Up early today so we can enjoy breakfast on the terrace as long as possible. |The shuttle arrives late, and we load up for the one hour trip to the airport. However, with growing consternation, we watch as our driver stops for gas, stops in another town to let people off and there’s still one woman on board from his last trip to the airport that has no idea when he will drop her at her hotel. Going into action, I jump off the bus (while he’s depositing one couple with another driver), speak with a taxi driver, and motion for another couple on the bus and we hop in the taxi and breathe a sigh of relief as we are speeding to the airport. |Heaven help those other riders!
First plane to Istanbul (yes, we have to go up and through the capital) and second to Antalya, where our man Sulcuk is waiting at the front door with our car keys and info. We speed out of town to catch Termessos, an increadible Roman amphitheatre, before dark, which we manage. However, earlier closing hours to we’re (literally) shut out.
Back on the road, we head down the coastal highway for Cerali, a tiny little speck off the highway that is supposed to be a mellow beach community with ruins and the chimaera within walking distance. As it grows dark, we get a little anxious about finding it, and drive down a couple of dead ends, but finally make it. We drive down the long, dark road from the elevated coastal highway, and pretty soon are rolling by pansiyon after pensiyon (yes, deliberately spelled different ways), and stop at one and we have a room.
Suitcases in the room, we walk down the sandy road back to where there are about 4 or 5 restaurants lined up along the beach and walk into the one recommended by our hotelier. It’s on the beach (no break, though, everything is still) and we’re under the stars and we pick out a fish from the case and settle down, glad to be stationary after a long day of travel. Freshly cooked puffy break, like a long, thin, pita, comes out along with mezze (starter snacks, cold tapas) and we dig in.
A full dinner and cribbage game later, we walk back to the hotel to change shoes and get our headlamps. We climb back into the car and head about 3 km down the road in the other direction to the chimaera, a spot in the earth dating back to 300 BC, stuff of legend, to see the fire coming out of cracks in the earth. We pay our entrance fee and begin the long, rocky climb up (really? at 11 pm I’m doing this?). Its takes a good 30 minutes, but we arrive through the dusty trail and dark to see a few spots where tongues of fire are seeping out of the ground.
There are a few parties of visitors, each surrounding their own fire and we sit and relax,
look at the night sky and contemplate the legends of their creation (what remains of chimaera monster, which had head of lion, body of goat and tail of serpent after being slain by Bellerephon. why did they like mish-mashing animal bodies so much?). Long hike back down, and a dust-busting shower, and FINALLY fall into bed.