I am too stunned to work out which is true.
Last night at 10:40pm we flew to Antalya, we arrived at 3:00am local time and spent a couple of hours reassembling our bikes and when the dawn came, cycling to our "pension" or lodge, thingee.
However Turkey hit us before we left Germany.
When the boarding call came for our Germanwings flight we realized that there were no seat bookings, it was first in best seat. So the call to board saw the German tourists leap to their feet and immediately, and smugly, form orderly polite lines at the final checking area. However the Turkish passengers, of which there were a fair number, didn"t move. I noticed the oddity and wondered to my wife if they knew something we didn’t. Sure enough they did, probably from past experience.
Nothing happened for about 15 minutes as we stood frustratedly in line and the others sat comfortably. Then on a signal I missed the predominantly elderly Turkish passengers (of indeterminate age anywhere between 70 and 500) rallied themselves, formed a flying wedge and broke through the German ranks, for the gate. I'm not kidding, these little elderly women with shopping bags tied with string just muscled us out of the way. The German tourists were too polite to do more than splutter under their breath and regroup behind.
However fortune smiled on the Germans, as they were last into the bus that took us over the tarmac to the plane, they were first off at the plane itself.
That was our first experience of Turkey.
So anyway we arrived here, as noted, and cycled in to the city in the dawning morning.
(Assembling our bicycles at 3am in an empty airport in Antalya)
My first impression was "would someone please give the citizens of Antalya some brooms". Not for rubbish but for dust.
The new part of the city comprised of multistoried concrete structures with dusty half finished roads bisecting the streets. Streets were only rarely named and when we asked for help to the "central city" the locals despite friendliness were unable to show us.
We must have hit them like Martians landing, as we cycled along the city streets at dawn in our bright fluro gear, with helmets, a bob trailer, and a black Kiwi flag flying from the rear.
The "oh oh" moment came when we asked 3 people in a group for help, 2 pointed in different directions and the third zoned out on his cell phone. No one had a clue, thankfully a good amount of luck and my innate sense of direction (I can always find food in the kitchen) led us to the old part of Antalya and the accommodation.
Antalya is divided into two main sections, the "real" city, that we encountered on our random weavings, a place of semi industrial ascetics. The sort of place which was not dirty as such, just unfinished, uncared for, unimportant.
The second part is the old city area, its slowly being rebuilt to the old style of the city, with plastered walls, and semi wood multi storied dwellings, and shops. It can be very nice in places, small places.
(typical tourist photo of the tourist part of Antalya)
Whilst we were often ignored in the "real" city, in the tourist part we are continually harried for business, we are nothing more than money walking, to be emptied and disposed of. Shopkeepers stand at the doors of their shops and try to compel you to come in with tirades of "Hello! where are your from?" "I am your friend." "You want to buy ...." etc etc. Saying your from New Zealand seems to floor them for a second or two, but they quickly try to drag you into conversation to get you into their shop. Business must be very hard in Turkey at the moment.
Surprisingly I found the GOOD shops never need to resort to these tactics, they attracted people of their own accord. So while the food shops in one street almost drove you nuts with their imploring appeals, the pizza shop had nothing, people went in because they wanted pizza, just like in the west. The same with cafes, good cafes were frequented by people without any need of coercing.
So after one day in Antalya, (despite having no sleep, or maybe because of it) we have had enough. We have to get out as soon as possible, there is nothing here outside of filling your bags with tacky baubles that appeals about the place. Unless you want to lug around a carpet of course.
Tonight we get to bed early and at dawn on Sunday morning, make the trek through this very long city to the hopefully sanity of the other side. BTW our bikes are HEAVY, its going to be a tough slog for the first week or two I think.
nite all.
(View from our Pension, are they demolishing the house next door, or building it?)
