Turquoise Coast to Cappadocia, Turkey

Posted on May 26, 2012 by

Written May 6, 2012

The trip by plane from Turkey’s southern coast to Cappadocia, near the center of the country, is much longer than it needs to be. Nearly all flights on Turkish Airlines pass through Istanbul, making what should be a short hour hop from Antalya more than a five hours journey, two hour-plus-long flights with a two hour layover in Istanbul in between. Now add a canceled flight from Istanbul to Kayseri (one of the Cappadocia airports) increasing the layover to four and half hours and making it a full-day excursion to get here, but it is well worth the effort.

Leaving the Kayseri airport one wonders why you would come to this part of Turkey, a desolate place of dry rolling hills interspersed with the occasional forgotten crumbly town.  It’s only as you approach the national park that surrounds Goreme that the magical landscape of Cappadocia begins to appear.

Truly a surreal region of valleys of carved stone sculptures created by the eroding effects of the wind and rain on deep layers of volcanic ash.

Early Christians escaping persecution carved homes and churches in the soft stone of these phallic looking pillars creating fairy like villages. 

Nowadays tourists can experience living in a cave in one of the many converted hotels.

These are generally upgraded accommodations offering suites and spa facilities. Our room at Kelebek Hotel and Cave Pension is a two room suite with a stone sitting area and a cave bedroom decorated in a traditional rustic style.

For Dinner we went to Seten (located at Sultan Cave Suites, sister hotel to the Kelebek) considered the best restaurant in Goreme offering traditional Anatolian food in elegant rustic setting. The dining room is thoughtfully decorated with refined Turkish furnishings against of backdrop of carved stone and worn wood. Started with the mixed meze of the usual cold dips and salads – garlic yogurt, spicy tomato and pepper, eggplant, etc. All the delightful Turkish flavors that have been missing at some of the more touristy restaurants.

The lamb kebabs with eggplant were equally flavorful, and although the eggplant melted on the tongue some of the lamb morsels were chewier than they should be.

The chicken kebab, prepared the same way as the lamb, was moist and tender. All and all one of the better dining experiences of the trip.

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From Kalkan to Antalya, Turquoise Coast, Turkey

Posted on May 26, 2012 by

Written May 5, 2012

The most remarkable feature of the White House B&B in Kalkan is the terrace with superb views overlooking the bay.

A lovely place to start your morning. It’s a pity that they only serve instant coffee. They are, however, kind enough to mix it up for you thus allowing you to at least pretend you are enjoying the views with a fresh cup of brewed coffee.  In addition they serve a choice of a hard-boiled egg, a basket of white and wheat bread, and a breakfast plate that includes an assortment of sliced fruit, yogurt, cheese and packets of various jams and honey.

For most of the drive to Antalya the road traces the coastline with fantastic views of the rocky shore, blue sea and turquoise coves (about four hours from Kalkan to Antalya).

Few towns or villages mar this long mountainous coastline. On the eastern edge of the Lycian Way, heading north out of Finike, the road turns inland passing through a high mountainous pine forest.

Here we turned off to take a quick peek at Olympos, once a sleepy little backpack enclave (according to Lonely Planet) now packed with tour buses and vacationers enjoying a pretty Saturday afternoon. We skipped the ruins and headed over to Cirali, another beach town in this lush valley surrounded by high mountains. Unlike the towns on the western side of the Turquoise Coast whose pensions are perched on the hillside and boast sea views, Cirali is a lush flat town of hidden gardens. Note that although there is a foot path that connects Olympos and Cirali (about 1K), to drive from one to the another you must climb back out  to the main highway, D400, and descend back down.

A couple of kilometers outside of Cirali is Chimaera. At the end of a dusty road is a shaded little park area with a cafe at the foot of the path that leads up to the hill of spontaneous flames. A natural phenomenon caused by gas escaping from crevices in the rock. Buy your 4TL ticket and walk along the stone path uphill through pine forest, about 20 minutes.

While the site has a certain interesting National Geographic’s aspect, it is rather underwhelming during daylight hours. For maximum impact be sure to visit the site after dark.

Finding the way to our hotel in Antalya’s historic district, Kaleici, was an exercise in patience and determination with the GPS not working and very few signed streets. I finally got out and walked the last two blocks, led by a nice Turkish man, to our unmarked hotel located on an unsigned alleyway.

