There are a lot of ruins around Finikie so we had to basically pick the one that seemed to be the easiest to get to and then the one worth the time to get there. We chose to go to Arykanda because according to Fodor’s it was closest and it seemed to have the most to offer.
The first step is always to figure out which bus to get on. I asked the girls in the marina and they wrote on a piece of paper Elmali (minibus). What we discovered was that this was the name of the town that was beyond Arykanda. It took us awhile to figure that much out though. A very nice English speaking man helped us at the Otogar or bus stop and we got on a very full bus.
We were seated where we thought was the back of the bus. We were sitting with a Dutch couple who were going to the actual town and we were all shocked when people started sitting on plastic crates in aisles and then in the cargo area behind us. At one point there were 5 people behind us sitting on crates.
The bus driver was told that we were going to Arykanda and he announced it and let us off on the side of the road. We looked around and saw the sign but wasn’t real sure where we were supposed to be.
There are piles of garbage and broken stones under the sign. It took us a minute to find the dirt road that led up to a farm neighborhood and what we hoped were the ruins.
It was quite a hike up the road to the ruins. We had a great view of the valley and clouds that were coming in. This is a big farming area so we got to see a bunch of green houses and woman leaned over plowing their land.
We finally made it to the top! A couple passed us on the way up in a car and then ran into us inside of the ruins. They are German and asked, “Why were you walking up that way?” and we simply replied “Because we don’t have a car?”. They thought we were nuts for walking up the steep roads to get there when you can just drive up.
This is the site from the first level. Arykanda didn’t appear to hold any political significance, but was known as a city for lazy and hedonist people. It has all of the components of an ancient city and many of them are still recognizable thanks to the natural barriers that created natural defenses.
Dad and I decided to take a break and enjoy the scenery after climbing further up to get to the basilica.
Location, location, location. This is a church with a view. There was a whole wall of openings like these looking down on the valley. It currently has a great view of the mosque down below and rows of green houses, but there is also a terrific view of the mountains and of anyone that would be traveling in the valley.
These green plans were growing in the cracks of every ruin and were so interesting. They looked so cozy and content in the cracks of the rock and created a great contrast to the tan color.
The basilica was one of my favorite buildings and doesn’t get enough play in the brochure. They push the theater, and for good reason, but many of the massive walls of the basilica were intact and it was very easy to identify.
Up another set of stairs was the necropolis. The tombs here were more Roman than Lycian but this rock tomb stood out like the others we had seen along the Lycian Way. The dome to the left of me was just amazing. I still get awe struck when I see these things.
It took a lot more climbing, but we found the theater! It’s just a give in that it’s going to be at a very high point up against the cliff side because it made for better acoustics. Dad decided to just chill out and take in a show while I circled the theater looking for the “postcard shot”.
There were a bunch of little rooms in front of the theater and then a bath on the top. It was a whole social gathering. The agora was just down a level from the theater and then there was the cliff. I’m pretty sure I was walking like a super model in this picture… or just walking.
As we were hiking down the road to get back to the high way in search of a bus it began to rain. Dad and I ran to what I’m going to call a wayside or truck stop right in time for the sky to open up. We passed these places a lot on our road trips and I never thought they got much business but boy was I wrong. There were a few vendors selling honey or fruit, a bathroom building, and then a small restaurant that had ever flowing tea and a Panini machine. There was running water coming from various hoses where truck drivers would fill up their water bottles and cars constantly stopping. We sat at a dry spot and had a cup of tea and waited. The bus to Finikie came at around 3:00pm we were told. I was happy when we saw it coming from the other town and could flag it down because it was getting down right cold.
On the way back I started to look at the green houses we were passing and tried to identify what was being grown. I could identify oranges, tomatoes, eggplant, lemons, and a few olive trees. For everything I can identify there was two things I couldn’t. This land was so fertile.
The man sitting in front of us was clearly a farmer. I could tell by his hands, big strong hands with dirt in them. He was taking a little snooze when I snapped this and it just makes me smile. The women wear head scarves and the men wear these beanie hats.
We got back to the boat just as the wind started picking up and I’d say right on time. Dad stopped to use the restroom and when I got there the wind was blowing our boat into the boat next to us and it was not looking good. The bow of the boat was being pushed to the left into the other boat while the back left corner of the boat was being pressed into the dock. The gang plant was barely holding on and the big fender we have in the back was doing a lot of work. The boat was basically diagonal, which isn’t a natural or safe position for it to be in. Apparently the lady on the boat across the dock from us ran up to tell the marina people and they came out on bikes shortly after I boarded. It took two of them to tighten the bow line and straighten it out a little. By then Dad came back and it took a lot of heaving to get things straighten out and safe. Then the wind died down and all was calm. Naturally.
No comments:
Post a Comment