We left the hotel about 8:15 and headed out of Antalya to the Turquoise Coast of the Mediterranean Sea for some swimming time and seeing the Phaselis Ruins right on the coast. We had about 1-1/2 hours of driving to arrive at the beach. We arrived at this beach which is actually a national park in Turkey and found a shady spot to put our towels and bags before venturing into the water. It was pretty rocky by the shore, but soon turned to sand. The water was pretty chilly, but we stayed in a while before drying out in the sun. Our tour director, Nilufer, told us that their government doesn't put much money into the parks, so the beach is pretty dirty and no one cleans it.
There were several "party boats" that arrived while we were there. This big one was FILLED with people!
We stopped at a grocery store on the way and picked up food to have a picnic on the beach. After eating, Wendy and I walked over to check out the Phaselis Ruins. We had some nice views back to the beach.
The word Phaselis means "the place protected by Gods" in Ancient Greek. Most of the ruins in Phaselis date back to the Roman and Byzantine periods, around 690BC. It was an important trade center because there are three natural harbors. There are walls that surround the city from the sea and protect it from pirate attacks.
The picture below is Hadrian's Arch. The harbor street connects the middle and south harbors. The fancy gate was built to welcome the Roman Emperor Hadrian in 131AD. The support legs of the arch are what still remain.
Near the parking lot are the aqueducts which run about 1500 feet. These are the oldest structures that have survived in Phaselis.
After our beach stay, we headed to the mountains. We took the Olympos Teleferik cable car to the summit of Tahtali Mountain which is 2365 meters high (about 7760 feet). There are two cable cars that hold up to 80 people and we were packed in on the way up during the 10-15 minute ride. It is the second longest cable car in the world!
In ancient times, the mountain was called Olympos, a name it shared with several other high peaks in the Greek world. It was believed to be the home of the gods. Its modern Turkish name, Tahtali Dagi, comes from the Turkish word for "throne" (Taht), referring to its status as the "Throne of the gods".
Once at the top there were panoramic views all the way around. The white in the photo below is not snow - those are miles and miles of greenhouses!
Views from the top! 
For the more adventurous sorts, you can paraglide or do this bungee swing thing. Neither one appealed to me! This woman went round and round and flipped over several times, both forwards and backwards. It made me nervous just watching her!
Just getting back into the cable car and going down was adventure enough for me! Bill and Shari seemed to enjoy the ride down better, too!
Once we were safely out of the cable car we headed back to Antalya. We had about an hour break - time for showers to get the salt water off - before we had a mini tour of old town Antalya. This is the clock tower, at the edge of the Old Town.
The buildings here are also protected and cannot be torn down. They must be renovated so many of them are in disrepair and for sale.
Other parts are definitely more touristy.
Other parts are definitely more touristy.
We made it to Hadrian's Gate which is a memorial gate built in the name of Roman emperor, Hadrian who visited the city in 130AD.
From there we headed to the harbor.
We had great views of the city walls from the harbor.
There are also "cat houses" here in Antalya. There are several stray cats and like Lima, Peru, the people feed and care for them. This one has several food dishes inside.
From there we headed to the harbor.
We had great views of the city walls from the harbor.
There are also "cat houses" here in Antalya. There are several stray cats and like Lima, Peru, the people feed and care for them. This one has several food dishes inside.
I told you about the ice cream having an usual consistency here. Turkish ice cream, known as dondurma, is a thick, chewy, and melt-resistant dessert. It gets its unique texture from powdered orchid root starch and mastic gum. Vendors often use the entertaining tricks of twirling the ice cream to attract customers.
Most of the group headed back to the hotel, but Tobey, Wendy, and I stopped to get some dinner since it was already 7:30. We had doners at a restaurant not far from the hotel. They were pretty good, but still not as good as the ones we had in Istanbul.
Most of the group headed back to the hotel, but Tobey, Wendy, and I stopped to get some dinner since it was already 7:30. We had doners at a restaurant not far from the hotel. They were pretty good, but still not as good as the ones we had in Istanbul.
Tomorrow will be another busy day (aren't they all?) with an 8:15 departure, so it is off to bed!
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