My adventure to Turkey began with a very long 13.5 hour non-stop flight to Istanbul. I switched over to a domestic flight and ended up in Antalya Monday evening. Everything went smoothly for me, but the friend who I planned to meet up with had major problems with her first flight (took off, then had to return do to mechanical problems) and ended up getting in very late (3 am Tuesday morning) without her luggage making it with her. Needless to say, after back and forths between the hotel and airport for me, then to pick her up, resulted in a very long first day for me.
My initial reaction to getting here was rather disappointed in the sense that I was expecting something very exotic, and the initial view driving along the highway was very familiar … I felt like I could have been driving away from any airport in America. Nonetheless, once settling in, I’ve learned to appreciate it very much. The people are very nice, and you can get by in English. The view from my hotel window looks out onto the Mediterranean with a view to some distant mountains across the water. The hotel restaurant, which has top floor balcony seating has a beautiful view, and amazing food for breakfast.
The first day had some enforced shopping to resupply my friend, which was a good reason to get out and see lots of shops and a bazaar. We’re within walking distance of Hadrian’s Gate and the Old Town, so there’s lots to see close in. While it’s very hot (mid-90’s with high humidity), it’s manageable to get around outside the peak sun times of the day.
This was a real stretch for me to come here, but it’s turning out to be a great location, and I’m glad I came.