Mosque in Zelve

GROUP JOURNAL
       for
SIERRA CLUB TURKEY TOUR
OCTOBER 2004
 
Day 10, Wednesday, October 12, 2004
Submitted by Betty Bonham Bettybonham@aol.com

Antalya - Perge


A Church in Cappadocia


Perge

October 12, 10th day of travel for the unclaimed jewels of the Mediterranean

We're in the mediterranean town of Antalya. Approx 1.2 million residents
and legions of tour busses. 17 million people visited Turkey last year.
The largest single group of which are Germans.

Meli is really sick! Sedat has agreed to step in for Meli. He has a hard act to follow in Meli's shoes. Besides that, this group of 10 women has been described as a pack of alpha females, each scrambling for leadership of the
pack. Sadat seems to take it all in stride. We head for the Antalya Archeological museum that was constructed out of things taken from the city of Perge. We see magnificent statues in a setting imitating Perge.
There are also wonderful objects of daily life, including the first razor used by a woman <2000 years ago. We learn about how some of the statues have been stolen by the "civilized world" and then somehow returned to Turkey. Apparently many of Turkey's wonders still live in the British and Vienna museums. On exiting the museum, Gayle notices a guest book with cryptic comments from a french woman who doesn't think the museum has done a good job. We are astounded. We think it is one of the best museums we have been in.

Sadat takes us to one of his favorite restaurants, Deniz. I misunderstand and think he is taking us to Denny's (as a joke). We have a wonderful lunch and then head for the supermarket which everyone has been anxious
for. Migros is a huge "all in one" chain that was previously jointly owned by Swiss/Turkish. Now it's completely Turkish owned. We scramble around the store buying various reminders for ourselves of the wonderful culture we have been experiencing.



That evening Sadat takes us to the ruins of Perge, outside the city of Antalya. We are dazed by the graveyards of marble lying about. It is sunset and the light on the public bath structures is mesmerizing. Pamela, in particular,
is taken with the sensuousness of the place until her reverie is  interrupted by a British tourist saying "I don't really take to this place. I prefer things in better condition".
Our own fearless leader, Peter, is overheard saying (at the bath) "tiled bathrooms go way back!"

We ended the day with 4 of our members, accompanied by Meli, hustling off to paradise, otherwise known as the Hamam.

 

 We ate in small restaurants and visited many families

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