I found them well

When the plane landed in Antalya I could see both from the air and the ground that this was a kind of paradisaical city in the summertime, though crammed with tourists. I cringed at the thought of lots of British people and others wandering the streets, splurging on goods and services, and maintaining a level of detachment from the real life in Turkey while enjoying some pre-packaged entertainment. My opinion of tourists in Turkey is a bit low, if you hadn't got that already. And I am not talking about the tourists who speak the Turkish or at least try, or the tourists who get to know the Turkish people there, express interest in the culture, and are polite and respectful. A tourist like Misa or Robin. A tourist like me :) So that is how I see myself apart from all the weirdos. Oh yeah, and I love it here no matter what the time of year. The point of all this is just to say that tourism is a big part of the economy and the society in Antalya and the region and ought not be ignored. Needless to say, I was glad to be there when I was there (when the tourist levels were at a minimum).

I took a bus to the small city of Manavgat to the east of Antalya. Following Misa's written instructions, I took a minibus to the road where she was staying. I got out and checked my watch. I had missed the bus I needed to take from there by about 5 minutes. The next one would not come for an hour. I started walking. It was about 12:30 in the afternoon and the day was warming up. I walked and walked. EventuallyI took off my coat. There was a light breeze coming across the farmlands. The roadside was decorated with fruit trees and farm equipment. There was the familiar sight of chickens roaming freely, clucking about. After walking about 2 miles and not yet reaching the cottages where Misa stayed, I began to wonder how much further I had to walk. I saw a man preparing his truck for some deliveries. I told him in Turkish that I was going to Seki Cottages and asked if he knew where they were. He pointed up the road and said go about 4 kilometers. If it had been 2 kilometers I might have considered walking it, but some quick mental math revealed to me that the bus I could have waited an hour for would pass me before I got to the place. So I asked to borrow a phone and called the owner of the cottages, Onur. I had Onur's number all along and I knew that she was expecting my call to give me a lift up to the place. I had originally thought that instead of asking to borrow someone's phone I would just man-up and walk all the way there. I had packed very lightly and anyway the weather was gorgeous.

Onur came and drove me along what I realized would not have been an enjoyable way to walk- up the side of a small mountain. She stopped the car and I asked so Misa and Robin are here? I had been so hung up on just getting there, that I had not quite convinced myself that Misa and Robin were actually there. Yes, she said with a big smile. I had barely climbed out of the car when Misa emerged from the cottage. I can hardly describe the moment. I can just say that it was sunny and warm, and Misa had on her face the biggest smile and we hugged for a short while. Then I saw Robin standing on the porch. I thanked Onur and said goodbye to her and joined Misa and Robin on the porch.

Misa asked about the trip Julian, Bonnie, and I took to visit relatives on the east coast of the United States. I told her all about it. Then I eagerly asked about their experiences thus far in Turkey. Well apparently they had forgotten their Turkish phrase book in Amsterdam and struggled a little bit to get around, but overall had found the country warm and friendly.

I was at their place for 3 days. Throughout that time the morning routine was pretty consistent. I would wake up at about 9:00 each day and walk outside. From the orange tree nearby I would pick one or two oranges. Robin would wake up at about the same time as me and fix some tea. After which he would prepare a breakfast and pick some oranges for making orange juice. Misa would get up about 30 minutes to an hour later. During the day we would either go for a walk or relax on the porch for a long while either playing scrabble or just talking. The nights varied a bit and New Years Eve was especially adventurous and exciting. I will write about that in the next post.

It was certainly exciting for me to see Misa and Robin and to visit a new part of Turkey. Seeing Misa and meeting Robin was one of the main goals of my trip to Turkey and it was very successful. I was so glad to spend time with them and also I was sad when they left. However, I realize that I am lucky to have gotten to see them this holiday season.

I put some of my favorite pictures from those days here. You may click on them to see a bigger version. At a later time, I will make an album of these pictures and others for you to see.