The Tuvana hotel, a lush oasis in the heart of Kaleici, has spacious rooms with parquet floors, decorated in an old world Europe style with a touch of Turkish flair. Comfortable and clean if a little worn. Charming garden/pool areas as well as their “world class” restaurant are interspersed between the small group of residence buildings.

In the late afternoon light we wander the maze of quaint pedestrian streets of Kaleici past cafes, bars and myriad shopping opportunities down to the water.

Restaurants ring the upper lever of the boat filled harbor.

Young Turkish lovers try to find a bit of privacy along the jetty;

young men sell fresh mussels with lemon along the dock while boat men hawk short jaunts out to sea.

A true slice of Antalya life with a mix of tourists and locals.

Dinner at Seraser, touted as Antalya’s best restaurant and listed as number 2 on Trip Advisor, has an unbeatable setting in the comfortable yet elegant garden patio of the Tuvana hotel.

The meal unfortunately was a mixed bag of outstanding dishes and real disappointments. Clearly the folks at Lonely Planet have never eaten in a true “world class” restaurant. My favorite dish of the evening was the goat cheese and aubergine soufflé, fresh hot from the oven with a crispy exterior and a light fluffy, creamy interior. The oddest dish was the stuffed quail. Two small whole birds with a honey mustard glaze and stuffed with a raisin-walnut rice served on a Mediterranean ratatouille style vegetable mélange. A marriage that most certainly should end in immediate divorce!

Their signature dessert, Sultan’s Kavfe is a coffee flavored crème brûlée served in a tiny Turkish coffee cup, aesthetically pleasing and good with the classic crackling caramelized sugar capping a coffee-flavored custard that was not as rich and luscious as found in other versions of this dish.

Go for an elegant evening under the stars of Antalya, think again if you are primarily coming for the food.

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The Sunken City of Kekova, Turquoise Coast, Turkey

Posted on May 22, 2012 by

Written May 4, 2012

Started the day with another lovely breakfast in the garden of Owlsland B&B. Today we were changing hotels from the mountain village of Bezirgan to the seaside town of Kalkan below (17 kilometers down a windy road), before bopping down the coast to Ucagiz to see the famed sunken ruins of Kekova.

We picked up picnic provisions at the Friday market in Kas. Great selection of fresh fruits and vegies.

Picked up some olives, cheese and some super heavy local bread. Two rounds must have weighed a kilo or more.

Once to Ucagiz a nice Turkish man offered us a place to park and a boat out to the sunken city and then out to the island of Kalekoy. The bigger and more comfortable boat for just the four of us cost us double the 60TL Paulina our hostess at Owlsland told us we should be able to get a small boat for.

It’s a pretty bay surrounded by rocky islands and dark blue waters despite a tinge of haze remaining in the air.

A perfect temperature to hang out on the boat and enjoy the sun and the water,

 however, the sunken ruins were rather underwhelming.  The mental images that the idea of an ancient “sunken” city invoke are much more exotic than the ruins themselves. Still the site draws boat loads of tourists who cruise along the rocky shore of Kekova island to view the ruins with a portion of the foundation below the water level. Although interesting to imagine this city perched along the shore before the 2nd century earthquake that leveled it, it is certainly not worthy of the “spectacular” or “stunning” adjectives used in the guidebooks.

After a short 20 minute pass through the ruins our driver took us over to Kalekoy Island

where we could climb to the castle and visit the ruins of ancient Simena. Immediately we were greeted by two local women eager to show us the way up the hill through back alleys, while trying to entice us with their basket of scarves and table cloths. Truly the most obnoxious hawkers we’ve encountered since arriving in Turkey. The castle does offer dramatic views of the surrounding blue water and rocky islands dotted with sarcophagi.

The ruins themselves, while less interesting than most, do sport one of the smallest Roman theaters in antiquity, on the left before you make the final climb to the castle viewpoint.

Back down and out a dirt path past the WC is a trail through sarcophagi (my favorite part of the visit)

with picnic opportunities beneath the shade of 1000 year old olive trees.

Swimming is another possibility on these boat excursions to the island and would be welcoming a bit later on in the year. The first week in May the water was still quite cold with few actually braving the water.

On our drive back to Kalkan stopped at a picture perfect beach, Kaputas, with the turquoise blue water and a white pebble beach this coast is known for.

The White House, rated #1 on Trip Advisor in Kalkan, has a great terrace overlooking the bay.

The rooms are clean, small and sparcely decorated in all white with faux wood furniture. With a total lack of amenities such as shampoo, hair dryers or even a top sheet (just a thin blanket) this is certainly not a luxury establishment but a good beachy option to pass a few days in Kalkan.

