Debs' last full day in Turkey for a couple of weeks. After breakfast we went to try and find out where the airport bus picked up in the old city. It would be easy to believe that there is a conspiracy going on in Antalya to get you to take an expensive taxi to the airport. We found the bus stop entirely by accident whilst looking for the world's best hidden Tourist Information office. In truth we only knew it was the bus stop because an airport bus happened to be stopped in it. There was no sign, timetable or in fact any indication that it was a bus stop. Conversely every taxi company has a clearly printed sign detailing the cost of a trip to the airport. Remarkably they are all showing exactly the same price of €19, except one firm who had a sale on and were advertising €17. Quite why the Turks feel the need to show prices in Euros when it isn't their currency is beyond us.
Having located the bus stop, it became a personal mission to find the Tourist Information office. We had followed the sign claiming 400m to the office and found nothing. Purely by chance and crossing the road we discovered another sign, that was only visible from a particular angle as it was hidden behind a road sign. Following the sign it started to look increasingly likely that we were on a wild goose chase, then Debs spotted the office on the other side of a dual carriageway.
Apart from the challenge in locating the office, there was no point in going in. They had no English maps and the culture program leaflet was for 2010. If anyone can tell me why they bother having the offices if they are going to staff them with disinterested and uninformed people then I would like to know!
Bus and Tourist information odyssey over, we went to do a bit of sightseeing. Strolling through the city, we passed through Hadrian's gate and then carried on to the park to see the Hıdırlık Tower.
The tower's use seems to be up for speculation. It was either used for defence or as a stage for a signal fire. Either way currently it's cordoned off so you can't do much more than look at it!
From the tower we went in search of lunch and had a hilarious encounter with a shop keeper along the way. Well I say hilarious, he probably didn't find it funny, but being told that a small backgammon set was €55 certainly made me laugh; perhaps a little too loudly.
When quoted those kind of prices it isn't even worth haggling, especially as I wouldn't pay anywhere near that in Britain for a better quality one.
Lunch was certainly of better value, a nice piece of toasted bread filled with Kofte (meatballs) and lots of salad to help yourself to, all for 5TL (approx £2.40).
After lunch we went to have a look at the Yivli Minaret, which according to our free guide book you can climb for a view of the city. True to form it is currently closed, nevertheless the mosque and ruins around its base are quite nice.
While stopped for a cup of çay drama struck! I had lost one of my two remaining water bottles. Debs now seriously believes that I can't be trusted with anything unless it is tied to me. Retracing my steps back to where we had lunch, I found it on the floor by a table. Clearly not wanting to carry it around with me, I had left it there safely until we got back!
Fast becoming regulars of Favori restaurant, we had a lovely 'farewell for now' dinner and a few more beers than planned.
Debs is looking forward to catching up with some of you over the next few weeks and she will be greatly missed here. The blog may take a turn for the worse over the next few days as my editor will not be available. I have an interesting approach to punctuation; a kind of throw lots at a sentence and hope some of it is in the right place. Take care all.
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