Mediterranean! Mediterranean!

I had a fantastic weekend in Antalya/Olympos on the southern Mediterranean shore of Turkey. We left Friday night at 10:30 p.m. (after a crazy search for a beach towel and stocking up on snacks for the road) and drove the 9-10 hours overnight stopping a couple of times. We arrived in Antalya about 7am and jumped on the minibus to head to a waterfall nearby. We had a Turkish breakfast outside near the water and then walked behind and around the waterfall and had a lot of fun exploring, as you can see in my pictures that I posted. There was so many of us wandering around and enjoying a sunny morning. We got to cool down through an unexpected spray from a hose which left me thoroughly drenched on one half of my body. Back into the minibus for the drive to Antalya where the celebration began. We listened to all kinds of music and danced on the bus as we wound along the edge of the mountains that border the sea. The combination of forest, mountain, beach and sea is so unique.

We arrived at Olympos around midday and emptied out of our minibus into the treehouse compound where we would stay. Instead of moving into the rooms, we changed and headed to the beach straightaway so we could swim in the Mediterranean. To get to the beach, it is necessary to walk through the ancient ruins of the city of Olympos. You walk uneven paths and over small bridges that span little streams while passing by crumbling arches and doorways and buildings that have stood on the spot for a thousand years. Near to the beach are these monumental tombs in stone niches. When you reach the beach, it is divided by a freshwater stream that also divides Olympos and empties into the sea. The beach is surrounded by high stony cliffs upon which are perched more fortress ruins and those of a castle. It is such an odd scene, modern boats and sunbathers in such a historically-rich locale. It is hard to explain, so look at the pictures to better understand the unique feeling of the place. The beaches are all stones (that cut up our feet pretty badly) and trapped all the heat from the sun. We just baked and napped and swam until it got overcast and a little rainy. We had dinner at our treehouse place and then made our way to an outdoor bar where we all shared our traditional cultural dances. Elysia and I made sure to teach our international friends such American classics as "the sprinkler", "the shopping cart", and the "lawnmower".

The next morning we set off to the beach again to make the most of our time in Olympos. It was intensely hot and we spent more time in the water than on the hot rocks. When the afternoon became unbearably hot, Elysia, Monika, and I decided to wander through the ruins of Olympos a little more. We took a side path that led us to an old church from the 5th-6th century and then to a temple dedicated to Marcus Aurelius. All that remains is a large doorway with intricate carving and part of the wall. It was a wonderful sight for us as we meandered along this path and came across it. I think Elysia and I were especially overwhelmed with the history because of the relative newness of everything in America. Anyway, Olympos was a wonderful place to explore and I can still picture its streets. We left to catch our 9pm bus in Antalya, exhausted from the heat and arrived in Bursa again at 7am.

The week has started again with a Taiwanese culture night last night and I gave English lessons to the AIESECers in the office. And, more heat and no rain. I will go to the Amerikan Kultur language school in just a little bit to give a presentation about American culture, so wish me luck :)