Perge

Summer has arrived. Yesterday we had a lovely weather, 25 degrees in shade but we decided to go to a sunny place. We took a bus and visited Perge, the largest ruin city in the neighborhood. There are mainly columns and ornated carved stones left from the former buildings.

Excavations are still carried out, findings are exhibited at the Antalya Museum, the garden of which we visited a few days ago.

I usually don't like heat but last Wednesday I started the day with shoveling snow so now I enjoyed wearing only one layer of clothes. We quenched our thirst with freshly squeezed orange juice, guaranteeing a holiday feeling.

What was even more important for me is the rich fauna. It only took me a few minutes to spot a tortoise among the stones. It was surprisingly fast, trying to hide from the camera.

Later on we met a smaller one, it was cute and couldn't find a place to hide so we could take more pictures of him/her.

Lizards posed a greater challenge, disappearing in the cracks of walls. A ruin city is an ideal home for them.

Perge used to be devided by a channel that was almost dry now but in the remaining water we saw some tadpoles. Sadly there were no frogs, although I'm very fond of them. :)

At the exit there's not only an official museum shop but numerous street vendors, as well. They offer scarves, tablecloths, small statues and jewels.

I've uploaded more photos here.

Free time

I spend my time here just like I've always wanted to: I usually have no fixed programs, I come and go whenever I like, I have a key to the appartement, I walk a lot but I have a pass for the tram (just in case, if I'm tired or want to go somewhere further) and I even have access to an office where I have breakfast with the employees. The boss is of British origin, but has lived in Turkey for ages and the appartement I stay in belongs to her. This is far better than my usual way of travelling because I can have a taste of local lifestyle. Getting to know it well would require more time, of course, but I don't need a map anymore and I already know where to buy vegetables. An ideal beginning. I don't even mind the construction works in the street with all that noise and the lack of cold water. (Hot water comes from a container on the roof.)

Today I haven't chosen the classic touristy way, either. The main goal is to get loaded with vitamin D and pleasant experience before I fly back to the winter-like weather to finish my last MA semester. I walked to the port (carefully avoiding everyone organizing boat trips and  the restaurant where the overly friendly waiter works) and with a book in my hand I sat on the rocks that are also popular among locals. It was wonderful to immerse in the world of Marquez while listening to the murmur of the waves. I only left when clouds appeared in the sky.

During the Friday sightseeing I set my eyes on a red scarf and I was hoping to find the way back to the shop where I saw it. For that reason, I had to cross a part of the city that is full of shops (between the port and the main road, I guess everyone lives from tourism there), so when I finally got to the one near the clock tower, I already had another scarf. I didn't mind, it has a beautiful color and thanks to its pattern, it can be worn with several different coats. (I had realized in India that I should think about warm materials and winter clothing because I don't wear scarfs in the summer. Back then I bought a thin, mustard-colored woolen shawl, very useful while travelling, I even have it here with me.) On my way I looked around in various shops. I was warmly welcomed everywhere, I got some pomegranate flavored tea and one man even offered me breakfast but I wasn't hungry.

This adoration surrounding me is quite baffling. In one of the shops the owner said I was "the woman of his dreams" and almost immediately tied a bracelet around my wrist. There were other men trying to invite me for a coffee / walk / visit to the backyard. I told everyone that I wasn't single and it was enough in most of the cases (mentioning my husband used to be even more efficient, but those days are over). However, there were some men whom I had to tell that "my boyfriend works nearby".

After reaching the main road I decided not to go the well-known direction. I was hoping I wouldn't get lost and even if I did I could go back the way I came. I walked around two mosques and I entered the less crowded one that had a sign describing what visitors should pay attention to.

My shoes in my bag (I didn't dare to leave them outside on the shelf), scarf on my head (fortunately there was no rule for covering the arms, my scarf wasn't big enough for that), I opened the door. It was not obvious whether the people inside are waiting for some ceremony to begin or are they just meditating there so I only took a few careful and silent steps, just to look around. The building wasn't particularly interesting, I didn't take any photos and I soon left not to disturb anybody. I have to admit, as a European woman I'm always worried that I might break a local religious or cultural rule I'm not aware of. At the other mosque, I felt strange just for walking in the garden alone, in western clothes. There were mostly man there, gathering at the entrance, bathing at a well. I would have preferred to stay unnoticed... No matter how strange the Islam religion is for me, I don't want to insult any of the believers.

