Day 159 - (The Lycian Tombs of) Kas to Antalya

My next stop would be Antalya, which is another one of the largest cities in Turkey like Izmir and Istanbul. The bus would leave around 2pm, which gave me the opportunity to sightsee and wander through Kas for another half day.

I decided to check out the Lycian tombs around the area. Lycia used to be part of the Anatolian region of Turkey during the Roman times. There was one monument tomb that was situated in the city center, while the rest of the tombs were placed higher above the city and carved into the rocks. It took a short while to reach the rock cut tombs since I had to do a little climbing to reach them, but it was a nice spot to admire the city below, and away from the rest of the tourists who weren't there at noon when the sun was highest in the sky.

The bus ride to Antalya was probably the best bus ride I've experienced so far in Turkey based on the length of time to get to the next destination and the magnificent seaside views of the Medditerranean. We drove along the Southern Coast the entire time. I really wanted to tell the bus driver to stop the bus so that I could take some photos or just wander on the pebbly beaches. I was only able to get pictures while the bus was moving.

I arrived in Antalya after the sun had set and met with my couchsurfing host Ali, who cooked us some dinner. We chatted for a while and listened to his iPod. He's the first couchsurfer that listened to some of the same music I listened to! Most of the other Turkish hosts listened to more traditional and/or mainstream Turkish music, and less Western music. He was taking introductory French classes and I actually was surprised I remembered most of my basic French lessons. I was glad I could be of help to him with pronunciation.

Kas

Kas

Monument Tomb

Lycian Rock Cut Tombs

Driving Along the Mediterranean Coast

Day 158 - Kas

I went back and forth about coming to Kas because there were people who were insistent on me going, and others who told me it wasn't worth it, but that's the thing about everyone's opinions – they all differ. It's been tough figuring out what is worthwhile to see in all of Turkey because everyone likes different cities for different reasons. At the beginning of the trip, I was intent on seeing this city, but changed my mind midway through my travels. Yesterday, I changed my mind once again to visit the city since I was satisfied with my one day stay in Fethiye and Oludeniz.

I arrived in the city early enough to check into a guesthouse and do some laundry (finally!) Afterwards, I caught some of the sun and visited the beaches in the area. All the “beaches” were either small openings between cliffs where the ground was pebbley, or porches next to hotels that were built on the rocky cliffs above. It really wasn't what I was used to seeing or expecting, but it was still relaxing to be able to sit in the hotel beach chairs on the cliffs and read and tan for a second day in a row.

It was another small and quaint town, easily navigatable in less than a day, with some Lycian tombs scattered in the city center and also higher up near the cliffs of the city. I spent the rest of the night just walking through the center and perusing the tourist shops before calling it a day.