Turkey's Magical Highways Day 9

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Catch up time for the blog -- sorry about the unavoidable gaps.

Lake Beysehir and Antalya -- Our overnight stay in Busak was over, a small village of 660 people. The bed was ridiculously hard but we were grateful for the unforgettable experience to live for one day & night in a small village. We were greeted by the rooster and cows in the early morning along with a wonderful breakfast, then farewell to a lovely family.

Unemployment for the country is at 9.8%. Young people (18-25) are at 18%. The country offers little unemployment = to about a "hamburger and a cup of coffee" per day. We had a "discovery stop" along the highway and took a tour of an apple orchard owned by a woman & her family. They were picking and she gave us all apples + some of us helped pick a few. She had apples stacked high to sell and said she would sell it all for 25 cents per # but didn't yet have a buyer. Hunting is allowed in Turkey but you must first register and go with a guide who will tell you if you can shoot, or not. Mentioned were wild boar, deer, wild goat, horses, wild cats. We are in the Taurus Mountains which are about 6,000 gt. high. The nomadic life abounds with many animal herders. The nomads take the animals to the mountains where they stay in the summer months, then down for the winter -- they live in tents while in the mountains. We took a rest stop along the highway at a town famous for their roses and many from our group purchased creams, candy, perfumes etc. made from roses -- quite fragrant.

Had lunch near the lake with a beautiful view. Lentil soup, salad, meat based stew and melon.

Arrived in Antalya and visited the Antalya Muzesi, an archaeological museum housing the most extensive collection of artifacts from the Stone Age to the present. This was the best museum I could ever imagine for this type of sculpture. Zeus is one of the statues I picture here.



We stayed in the Old Town area of Antalya at a lovely hotel right across from the bay and beach area. Had great fun roaming the up and down cobblestone streets that were wide enough for a small car. Our luggage had to be transported in as the small mini bus

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Photos

Antalya Muzesi
One of best archaeological museums in world. Halls of statues brought from ruins from stone age to present.

Stray cat house
Charities support cat houses and dog feeding stations throughout Turkey. The dogs are given shots and tagged -- all cats and dogs are very healthy looking and not aggressive.

Ice cream vendor
Ice cream made of goat's milk and it doesn't melt easily -- however, extremely good!! The vendors catch your attention by doing tricks with the ice cream that sticks to their spoons.