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September 6th 2013

Published: September 7th 2013

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ATTS

Hadrian's Gate

Anatalya

Early start this morning as I wandered into Anatalya's new city to find somewhere to purchase a bus ticket to Gaziantep which is 12 hours and eight hundred kilometres east. There is not a huge amount there but I didn't want to travel for any longer than that in one go. Eventually I found an agent and purchased a ticket for 8 pm.

I then decided to go veg in my room till check out time, I left my bag at the hotel and hopped on the old tram to the Anatalya Museum. I had lots of time on my hands so I spent 3 hours wandering around the museum which was truly fascinating as the collection contains some fine sculpture.

After the museum I had a late lunch and returned to the pension to collect my bag I then walked to the new tram station climbing aboard for the 20 minute trip to the otogar (bus station). Turkish bus stations in large cities are extremely efficient so it was not long till the bus was on the road.

The trip was long and I didn't sleep well, a young Turkish lad heading home for the week end

Classical Greek pottery

Anatalya Museum

befriended me, feeding me food and tea and ensuring I new what was going on. On arrival in Gaziantep he put me in a cab and gave be a number to in case anything went wrong.

I had to check four hotels before finally getting an expensive room, I walked around town for three hours looking for something to do with out a great deal of luck before finding an open museum to look around, I am really tired now and can hardly keep my eyes open.

I got up early and headed to the otogar where boarded a bus for the two trip to Sanliurfa, not much to see so I went back to sleep for a while, on this bus the steward served biscuits with the refreshments. Took a taxi to the guest house which is located amongst a maze of alleyways it was no surprise I got lost after dark. I chose to take a tour to town called Harran only a few kilometres from the Syrian border, to check out some traditional beehive houses, the further east I travel the more exotic it becomes, the west was a huge disappointment.

Here you see

Aphrodite in white and black marble

Anatalya Museum

real villages with children leading livestock and traditionally dressed Arabs walking the rural roads, few people speak English is also a good sign that the tourists have been left behind. The tours continue to frustrate me as they are not value for money, will do the one to Nemrut Dagi then that is it.

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