Dinner at Trio, one of the many restaurants along the harbor. Albeit a pretty setting with outdoor dining, this area is more a British version of Turkeyland than anything really Turkish. Hawkers outside the restaurants try to lure you in with the typical banter in good English, asking where you are from and inviting you to look at their menu. All promise that they have great food and fresh fish. Trio is no different, offering an extensive menu of Turkish and more western options, but honestly these restaurants are designed to please the tourist palate, not the discerning foodie. The cold meze with the standard, yogurt dip, eggplant salad, humus and feta had about as much flavor as you would find in St. Louis, Missouri.

Other more westernized dishes such as leek and bacon chicken or Mediterranean chicken were tasty but smothered in cheese and cream sauces don’t offer true Mediterranean flavors. As one would expect, come here for the fun holiday atmosphere; go elsewhere if you want to experience real Turkish food.

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Picnic at Pinara – Turquoise Coast, Turkey

Posted on May 17, 2012 by

Written May 3, 2012

Started the morning with breakfast in the lovely front garden of Owlsland B&B. Our Scottish-born hostess Paulina kept us in stitches as we gobbled down local delights, several kinds of cheese (goat and cow), yogurt, homemade jams, honey, sliced strawberries, hard boiled eggs and olives.

Pinara take two – with more time and a picnic packed we take the trail through the ruins of this ancient city.

There is no map and the trail can be hard to follow at times, but it’s a pretty, somewhat shaded hike through the ruins. From the parking lot take the trail to the left marked by arrow. The trail first climbs a little and then descends to a creek crossing, and climbs a bit on the other side. Here you reach a marked T junction and the start of the loop trail around the ruins up and across the plateau. To avoid back tracking to visit the theater at the end of the visit, it is best to take the trail to the left. Before doing so, however, head a short ways down to the right to see the Royal Tomb.

Back track back to the T junction and continue on following the trail as it climbs the canyon past more cliff tombs.

Around the bend and up the creek bed look for a steep trail up the right side of the canyon to the plateau. (Note that the trail is a bit hard to follow through this section with trails on both sides of the canyon and numerous cliff tombs on the right side.)

Once up on the plateau the trail wanders through the main area of the ruins.

High above on the left hand side is the often photographed honeycomb looking cliffs with myriad tombs. 

Once across the plateau a trail branches to the right leading to a tomb whose entrance is capped with carved bull horns.

Note that from here there is a trail that heads to the right completing the original loop, or to view the theater on the return to the parking area, jog left here following the trail along the edge of the plateau with views of the theater below.

The trail eventually descends back down to a road with access to the theater. After visiting the theater you can follow this road back to the parking area.

The best picnic spots are at the top of the plateau just beyond the bullhorn tomb with views of the theater or under the shade tree atop theater itself with views of the plateau and cliff of tombs above.

Along the road between Pinara and Tlos.

Tlos (a half an hour drive from Pinara, off the main road (D400) heading north) is a mish mash of various architectural styles that span the centuries if not millenniums.

Unlike lush Pinara the ruins are bare of vegetation but the setting itself is spectacular on a clear day with valley and mountain views. Trails through the site wander up to the fortress above

and down to the tombs on the north side

with a steep trail down to a columned tomb, visible from the road, with a faint relief carving of the wing Pegasus. Back out at the main area behind the entrance with a long row of steps on your right and a series of arches on your left,

you can reach the roman baths by walking to the far end of the arches and taking the steep trail up to the baths.

From here the dilapidated theater, closed to visitors for obvious reasons, is just across the road.

Dinner back out at Owlsland – chickpea and apple salad this time with the addition of peas; yogurt with purslane; potatoes and Turkish mousaka, a stewish version with pepper, eggplant and ground meat but no béchamel as is found in the Greek version.

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Pamukkale to the Turquoise Coast, Turkey

Posted on May 17, 2012 by

Written May 2, 2012

Unfortunately a gray hazy morning greeted us for our drive south through the mountains.

Following the directions on Google Maps on the iPad it was a relatively straight forward drive with good roads and little traffic. Snowcapped peaks loom over rugged terrain with the occasional small vineyard or herd of goats. In clear weather the four hour drive would be stunning.

Bezirgan may be just up the mountain from Kalkan but it is a long winding road up and over the pass to reach the inner bowl of this hilltop. Once over the rim you get views of the town in the flat valley ringed by low mountains.

