11.16.2013
After a pleasant drive, we arrive at Termessos, a Pisidian city built at an altitude of 1,665 meters at the south-west side of the mountain Solymos (modern-day Güllük Dağı) in the Taurus Mountains, against which Antalya province is nestled. Termessos is 30 kilometres to the north-west of Antalya. It is so well fortified and protected that even Alexander the Great, who frequented these parts quite a bit and conquered most of the land, didn't bother attempting to conquer this city and left its people be. What a civilization all the way on top of the mountains with its agora, amphitheater, burial sites, king tombs among other things... We spent several hours hiking the site, we are finally ready to go down to the city to have lunch, both starving after this exercise-rich morning. We head toward Kemer.
Termessos amphitheater
The drive to Kemer is a very pleasant one. It is one of the resort towns, easily accessible to those visiting Antalya, about 40 kms west of town. The road meanders up and down the low hills reaching out from the Taurus mountains toward the Mediterranean. Along the way, there are multiple sandy beaches, many open to public. But what is most extraordinary is the grandeur of the front line peaks of the young Taurus Mountains almost rising off the meadows right behind the beaches to the sky. One of those peaks at Tahtali is accessible via an electric lift, which has a restaurant on top. Locals will tell us, on a clear day, you can see as far to the west as Kas, 4-hour drive from Antalya, and as far to the east as Mersin, another 4-hour drive. We will keep that in mind for our second visit.
The peak season in these parts is from the beginning of May through September, thus, in mid-November, most touristic activity has died down. All the better, as much as I dislike coming to these coastal towns during the high season, I love them all late in the fall or very early in the spring, when the consumerist tourists are all gone and only those who know how to savor these gems of towns remain, residents either natives or naturalized or visitors of a different taste. We find exactly what I was hoping for: Downtown Kemer would be almost unrecognizable to one visiting it only in the middle of the summer; none of such crowds spilling onto the streets. We find our way to the harbor and choose a restaurant, Navigator, right by the water, where only another table is occupied, clearly by locals. As we order our food and start savoring the blue all around us, only a few groups of a few people pass by enjoying the waterfront on their leisurely stroll just like us.
We have the best seafood soup at Navigator. With my cooking experience my assumption is that they cooked some flour in olive oil adding water slowly until it reached the desired consistency, then added the fish-octopus-shrimp pieces, finally dressed it with chopped, mint and dill. I squeeze in a quarter of a lemon's juice into my bowl smiling to the saying in Turkish: The fish does not die without lemon juice… It is exceptional! We also have their grilled eggplant dish treated with garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice. By the time, we are done, not only the sunset is gorgeous, but we also notice a beautiful moon simultaneously rising through the sail posts of a sailboat, which makes our afternoon unforgettable.
We head toward Antalya since we will meet with two of my high school friends, who live in Antalya and their wives. I am looking forward to this since I haven't seen Ali perhaps for ten years and Sedat since graduation some 35 years ago. It turns out to be a very lovely evening. The three of us catch up in just 15 minutes and start our lovely dance between today and 35 years ago when we were all in middle/high school. My new friend is welcomed and embraced like an old friend with lots of jokes and hospitality. We leave with very sweet memories of good food, good conversation, renewed/established friendship with my friends and their wives alike.
Having friends from 40 plus years ago is such a unique experience... At this age, I know the men across from me are also 54, having experienced quite a bit as reflected in the wrinkles on their faces or slight slouching they have developed or in the gray of their hair just like mine. However, I can also see the Ali of age 11-12, when I had met him through his innocence (still), his spontaneity, the no-reservation style, sometimes loud but all natural laughter. With each of these reminders, I feel like two faces move in and out of one face throughout the night before my eyes: The faces of Ali at age 54 and age 11-18 (when we were together in school). This wonderful experience can only belong to old, very old friendships with unique dedication: the moment we meet, it takes 15-20 minutes to fill in the gaps and continue from where we had left off: Once, I discover, in two days, Nermin will refuse to charge us for our two-night stay at Hotel Tuvana, I will be most overwhelmed with Ali's dedication to our friendship. We certainly will pay at least a portion of it despite Nermin's resistance, but her gesture, clearly the result of how Ali has portrayed me to her will put me at the brink of tears.
The next day, we head toward Perge, Aspendos, Side direction, all three important trade centers in the Lycian culture of some 2-3000 years ago. Our first stop after a side trip to Kursunlu Waterfall over Koprulu River, is Perge. Emperor Hadrian had reached all the way to Antalya, and gates in his name are all over the place, at Perge, in Antalya, in Side. The two towers are being renovated adjacent to the agora. Both Perge and Aspendos will amaze us with their huge stadium.
Kursunlu waterfall a favorite picnic site for locals
On the way to Aspendos, we stop at an authentic Karadeniz Pide place, where we order a variety of pides: Pide may be thought of as Turkish Pizza with thin, crisp elongated oval-shaped crust, the toppings of which may vary anywhere from kasseri cheese, to ground beef, pre-stir-fried meat cubes, or any combination of these. We try it all, they are all delicious. At the entrance of the business section of Serik, this is an unexpected feast. The rule never fails: Eat where the locals eat, I am glad we followed the recommendation of a local we asked in town.
Aspendos, of course is a monumental place. Nothing is better preserved/excavated than Aspendos theater, which can seat 15,000 people, even today. After completing our tour in Aspendos, we climb up on the hill that is right behind the theater and get from-up-above glimpse of the theater, which makes it even more impressive. What is even more impressive is that, a woman all the way down below is singing an aria, perhaps even from the backstage from behind the columns. On top of this hill, we are stunned with the beauty of her voice and how the acoustics of the theater allows us to enjoy this tune as if we were down below in the theater. No wonder, these amphitheaters dotting the entire coastal line of Turkey are used for multiple music festivals in Turkey with the use of no microphone. I have experienced that first hand at Ephesus amphitheater, where even a whisper on stage could be decoded from the top row of the theater; but never at Aspendos before.
Aspendos Theater from up above
Finally, as the light of the day is gradually fading away, our goal is to get to the Side beaches and witness the sunset. My friend is the brave one of us two, and is driving us to Side. I can see he is rushing to make sure we get there before sunset. And we do make it in one piece thanks to his effort. We find a small park, open to public by the shore, a breakthrough in the line of kilometers of hotels on the coast. I am determined to try the water. We change into our swimming suits, after saluting the sun to below the horizon, i gradually let myself into the water, which, to my surprise is not cold at all, it is slightly crisp, but totally enjoyable. I swim toward the horizon for a while, it’s been such a long time since I have done this in Antalya... Even when I come out, I don't feel chilly. This is the beauty of Antalya, if one is really in love with the salt water, it is conceivable to swim in the Mediterranean every single day of the year...
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| An unforgettable sunset in November in Side |
