquoise Coast, might seem better suited for big spenders with tastes for gület cruises (tradition Turkish sailboats) and spa treatments, but this seaside paradise proves hospitable to backpackers and budget travellers too. Flying to Dalaman with Monarch puts travellers in close proximity to several destinations boasting supreme natural beauty. While mega resorts have mushroomed up all along the coast, Butterfly Valley, which is a half-hour drive from Fethiye is a secluded oasis only reachable by taxi boat for 15 Turkish lira. Tents and tepees are available on site, and prices vary from 10 lira (in March) to 34 lira in the summer high season. Described as a sort of Garden of Eden for butterflies, this picturesque canyon—far from other tourists—attracts hikers, photographers and hippy travellers, who prefer taking it slow. Although not the best place to interact with locals, Butterfly Valley, offers a wonderful chance to connect with the natural landscape without being bombarded by sightseer activities.

Butterfly Valley a secluded beach and cove a short distance by boat from Olu Deniz, Turkey

Butterfly Valley

Discover life by the seaside

If you prefer a less secluded atmosphere, cheap Bodrum flightswill land you in what was once a sleepy fishing village with crystalline views of the Aegean Sea. Home to a population of 33,000 people the peninsula thrives with the quiet routines of anglers, farmers, and boat builders. The summers tend to be overrun with cruise boats, yachts and tour buses, but even then there are plenty of activities that speak to the true feel of this seaside outpost. Before you’re tempted to visit the medieval Castle of St. Peter and the Halicarnassus Mausoleum—one of the seven wonders of the world ease into provincial way of life by taking time to savour a few essential Turkish pastimes.

Have a cup of coffee

There is no better way to start the day than to find a café overlooking the moon-shaped harbor below. One could argue that coffee culture got its start in Turkey, with one of the first coffee shops opening in Istanbul in the 1500s. Turkish coffee is amazing—both thick and syrupy, it is brewed from finely ground beans and boiled in a long handled cezve, poured into tiny cups, and sweetened to taste. You can still find traditional shops that roast their coffee over wood fires, and you won’t miss the screeching steam wand sounds of westernized coffee shops.

Bathe like the Turks

Another essential experience is visiting a local Turkish bath, or hamam. At the Bardakçi Hamam, founded in 1749, men and women bath separately, and treatments typically entail sitting in a doomed steam room, laying on heated marble slabs, getting scrubbed down with abrasive gloves (sounds worse than it feels), followed by a soapy lather rubdown, and a message with scented oils. Full service is about 50 lira, far below the sky high prices found at local hotels. Many claim they’ve never felt so clean and relaxed.

Indulge in the catch of the day

There’s no better follow up to a Turkish bath than a quiet meal with origins from the Aegean sea. The trick to finding great local seafood is to walk down to the ports and chat with local anglers and perhaps share some fishing tales. A plate of cold octopus or cured blue fish will leave you feeling as content as a sultan.

Disclaimer: This is a contributed post.

This is Part 4 of 4. Click for Part 1, for Part 2, for Part 3.

Day 11
Kalkan – 4 km before Saribelen
13 km (7hours)

Today’s trail was mostly uphill and fairly well-marked and well-defined.  As we climbed, we passed a shepherdess with her sheep and goats.  She had just stopped to sit on a rock and split open a pomegranate.  As we passed, she smiled, and held out a hand full of pomegranate seeds for each of us.  She obviously had very little and, like so many times before on this trail, her kindness and generosity surprised and moved us.

Sheep on the trail

As we crossed a yayla (a large, flat mountain plateau), someone called out to us.  Though we couldn’t understand her words, her tone and gestures made her meaning clear enough.  She didn’t want Mayhem (the dog that had adopted us for the better part of the trail and had been with us for over a week) anywhere near the yayla.  I think she was worried about Mayhem barking at or chasing her sheep.  She needn’t have worried – by this time, we had realized that although Mayhem loved to chase goats in the cliffs, she left them completely alone when there was a village or shepherd nearby.

Yayla

Apple tree

We quickly crossed the yayla, so as not to upset the locals further with Mayhem’s presence.   We stopped in the village of Bezirgan at the edge of the yayla to restock with supplies.  We had only replenished our emergency and snack stops at Kalkan, counting on the store here for lunch and supper supplies (who wants to carry the extra weight all morning when you don’t have to?).  The store was closed as it was Friday prayer time, so we rested on some benches outside of the mosque, waiting for about half an hour for the prayers to finish.