It’s a rustic village that pulls you back into time with crumbly white-washed stone buildings and goats grazing on narrow grassy alleys. Not the least bit touristy with only one home, Owlsland, attracting foreign visitors.

Owlsland B&B has three rooms in an old traditional style building with thick white walls decorated with farming tools.

The veranda off the front of the house, shaded by a grape covered trellis, looks onto a grassy yard resembling a small petting zoo with dogs, cats, chickens and goats.

Our host’s parents, a traditionally dressed older couple, live next door. This is the place to come for a slice of unspoiled Turkish village life.

Before heading out for our first day of exploring the region we stopped in Islamlar, up a windy road from Kalkan, for some of the local farmed trout. Like most of the restaurants in town, Pinarbasi Restaurant (on the main road) has a shaded terrace overlooking Kalkan and the sea beyond. The whole trout was as fresh and tasty as promised (a bargain at 7TL) with service on the slow side. Great for those hot lazy afternoons; not so great if you’ve got plans.

Exploring the Ruins

Letoon – recommended by our hostess Pauline, was a bit of a let down on this gray day. Set down a dusty road lined with plastic covered greenhouses the setting is less than idyllic. The temples themselves blended into the gray skies with frogs and turtles adding a bit of interest to the muddy waters surrounding the temples. Could be pretty against a backdrop of a typical Mediterranean blue sky.

Wanting something completely different we headed north on the back road to Pinara. Not an easy road to find without a GPS as it curves up the hillside to the right in Karadere. In poor condition, this track will not save you anytime and is not worth taking unless you particularly want to explore the countryside.

Pinara, set along a canyon and up a cliff face, has a fabulous setting, green with vegetation, views overlooking the valley and snowcapped peaks in the distance.

Explored the tombs at the base of the cliff (dirt path past the parking lot and to the left).

The dirt road continuing past the parking area takes you to the theater. The day growing short we headed back to our home base in Bezirgan with the intention of returning the following day. See the following day’s post for a more complete description of the ruins.

Back in town missed the first turn and couldn’t find our B&B. Asked the lady herding goats through the middle of the village. She knew exactly where we wanted to go and gave a very detailed explanation in Turkish of which I only understood that we weren’t going in the right direction and where we wanted to go was “over there” somewhere. Pimsleur is great for learning to ask the questions. Understanding the lengthy responses is a different story.

Dinner at Owlsland is served family style in the hosts’ dining room that opens on to the large kitchen with dark wood cabinetry and green tile. Started with a vegetable bean soup followed by a chicken potato and tomato dish served with rice and a fantastic apple and chickpea salad. Hoping to replicate this salad at home. Other ingredients included – shredded greens, green onion, parsley, gherkins (not sweet) and cucumber served in a vinaigrette made with pomegranate extraction. The meal ended with tea or coffee and sesame cookies.

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Selcuk to Pamukkale, Turkey

Posted on May 16, 2012 by

Written May 1, 2012

Breakfast at Hotel Nilya in Selcuk includes a fruit and cheese plate and a choice of cooked eggs. The fried eggs are nicely done with a soft center, which seems to be the norm in Turkey.

Less than three hours after leaving Selcuk we arrived in Pamukkale town at the base of the famous white cliffs a little before noon.

The Melrose Hotel is at the edge of town but not far from the center. Entering the hotel grounds you are greeted by the welcoming shade of their grand stone patio. It’s this patio that makes the place while rooms, albeit clean and comfortable, are bit on the tacky side, decorated with stone tiles that don’t quite line up and chiffon bed linens, some in garish colors.

Following our host’s advice we relaxed on the patio for a couple of hours and had lunch before heading over to the ruins and cliffs. She suggested that it would be best to avoid the heat of mid-day and the crowds that came with it.

About 2PM we drove to the southern gate of Hierapolis and the travertine pools. The grounds of the complex are extensive. We began our tour with the ruins of the Martyrium of St Philip

up in the hills above the Roman Theater, taking the dirt path to the right just inside the southern gate. From this vantage point you can get the lay of the park below, with the Roman Theater, the Antique Pool and museum straight ahead

and the necropolis along the road that heads to your right.  Make your way back down towards the center to visit the theater

and continue on to the Temple of Apollo.

Next, the Antique Pool and the museum just across. A steep 30TL per person ticket allows you to swim among the submerged ruins.

Lockers are available for a 10TL deposit. While the water is an inviting 36° Celsius, the best view of the pool and its ruins are from above along the boardwalk that meanders around the pools.

