|
After a long day of traveling, here’s the final part of the adventure in Turkey, as promised! The day began like every other: with breakfast and preparing a packed lunch. After breakfast, we got our suitcases ready for the flight and then drove to Antalya. Along the way, we made one last stop in Side.
Side is a historic city from the Greek and Roman times, where we saw the Temple of Apollo and part of the amphitheater. Unfortunately, the theater was completely sealed off for restoration work, so we only caught a glimpse of it. The temple, however, stood proudly in its (ruined) glory! After exploring, we ate our lunch in the shade of another ruin near the parking lot. We then continued to Antalya, dropped off the rental car at the airport, and took a shuttle bus to the other terminal where we needed to be. We were actually hours too early, so once inside, we could take it easy. First, we went to a coffee corner where we enjoyed some coffee and a börek (burekas). We sat there for quite a while, relaxing and doing some puzzles. After some time, we headed to the baggage drop-off counter, which was still about an hour and a half from opening. We decided to queue up early (well, queue... We were the first!). Eventually, the counter opened, and we were the very first to check in our suitcases. From there, we went through passport control and the security check, which went smoothly. Once at the plaza, it was dinner time, so we went to KFC to eat and relax until our gate number was announced. When it was finally known to which gate we had to go, we walked over to the gate, where we waited for about an hour (including a 20-minute delay). Eventually, boarding started, and soon we were in the air, departing around 10:20 PM. The flight itself was smooth (just a few moments of very light turbulence), and shortly after takeoff, I could see a large fire burning in a residential area below, and later on, I spotted Istanbul from the air. Despite the smooth flight, it was far from enjoyable. Almost during the entire flight, children / toddlers were crying and screeching, so any chance of catching some sleep was gone. We landed at Schiphol Airport around 1:30 AM, exhausted (and irritated). At baggage claim, we waited and waited, but our suitcases didn’t show up. It turned out the baggage belt had been changed without us knowing. Once we finally had our suitcases, we went outside and directly had a taxi home, as there were no trains to Purmerend at that time, and the alternative bus route was canceled due to road maintenance. All in all, we arrived home around 3:00 AM. I only took the essentials out of my suitcase (toiletry bag, pajamas, and laundry) and went straight to bed. After just four hours of sleep, I woke up feeling surprisingly refreshed and unpacked the rest of my suitcase. And with that, a two-week journey through Turkey comes to an end. One where I truly enjoyed the beautiful (and sometimes too warm) weather, the delicious food, the stunning landscapes, rich culture, and the overall friendly (with a few exceptions) Turkish people, despite my personal conception about the country. I hope you enjoyed following along, just as much as I did experiencing it. I look forward to sharing my (still unknown) next adventure with you! In the coming weeks, I’ll also be working on a gallery page where all the photos and videos will be available to view. Once it’s ready, I’ll share the link on my Facebook page. So make sure you follow and like my Facebook page!
|
© Liron 2017 - present All rights reserved. |