When the mosque let out, it appeared all the men in the village headed straight to the store to buy their lunch.  We managed to snag the last few loaves of bread, then proceeded to ask for some Ayran and cheese located in the cooler.  The owner refused to sell them to us, telling us that they were “finished.”  We weren’t sure if the cooler didn’t work and thus they were rotten, or if they were past date, or if he just didn’t want to sell us the few supplies he had in this remote village.  So we made a lunch of the bread and supplemented it with some of the nuts and raisins we were carrying.

Hello!

After the yayla, the trail made a steep descent through a valley.  Here, the scenery turned downright apocalyptic – the grass and road were littered with pieces of dismembered cows – skulls, leg bones, and ribs could all be seen (some with rotting flesh still attached).  There was even an entire hide lying in the middle of the road.  The stench was almost unbearable.

Cow graveyard?

At the bottom of the valley, after passing through some more scratchy brush like we had encountered back near Delikkemer, we found a good tent site and decided to call it quits a little early (about 3:15 pm).

Thorny bushes overgrowing the trail… ouch!

Our tent site for the night

We were past the bovine massacre and it really was quite the picturesque spot.  There was a farmhouse nearby, with a mama dog with four pups who didn’t take too kindly to Mayhem, but we figured it would do.  The sun was setting behind the surrounding mountains, and it was cold.  We had our toques and mitts on before we had even finished setting up camp.

We cooked up some soup noodles with cream of vegetable soup for flavouring, hoping to repeat our delicious bulgur wheat experiment.  Alas, all we got was soup flavoured dough balls.  Since we were low on supplies, we choked them back and crawled into our sleeping bags by 4:30 just to conserve what heat we had left.

Day 12
4 km before Saribelen – location near Stepping Stones
25 km (8 hours)

Last night was probably the most challenging night yet – more challenging than the wild pigs, the bubbling brook that sprang up beneath us as we slept, and the tent pole that broke during an intense electrical storm.  We were COLD all night, and the barks of Mayhem and the local dogs kept waking us up and reminding us of that fact.

My sleeping bag was rated to 10°C at the “comfort” level, though at the “extreme” it was supposed to be good to -8°C.  We figured it was pretty darn close to zero that night and even with a sleeping bag liner, there was nothing comfortable about it.

When I finally “woke” up, my feet were like ice and totally numb.  We broke camp as quickly as our frozen limbs would allow, making a breakfast of some more nuts and chocolate.  We were too cold even to stand around heating up some coffee or tea.

We walked briskly, trying to warm ourselves and after about an hour, felt pretty good.  We debated whether the time to quit  was upon us (we had originally decided to keep walking until it got too cold for us), but thought that maybe it was just a freakishly cold night and things would get better.  Besides, we should be able to make camp at lower elevations for the next few nights, so it should be warmer.

A chilly start to the morning

The Mediterranean, from a viewpoint

Lycian scenery

Checking out a lizard on a rock

We crossed a stream and the waymarkers became tough to follow, but we had learned enough from the six previous times we got lost to stick close to the last one we saw and search for the trail.

Mayhem, taking a break

When we arrived in the village of Gökceören, there was a group of locals sitting at some picnic tables and chatting.  We asked where the market was.  We were told there wasn’t one, but were invited to sit down and have some tea.  Since this was our last chance for food in the next 25 or so kilometres, we were a little worried – we had already started eating down our extra stocks after the last store wouldn’t sell us much.

As we waited for our tea, we asked if there was somewhere to buy bread – bread is a staple in Turkey, so we figured they had to have at least that.  We were pointed in the direction of the house a woman had disappeared into to make our tea, and Mike went in.  She gave him a loaf of bread and sent him back out.  We started eating the bread, and were soon delivered tea, a bowl of olives, and a bowl of homemade sheep’s cheese.  We dug in, happy to have something other than nuts to fuel our hike.  When we finished the loaf of bread, the woman ran inside and brought us another.  Everyone seemed very concerned that we get enough to eat and offered us a place to stay in the village.  We didn’t want to rely on their hospitality for all our meals, so we decided to press forward.  We thanked them and offered to pay for the food, but of course they refused.