The small museum, housed in the former Roman baths, is divided into three exhibit halls. My favorite was the third with friezes depicting stories from mythology.

More sculptures are on display in the garden facing the museum to the left of the first exhibit hall.

Next, walk out the road to the mostly intact latrine

just before the necropolis – a road lined with sarcophagi.

From here you can begin your walk on the boardwalk along the white cliffs. At the time of writing (May 1, 2012) only some pools were filled with most being empty.

Still it’s an impressive site with the best views near sunset when the colors reflect off the still pools.

Along the last stretch down toward the center gate you have the opportunity to walk on the white travertine and dip your toes in the water. Here a row of pools all the way down remain full.

Note that the boardwalk also continues out along the rim above these pools offering the better photo ops of the pools below.

Dinner back at Melrose was a pleasant affair on their open terrace. The food, however, was a mixed bag. The lentil soup was well done and flavorful. Don’s trout was overcooked and not very fresh. My roasted chicken, a meaty leg quarter, was moist with crispy skin. Order thoughtfully and you should have a delightful evening.

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Beating the Crowds to Ephesus, Turkey

Posted on May 13, 2012 by

Written April 30, 2012

Woke this morning to the 5:30AM call to prayer followed by the chattering of swallows who swoop under the eaves of the hotel where they have built a nest. No matter, I was eager to get to the ruins, hopefully ahead of the crowds. Our host at Hotel Nilya had told us that it didn’t really matter if we got to the site early. Many people have the same idea and it is crowded at all times. “Come back in January if you want solitude”, he says. Despite the discouraging words we skipped breakfast and drove to the upper gate.

Arriving just after 8:00AM when the gates open there were already two tours groups ahead of us, but wide Roman avenues makes it easy to bypass slower tour groups and within minutes we were ahead of  everyone and felt like we had the place to ourselves.

I make a quick dash to la pièce de la resistance, the Library of Celsus, and for solid 15 minutes basked in the morning light against the intricately carved Corinthian façade, snapping pictures and wondering what this space must have been like with every wall so magnificently decorated.

From time to time I looked up the marble road, but it remained empty. Two hours later after touring the rest of the site, exploring various nooks and crannies, I looked up the same road, now packed with tours groups lead by guides holding up signs from various cruise lines.

Getting to the site early is definitely worth while!

The Terrace Houses, worth the extra 15TL ticket, display the remnants of sumptuous Roman residential interiors with decorative painted walls and mosaic floors that give a glimpse of the grandeur of wealthy Roman life.

Lunch at Sirniecem Restaurant and Café in Sirince, a quaint albeit tourist village 12 kilometers outside of Selcuk, has a pleasant setting on a shaded terrace with a menu of reasonable priced Turkish fare. One of the first restaurants on the right as you enter the village along the main road.

About an hour outside of Selcuk are the ruins of Priene, a tranquil setting in the hills with shaded paths through the pines. The ruins themselves are mostly rubble but two structures make the site worth the visit, the Greek-style theater with VIP claw footed stone thrones,

and the Temple of Athena perched on the hillside with impressive views of the agricultural valley below.  Just 5 columns remains standing surrounded by so many felled column sections and other temple pieces it is easy to imagine the temple’s former glory.

To drive to Priene follow signs out of Soke to Didim/Bodrum which will take you to the road to Gullubahce. From there brown signs marked Priene will lead you to the site.

Dinner was at the Lonely Planet recommended Ejder Restaurant located on Topel Caddesi under the Roman Aqueduct. The menu offers the typical Turkish selection of meze, kebabs and other meats. Well done with good quality ingredients at reasonable prices. The owner was particularly proud of his chicken şiş, a generous portion of grilled skewered chicken, charred on the outside and moist on the inside. The lamb chops, while the appearance suggested they might be grizzly, were tender and tasty.  Finished the meal with a delightful plate of pistachio baklava.

At the end of the meal the owner’s son, a good looking young man who works as a local model by day and at the restaurant at night, had tea with us. Like most of the Turks we have met he has a gentle friendliness and is eager to chat. He brought out photos of Selcuk before there was much of a town, before they had discovered St. John’s Basilica, just the remains of the Roman Aqueduct marked the area. He then showed us the memorabilia books, mentioned in Lonely Planet, with comments and small tokens left by previous guests – money from around the globe and various cards (business cards, grocery club card, metro cards, etc.) and small objects (contact lens and squeezed out tube of Korean chili paste).

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