Back in Asia

I only arrived Wednesday evening to Antalya but I it feels as if I had left home a long, long time ago. Maybe only due to the difficulties with the snow in Hungary, I could easily spread my excitement among my friends. "Réka, we've been waiting for this trip..." said my beautician on Monday.

If I had had to pick a destination for the spring break, it probably wouldn't have been Turkey but I was invited by a friend who's working here.

I spent Wednesday travelling. I booked a flight from Vienna so I had to take a bus from Budapest but first I had to get there from Érd. I woke up early in the morning to arrive here late at night. :) But it was worth it. Here I don't need the coat. :)

On Thursday, I had breakfast with old and new friends, then I took off to buy myself a purse. (I know, it's amazing what I can forget to pack...) Luckily I had some time for sightseeing, too. In the afternoon we took a bus to the XY (famous Turkish archer, I don't know his name) memorial competition. Or to be exact, to the official practicing before the tournament, organized in the backyard of a hotel. I've never been to such an event before but now I had a chance to observe it closely, although illegally. Officially, only the "authorised support staff" could have stayed on the field but I was disguised by binoculars and leisure clothes. Unfortunately it was a rainy day, I had to wipe my glasses regularly but it was funny to see athletes fetching their arrows with umbrellas in their hands.

After that, we returned to the apartment but didn't have much time because we had to leave for the local opera house to watch a modern ballet performance. Our host drove the six of us there by car. It was the first time for the boys to watch ballet and I think they were very lucky. Beethoven's 9th Symphony is an excellent choice and there was a large group of dancers alternating with soloists of different character. Everyone was passionate after the show but for different reasons. My association with the Ode to Joy is, without doubt, Europe and the EU. I only learned that night that the same music was used as soundtrack in Die Hard 5. ("Fortunately we are not all the same" as my mother would say...)

All my local friend were busy on Friday so I was free to wander in the city. (Pictures in this album.) This was unbelievably great. I don't remember the last time I just enjoyed being alone and not worrying about the university or my divorce. (Surely, I could have been writing my thesis but I didn't travel this far for that. The weather was also lovely, it would have been a sin to stay indoors.) In spite of the fact that I'm not good in orienting, I managed to find the sea and then my way back. I like living at a place where everything is within walking distance. Here, it only takes a few minutes to go to the shopping streets, the old town or to the port. The color of the sea is the most vivid bluish green and the water is completely clear.

As I wanted to immerse in the ambiance of the place, I even talked to people trying to sell me something I didn't need. (I usually ignore merchants unless I'm looking for something specific.) They were very nice although I didn't buy anything. Many of them enthused over "Macaristan" (= Hungary), mentioning last night's football match that ended in a draw. I haven't seen the game but I smiled and nodded. "Yes, I've heard about it".

At the port, dozens tried to talk me into boat trips and at a restaurant a waiter literally blocked my way. Still in surprise, I accepted the apple tea he offered me. (Tastes quite good, a bit too sweet, I wondered why it was served with sugar cubes.) He was a skilled compliment maker and despite I was sure that he's used those words a million times before, it was flattering. He insisted on saving his number in my phone (I didn't want to give him mine) so I promised to text him in the afternoon. Obviously I didn't, I'll rather avoid that side of the port... :)

I truly love the atmosphere of the place. I experienced something similar in Skopje's Albanian district and in our last week in India, when we were walking in back-streets and I smelled that spicy, oriental scent that fills the air and takes me to an exotic wonder-world. Another core element of the mood is the muezzin's cry. His call for prayer can be heard everywhere in this mainly Muslim country. Early Thursday morning, I listened to the first one of the day. It sounded before sunrise and blended with songs of birds awakening.