After walking through the village, we realized we hadn’t come across a public water source.  We stopped at a house and asked where we could find water (with the help of our Turkish phrasebook).  The boy grabbed our water bottles and filled them up out of their outdoor tap for us.

Camp for the night

When we arrived at the night’s campsite, we were happy that it was much warmer than the previous afternoon.  We skipped supper, and went to bed early.

  Checking out tomorrow’s route

Beautiful sunset

Day 13
Near Stepping Stones – Kaş
21 km (8 hours)

We woke up FREEZING cold – my toes were numb and, after rubbing some warmth into them, aching.  We looked at each other, acknowledging what we both had unilaterally decided in the night – the trek was over.  It was just too freaking cold at night for the warm weather gear we were carrying.

Foggy, cold morning

Mayhem takes in the view as she waits for us to break camp

We started walking with mitts and toque and slowly started to unthaw.  As we walked, we debated the merits of continuing the trek while staying in pansions each night.  We ultimately decided we wanted the whole experience (including camping in the solitude and beauty of the wilderness) and wouldn’t be satisfied spending $25-40 a night on accommodation.

We climbed up and up.  A little ways before Phellos, we lost track of the trail since it had been destroyed by a newly bulldozed road.  I climbed up a steep embankment and found the path where we expected it to be, then followed it back to a more reasonable location for Mike to climb up and join me.

Bulldozed road

When we stopped at a spring to fill up with water, Mayhem found what was probably her best meal of the trip – the ground nearby was littered with three different types of mostly fresh bread and meaty bones from some farmers’ discarded meal.  We stopped and rested until she had had her fill.  Since we still didn’t have much for food (we hadn’t been able to buy more than a few loaves of bread for the last 48 hours), our sustenance came from snacking on the remainder of our nuts, prunes, cookies and chocolate that we were carrying.

Filling our water bottles

Lycian Way sign markers

When we reached Phellos, we spent a little while poking around the ruins.

Sarcophagus at Phellos

Mike at the ruins

View from Phellos

Raised sarcophagus at Phellos

We walked through the village of Çukurbağ without incident, and carried on through some fields.  We thought we had lost the trail, but carried on in the direction we assumed was correct.  After quite some time, we found a waymarker – we were actually on the right path the whole time!  We reached the edge of the cliff, and started descending the steep trail to Kaş.  The climb down was bittersweet – we were happy to have the end of the cold nights in sight, but sad to be leaving the trail before the end.

View as we descended the cliff

Last bit of the trail for us, overlooking Kaş

Kaş

We stopped about 20 minutes before reaching Kaş, and said our private goodbyes to Mayhem.  We knew this would be the end of the road for her, too, and weren’t sure what would happen with her when we got into town.

As we scrambled down the last bit of path, we found ourselves instantly thrown back in the real world on the shoulder of a busy highway.  A minivan quickly stopped and asked if we were looking for a pansion.  We said we were and they told us to hop in.  We were tired (we skipped a few breaks near the end so we wouldn’t lose the light climbing down the cliff) and were relieved to have a ride to downtown.  Easily the worst part of any long hike is having to walk a long distance through a town or city, on concrete and asphalt, at the end of a long day.

We climbed into the van and, as the family shut the door, realized that Mayhem couldn’t come with us.  We gave her a last look and, after the door had been slammed shut, looked at each other with a great sadness in our eyes.  Mayhem had been our constant companion and guardian for the past eleven days and just like that she was gone!  We felt terrible, but also knew it was for the best – if we had walked into town, she would hang around and wait for us and we’d just have to do the same thing when we left town on a bus.

Our pansion in Kaş

View from our pansion breakfast table

We had the entire hotel to ourselves (like I mentioned before, everywhere was a ghost town in the off season).  We spent the evening wandering through downtown, and then munching on burek, olives, and bananas for supper.

We spent the next day relaxing and sightseeing, exploring the ruins in Kaş (also known as Antiphellos).  The trek was done.

Theatre in Antiphellos

Me, sitting at the top of the theatre

Exploring the tombs

The sun sets on our Lycian Way experience