Day Eleven
The following morning we returned to Olympus and played 18 holes of frisbee golf using each one of the buildings ruins as a hole. It was great fun. We did not have time to see Chimera, the place where the first Olympic torch was lit from eternal flames that rise from the earth here. We stopped on the beach to admire the view and watched a mountain goat raising havoc amongst the beach goers. The goat shuffled through the bags and belongings until it found their lunches and proceeded to munch away while the locals were screaming and laughing.
After lunch we headed off to Phaselis. Founded in the 7th Century BC by Rhodian colonists, Phaselis is currently a Turkish National Park. Three bays surround the peninsula, which makes Phaselis particularly beautiful and a perfect setting for 18 holes of frisbee golf! A well preserved aqueduct, two Roman baths with substantial mosaics, three small agoras also with mosaics, a colonnade 22 meters wide flanked by an acropolis and an amphitheater where wild beasts challenged each other in a fight to the death, and a large necropolis were just a few of our designated frisbee greens.
Our next port of call was Kemer, a large resort town that has been built up to the point where it looked just like Miami Beach. Not our favorite port, but we walked the streets as music blasted, shop owners cajoled us and the breeze from the sea reminded us that we were in the heart of history. I couldn’t help but wonder, as I looked at the faces of the Turks: Which one was the descendent of a Lycian, or a Roman, or a Greek, a pirate, a Mongol, a Selchuck, or even the first man. What a history this country has. For twenty years I have been reading and studying the civilizations that have for a short time, occupied the landscape, but I know nothing; it’s far too rich a history to learn in one lifetime. I wonder if the Turks know how special they really are.
Day Twelve
We moved out of Kemer on the last leg of our voyage. No one was smiling today as our journey was coming to an end. It was Sunday at 2pm and it was hot and humid when we arrived to Kaleici Marina in Antalya. We didn’t want to go. We really didn’t want to go. It had been a magical journey. But we gathered our things and sadly gave our goodbyes and thank yous to Captain Hassan, Mehmet, Dogan, Haso, and the Gundogan.
Our entire three week tour of Turkey was arranged using the discount coupons on www.DestinationCoupons.com. Our group saved over $3,500 USD whilst patronizing Turkey’s best restaurants, hotels, tours and of course the Blue Voyage cruise.
What an incredible trip at an incredible price.