We were a little dismayed to be balked of our daily swim in the Mediterranean upon our return from Antalya; the surf, while not really too much higher than that we've seen in Hawaii, had made the normally aquamarine water a muddy brown. This was a surprise, as only a few hours earlier we'd seen the water crystal clear by Antalya's Roman harbour, with plenty of people frolicking gaily below the terrace bar. But the harbour - being a harbour - is a good deal less exposed, with plenty of jutting rocks and promentories to give protection, while the beach here pretty much has nothing in front of it except Africa (specifically, Egypt).
We had a great time walking the streets of the old town with its pretty cobbled roads and beautifully restored Ottoman houses, and small juice stands at viewpoints over the gulf, harbour, and waterfalls. The party boats come and go with plenty of blaring music, hooting and clapping. We are not going with them.
Instead we buy knitted woolen socks, silk scarves, and little inlaid boxes - it's our last souvenir buying trip and we have plenty of leftover lira, having been quite parsimonious with them earlier in our travels.
On the way into town for lunch, we find ourselves running the usual gauntlet of restaurateurs beckoning you to eat at their establishment; when we hear someone shout "Canada!" it almost feels like being rescued, and we end up at the place run by the young man Tim took a card from a few days ago.
I always used to say I didn't care for lamb, but now I realize it's mainly because I can't cook it worth crap - I love lamb in Turkey and I think I like it best as Iskender donair, shaved and served on flatbread with tomato sauce, yogurt, and oil. This is fast food in Turkey, but fast food here is made of actual recognizable ingredients and is fabulous.
Elmas, the young man running the place, was as enthusiastically friendly as many of the Turks we have encountered elsewhere - but with the dream of perhaps emigrating to Canada and I fear I harshed his mellow big time when he started asking about what a waiter might make relative to the rents you might have to pay in a city like Vancouver or Toronto.
"I think you crushed his dream mom" Theo teased, afterward, and Tim added "I feel like going back and telling him 'don't worry, she does this to everyone'".
Still, he seems like the sort of young fellow who won't stay down for long, though I would hate to think of anyone leaving sunny Antalya to freeze his ass off I'm Toronto for minimum wage.
More Antalya pictures
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